St. Clair Shores at St. Clair Shores Country Club

St. Clair Shores Country Club sits in the suburban community of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, along the western shore of Lake St. Clair, roughly ten miles northeast of downtown Detroit. The course was designed by Bruce Matthews and Jerry Matthews, a father-son team who worked on several Michigan courses during the mid-to-late twentieth century. The Matthews family contributed to golf architecture primarily in the Great Lakes region, with designs that typically emphasized playability for a range of skill levels while working within the constraints of available land in developed areas.

The layout occupies relatively flat terrain characteristic of the Lake St. Clair shoreline, where elevation changes are modest and water management becomes a design consideration. Courses in this part of Michigan often feature mature tree-lined fairways, and the proximity to the lake influences both the microclimate and the visual setting. The club serves a suburban membership base and functions as a traditional private country club with golf as the central amenity.

St. Clair Shores Country Club represents the kind of community-oriented private club common to metropolitan Detroit's post-war expansion, where golf facilities were developed to serve growing residential populations. The course provides a straightforward test of golf without dramatic topography, relying instead on strategic bunkering, tree placement, and green complexes to create interest and challenge for its members.