Stoatin Brae: Links Golf in Southwest Michigan
Stoatin Brae, or ‘Grand Hill’ in Scottish Gaelic, sits atop one of the highest points in Kalamazoo County and plays as one of the truest links courses in all of Michigan.
By: Matt Fernandez
📍 Augusta, Michigan
Stoatin Brae opened in 2017 as Gull Lake View’s sixth and signature course. It was designed by Renaissance Golf Design senior associates: Don Placek, Eric Iverson, Brian Schneider and Brian Slawnik.
From the beginning the group wanted to do something different and go against the norm of traditional Michigan parkland golf. They wanted to get back to the roots of the game, while catering to beginner and advanced golfers alike. With the land already stripped of trees, and sitting high atop rolling land, the decision was made to design a links course that would play hard enough for the low-handicappers and easiest enough for the high. At last, Stoatin Brae was born.
Fun For All
Stoatin Brae may look simple to the amateur eye, but the course was intentionally set-up for good golfers to pick their spots and angles. Great fairway and green bunkering, fast & firm greens, and mother nature’s brute elements (wind), help protect from low scores. Yet on the other hand, wide fairways, no trees and straightforward routing allow the high-handicapper to get around without being demoralized.
Watching your ball ricochet around the firm fairways and green complexes takes you back to a simpler time in golf. One where the best play around the green is the bump and run, a lost art in today’s game.
An Easy Walk
While we enjoy riding, we highly encourage you to walk Stoatin Brae. It’s a relatively easy walk, with smooth transitions and short distances from green to the next tee. With most of the undulation coming on the back nine, you can enjoy a loop while feeling like you’re getting back to the roots of the game.
The Back Nine
While the front 9 offers some great holes, the entire back nine is littered with unreal golf. The stretch of holes 10-15 is undoubtedly the most fun and architecturally interesting set of holes on the course. There’s doglegs, downhill par 3’s, uphill shots into greens, blind shots, side-hill lies, and strategic bunkering. It’s a playground for golfers.
Stoatin Brae is a part of Gull Lake View’s sixth courses including: Bedford Valley (underrated), Stonehedge North & South, as well as Gull Lake View East & West. All 6 courses are a part of our ‘Coast Club Courses’, where Members will receive discounts on greens fees and pro shop goods while playing their.
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