Inside the Course: Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club

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The par-3 17th at Warwick Hills will be the site for this week's LIVE@ on PGATOUR.com.

Jun. 25, 2008

Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc, Mich., is the site of this week's Buick Open. Here's all you need to know about the course. (Be sure to check out PGATOUR.com's LIVE@ the 17th hole once the tournament starts.)

Fast facts

Original architect	James Gilmore Harrison (1957)
Course remodel	Joe Lee (1967)
Number of TOUR events as host venue	43 (including 2008)
Course ranking	Ranked 45th (out of 55 courses) in difficulty on the PGA TOUR in 2007
Yardage history	7,014 yards (1958-1995) 7,105 yards (1996-2001) 7,127 yards (2002-present)
Grass	Bentgrass; Poa annua (tees, fairways, greens) Kentucky bluegrass; perennial ryegrass; fine fescue (rough)
Tournament Stimpmeter	11-12 feet
Sand bunkers	86
Water hazards	3
Course tour	Click here

Course record

Player
Billy Mayfair
Tiger Woods

Year
2001
2005

Round
4th
2nd

Finish
Tied for 14th
Tied for 2nd

Holes-in-one

There have been 19 aces recorded during Buick Open competition at Warwick Hills

Player	Hole	Year	Player	Hole	Year
Butch Baird	3	1962	Jerry Barber	17	1962
George Bayer	8	1963	Archie Dadian	3	1965
Al Besselink	3	1966	Roger VanDyke	17	1968
Dow Finsterwald	11	1968	Ron Streck	17	1985
Jim Colbert	3	1986	Charlie Bolling	17	1987
John Inman	11	1993	Justin Leonard	11	1996
Jeff Hart	8	1996	Chris DiMarco	17	1998
Ronnie Black	3	2000	Briny Baird	3	2004
Robert Allenby	11	2005	John Cook	17	2006
Bubba Dickerson	8	2007

Course chatter

"This golf course is a lot like the course I grew up on -- old, traditional, not overly long, you can work the ball both ways, big trees, fast greens. Maybe that's a part of the reason why I had some success here last year; in a small way, I felt like I was back home again." -- 2007 Buick Open champion Brian Bateman of Monroe, La.

Hole rankings

Most Difficult Hole in 2007

The par-4, 457-yard 15th
The 15th is traditionally the most difficult hole at Warwick Hills, especially with the wind in the player's face. Out of bounds and trees on the left force the tee shot to the right side of the fairway, leaving a long to middle iron into the well-bunkered green. Missing the green in any direction leaves one in a very difficult position to make par. This is especially true for any shot that goes over the green and down the severe slope.
2007: 0 eagles, 53 birdies, 262 pars, 133 bogeys, 13 double bogeys, 3 others.

Easiest Hole in 2007

The par-4, 322-yard 14th
The 14th is an important place to squeeze out one more birdie before bearing down for the stretch run. The player must decide between trying to drive the green or laying up in prime position for a short second shot to the large forgiving green. In 1990, Chip Beck made the last of his three consecutive birdies here to come from eight strokes behind after three rounds to win.
2007: 4 eagles, 195 birdies, 226 pars, 35 bogeys, 4 double bogeys, 0 others.

Warwick Hills			2007 rankings		Last 25 years (1983-2007)
Hole	Par	Yards	Avg. Score	Rk.	Avg. Score	Rk.
1	5	567	4.830	14	4.86	13
2	4	431	4.032	7	4.10	3
3	3	187	3.019	9	3.03	6
4	4	401	3.894	12	4.00	10
5	4	437	3.987	11	4.06	4
6	4	421	4.026	8	3.98	11
7	5	584	4.843	13	4.79	14
8	3	199	3.056	4	3.02	9
9	4	434	4.045	6	4.06	5
10	4	401	4.011	10	3.96	12
11	3	190	3.047	5	3.02	8
12	4	340	3.707	16	3.77	15
13	5	544	4.690	17	4.68	18
14	4	322	3.655	18	3.76	16
15	4	457	4.248	1	4.20	1
16	5	580	4.789	15	4.76	17
17	3	197	3.103	2	3.02	7
18	4	435	4.086	3	4.12	2

NOTES: Of the 55 courses played on TOUR in 2007, Warwick Hills was the 10th easiest.
• The closing stretch, though, is the toughest part of the course, with three of the most difficult holes (from 2007) among the final four holes.
• The par-4 15th produced the most bogeys (133), the second-most double bogeys (13) and the most "others" (3) of any hole at Warwick Hills last year. It was also the 114th hardest hole (out of 990) on the PGA TOUR last year.
• The par-3 17th was tied for the 98th hardest par 3 on TOUR last year.
• The stroke average of holes 15, 18 and 2 have never been under par in any single Buick Open in the last 25 years. On the flip side, holes 7, 12, 14, 16 and 13 have never averaged above par in any single tournament.

Course origins

In 1956, 320 acres of farmland was purchased south of downtown Grand Blanc, Mich., with the idea of creating a community of suburban homes. A realty company was formed and the acreage was divided into lots.

Waldo E. McNaught, Buick public relations director at the time, brought the idea of a golf course to the prospective members who purchased the lots. More than 70 people replied, enclosing checks for the initiation fee

McNaught was elected president of the club, and organizational meetings were held to begin the planning of the L-shaped 16-acre course.

In June 1957, the course was ready for play, with the first foursome teeing off on what is now the 10th hole. -- Source: Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

Tournament course history

Course	Location	Years
Warwick Hills	Grand Blanc, Mich.	1958-1969
Flint Elks	Flint, Mich	1972
Benton Harbor Elks	Benton Harbor, Mich.	1973
Flint Elks	Flint, Mich.	1974-1977
Warwick Hills	Grand Blanc, Mich.	1978-present