| Flint Golf Club is a classic 1919 design by Willie Park Jr. that has stood the test of time, providing challenge and intrigue for golfers for over 100 years. The key to the perseverance of the course is that I still boasts 16 original Willie Park Jr. greens and it has benefited from recent bunker work from Mike DeVries and green expansion from Superintendent Alex Lincoln. This course has some truly special and understated greens in addition to strategically designed holes that would be greatly assisted with a more active tree management program. Like most classic designs, it is a pleasant walk with seamless transitions from greens to tees. The opening nine starts with the seemingly innocent and potentially reachable par 5 1st hole. Like many of the putting surfaces, there is more than meets the eye around the 1st, with a tricky false front that is coupled with a severe drop off to the back and right side. A misplaced or overly aggressive approach shot can quickly turn birdie aspirations to a bogey or worse. The 2nd hole is a penal point-to-point par 3, the first of what is a collection of five very difficult one-shotters. Other holes of note on the front include the reachable par 4 3rd and the long par 4 4th and 7th holes. The huge and undulating 6th green and expanded 8th green complexes that are the standouts on the outward nine. The 6th green is massive, terrifyingly well bunkered with 9 greenside traps, and sports clever and subtle internal slopes, making any two putt a noteworthy accomplishment. This is potentially the best green in this part of the state. The back nine has a unique layout comprised of three par 3’s, 4’s, and 5’s that loop around the outer perimeter of the course. The 10th hole is a herculean par 3, measuring 232 yards. This trying opener is followed by back-to-back scorable par 5’s. These relatively tranquil holes are followed by the toughest two-hole stretch on the course, so it is important for the golfer to take advantage of these scoring opportunities before navigating the uphill par 3 13th , with an exposed hilltop green surrounded by bunkers and runoff areas, and the roller coaster and ribbon-thin 14th . This hole is a challenging par 4, bisected by a creek, that plays downhill off of the tee before heading back uphill to another well-protected green. This hole would likely be the biggest beneficiary of tree removal as the strategic positioning and angle that the hazard presents off of tee is somewhat negated because of the extremely narrow playing corridor. Golfers have the ability to take a breather on the driver-pitch par 4 15th and reachable par 4 16th before playing that 150 yr par 3 17th , sporting a unique green that runs away from the player. The round finishes with one more classic Park Jr. green on the par 5 18th. All-in-all, Flint Golf Club is a thoroughly enjoyable classic design, an architectural gem in mid-Michigan. |