Course Breakdown: Bahle Farms Holes 15-18
#15 186
168/202
Down 17’ tee to green
I like all five par 3s at Bahle Farms, but the 15th is easily my favorite. From the tee, the green looks smaller than it really is, thanks to a front hump that hides the first half. The green slopes right to left, with the lowest point right in the middle.
Miss right, and you’re left with a downhill chip or bunker shot. Miss left, and the shaved-down slope will trickle your ball even farther left. There’s really no safe bailout, so your best bet is to just commit and find the green.
I love the aesthetics of the shaved edges, and they allow for a variety of creative recovery shots if you miss. It's one of those greens where par-saving becomes a fun challenge, not just damage control.
The tee shot plays about 5 yards downhill, but don’t forget about the prevailing wind, which is usually in your face. The surrounding hardwoods might block you from feeling it, so be sure to check the treetops or nearby flags to get a read on what the wind is really doing.
#16 510
270 left trees
Bunker 161/182
Up 18’ from 200, up 7’ from 150,
Thank goodness I mapped out a plan of attack before coming out to Bahle—I would’ve been completely lost on this hole. From the tee, it looks like you should try to hit over the first bunker, but trust me: you run out of room fast on that line. Too far left and you’ll either end up stuck behind a group of trees or deep in the woods—neither option is good.
If you can hit it over 230 yards, you need to aim right of the bunker, and even then, your miss needs to be further right. It’s a hole that rewards discipline, not aggression.
Your second shot is crucial because there’s a lot of trouble to navigate. Just inside the 200-yard marker, the fairway rises quickly to a narrow point—only about 30 yards wide—framed by trees on the right and forest on the left.
If you don’t have a clear look through that window, take a club that lets you carry over the right-side trees—it’s a much safer route. The fairway slopes pretty hard from right to left, so even a good shot can sneak left in a hurry if you're not careful.
The green slopes from front-right to back-left, and the best miss is short. Long or left both fall off and can leave you in rough shape.
Bottom line: don’t try to be a hero on this quirky par 5. One bad swing, and you’re headed straight down a path of darkness.
#17 319
260 end of fairway
Up 3’ tee to green
The 17th is a fun, shorter par 4 that actually gives you more options than you'd think when you're standing on the tee box. I tried to play it smart by laying up short of the left fairway bunker at 260 yards, but I didn’t catch a solid tee shot and ended up getting creative from the right trees. Even if I had executed the layup, the angle from short left into this green complex isn’t great.
Beyond the bunker, the fairway slopes steeply downhill toward the green, and anything landing on that downslope will scurry all the way to the back-left corner. You’ve got to carry your approach onto the green to have any chance of stopping it near the pin.
After playing it, I realized just how much better the angle is from the right side, even if that means skipping the fairway entirely. If I’m hitting driver well, my new plan is to hammer one up the right side, toward the 5th tee. The last tree on that line is around 250 yards, but you can go right of it and still be in good shape.
I'm pretty sure this isn't how the designer intended the hole to be played—but hey, let’s bomb and gouge!
#18 360
243 to right bunker
Up 25’ from 100, up 27’ from 150
The finishing hole at Bahle Farms may be short, but it’s packed with trouble. I got a little too aggressive off the tee—thought I striped one—until I couldn’t find it in the fairway. Turns out, the slope had dragged it straight into the trees on the left.
My advice: don’t hit more than 220 yards off the tee. Anything more and the fairway slope pulls you left, into trouble. Aim for the right fairway bunker and live with a short iron into the elevated green.
From the 150-yard marker, the green sits 27 feet above you. Add 10 yards for the elevation and aim for the left-center of the green. Anything short or right will kick away from the green, and it’s tough to recover.
A miss left will leave you a quick chip or putt, but it’s manageable. Just avoid the big mistakes and finish strong—this hole is all about smart execution.
Conclusion:
One golfer to another—do yourself a favor and make the trip up to Suttons Bay to play this course. It’s a tough track, no doubt, but the shot value is off the charts. Every time I mishit a shot, I felt like I had to run it back just to see if my plan would work the next time.
The course is locally owned and run by people who truly understand the spirit of golf. They even gave us 30% off our next round just because we were the only ones who didn’t quit when the rain came down. I’m not sure if that makes us tough or just plain dumb—but either way, I can’t wait to use that discount ASAP!
-Your hat caddies
