Palmer Park Golf Course Review

Palmer Park Golf Course Review

Palmer Park Golf Course
Detroit, Michigan
Grade: E
Teacher’s Comments: A skeleton of a golf course

Constructed in 1927, Palmer Park golf course in Detroit is part of a 296 acre city recreational facility. In its day, Palmer Park Golf Course was one of the few golf courses where African Americans could play and thus was home for Detroit stars including Marvin Gaye, The Temptations and The Four Tops. Joe Lous also made appearances (although he also apparently frequented Rackham). The land was deeded to the city of Detroit in 1893 by US Senator Thomas Palmer, and includes an historic log cabin, tennis courts, hiking and biking trails and a large pond known as Lake Frances.

Palmer Park is located just across the street from the private and storied Detroit Golf Club.

Sadly, today’s Palmer Park is not worth visiting. When I visited in the summer of 2017, just nine holes were open, and those sorely neglected. Fairways were un-mowed, and parched. Greens were largely dead. I frankly played the course in an hour and even that was too much time out of my life.

The front nine measures 2, 892 from the back tees. Short. Mercifully short.

According to a course employee I spoke to, the back nine was closed pending sale to the aforementioned Detroit Golf Club, which wants to use the land to help attract a professional event. The speculation was that it would be used as a driving range and parking for tour vans, television trucks and so forth.

The one positive is that Palmer Park serves as one of the bases for the First Tee of Detroit.

The Palmer Park Golf Course Review was first published on GolfBlogger.Com on September 6, 2017.

More photos follow: