Course Breakdown: Bahle Farms holes 1-5

At this point, I’ve started this write-up with three or four different intros, and I still can’t decide if I want to lead with how bonkers this course is—or how thoroughly it kicked my ass back in high school when Suttons Bay hosted tournaments here.

Either way, Bahle Farms is the subject today.

The Loopers made a spring visit on May 14th, and I’m pretty sure it was the first time I’ve played it since those high school years when the course stole my lunch money and gave me metaphorical wedgies.

I did my homework this time. Numbers crunched, overhead views studied. I came in with a game plan and stuck to it—to see how well I could scout out a course I hadn’t seen in over a decade. I’d give myself a solid B. The few tweaks I’d make mostly involve avoiding spots with brutal lies and aiming for flatter parts of the fairway. I’ll point those out when I go hole-by-hole.

Sure, I visited a few spots I intended to avoid but that’s more on my swing than my strategy. Keep an eye out for the red highlighted areas on the overhead and do everything you can to avoid these areas. 

Get ready, because I’m about to gush over most of the holes here. Bahle Farms doesn’t mess around—and when they call it a hidden gem, they’re not kidding.
This place is bad-ass and shot straight up my unofficial list of favorite courses. 

#1 376

Up 19’ from 150, up 14’ from 100

Green 25 yards deep

The opening hole at Bahle is a great introduction to what you’re going to deal with for the next four hours.

Fun fact: 11 out of the 13 par 4s and 5s at Bahle feature a downhill tee shot followed by an uphill approach. That means there's usually a flat zone somewhere in the fairway where the downhill ends and the uphill begins—and I'm here to argue that finding that flat spot is a key to scoring well at Bahle Farms.

Sure, we can all handle some awkward uphill/downhill/sidehill lies. But the more of them you face, the higher your odds of messing one up. Consistency loves a level stance.

Go ahead and smash driver off the first tee, but favor a miss to the left. Not only does the left side give you a better angle in, but once you're past the trees at around 210 yards, the fairway opens up into a shared rough with the 10th hole—giving you more room to work with.

The green complex is elevated by 10+ feet depending on your position in the fairway, so don’t forget to add a few extra yards to your approach. Anything just short finds a false front and rolls off the front. The green slopes back-right to front-left, and if you miss right, there's a chance the ball could kick back onto the putting surface.

Be extra cautious with a back pin. Anything just off the green long tends to run away fast, and it can make for a tricky up-and-down. For those with a rangefinder, shoot the front edge and the pin. Subtract the pin and the front edge and you know how much room you have to work with. 

#2 489

52’ down from tee to 250 marker

Up 20’ from 100, up 24’ from 150, up 20’ from 200

Green 35 yards deep

The view from the tee on the elevated par-5 2nd is easily one of the best on the entire property. The 50-foot drop to the fairway gives you a little extra carry, making this a reachable par 5 for many players.

Much like the first hole, you’ll want to favor a miss to the left off the tee. As long as your ball travels 200+ yards, it’ll carry the trouble and be in good shape—even if it’s not perfect.

If you're laying up, the smart play is to get past the left fairway bunker. The green slopes severely right to left, and approaches from the right side of the fairway can be really tough to hold—even if you hit a great shot.

For those going for it in two, the same advice applies: miss left if you’re going to miss. The left side gives you an uphill lie with a friendly slope to help keep your ball under control. Be sure to add 5 yards to your number to account for the uphill approach.

The green itself has two strong slopes—back to front and right to left. We had a fairly friendly front-right pin, but anything in the back half of the green brings a lot more danger into play.

It’s a short par 5, but don’t sleep on it—get out of position, and it can bite back.

#3 335

284 end of fairway

Down 32’ tee to 100 yards

Up 30’ from 100, up 39’ from 150

Green 27 yards deep

The 3rd hole gives you another elevated tee shot, dropping 30+ feet to the fairway. Despite the dramatic view, the total elevation change from tee to green is only 2 feet, which can be deceptive.

