Coyote Preserve Golf Course
Grade: A
Teachers’ Comments: A very nice course
Coyote Preserve is an Arnold Palmer Signature course that originally was known as just The Preserve. Wide fairways and fairly straightforward hole designs—no hidden trouble here—made for a very enjoyable morning. It’s got much of that “Up North” feel that so many courses in Michigan brag about, but few attain. The holes are largely isolated from each other, and you see few houses to mar the atmosphere.
My favorite hole was the seventh—a 566 yard par 5. It’s a grip it and rip it hole, with wide landing zones and fairly flat topography. But there actually are plenty of those on this course. My sense is that Arnold Palmer’s design team set out to make a course low on the frustration level. The rolling hillside, swamps and forests certainly could have been used to make things difficult; the architects clearly chose not to.
The course has four sets of tees, ranging from 6,912 to 5563, with yet another set for the ladies at 4851. In fact, I noticed from the tee box placement that this is a very friendly course to the ladies. Couples would do well to play here, for it would provide sufficient challenge for each. The Rating/Slope is 74.7/13 from the back tees, and 71.3/129 from the Average Joe’s tees.
Conditions on the day I played were very good. The greens were in good shape, and the fairways well grown. It’s hard to tell the regular condition of the traps, because it had been raining off and on for the previous twenty four hours—even while I was playing—and the traps were like concrete. There was no standing water, however, which I took as a good sign. The greens and fairways also seemed to have very good drainage, because I didn’t see any casual water about.
For me, the best part was the price. Using an online coupon from the website, I was able to play 18 holes with a cart for $28. That’s an absolute steal.
Get a coupon and head on out. I would definitely play there again (this time, hopefully with better weather).
See more photos of the course here.
Discover more from GolfBlogger Golf Blog
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Glad you agreed with my assessment
I played this course on Tuesday and absolutely loved it. Just a great golf experience . . .challenging holes and quite fun. The whole “up north” cliche is overused, but it sure seems to fit here! Loved it!
I think Coyote Preserve is too difficult for the average player. I assume from the review that the “Blue” tees is what “Average Joe” might play (6,503 yards 71.2/135 for a par 71 layout). Good luck Joe.
#16 and #17 will eat the average player’s lunch. #5 is ridiculous (441-yard par 4). One is high on a hill, hitting a blind shot steeply downhill (aim at the barn set on a hillside 5 miles away). If one hits the tee shot too far, into the gunch one goes. The hill is STEEP and a 250-yard 7 iron is possible, but it better be straight and stop rolling. If one survives the tee shot, one now has a steeply downhill lie, hitting to a green fronted by a pond and surrounded by bunkers. There really is no bail out area so one better hit a crisp iron off that downhill lie.
The course is certainly picturesque. Conditions are typically very good. I don’t like that they have made no attempt to mark the penalty areas. An “A-rated” course should not expect the players to know whether to proceed as a lost ball or a ball in a penalty area. The average player probably doesn’t care about this issue but a properly marked course is what one should expect.
Finally, I actually got to see a Massasauga Rattlesnake while playing Coyote Preserve. It was coiled up under a tree to the right of the 7th green. It was out-of-play and we gave it a wide berth.
I think for the most part the course is reasonable and fair. I just believe Arnie & Company got a bit carried away on a few holes. An average player attempting to play the “Blue” tees is going to regret that decision unless they like high scores.