Westland Municipal Golf Course Review
Westland Municipal Golf Course
Grade: D+
Teachers’ Comments: Short, tight and a bit shabby.
On some level, I might give Westland Municipal Golf Course a grade of a D-, or even an E. What saves it from that ignominy is its lack of pretension. Westland Municipal doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a neighborhood mini. Nine holes walking is just $12. For that, it gets a D+. Maybe even a C-.
Westland Municipal is more properly called the Mack Mayfield Municipal Golf Course. Mayfield was a longtime city of Westland employee, who was the first African American to serve the city in a supervisory role. Mayfield’s contributions as a volunteer throughout Wayne and Westland are innumerable.
The course has some interesting roots. It is located on property that once was the Birch Hills Country Club. Weatland Municipal’s architect is listed as Bill Newcomb, the former University of Michigan golf coach, who has turned into a noted course designer.
The “Mack” is very flat, very tight and short. A slightly wayward ball can end up over the fence in someone’s yard or in a street. Even a relatively straight shot can get clipped by intruding branches. The longest hole is just 378 yards.
Westland Municipal is a par 34. From its furthest reaches, Westland Muni manages to eke out 2, 762 yards. It has five par fours and two threes. Two other sets of tees are at 2, 666 and 2, 262 yards.
The back tees have a rating and slope of 33.4/124. The middle tees are at 32.5/117. The forward tees are 33.5/113.
For all of its shortcomings, Westland Municipal does have some interesting holes. The par four third was my favorite. At 378 yards, it’s the longest on the course. From the tee, it is a relatively tight shot between two goalpost trees. Halfway down the length, it takes a hard right to the green.
The green on the third is flat as a pancake. Actually most of them are.
The third is one of three doglegs on the course. Water comes into play on five holes. Shallow holes guard the greens on every hole.
Conditions on the day I played were not particularly good. Tee boxes were beat up; the fairways were irregular. The greens were in good shape, though.
Honestly, the entire course could use some TLC. Branches need to be cut back, and perhaps even some trees removed. Undergrowth needs to be cleared.
While there are a lot of better places to play in the immediate area, I can understand why Westland Municipal is popular with locals. It is friendly, the price is terrific and the clubhouse grill has five big screen televisions and is a nice environment for hanging out with buddies at the end of a round. In one very real sense, Westland is lucky to have such a place, especially in an age when cities are
The Mack Mayfield Westland Municipal Golf Course review was first published March 26, 2021 from notes and photos taken on a round played in September 2020. For all of GolfBlogger’s Michigan Golf Course reviews, follow the link.
A course tour follows:
The first at Westland Municipal is a 360 yard par 4. 
The second at Westland Muni is a 158 yard par 3. 
The third at Westland Muni is a 378 yard par 4. 
A view from the bend on Westland Muni’s par 4 third. 
The fourth at Westland Muni is a 339 yard par 4. 
Five at Westland Muni is a 350 yard par 4. 
The sixth at Westland Muni is a 328 yard par 4. 
A view from behind the hole on Westland Muni’s s328 yard par 4 sixth 
The seventh at Westland Muni is a 172 yard par 3. 
A view of the 356 yard par 4 eighth from behind the hole 
The ninth at Westland Muni is a 321 yard par 4.
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