So you've found yourself in Lansing, MI. You have a few hours to kill, perhaps? You're looking for something to do, maybe something outdoors. Let's assume for a moment that it's not winter. You need to make your way up to Hawk Hollow Golf Course. No, not for golf, at least not for the bag-of-clubs version. What you're on your way to do is play some mini-golf.
There is a brief semantic discussion to be had here, which should clear up any misunderstandings that might be going on even at this very moment. When I say mini-golf you might picture windmills and clowns and astro-turf. While you do in fact utilize some aspects of golf while engaging in such activity it should not be confused with what I am not talking about. Clowns and windmills, or to be fair any walls (invisible or otherwise) create the game known as putt-putt. With all due respect to putt-putt, what I am talking about is mini-golf; true to form, golf, miniaturized.
The Little Hawk Putting course is one of the best little secrets that greater Lansing has to offer. It is insane how many people live in this town for several years and never hear of it. I was fortunate to learn of it from friends after living in Lansing for less than a year.
The Little Hawk is a mini-golf course with 18 holes. As I've (strongly) inferred, the twist is that you're not going to see any windmills or clowns here - the Little Hawk is all dirt and real grass, manicured better than some actual golf course greens I've played on. This makes for a very unique, fun, and challenging experience.
I've brought people to this course that have been golfing their whole life and have never seen anything like it. If I lived an hour away I would still probably make it out here fairly often to have a good round with friends.
There are sand traps. Water comes into play, perhaps more than you'd like. There is fringe and rough. Someone in your party will make a decision about taking an unplayable lie (the first time they'll generally make the wrong decision and try to play it).
The Little Hawk Putting Course at Hawk Hollow is some of the best fun you'll have in greater Lansing for under $10 (it's somewhere in the range of $6-8 depending on time of season). Bring your family, bring your friends. Bring a little bug spray if you're playing in the evening. Bring an extra ball, or even your own putter if you want to feel like a seasoned pro.
It's worth a quick aside to note that if you do have your own putter it would be wise to bring it, as you want to learn the feel of it, not some other putter. The balls are also standard balls you'd find at putt-putt, so they are kind of dead - if you bring your own ball you'll get a better feel for how these skills translate to an actual course.
If you've had experience playing competitive golf, you no doubt had a coach tell you over and over that putting is where you shave the most off your score. Play a round of actual golf sometime and count your putts. You may be surprised for what proportion of your score they account. If you're a golfer this course almost feels like cheating - you will get better at putting, and you're doing exactly what your old coach would have wanted. It's like grinding up a pill and mixing it in ice cream to trick your kid into taking medicine.
So get out there. Do something outdoors, enjoy the weather, and impress your friends by sinking those 40-footers next time you're out for a game of (full-sized) golf.
Oh, and check out coupons on their website at http://www.hawkhollow.com/ if you're thinking ahead and want an (even better) bargain.
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