TimberStone Golf Course at Pine Mountain

About
Challenging holes and beautiful scenery are among the things you'll find at TimberStone Golf Course, a Jerry Matthews design that opened in 1997. Accuracy more than length is key on this 6,938-yard, par-72 layout that has received a five-star rating from Golf Digest. The signature hole is the par-3 17th, which plays 215 yards -- straight downhill -- to a very challenging green. The 18th hole is very long -- more than 625 yards from the championship tees -- but it also plays downhill, so it can be reached in two shots. It's a nice ending to a great course that should definitely be on your short list.
Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|---|
Forest | 72 | 6938 yards | 74.5 | 150 |
Boulder | 72 | 6536 yards | 72.1 | 143 |
Middle | 72 | 6038 yards | 69.6 | 137 |
Timber | 72 | 5835 yards | 68.2 | 134 |
Timber (W) | 72 | 5835 yards | 74.8 | 145 |
Hybrid | 72 | 5243 yards | 65.7 | 120 |
Hybrid (W) | 72 | 5243 yards | 70.6 | 132 |
Stone | 72 | 5060 yards | 65.3 | 116 |
Stone (W) | 72 | 5060 yards | 64.6 | 129 |
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forest M: 74.5/150 W: 81.6/154 | 359 | 434 | 506 | 197 | 501 | 414 | 360 | 211 | 471 | 3453 | 405 | 168 | 345 | 509 | 384 | 412 | 422 | 215 | 625 | 3485 | 6938 |
Boulder M: 72.7/144 W: 79.1/150 | 339 | 409 | 485 | 173 | 467 | 385 | 342 | 185 | 448 | 3233 | 385 | 143 | 325 | 490 | 366 | 399 | 405 | 195 | 595 | 3303 | 6536 |
Middle M: 70.0/138 W: 76.6/143 | 339 | 374 | 455 | 159 | 416 | 349 | 342 | 173 | 405 | 3012 | 385 | 120 | 292 | 439 | 366 | 358 | 370 | 175 | 521 | 3026 | 6038 |
Timber M: 68.7/133 W: 75.3/140 | 303 | 374 | 428 | 159 | 416 | 349 | 300 | 157 | 405 | 2891 | 358 | 120 | 292 | 439 | 331 | 358 | 369 | 156 | 521 | 2944 | 5835 |
Hybrid M: 66.3/123 W: 71.4/132 | 262 | 333 | 428 | 159 | 385 | 292 | 300 | 132 | 359 | 2650 | 319 | 120 | 258 | 391 | 298 | 310 | 317 | 120 | 460 | 2593 | 5243 |
Stone M: 65.4/116 W: 70.2/128 | 262 | 333 | 397 | 136 | 385 | 292 | 271 | 132 | 359 | 2567 | 319 | 93 | 202 | 391 | 298 | 310 | 317 | 103 | 460 | 2493 | 5060 |
Handicap | 17 | 5 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 13 | 15 | 3 | 14 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 4 | |||
Par | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
Course Details
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Golf Advisor: Top Courses in Michigan (2017 #8)
Reviews
Reviewer Photos
UP Gem
If you enjoy a scenic, challenging layout, this is for you. Every hole seems to be cut out of the forest and offers a very good test of your game. The greens are very undulated and if you short side your approach, it will be a tough up and down. The visuals from the tee boxes are fantastic, and offer reasonably accepting fairways to hit. The 9th and 18th hole share a green and both of these holes are fantastic. The conditions of the course were great, and the greens very good in spite of just opening for the season. I strongly recommend this track, and for $79 with cart (you have to walk due to distance) is frankly a steal. This course near a big metro area would command a $150-$200 price point. Hope to be back soon !
Terrible golf experience
Stayed at the hotel on the property - ancient rooms and furniture, bath so small I couldn't turn around in it and took 15 minutes to get hot water both in the afternoon and morning. Sad hotel that needs major investment.
