The Majestic Golf Course Review

 

The Majestic at Lake Walden
Hartland, Michigan
Livingston County

Overall Grade: B+
Teacher’s Comments: A nice woodlands course.

When I’m pining for an “Up North” style woodlands course, but don’t have the time to make the four or five hour drive, I’ve found that there are a couple of very good more local options: The Grande in Jackson, and Moose Ridge in South Lyon.

To that, I’ve added a third: The Majestic at Lake Walden in Hartland.

All three courses are cut through vast acres of forest. Lake Walden is different in that it’s wrapped around a large lake, much of which is visible from the course.

I found it to be a beautiful course, with plenty of golfing challenges.

There actually are three sets of nines at the Majestic. I played 1-18.

From the blues on the first 18, the course measures 6385 with a course rating of 70.9 and a 130 slope.

As you can see from the yardage and course rating, it’s not a particularly difficult course. But it does require a good deal of strategy. Bomb and gouge is not the best strategy at the Majestic. Instead, you need to work to yardages and locations.

I ran up a fairly high score on my round, primarily because I was having difficulty judging the correct clubs for the different distances. This is a course where local knowledge is at a premium. On a second playing—and I will be going back—I expect to shoot a much lower number.

Course conditions were generally very good—although on a few holes in low lying swampy areas, the fairways were soggy. A couple of the greens also needed some work.

The course’s layout is a bit unusual in that it doesn’t return to the clubhouse at the turn. There is, however, a decent restroom with actual plumbing after number nine.

It was an exceedingly hot day when I played, and about halfway through the round, a course staff member pulled up in a cart to offer a cool, wet towel. Nice touch.

My favorite hole was the par 5 second. Measuring 494 yards from tbe blues, it requires a medium length carry from the tee to a ridge opposite. The fairway carries across a plateau, and about 140 from the green, dips suddenly downward. From the bottom, it requires one, perhaps two clubs more than usual.

I love a hole like that, because I love to hit my three wood from the fairway. It was fun to watch the ball arc up into the air, and then disappear from sight into the ravine. (I know, it’s weird).

My only complaint, and it’s one that can’t be helped, is that it’s a riding only course. The distances from green to tee, and the elevation changes require a cart. Still, I have to give them my usual downgrade for not being walking friendly.

If you’re in the area, visit The Majestic at Lake Walden. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

The Majestic Golf Course Review was first published June 26, 2008.

More photos follow.