Course Breakdown: The Crown holes 15-18

Hole 15: Risk-Yes, Reward-Ehhh

The 15th is one of the few reachable par 4s in Michigan where I’ve never attempted to hit my driver. To me, it just isn’t worth the risk. The hole offers two options off the tee: you can either lay up to the elevated fairway or go for the green, which is about 260 yards to the front edge.

As I’ve mentioned, the goal here is just to hit the fairway. A marshy area protects the front of the green, and the elevated green falls off on three of its four sides. The only side that doesn’t have a drop-off has a couple of bunkers, which set you up for an almost guaranteed downhill shot to a sloping green. Honestly, it’s just not worth it.

The fairway is level with the tee box but requires a carry of at least 185 yards on the left side and 200 yards on the right side. If you hit your tee shot beyond 240 yards, you'll bring trees into play. I prefer to hit my 210-yard club toward the left half of the fairway.

From here, you’re left with a downhill shot of less than 100 yards. It’s not an easy shot, though, so aim for the right half of the green, as it’s much wider than the left. Just like the last hole... Good luck!

Hole 16: Downhill & Dastardly

The final hole in the "Domino Effect" is a short, downhill par 3 that doesn’t leave much room for error. Playing almost 50 feet downhill, this hole fits the narrative that downhill par 3s are often tougher than flat or uphill ones. The longer the ball is in the air, the more time it has to float off-line or be affected by the wind.

With a 50-foot drop, play about 10 yards less than the distance on the scorecard. Be mindful of the wind, as the prevailing wind usually has a bit of a hurt to it.

The green slopes from right to left, with a bunker on the left side. Like many holes at The Crown, it’s better to miss in the left bunker than to face a tricky downhill chip shot. The front portion of the green is wider than the back, so if you're between clubs, opt for the shorter of the two.

Hole 17: Real Straight-shooter

After the challenging stretch of holes 14-16, it’s a relief to face a straightforward par 5 where you can hopefully make up for that almost assured drop shot or 7. On your tee shot, you’d prefer to miss right rather than left, especially if you can get past the last pine trees at 240 yards.

This hole usually plays into the wind, so it’s probably not reachable in two for most golfers. Let’s talk about where to lay up. The green complex slopes pretty drastically from right to left, and missing anywhere short or left of the green is a bad spot to be. Because of this, I tend to leave myself a full club for my approach shot.

The fairway tightens quite a bit inside 125 yards. It’s 41 yards wide at 125 yards but only 23 yards wide at 100 yards. If you’re laying up, I’d suggest staying in the 125-yard range to give yourself a better chance.

If you have an opportunity to go for the green in two, be cautious about missing too far left. Left is the better angle into the green, but there’s not much room to work with. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve hit a solid drive and then missed left into the tall grass. I usually manage to save par, but it’s tough to hit a good approach shot from the weeds.

Hole 18: Finish like Royalty

The finishing hole at The Crown is one of my favorites. Unlike El Dorado or Champion Hill, it’s not the most difficult hole on the course, but it requires you to hit a quality wedge shot over a well-defined water hazard. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet.

The tee shot is downhill with plenty of fairway to work with until it ends at 270 yards. On the left side of the fairway is a long, narrow bunker, which is 230 yards to carry. Beyond that is the driving range. I can’t remember if it’s marked OB, but aiming your tee shot in that direction isn’t the best play. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve played from the driving range before, but the ground is uneven, and your view of the green is likely blocked by a hill.

The smart play is to hit something around 250 yards straight ahead. From there, you’ll have around 120-140 yards left, depending on whether you’re on the left or right side of the fairway.

The green slopes from back to front and left to right. With water short of the green, missing long is a safer option, though it may bring the back bunkers into play. Again, missing long is better than coming up short and finding the water. Just be cautious when hitting a sand shot back towards the water – I’ve seen people opt to putt out of these bunkers to avoid the dreaded forehead bunker shot, but that’s not always necessary.

Conclusion:

All in all, The Crown is a good time for players of all ages and skill levels. There’s a nice variety of golf holes, and I wouldn’t say any two feel too similar. I think they used the terrain pretty well, and like most courses built within a development, the best views are reserved for the real estate—not the golf course itself.

I totally understand how they can justify charging 33% more than their closest competition, Elmbrook. That said, I can promise you I’ll still play Elmbrook way more than The Crown this summer.

Also, I have to say—the removal of the stuffed burgers from the restaurant was a major disappointment the last time I visited. I know it has nothing to do with the golf course, but man, I used to love that bacon, feta, and BBQ sauce stuffed burger.

Thanks for reading—now I’ve gotta go figure out where else I can find a stuffed burger in Traverse City!