Huron Hills Golf Course Review

Huron Hills
Ann Arbor, MI
Grade: D+ For Better Golfers; B for beginners.
Teacher’s Comments: Ideal for beginners, juniors and the budget conscious.

I’m actually a bit embarrassed that it took so long for me to write this review, as I play Huron Hills a couple of times a year — usually in the off-season. It wasn’t until this past summer that I realized I had never written a course review.

So here it is.

Huron Hills is one of two municipal courses for the city of Ann Arbor. The other, Leslie Park, is the frequent recipient of “best muni in the state” type of awards. It is a championship course in the truest sense of the word, having hosted actual championships and qualifiers.

Huron Hills is not that. Instead, it is short, unassuming and a bit of an ugly duckling (although you can see swans on the Huron River just off the course).

That’s ok, though, because Huron Hills likely serves a completely different market.

Huron Hills dates to 1922, and originally was designed by Tom Bendelow. I am unsure of the degree to which it has been reshaped over the years. Nonetheless, the routing makes good use of the land, given the space constraints in its 116 acre footprint.

The front seven are flat open parklands, with holes playing slightly down and up from depressions created by creeks that feed to the Huron River. There is just enough elevation change and hazards around the creeks to make the straight tee to green holes interesting.

Holes eight through eighteen are played on the hilly side of the course to the west across the Huron Parkway. Eight, nine, ten and eighteen play up and down a steep hill that in the winter is used for sledding. Eleven and seventeen play along a ridge atop that hill. Twelve through sixteen play in a valley on the back side and are fairly weak holes.

The course is short — and not just for the seven par threes. Three of the par fours on the back nine are well under 300 yards.

Huron Hills is not a course for the better player, but for families, beginners, seniors, juniors and the budget conscious it should be just fine. In particular, I note the “wee tees” on the front seven set significantly forward from the regular tees — perfect for smaller golfers.

Huron Hills is also one of the courses in the area that remains open year-round. During the winter months, the lower seven holes at Huron Hills remain open, with an honor box to pay for rounds. Don’t skip the honor box. No one needs bad golf karma.

My favorite hole is the 337-yard par four eighth. The eighth plays steadily uphill, with a slight turn to the left about midway. From there, it heads through a sort of small green canyon, with hillside on the left and right.

The green itself is in a bowl some two-thirds of the way up, nearly surrounded by hillside. Miss long, left or right on the approach, and you’ve got a tricky downhill chip.

Over the years, I have found conditions at Huron Hills to be a mixed bag. The front nine, and eighteen typically are what you would expect from an inexpensive muni. Holes twelve through sixteen, on the other hand have never been in good shape. Those holes are, I think, the victims of overgrowth from trees on either side of the fairways which impede grass growth.

Regular readers of GolfBlogger will know what I am about to say: these holes need a date with a chainsaw to push back the encroaching trees and branches.

I will note, however, that conditions have been slowing improving there overall.

Ultimately, Huron Hills gets a rare split grade from me. It’s a D+ for better golfers; those are more likely to go to Leslie Park anyway. For beginners, families, juniors and others, its friendly distances and affordable price makes it a B.

Huron Hills has frequently been on schedule for the chopping block of the City of Ann Arbor. I hope they find it in their hearts to keep it open, as it provides a golf home for a frequently underserved population.

The Huron Hills Golf Course review was first published January 4, 2026 from notes and photos on a round played in the summer of 2025. For all of GolfBlogger’s Golf Course Reviews, follow the link.

A Huron Hills course photo tour follows:

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