Moose Ridge

Getting To Know: Moose Ridge Golf Course

An Insightful Interview With Ryan Tubbs, PGA Head Golf Professional

By Brian Weis

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with Ryan Tubbs who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
Moose Ridge is set back on 220 Acres of woodland. Each hole is cut through the trees. The main goal when designing the course was to cut as little trees down as possible. Moose Ridge is that up north golfing experience in the Southeast Michigan. Our rolling topography is like nothing around with many elevation changes from tee to green.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
Moose Ridge is like no other course around. Players will enjoy the immaculate course conditions from lightening quick greens, to flush powder sand. The elevation changes are also like nothing in this area. The elevated tees and greens makes the course more challenging yet fun to all player types.

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
The key to success at Moose Ridge is to play it safe. First off, finding the fairway off the tee is a must. With our tight fairways, missing them could be critical. We don't have the longest course around so not hitting driver won't hurt you. Playing it safe with an iron or hybrid on some holes can make a big difference in scoring well at the Moose.

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
"Moose Ridge course is as good as it gets in Metro Detroit. There are many golf courses in Michigan that promote themselves as "up north" courses. I've come to the understanding that a lot of courses down here like to think their course simulates the rustic feel and tricky test of golf that most courses up north offer. But most of the time, they just don't compare. Moose Ridge Golf Course in South Lyon is not one of those pretenders". -Detroit News

"This gorgeous course is tucked away in South Lyon and features a welcoming log-cabin-style clubhouse that makes you feel like you're in some place like Yosemite. Ray Hearn's design is extremely challenging at every turn - the fourth hole is a par-five that measures 630 yards. It's so long you can almost see the curvature of Earth from the tee box." -Detroit Free Press

Vetoed Top 10 in SE Michigan by Detroit Free Press

Vetoed number 2 public golf course in SE Michigan by Oakland County Press in 2008

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
We have a few signature or most talked about holes. Starting at hole 4, it was rated in the Detroit Free Press as one of Metro Detroit's 18-toughest holes. It is a 630 yard par 5. The tee is elevated giving the player somewhat of an advantage on distance but with woods on your left and mounds with heather on the right. Missing the fairway here make the number of strokes add up very quickly. The second shot is no easy task as well. For most players this is a layup to a comfortable distance. The only problem is that comfortable distance is surrounded by a swamp and big fairway bunker. If you then hit two successful golf shots the third shot into the green might be the toughest. Completely surrounded by swamp this very narrow green makes for a very difficult approach shot. A little long or a little short and you will be dropping and taking a penalty stroke.

Another great hole at Moose Ridge is hole 16. This beautiful 200 yard par 3 is on an elevated tee box down to a green approximately 90 feet below. This causes a challenge when a player is trying to consider what club to hit. Players must also be aware of the pond on the right of the green that is known for collecting quite a few golf balls over the years.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
My favorite hole at Moose Ridge is hole 10. The 340 yard par 4 is a risk/reward hole. The long ball hitters can almost drive the green but they could also hit it in the woods that outline the entire hole. It gets as narrow as 25 yards near the green making it a very difficult tee shot. The main reason for this being one of my favorite holes is the view is incredible. Another elevated tee with the hole completely cut through the trees makes the view like nothing you see in the area. Also, guests eating at the Moose Grille can sit on the patio and watch every player tee off.

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
The Moose Grille at Moose Ridge is a must after you have completed your round. A few great dishes that are offered are the Almond Crusted Whitefish, or any of the burgers offered. They are mouth watering, juicy burgers that will not disappoint.

Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
There is no definite course record at Moose Ridge.

Back Tee Stats
Par: 71
Yardage: 6892
Slope: 138
Rating: 73.2

More Information
Moose Ridge Golf Course
11801 Doane Road
South Lyon, MI, 48178
(248)446-9030
Mooseridgegolf.com

Revised: 04/21/2014 - Article Viewed 31,201 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.