Birmingham Country Club (Michigan)
May 2023 – Of all the underrated clubs I’ve played, Birmingham is right up there. Unless you’re from the Detroit area or a Tom Bendelow design aficionado (although Donald Ross is given an assist here), like me you have likely never heard of it. There’s no love from any of the golf mags (don’t confuse it with CC of Birmingham in AL) and it doesn’t even make the best in state GD rankings. Top 100 Golf Courses has BCC listed as 26th in Michigan – behind lesser courses I’ve played (Arcadia South?!?). So yes BCC makes it to my all-underrated list with other diamonds in the rough (pun intended) like Trump LA and Lochenheath.
Before I get to the course review – which I’ll actually try to do a less than bad job on – let’s talk about Detroit. I don’t come here often and the last time I was in the city itself had to be over 20 years ago. Sure the city is a renowned shithole with one of the greasiest, sleaziest, most inept House Congressmen, Rashida Tlaib. She puts the “bag” in douchebag. The governor could be one of the most loathsome governors in the country – Gretchen Bitchmer. The city is always in the Top 5 or more apt Bottom 5 in crime. Yes, “let’s do a guys’ golf trip in Detroit” has never come out of anyone’s mouths ever. But the suburbs aren’t bad and there are some great clubs out here (here and Oakland Hills) and some decent publics (I played Shepherd’s Hollow years and years ago and Fox Hills was okay).
I hate Motown (music) and laugh at how the sole remaining true antigovernment rocker is not U2 or Neil Young but Ted Nugent, the Motor City Madman! Love me some Uncle Ted!
To the course. BCC is a classic old-style course. Great clubhouse. Fun membership. Great access to booze. Great bloodies in the Men’s Grill. No houses cramping the course. It is quite simply a classic course. So here goes the hole-by-hole review. Hole layout from my Wingman.
First Hole: Par five. We played the whites. Avoid the bunkers and only slightly uphill. I kept drive right. Second in middle and third on green but a three putt six. Greens are tricky, so read your lines carefully or get a caddie.
Second Hole: We played from 352. Back toward clubhouse with menacing creek toying with your approach. Hooked drive with my rental set but got approach just across the creek and good chip on with a two putt. Do not be above the green here.
Third Hole: We played from 158. Well protected green. I was in the right bunker short. Better there than further where you have to stick a narrow green. Bogey again but at least got through the first three-hole match even.
Fourth Hole: Figured out how to set the Wingman to the distance we played each hole. Number one handicap. Another very well protected green here. The bogey train kept rolling.
Fifth Hole: Sharp dogleg right. Have to beat the corner with a good drive but I don’t have 260 yards in me so played it left to short left of the green. Up and two putt for a…surprise, surprise…bogey. But partner parred with a stroke and finally broke the tie.
Sixth hole: Short, bending par-four around the pond. You won’t get in trouble if you miss left but will make approach longer. Finally off the bogey train with a nice par here. Stroked and we won the first six hole match.
Seventh Hole: Uphill par three. Easy to leave it short. Not sure what I did but must’ve been off the green and chipped on well – as I know I was chipping very well all day. Another bogey but I stroked (yes on a par three – it’s the #9 handicap) and we halved. There are some whose pride wouldn’t allow them to take a stroke on a par three. Not me, I love charity.
Eighth Hole: Dogleg left par five. Bunkers to the left protect the dogleg and are driveable. Avoid those and not a lot of trouble – in fact the #17 handicap. No pops here so my par merely halved the hole.
Ninth Hole: Had us playing up at 357 yards. Drive has to thread the bunkers, which I did. Uphill approach so take an extra club, which I did. Two putt par with stroke and won the three-hole front match and a satisfying 42 with nary a double nor other unseemly blemish.
Tenth Hole: Short par four with all kinds of trouble left. Even a modest drive will set you up with a wedge. Very well protected green. Another G-I-R and two-putt par, with the stroke and up one on the back already.
Eleventh Hole: Short par three. Looked more uphill than it was and drilled my nine with a slight draw to the left edge of the green just beyond the trap, took a bad bounce onto the cart path and ran all the way back down to the bridge. Free drop and my chip of the day but missed the par putt and back to all square.
Twelfth Hole: OB all along the left. Blind tee shot but straight. Number 6 handicap. First double of the day. Luckily pushed this with the stroke and the back three hole match was even but won two ways.
Thirteenth Hole: It’s the number two handicap but a straight drive will be all you need to score here. I hit my drive of the day and another G-I-R. Par with the stroke and me and our host Sumit were up one.
Fourteenth Hole: Easiest hole on the course according to the card. Par 5. Bogeyed it but partner parred and we halved.
Fifteenth Hole: Last par three on the course. Well protected green and again don’t be long. Parred it but so did Kris and we both popped so won the first three by one and onto the final three holes.
Sixteenth Hole: Dogleg up and right. Not sure how I fucked this one up but only the second double of the day and one down we go.
Seventeenth Hole: The penultimate hole is pretty straight. Avoid the fairway bunkers and you’ll be okay. Bogeyed with stroke and back to even on the back three.
Eighteenth Hole: BCC closes on a par 5. #14 handicap. First photo I took from my approach. You have to clear the creek or if you can’t keep it short. Not sure what I did or if this is my drive or second shot but took a bogey. Good for us, the other guys doubled and I won all three matches on the day. Finished with a 44 for 86 which is pretty good for me especially with rental clubs. Course is no pushover from the whites either at about 6,200 yards and a 70.3/131.
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