
Red Course
West Ottawa Golf Club
About this course
West Ottawa Golf Club's Red Course sits in Holland, Michigan, a community on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan known for its Dutch heritage and proximity to the lake's coastal dunes and forests. The course was designed by Bruce Matthews and Jerry Matthews, a father-son team who have created numerous layouts across Michigan and the Midwest since the mid-20th century. The Matthews family's design work typically emphasizes playability for a range of skill levels while incorporating the natural terrain features common to western Michigan. The Red Course occupies rolling terrain characteristic of the region, where glacial activity left behind gentle elevation changes and sandy soils that provide good drainage and firm playing conditions. The layout likely moves through stands of mature hardwoods and pines, with fairways that follow the natural contours of the land. West Michigan courses often feature strategic bunkering and greens that reward accurate approach play, and the Matthews design philosophy generally favors accessible golf that remains interesting for regular play. Holland's golf community benefits from a relatively long season compared to inland Michigan locations, with lake-effect weather patterns moderating temperatures in spring and fall. West Ottawa Golf Club serves as a local facility where members and guests experience golf shaped by the region's landscape and the Matthews family's practical approach to course design.
Quick facts
- Location
- Holland, MI, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1962
- Designer(s)
- Bruce Matthews, Jerry Matthews
- Holes
- 9
- Par
- 36
- Length
- 2,820 yards
- Difficulty
- 36/110
Getting there
The journey to West Ottawa Golf Club begins at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, a straightforward forty-minute drive west toward the Lake Michigan shoreline. The route follows I-196 as it descends from Michigan's interior toward Holland, where the landscape gradually softens into the characteristic dune-and-farmland patchwork of the lakeshore counties. Exit signs for tulip farms and beachfront parks signal the transition into this Dutch-heritage enclave, and within minutes of leaving the interstate, you arrive at a club whose understated entrance belies its reputation as one of the state's most thoughtfully crafted private retreats.

FAQ
Common questions about Red at West Ottawa Golf Club
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Red was designed by Bruce Matthews and Jerry Matthews.
Yes. Red at West Ottawa Golf Club is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Red is 36.
Red plays 2,820 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Red is 110.
Red is a 9-hole course.