Timberstone in an interesting golf course, but the experience is one of the worst golf experiences I have had - 5 1/2 hour round of golf - waiting 5-10 minutes on every shot. They pack the course with players who are the "shot and beer" crowd and have rangers who do nothing about the slow pace of play. The golfers don't replace divots in the fairway nor do they repair ball marks on the greens. What could be a good experience needs major overhaul to be average. They have a sign saying that Timberstone is rated the 6th best golf course in Michigan - I think it is one of the worst golf experiences in the Midwest. And one needs to drive hours to get frustrated by the slow pace of play and inferior condition of the course.
Put fewer people on the course, give the rangers the authority to kick off golfers who can't keep up the pace and have the ground crew fix the damage that is done every day by golfers who don't know how to fix their divots and ball marks. Hopefully management will take note of this review and consider changes to make the experience at least average.
A True Golf Gem!
Well worth the drive from Detroit to stay at this beautiful property. It is not overly long but still challenging and fair. The course is actually more wide open than what Google Earth would indicate. If you get a little errant off the tee you have hope of finding your ball. Be prepared to see tons of deer, they are brave and will come right up to you.
#18 is my favorite finishing hole in MI. It’s a long par 5 straight downhill. It’s a blind tee shot and the course installed a periscope type thing to see when the group in front of you clears. #17 will be the toughest club selection of the round with a steep downhill longish par 3.
Make sure you grab lunch at Famers at the resort, it is the UP sports hall of fame. Also, for exercise do 4-5 climbs up the ski jump steps! I can’t wait to go back, currently trying to talk my buddies into a trip!
Too tough if you spray it
This is a very nice course, but the premium for driving accuracy is too much for me. Woods everywhere!
Greens were good, layout great, and very scenic.
Beverage cart quit after 12 holes, at approx 2 in the afternoon. Clubhouse gave us cold wraps and sandwiches, that were soggy from condensation being in the fridge.
I won't be coming back.
golf heaven
I have played some of the best courses in Michigan , Wisconsin and the rest of the midwest and this was truly an unbelievable experience. The course layout is perfect on the side of a small mountain and very scenic. Don't play from the black tees unless you really bring your A game.I drove from Milwaukee about 3.5 hours and it was well worth the drive. we spent the night and played another 18 the next morning
Destination Golf
Came up with my dad from Chicago last week for mid week round. This was my 3rd time playing Timberstone, my dad's first.This is without a doubt one of the most picturesque courses I have played in the midwest. The greens were great , true and very undulating, definitely misread some putts but was very pleased with their condition. The rest of the course is in pristine shape, bunkers were very well maintained. If you like nature, elevation change, towering pines, and natural beauty, it is hard to find a better course than Timberstone anywhere. You do not need to be a 5 handicapper to enjoy a round here, It is very playable for a high handicapper Drive a few extra miles to play this course. Ive played in kohler, and many wisconsin /michigan top 10's . This is my favorite out of them all.
Awesome course. Very reasonable price
What a great course. I'm not a great golfer (usually 90-100) and I enjoyed this course. Awesome views, course was in great shape, the ranger and other staff was very friendly, as you would expect up in the UP. This course could be charging $150 for green fees so I found this a great value. I would definitely come again.
Real Hidden Gem in the Midwest
Timberstone is a magnificent course with a great staff and a truly unique layout. Any course that is built into old ski hills is sure to be unique and fun. Pair that with excellent conditions and great service from the staff and that turns into a fantastic experience. Only minor criticism is that the proshop was pretty under stocked as I was looking to take home some memorabilia but nothing quite caught my eye. I'll take my birdie on 18 as a great consolation prize. Overall a fantastic experience that is worth the drive up to Iron Mountain.
