Hidden River Golf Course Review

Hidden River Golf Course Review

Hidden River Golf and Casting Club
Brutus, Michigan
Grade: B+
Teacher’s Comments: Worth a play, even if the design felt a bit disjointed.

Variety is the spice of Hidden River. It has parklands, marsh, woodlands and even some linksy style holes. There are grip-it-and-rip-it holes, target golf holes, a couple of heroic carries, and opportunities for strategic thinking. A couple feel like classic throwbacks; others are very clearly modern.

There’s something for everyone on this sprawling course.

For all that, though, the course had a bit of a disjointed feel. It starts with three parklands holes through tall stands of pines. Then, following a very long cart ride across the river to the other side of the property, Hidden River gives way to five marshy, linksy holes. It finishes that nine, however, with a classic wooded downhill Northern Michigan par 3. Then it’s another long cart ride for a pair of parklands style holes, followed by five hilly, wooded holes. It finishes with two parklands and marsh holes.

Still, I really enjoyed my play of Hidden River. Each time there was a transition, I thought: Ok. We’re doing this now. And then it was fine.

Hidden River was designed by W. Bruce Matthews III, one of Michigan’s first family of golf architects. The trimuvirate of Bruce Matthews, Jerry Matthews and W. Bruce Matthews III have either designed or renovated as much as third of Michigan’s courses.

In all of the family’s designs I have played, I have appreciated two things: The first is how the Matthews seem to understand Michigan landscapes. The second is that the courses are playable by a variety of skill levels.

Hidden River has both those characteristics. It could be challenging to play from the back tees, with length and less favorable angles. As the tees move forward, however, wide fairways and more favorable lines of play make Hidden River more of a resort-style course for casual golfers.

Rather than my usual “favorite” hole highlight, I’d like to feature the five hole stretch from four to eight.

While a couple of the holes begin or end in a wooded area, the stretch is has a surprisingly linksy feel, with large areas of sand, mounding, and native gasses on the edges. I found myself in a couple of rough areas that reminded me of the waste areas on Pinehurst No. 2 and No. 4 or at The Loop.

A large pond creates a peninsula green on seven, and a there are a couple of marshy areas to avoid off the tee on four.

The best of the bunch might be the par four sixth, which is a dogleg left, with the right side bounded by waste areas on the side of a sandy hill. Eight also was fun, with water on the left, and large bunkers and waste on the right. The fairway pitches down at the last, before rising to the green.

The par 5 fifth is a bit of a thrill ride, asking for three big, accurate shots along its 549-yard length (from the back tees). It’s still 499 from the whites. The left side is all bunkers, wild grasses and waste areas. The right is all water.

From the back tees, Hidden River tops out at 7, 101 yards with a rating of 74 and a slope of 138. That’s more than enough to challenge better players. However, the arrangement of the tees

Conditions on the day I played were good. Greens and teeboxes were in good shape, and the fairways were smooth. The edges of the holes also were well-tended. Hidden River has the conditions one would expect from a course in its price range.

Hidden River has much to recommend it. The holes are interesting, the setting is pretty and conditions are good. I only hesitate to give it top grades for a two reasons: The first is that it is on the expensive side at $125+ a round. The second is its lack of continuity in its flow and character. Still, it’s worth a play every couple of years. If you could get a discount, it would be a definitive play.

The Hidden River Golf and Casting Club golf course review was first published on GolfBlogger.com on December 11, 2025 from notes and photos taken on a round played in August 2025.

For a list of all of GolfBlogger’s golf course reviews, follow the link.

A photo tour of Hidden River Golf and Casting Club follows.

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