Editor’s note: This is the eighth entry on the Free Press’ Top 10 Public Golf Courses in metro Detroit for 2022. Check back every few days for the latest courses in our countdown.
The description most often used about Shepherd’s Hollow Golf Club is the bucolic 27-hole Arthur Hills design makes you feel like you’re playing Up North. And it truly does.
Tucked into rolling, wooded terrain in Clarkston shared by a park-like retreat for Jesuit priests, Shepherd’s Hollow takes full advantage of its serene and secluded setting. Even driving through the long path through the pine forest that leads to the clubhouse presents a sense of occasion and anticipation – a little like driving up Augusta National’s Magnolia Lane.
The course takes advantage of its 350 acres on Oakland County’s second-highest point. That helps mimic the elevation changes that, when paired with the remote location, offer golfers the same intrinsic feeling of, yes, playing Up North in Michigan, while being only 45 minutes from downtown Detroit. Again, this part of the experience is what’s most obvious about Shepherd’s Hollow.
But what sets the course and the experience apart, and earns it the No. 3 spot among the Free Press’ Top 10 Public Golf Courses in metro Detroit for 2022, is the aspirational nature of the entire facility.
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Years ago, owner Mike Bylen gave me a unique tour of Shepherd’s Hollow on a quiet, rainy morning while driving down the cart paths in his SUV. It felt like Batman was showing me Gotham in his Tumbler. Yes, the course is spectacular, but the purposeful design elements Bylen pointed out and accompany the course evoke a holistic vision of the experience.
From bold strokes like the handsome clubhouse reminiscent of a mansion in South Carolina’s Low Country to the little touches, like mahogany lockers and a refined menu that includes escargot and filet mignon, there’s a constant feeling of something special happening around you.
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The masterstroke is the artful way Shepherd’s Hollow balances a prestigious experience without feeling pretentious. The clubhouse is one of the keys to this vision and serves a specific purpose. Its single door mimics the entrance to a home, and its large, inviting veranda also conjures the feeling of belonging. Quoting American architect and urban planner Andres Duany, Bylen said, “We lost our sense of neighborhood when we lost our front porch.” The website quotes poet John Keats’ musings on beauty.
Maybe you don’t care about any of this high-minded stuff. Maybe you just want a damn fine golf course. If that’s the case, the 27 holes at Shepherd’s Hollow’s will exceed your expectations. Three sets of nines give you plenty of options and can make you feel like you’re playing an entirely different course each round, depending on where you start and finish.
This is one of Hills’ more challenging public layouts in Michigan, but it’s entirely fair. There’s plenty of room off the tee, although proper placement is required for an optimal scoring chance. Hills knew he had a great property on his hands, and made the smart decision to always let the setting speak for itself.
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The elevation on the par-3 second hole helps frame the green wonderfully with a tree-lined backdrop. The 599-yard par-5 20th hole – they’re numbered 1-27 – is a fun journey with a 70-foot drop from tee to green. No two holes are alike and each has a beauty of its own. But the masterpiece is the signature 18th hole, the 564-yard par-5 that sweeps down to the right and hugs a large, greenside pond that dares you to go for the multi-tiered green in two.
Take your time getting to Shepherd’s Hollow. If you’re running behind and dashing to the first tee, you’re cheating yourself of the complete experience. Make time for yourself. Tell your family you’re golfing Up North and let the office know you won’t be checking your cell, because you’ll be too busy inhaling that sweet piney air, enveloping yourself in solitude and cherishing a serene northerly escape only a few minutes from home.
