Briar Ridge Golf Course Review

Briar Ridge Golf Course
Montrose, Michigan
Grade: B-
Teacher’s Comments: Great value. Design makes the most of flat landscape.

Briar Ridge falls in the category of farmlands course that is common in mid-Michigan. It is flat, mostly open, and routed around several large ponds and streams which I imagine once were part of a drainage or irrigation system.

I struggle to determine where the ridge is in “Briar Ridge,” for it is as flat a course as I have encountered in Michigan. That said, architect Joe Roeske (Roeski?) did a good job of incorporating what natural features are present to create a course that held my interest.

Sixteen of the holes at Briar Ridge incorporate the property’s ponds and streams. Four had short carries off the tee, but had tees on the other side for slower swingers. Five had small streams/ ditches crossing the fairway at points. A good tee shot and/or a solid second take those out of play. At worse, a topped tee shot would force a decision between a practical layup in front, or a brave shot over.

I thought the most interesting holes incorporated the ponds on the edges, creeping in and out to shape the fairways.

Four is a dogleg with water running down the inside left. Eight has an interesting dogleg around a pond — it is possible to to go too far left and lose a ball, as I found out. I would not make that mistake on a second play. The water is closer to that side than it looks.

Eleven’s fairway is pinched in two spots on the left by water. Fifteen has water to the right of the green, which also appears the the left of eleven green.

And so it goes.

Adding to the interest — especially on the moe open holes — are fairway bunkers, mounding and elevated greens.

The back end of the property has some beautifully wooded holes, especially two, three and fourteen.

That said, I preferred the more open, linksy holes, with their mounding, bunkers and snaking lines.

My favorite hole was the par four sixth. It begins in a wooded alcove, then opens up as it curves to the right around a pond. The left side has a low ridge (is this the eponymous “Briar Ridge”? I doubt it) that runs the length of the hole, starting open and finishing with a stand of trees near the green.

A fairway bunker to the left sits at about 180 out from the tee.

One of the courses’s many drainage creeks/ ditches cosses the fairway a hundred yards from the elevated green. It should not cause any issues, but leaves something else to think about.

The pond on the left should only come into play with big slicers, but again, it was something to think about.

The only blemish on this hole for me was that the cart path over the creek was an unsightly, hard packed dirt that I at first mistook for a bunker.

From the back tees, Briar Ridge plays to a very respectable 6, 695 yards. I thought it was an interesting, and fair course.

Conditions on the day I played — near the end of the season in full fall color — were really quite good. Other than my home course, Washtenaw Golf Club, it was the best conditioned course I played in late 2025.

Briar Ridge gets good marks for a pleasant and interesting golf experience at a fair price. I paid $25 to walk; A cart is $10 more.

I will note that I played the back nine first, as the pro sent me out there to avoid a reportedly slower group on the front. This is always a much-appreciated gesture and a sign that the pro knows his regulars and his course. I finished the back nine without interruption, was graciously allowed to jump in front of a foursome on the first, and finished without tarry.

I imagine that Briar Ridge gets a lot of play from the locals, and as with many small town courses I have played in Michigan, I think they are lucky to have it. As it is not too far off I75, it would not be too difficult to persuade me to play it again.

The Briar Ridge Golf Course Review was published February 12, 2026 from notes and photos taken on a round played during the fall of 2025. For a list of all of GolfBlogger’s golf course reviews, follow the link.

A photo tour of Briar Ridge golf course follows:

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