Black Forest at Wilderness Valley (CLOSED)

6500 Nicklaus Drive,

Gaylord, Michigan 49735

  • Office

    +1 (231) 585 7090
  • Pro shop

    +1 (231) 585 7090

About the course

  • The Course:

    18 holes. Tree-lined parkland. Undulating terrain - several slopes to climb.

  • Surroundings:

    Woodland.

  • Designer:

    Tom Doak

Back
tees
Club
tees
Front
tees
Yards
7044
6097
4556
Par
73
73
73
SSS or slope
74.3
70.1
67.2

At the same location:

Above distances are for the Black Forest course. Starting from the same clubhouse is the Wilderness Valley course (18-hole, par-71, 6397 yds from back tees, designer Al Watrous, opened 1971).

Location

Latitude:

44.875997

Longitude:

-84.797566

How to get there:

15 mi SW of Gaylord.

Black Forest Golf Course at Wilderness Valley

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.

Est. 1992

[COURSES PERMANENTLY CLOSED in 2019]. Starting out from the same clubhouse, the Black Forest and Wilderness Valley golf courses are both well-rated and always popular places to play. These tree-lined parkland layouts should not disappoint, with many attractive features and several excellent holes to enjoy.

On the Black Forest layout, Tom Doak's first example of minimalist golf course architecture, each hole is carved through a canvas of pine, oak, and maple trees. The dramatic bunkering on Black Forest contrasts with the verdant forest backdrop.

The gentler but equally scenic Wilderness Valley layout also presents an enjoyable golfing challenge for golfers of all abilities. Definitely a golf club to include on your play list if you are in the area.

List of courses: Michigan (Lower Peninsula)

Visitors

Who can play and when?

Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.

Must book in advance.

Green fees

Visitor fee, 18-holes on Black Forest course in high season (May thru' Sept): $65. Golf cart included.

Credit cards accepted. Contact club for full details, discounts, packages, etc. [Last updated: 2018].

Other information

Walking permitted on the Wilderness Valley course; golf cart compulsory on Black Forest. The Black Forest course starts o.5 mi from the clubhouse, with the 18th green located 1 mi from the clubhouse, in between is a 7.5 mi journey around this roaming woodland course.

Practice facilities

Limited

Did you know?

Black Forest's designer and Michigan resident Tom Doak, originally studied his craft under legendary course architect Pete Dye. Doak was also strongly influenced by the design philosophies and work of Dr Alister MacKenzie. Among an impressive portfolio of projects, Pacific Dunes in Oregon, Ballyneal in Colorado, Barnbougle Dunes in Tasmania and Cape Kidnappers in New Zealand are perhaps his best known designs.

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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