Grosse Ile Golf & Country Club

Overview: Grosse Ile Golf & Country Club is a Donald Ross course on an island in the Detroit River, where subtle ridges, shallow valleys and river geography shape the 18-hole routing. The course is listed at par 71 and 6,828 yards, with recent work aimed at recovering Ross’s bunker character.

History: Planning began in 1918 and the first nine holes opened in 1920; the second nine followed in 1921. Ross designed the course with construction supervised by William Connellan, and the club later adjusted the routing after a 1947 clubhouse fire and changes to the property.

Did You Know? The original builders spread roughly 12,000 cubic yards of cinders with sand and loam to create a reliable rootzone on the island. Grosse Ile was also known for having irrigated fairways unusually early in American golf.