Of Belvedere’s “18 honest holes,” as Braun
describes the layout, Watson singles out the 16th, calling it “one of the best
short par 4s in golf.” This seductive 346-yarder is driveable, with a ridge
along the left that kicks well-struck tee balls toward a long, narrow plateau
green. But the delicate putting surface slopes hard from left to right and
funnels careless putts down to a fall-off area that’s difficult to recover
from.
No. 16 is part of a strong closing sequence that
begins with the 465-yard 15th, a reachable par 5 swinging 90 degrees from an
elevated fairway to a second fairway and landing area 20 feet below. No. 17 is
an uphill par 3 to a green notched into a hillside. The routing concludes with a
431-yard par 4 guarded by the highway on the right and a large maple on the
left.
“It’s just a fun old golf course and a simple,
unpretentious club,” Braun says. Following the 2003 Michigan Amateur, GAM
executive director David Graham said, “It really provides all the traditional
elements of a great golf course. I think there’s no question the Amateur will
return to Belvedere.”
No doubt so will the
legions of devotees who have been captivated by this charming club over the
years.
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,713
Year founded: 1925
Architect: William Watson
