Kaufman Golf Course hidden gem, big challenge for Kent County Amateur

The beauty of Kaufman Golf Course is almost humorous because it’s hard to imagine what lies inside just off Clyde Park Avenue in Wyoming. The road setting is an industrial park. Really. Through the entrance is another story – a county-owned municipal course with a four-star rating (Golf Digest) that’s one of the oldest (1965) and one of the hidden gems of West Michigan (about 34,000 rounds between April and October).

With the highly-regarded Kent County Amateur Golf Tournament headed there next week (July 15-16), it’s a good time to look at each of the holes and see what makes it still so challenging.

The hole to remember

Ben Rabourn, the clubhouse supervisor, talks about the 407-yard par 4 No. 14, the tree-line signature hole at the course.

Keeping up with the times

Kaufman is known for its beautiful and deceptively difficult greens. They don’t get any easier for the Kent County Am, either, as course superintendent Mike Leavitt explains.