WestWynd Golf Club
Oakland Township, MI

WestWynd golf course is a premier course at a very reasonable rate.  Weekend is $55, but you can buy a $10 discount card for $30, which will pay for itself in short order, especially if you live across the street from the course like I do!  Twilight rates are only $35, all you can play with cart.

This track is the most difficult course I've ever played, including Oakland Hills, Oakhurst, and even Northern Michigan courses such as Treetops.  From the tips it's about 6900 yards, 73.8, 139 rating, and  I believe the course is actually under rated.  There's only about 3 holes in which you can miss a shot.  Everything else is very punishing, including the regular rough where it's tough to get anything more than a 7 or 8 iron on the ball.  The fairway bunkers are quite deep and often 1/2 shot or more penalty because it's often that you must wedge out to get over the lip.

All of the par 3's play more than 200 yards, and most of them are uphill.  Holes 1 and 17 share a huge double green, as does 2 and 18.  All but two greens are quite large, and all are fast.

There are some incredible houses on this golf course, including a 22,000 sq foot giant (yes, 22,000 sq ft) that features a waterfall along the 9th fairway.  The cart path is brick pavers completely through the course.   From what I understand, the guy who built the course ended up buying the brick paver company because it would be cheaper than hiring them to do the work!

Hole 1-371 Yds

While the first hole is one of the shortest par 4's, an approach shot with trouble left, right and short will test your iron play.

Hole 2-408 Yds

The 2nd hole features a water hazard that extends into the fairway much farther than it looks from the tee, and the fairway slopes down to the left. From the blues, the water is easily reachable, and you really have to take the drive over the left edge of the right bunkers. A more prudent shot is a fairway wood off the tee, but that will leave you 150 to the green over water and a big deep bunker on approach.

Hole 3-570 Yds

You are looking at the approach shot on the par 5 3rd. This hole features a ton of bunkers that are most definitely in play.

Hole 4-179 Yds

A great and fun par 3 features an elevated tee (more so than what it looks like in this picture). At 180 from the tips, it's the easiest par 3 on the course.

Hole 5-487 Yds

This is an oddball par 5, one of two odd ball holes. From the blues, it's only 447 yards, but I have yet to see anybody reach it in two. The reason is the green is tucked behind some big trees, and you have to be far enough up, and far enough left to get a view of it. I usually play a 4 iron from the blues to the large landing area, then a 7 iron, then a wedge. Strange indeed. From the tips it's quite a different tee shot since it's about 40 yards further carry. You need one that carries about 210 to clear the junk, with woods to the right, hazard to the left, and a bunker that is in play.

Hole 6-183 Yards

This is one tough par 3. Not only does it play a good 25-30 yards farther than the card, huge bunkers border the front left, and the green is two tiered. Get on the wrong tier and you're in big trouble. With the pin in the front, it probably plays 1/2 shot easier.

Hole 7-632 Yds

One of the two BIG par 5's, this one requires a tee shot in the fairway just so you can get a fairway wood on the 2nd to get into position for your 3rd. Tough hole, and if you hit the fairway bunkers, it's almost a sure bogey. The approach shot is over about 50 yards of wetlands.

Hole 7

Here's the approach shot on #7. You can rarely take a breather on this course!

Hole 10-623 Yds

Absolutely the hardest par 5 you'll ever play. While this hole is shorter than #7, it plays about 60 yards father than the card. It bends almost 90 degrees around wetlands. I hit a 280 yd drive, and a 225 yd 4 wood the other day, and I was STILL 150 out for the 3rd, uphill, over wetlands and a huge really tough green. It's almost too hard of a hole. Hit your drive into the rough and a bogey is a GOOD score.

Hole 11-441 Yards

The 11th features OB on the left, but if you spray it right, it's one of the few holes that you won't end up in a hazard or in the trees, but you will have a blind shot for your 2nd. Shown here is your approach shot to a well guarded green. The bunker on the right is really deep.

Hole 12-355 Yards

This picture was to show off some of the smaller houses on WestWynd. To the right is the pin for #12. While a shorter par 4, it's of course well guarded off the tee with bunkers, so laying up to about 150 is necessary, unless you take it to the left where the fairway narrows to about 15 yards.

Hole 14-506 Yds

The 14th is a shorter par 5, but not nearly reachable. The tee shot is uphill, and a good one will get you to about 225 to the green. The problem is that there's about 7 bunkers guarding the front, and it's still uphill! A better play is about a 5 iron to the left, as the green is tucked into the right side.

Hole 16-177 Yds

Another long par 3 which plays about 20 yards farther than the card. While the picture doesn't show it here, it's pretty far uphill. Short is dead, but you can go long as there's a a bank behind the green. The green is shallow, but really wide. Get on the wrong side of the hump in the middle and a 3 putt is probably in your future.

Hole 17-396 Yds

The prettiest hole on the course features a big down hill tee shot, with trouble on the right and left (of course!). A driver is still preferred from the back tees, but you can get away with a long iron from the blues which are 30 yards shorter. This green is a killer, and there are 3 tiers. Better to be below than above, otherwise your 2nd putt WILL be below the pin!

Hole 18-432 Yards

A great finishing hole, one of the best I've ever played. The fairway bends around to the right alongside the lake that you saw in #2. A good tee shot from the back tees still leaves you a long iron at best to a green over water.

Hole 18-Panorama

Here's a view from behind 18, back up the fairway. This is the view you see when you walk up from the parking lot, and gives you an excellent idea of what you face.

The fairway on the right is the 18th, and the fairway beyond the water is #2.