The Links At Hunters Ridge Golf Course Review

The Links At Hunters Ridge
Howell, Michigan
Grade: B
Teacher’s Comments: Fun. Could be called the Marsh at Hunter’s Ridge.

The Links at Hunters Ridge is a field-and-marsh course routed around and over a central hill (the eponymous “Ridge”). During the round, players will encounter elevation changes, carries over marsh, and numerous bunkers in a mostly open design. The only trees to speak of are on the course’s perimeter and on the par three third.

Hunters Ridge was built in 1995 on 160 acres of a family Centennial Farm. It’s a Jerry Matthews design, on which Paul Albanese was a design team member. Albanese has since gone on to acclaim in his own right as an architect.

The Links At Hunters Ridge Golf Course Review fifteenth hole — The fifteenth at Hunters Ridge is a 363 yard par 4

The design is by no stretch of the imagination a “links,” but that seems to be the favored term for mostly treeless, open designs. Hunter’s Ridge is not really open, though, for lurking around every corner there seems to be a marshy pond. In fact, there’s water and marsh in the vicinity of 14 holes.

Maybe they should call it “The Marshes at Hunter’s Ridge.”

The Links At Hunters Ridge Golf Course Review aerial view — A satellite view of the Links at Hunters Ridge. A lot of the marshy areas are green from above, so you have to look hard to see them here.

The good news is that the marshes are generally avoidable. The forced carries are reasonable, and the fairways wide enough to accommodate most misses.

In fact, Hunter’s Ridge is for the most part a friendly course. The carries are not heroic (except on the par 3s), the fairways are wide, and the greens complexes receptive. A bogey golfer can have a good round here.

Hunter’s Ridge was a one ball round for me. In spite of all that marsh, I managed not to lose a single orb.

The Links At Hunters Ridge Golf Course Review Tenth hole — The tenth at Hunters Ridge is a 421 yard par 4

My favorite hole was the par 4 tenth. It’s a dogleg right where the tee shot plays along the ridge, the turns downhill for the approach.

The Links At Hunters Ridge Golf Course Review tenth green — A view of the tenth green at Hunters Ridge

Hugging the inside of the turn on the left can shorten the hole, but puts a shot in risk of landing in the rough on an uneven lie. It’s a hole where you need to make sure you don’t bite off more than you can chew.

The Links At Hunters Ridge Golf Course Review sixteenth hole — Sixteen at Hunters Ridge is a 424 yard par 4.

Another fun hole was the par four sixteenth. It heads up the same slope that the tenth runs down. It’s grip it and rip it here to a green that’s perched on the hillside, with bunkers left and right front.

The Links At Hunters Ridge Golf Course Review seventeenth hole — Seventeen at Hunters Ridge is a 191 yard par 3.

Hunter’s Ridge also has one of the classic Michigan downhill par threes at the seventeenth. This one adds a marsh to the equation.

From the tips, Hunters Ridge measures 6, 574 yards and plays to a 71.9/132. The next set of tees are in at 5, 929 and a 68.8/125. A little further up, the tees are at 5, 466 and play at 71.6/121. The shortest tees are 4, 629 and play at 62.5/103.

Conditions on the day I played were good. As I went around the course, I encountered several crews working hard on the edges of bunkers. It seemed to me that the new owners (since 2019) have embraced the idea that details matter when it comes to course conditions.

The Links At Hunter’s Ridge Golf Course Review was first published on GolfBlogger.Com on December 14, 2020 from notes and photos taken on a round played June 2, 2020.

A photo tour of The Links at Hunters Ridge follows