Timberstone - A Sleeping Beauty
TimberStone Golf Course at Pine Mountain Resort is a sleeping beauty U.P. North. It is located in the city of Iron Mountain, in a heavily wooded area. The TimberStone Golf Course's natural beauty includes dense treelined fairways, large deposits of iron ore and granite boulders, tranquil lakes, wetlands teeming with deer and other wildlife, and bent grass fairways and greens. Jerry Matthews, an award-winning golf course designer retained and incorporated the areas natural beauty, while sculpturing this TimberStone masterpiece. The course features 18 signatures holes with their own distinctive name, cascading and tight fairways, deep bunkers, several forced carries, visually intimidating holes, and dramatic elevation changes. TimberStone received a 5 star rating from Golf Digest and is ranked 9th by Golf week's Best Courses you can play in Michigan. This is a golfers paradise and destination. In late September when the temperatures start to dip, and the color of the leaves change to orange, yellow, red, and brown the glamor and bewitching charm of TimberStone is awakened. Stay focused my friend, or your game will take a siesta.
The morning was sunny but cool the day I played Timberstone, but the temperature warmed up to the mid 70's with just a slight breeze. It was a no-excuse golf day. My first impression of the course was it's a little intimidating due to the narrow and dense treelined fairway. However, after the first tee shot the intimidation was gone, and I was ready to accept the challenge of the course. TimberStone is a player's course, and to play well requires confidence, patience, course management, and more importantly your "A" game. I played the Grey tees, which has a slope rating of 72.1/145 and measures 6536 yards. There are 6 sets of tee boxes and the Championship tees are 6938 yards with a slope rating of 74.5/150.
Being a destination golf course, Timberstone does an outstanding job in customer satisfaction. Joe Rizzo, the Director of Golf takes a personal interest in customer satisfaction and attending to their needs. I was personally greeted by Joe upon my arrival to TimberStone. I was amazed to see that he took the time to familiarize himself with names of customers having the first couple of tee times. He proceeded to facilitate the check in process by answering questions, loading bags onto carts, handling coffee and snack orders. All this was done with a smile and a sincere interest in customer satisfaction. Mr Rizzo explained to me that 90 percent of TimberStone customers live more than 100 miles away and therefore customer service must be exceptional in order to retain and gain new customers. At TimberStone Joe Rizzo lives by the theory that, "You do not get a second chance, to make a first impression." My first thoughts of TimberStone golf course and its staff are, it's delightfully impressive and wickedly enchanting.
I really enjoyed playing TimberStone, even when I was not playing well. It appears that an evil curse had been placed on my golf game. It took a few holes and the sacrificing of Pro V1's to appease the golf gods. My golf game and confidence was back in full swing and just in time for hole 5, "Sentree ". I was rewarded with a birdie, when my eagle got away.
TimberStone is an enchanting experience which combines a remarkable landscape for golf, at an affordable price, in a deep woods setting, and a finishing hole that will make your Big Dog driver growl with joy and you shout "Who's your daddy?" Trust me!
Course Review
Horace Bell (Golf Enthusiast)
tricky for first time golfer
This is a great track through the rolling mountains of Pine Mountain Resort. this course is a narrower track through the woods that is breathtaking and beautiful to play. They do not have a yardage book. So take close look at the yardage markers in the center of the fairway. Some holes have some blind shots and others have a visually small landing area (but larger than it looks). I played in the Spring. This past winter was tough on the course with some winter kill but you can tell the grounds crew is working hard to get things back to par.
The staff was great! All very friendly from the bag/cart attendant, pro shop, and the cook that was on the front porch grilling.
Timberstone Golf Course at Iron Mountain
Pro: Fairways were lush and it is a very hilly and almost mountains course. It is an interesting location that is next to a ski slope facility. Some of the holes even looked like they were part of the slopes. Fun to play even though it is tight.
Con: I would not recommend to walk this course because of the terrain. They were lots of mosquitoes around. One hole I even had a problem with getting a deer out of the tee box area. Careful about the wildlife in the area.
Excellent course and value
This is the best course in the area and one of my favorites to play. The conditions have always been great and the layout/views are phenomenal. I love playing here every year. A challenge from the back tees for a good golfer.