Diamond Springs

Mike DeVries assured his place in Michigan golf lore when he helmed the Kingsley Club, however there are certainly intriguing options available for much less than the former club’s initiation fee. Diamond Springs Golf Course is one example, and according to Andy Johnson (known for his golf course commentary on The Fried Egg), it is “one of the best values and public golf courses in the country.”

Perhaps the most striking element of the course is its take on mowing: The club employs a single-height mowing system, which means there’s no traditional rough. This helps out the higher handicappers (although there’s fescue to be had if you get too far out of line).

As for natural features, the property has a ravine that DeVries waited until the final five holes to fully utilize, crafting a short par four that brings danger into play for those who decide to flirt with it for a possible green-in-one, and No. 18, which plays more like a Pete Dye closing Cape hole (albeit with a steep fall-off, and not a lake).