Watch out for wetlands at challenging Inkster Valley Golf Club in Wayne County
INKSTER, Mich. -- Playing Inkster Valley Golf Club for the first time causes undue stress, fear and sometimes even sheer bewilderment.
But once players solve the riddle to find fairways and well guarded greens hidden by more than 100 acres of wetlands, they tend to fall for this demanding municipal 6,709-yard course owned by Wayne County.
"It is difficult the first time," said Eric Bergsrud, the club's general manager. "It's got a lot of doglegs on the front nine. If you play to what you can see, you'll be okay.
"Once you've played it once or twice, you can be more aggressive. There is a lot of trouble to get in on both sides (of the fairway)."
Harry Bowers designed the golf course over and around the Rouge River in 1998. Bowers, who designed The Rock at Drummond Island in northern Michigan, wedged fairways into tight corridors replete with forced carries and semi-blind shots over tall weeds.
Inkster Valley Golf Club's back nine opens up for nos. 13-16, but the finishing hole, a short par 4, symbolizes the whole day. Players must blast a blind tee ball to set up another harrowing approach to what is essentially an island green surrounded by tangled jungle and marsh. Players who lose less than three balls on the day have fared well.
All the carnage doesn't stop players like Kevin Adams of Garden City from coming back again and again.
"For your buck, this is the best course around," Adams said.
(based on 3 reviews)