Golf

Treat yourself to the extraordinary

• Year built: 1926
• Architect(s): H. S. Colt, C. H. Alison
• Greens: Bentgrass
• Fairways: Bentgrass
• Season: Open: 4/01 Closed: 12/01

Offering one of the most challenging yet playable designs in Michigan, the Orchard  Lake Country Club’s 18-hole championship golf course is a Colt & Alison original. White sand bunkering, rolling hills and generous bent grass greens offer forgiving expanses and reward shot-making in equal measure, highlighted by the most picturesque of settings.

Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player all had kind words for Orchard Lake.  No surprise really, Captain Hugh Alison, one of the all time great architects, designed it during the Golden Age of architecture. Built over roly-poly land of human scale, the raw property allowed Alison to carve some of his famously deep bunkers into the folds and take advantage of many natural green sites. In 2002, Orchard Lake made a fortuitous call to Keith Foster. Unknown to the club at the time, Foster had traveled across the breadth of England in the late 1990's studying the works of Fowler, Colt and Alison. Over a series of meetings, Foster communicated his vision, a restoration of the grandeur of Alison's work. Foster's infectious enthusiasm for Alison and his place in the game as one of the elites carried the day.  His plan was accepted in 2003 and the first order of business began.  The restoration was completed in 2013 to enthrall amateurs and professionals alike.