LOCATION: Pierson, 30 minutes north of Grand Rapids, U.S. 131 north to exit 110, west 1 mile to Newcosta Avenue north 4 miles to course ADDRESS: 11401 Newcosta Ave., Pierson, MI 49339 YARDAGE: 4,771/7,065; 4 sets of tees ARCHITECT: Kris Shumaker and Mike DeVries YEAR OPENED: 1998 PHONE: (888) 533-7742 WEB SITE: www.pilgrimsrun.com

THE JOY OF PLAYING PILGRIM'S RUN, ONE OF GOLF MAGAZINE'S "TOP 100 COURSES YOU CAN PLAY," IS MADE MORE SO ONCE YOU KNOW THE the story of how it came to be.

The short version is the course was designed by Mike DeVries, author of the Kingsley Club in Kingsley south of Traverse City and most recently Greywalls in Marquette.

The rest of the story is the owner allowed six employees, working under the tutelage of superintendent Kris Shumaker, to personally design three holes each. DeVries merely stitched all the holes together, designed the green complexes, and made the project doable.

The result is a symphony of golf holes working in harmony with nature on 400 acres of mixed hardwoods, pines and wetlands in west Michigan.

On the hierarchy scale, about half a dozen things make the list, whether it’s toothpaste, golf equipment, or golf courses. Ask those who have played Pilgrim’s Run to name their favorite courses and it’s likely to be among their top six; a remarkable experience among a crowded Michigan golf scene. It has helped put the Grand Rapids area on the map when it comes to great golf.

The clubhouse, built with cedar shake siding combined with the natural beauty of cut stone, opened in the spring of 1999, completing what is a full-service golf retreat. Shot values and playability work together throughout the course. Four major wetland/water hazards come into play.

The second hole introduces the most challenging aspect of Pilgrim’s Run – the greens, which are undulating with tricky pin placements that require an accurate approach.

The par-5 sixth hole must be its most photographed. From the tips, it measures only 498 yards. If it weren’t for a massive bunker in the middle of the landing area, the hole might be a cinch. The other par 5s – holes 1, 11 and 13 – lend clarity to why Pilgrim’s Run is a fan favorite. They are simply beautiful holes where birdie is nearly always in grasp providing you play the right set of tees for your game.
If there’s a hole that keeps you coming back it has to be #18, a 250- to 280-yard par 4; a classic risk-reward offering. Do you dare try to bomb it off the tee (with a forced carry over water the entire way) with hopes of making the green, or do you hit a 200 yard safe shot to the right dogleg fairway, leaving you a lofted approach to the putting surface?

Go tee it and deliberate the challenge yourself.