Off the tee, the left side of the fairway is blocked by a hillside, so your target should be the middle of the right greenside bunker. This line gives you plenty of margin on either side, as long as you don’t get too aggressive with club selection.

The end of the fairway is at 285 yards, and with the downhill, it plays even shorter. The widest and flattest landing zone is between 110 and 80 yards, so ideally you’re looking for a 200–200 yard shot off the tee.

I hit a 5-wood (not well) and missed left. Looking back, I wish I’d hit 4-iron. A well-struck 5-wood would’ve left me with a nasty uphill lie and a ¾ wedge. When combining an uphill stance with a slower swing, you’re looking at taking a 1 way trip to Chunkville. 

From the fairway, you can’t see the green. We had a left pin, but I had no clue until I drove the cart up. The left side of the green slopes hard back to front, while the right side is more subtle.

From 100 yards out, you’re hitting to a green that’s 30 feet uphill. That’s at least an extra 10 yards—and even more if you’re not a high ball hitter.

I didn’t score well here, but it’s a fun, well-designed hole that rewards smart planning and quality execution.
Big fan.

#4 182

164/200 

Down 13’ tee to green

Green 36 yards deep

The only water hazard on the course separates the 4th tee box from the green, and it’s very much in play.

From the blue tees, you’re looking at about 180 yards to the pin, with a carry of 150–168 yards over the water. The hole plays about 5 yards shorter thanks to the downhill, but that visual of water stretching in front of you has a way of getting in your head.

It got in mine.

I should’ve hit 7-iron, but the little voice in my head said to play it safe and hit a soft 6—"No reason to flirt with the water,” it said. I slightly pulled it, and the ball bounded past the right bunker and down into a low area. Not a good spot.
A 7-iron would’ve been perfect. Lesson learned.

The green slopes left to right, and based on pin position, your ideal miss changes:

Front pin? Miss left for an easier chip or putt.

Back pin? Miss right, as left leaves a much tougher up-and-down. Easy up and down from the bunker.

This is a straightforward but mentally tricky par 3. Trust your number, commit to the shot, and don’t let the water play tricks on your club choice.

#5 545

250 to right trees

Left bunker 273

Lay up is 130 yards

Up 8’ from 100, up 5’ from 150 

Have to be left of left mow line off tee

-15 from right tree on lay up

Green 26 yards deep

The long par-5 5th is a straightforward challenge for shorter hitters, but it leaves a tough decision for the big hitters.

I absolutely smoked my drive on this hole—easily my best of the day—and was left with 260 yards to the pin. The problem? To reach the same tier as the green, I needed to carry it at least 240 yards in the air. Anything short kicks back into a low bowl of rough, sitting about 30 feet below the putting surface.

I chickened out and laid up—supposedly the “safe” play.

But here's the catch: the fairway ends at 100 yards from the green. But the downslope starts 130 yards from the hole. I flushed a pitching wedge, caught the downslope, and ended up on a 45° down/sidehill lie in the rough. Total disaster.

Let’s break this down.

Off the Tee:

You want to aim more left than you'd expect. The right-side trees jump into play around 250 yards, so most golfers should aim at the left edge of the rough, or even just left of it, to give yourself a good angle and avoid trouble.

Lay-Up Strategy:

As mentioned, the fairway runs out at 100 yards, and that last 30 gets really dicey.
A helpful tip: use your rangefinder to shoot the tree on the right edge of the fairway—that marks the end. Then subtract 30 yards to figure out a smart lay-up distance. Trust me—you don’t want to land on that slope.

In hindsight? I should have just pulled 3-wood and tried to get it up near the green. It made me sick to hit a perfect drive and then have to finesse a less-than-pitching-wedge just to set up a playable approach.

The Green:

The putting surface slopes from back-right to front-left. Your safe miss is to the right, and there’s more room around the green than it appears from the fairway. It’s not as tight as it looks—just don’t overthink it.

Moral of the story: Trust your swing, and if you go big off the tee, be ready to go big again. Don’t let a great drive go to waste.