Garland Reflections Golf Course Review

Pendulum reflections
Lewiston, Mich
Grade: B+
Teacher’s Comments: A pleasant resort course for a low-stress afternoon of golf.

Garland’s Reflections is a pleasant resort-style course, passing through forests, past lakes and streams, with some minor elevation changes. While not remarkable in any way, it undoubtedly fulfills its purpose: an enjoyable, low-stress afternoon of golf.

Fairways at Reflections are wide and receptive, with only a handful of forced carries. The difficulty when teeing off is mainly caused by a few dozen fairway bunkers, which appear on half of the holes. Eight and fifteen each have four fairway bunkers; seventeen has six.

I think fairway bunkers are an underutilized facility on golf courses. Adding them at strategic points adds a level of thoughtfulness to a tee shot that, for example, a forced carry doesn’t. Forced carries dictate a shot. However, a well-placed bunker requires an evaluation of several options. For me, it’s usually the decision space that makes a hole interesting.

Half the holes at Reflections are doglegged to varying degrees. Water is visible on many of the holes, but it only really becomes apparent on a few holes, particularly the fifth, where ponds cross the fairway twice.

The greens are on the large side and somewhat mild. Again, the green design suits a friendlier course at a golf resort.

A curious feature of the design is that both nines end on a par three. The ninth is quite beautiful.

If there is criticism of the design, it may be that Reflections does not offer enough challenge for the better golfer. However, Garland has other options for that player. I think Reflections is aimed more at the recreational golfer.

Garland’s Reflections (as well as the Monarch, Fountains and Swampfire couses) were designed by Ron Otto, son of Garland founder Herman Otto.

My favorite hole was the par four thirteenth. The fairway measures 419 from the tips and plays straight from the tee, jogging left and up at the last second to the green.

A large, slightly elevated bunker, shaped like a clover (the three-leaf kind), pinches the fairway about three-quarters of the way to the hole. It’s challenging a player to try and fly it. The green is located on a small rise above and to the left of the fairway line, guarded by two large bunkers in front of it.

What I liked about Fountain’s thirteenth is that it forces a decision from the start: Do I have the length to fly through the bunker? Do I dare take the risk of the tee running into the bunker? Do I play left to sneak past, but bring the tree line into play? Or do I just play it safe on the tee side of the bunker?

However, the safe shot from the tee ensures that you can reach the elevated green longer. The fairway doesn’t really extend to the green, so a high approach is the best way to avoid uphill roughs or the bunkers. Long isn’t great either, as a return shot brings the front hill and bunkers back into play (as one of my playing partners discovered)

There is another choice. Play it like a par four and a half: hit just short of the green, lie in front of the greenside bunkers, then lob a wedge onto the green, hoping to get close enough for a one-putt.

It is not without reason that the thirteenth is handicap number two.

Another hole I enjoyed was the 381-yard par 4 seventh. The tee shot looks intimidating, but once past the trees the fairway opens up to a wide landing area. That was a pleasant surprise. From the tee it looks narrower than it is.

Water flows down the left side of the hole and a long driveway could potentially extend into the tree line. I think it would be a very poor chance indeed of actually reaching the water. A fairway bunker looms on the right.

Along its length, the fairway winds, starting narrow, widening to its midpoint near the fairway bunker, where it is pinched. Past the bunker it widens towards the green.

The green sits on a hill above the fairway, with a long bunker guarding the right side. The good play on this hole is to hug the left side to take advantage of an approach to the open front of the green.

From the back tees, Garland measured 6,373. That’s not long by today’s standards, but in its defense, Reflections is a resort course, not the host of national or state championships. For a longer, more challenging course, try Garlands’ Monarch, which clocks in at 7,203 yards.

The conditions on the day I played were good. Tees, fairways and green were all healthy. The edges of the holes were well maintained. Reflections’ conditions were what I would expect from a Northern Michigan resort course in this price range.

I enjoyed my play Garland’s Reflections. If I was at the resort and played several rounds during my stay, it would be a nice respite from the resort’s tougher courses. In that respect I give it good marks. Reflections does what I think it should do.

The Garland Reflections golf course review was first published on GolfBlogger.Com on December 11, 2025 from notes and photos from a round played in August 2025.

A course photo tour of Garland’s Reflections follows.

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