An independent, unbiased review of The Falls at Barber Creek in Kent County, Michigan using the Michigan Golf Matrix Scoring System. All public Michigan Golf Courses are considered for review. This post may contain referral/affiliate links. Please read our disclosure for more info.
Front 9: Par 36
Back 9: Par 36
Overall Course: (all 18) Par 72
Yardage: Red tees – 4,310; Gold tees – 4,766; White tees – 5,460: Blue tees – 6,004
Stimp meter: 10.1
Clubhouse and Amenities – Rating 8.86
The beautiful and well-appointed clubhouse at The Falls at Barber Creek in Kent City, Michigan, serves the west Michigan community as a great golf attraction. This facility features a grill that serves sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, and pre-packaged snacks at average pricing. Guests enjoy a full bar plus beer, sodas, juices, energy drinks, and water at average beverage pricing. Shoppers discover a decent apparel selection of caps, hats, visors, and shirts at average pricing, along with a solid golf equipment selection that includes golf balls, gloves, tees, ball markers, divot tools, and bags at average pricing.
All staff members provide friendly, helpful service and act as excellent custodians of the course providing great customer service. Clubhouse restrooms are clean, while restrooms on the course include sinks. Visitors benefit from paved, adequate parking and an easy-to-find self-serve bag drop. Amenities include a driving range across the road plus an ample practice green for putting warm-ups. The well-maintained golf carts feature GPS. The facility accommodates tournaments and outings of various sizes.
The Falls at Barber Creek Front Nine
Hole 1 – Par 4 – Rating 8.86
Red: 253 yds
Gold: 271 yds
White: 354 yds
Blue: 387 yds
Elevated, level, and medium-size tee boxes launch drives down a rolling fairway on this slight dogleg right. Medium-length rough plus heather flank the hole as it plays downhill from the tees. A pond water hazard sits behind the green, while a real sand bunker also lies behind the green. Maintained fringe encircles a large green that runs fast, is receptive, undulating, tiered, and sloped back to front.
Hole 2 – Par 4 – Rating 8.29
Red: 251 yds
Gold: 290 yds
White: 309 yds
Blue: 326 yds
Elevated, level, medium size tees offer views over a rolling fairway. The hole plays downhill from tees yet uphill to green on this sharp dogleg right. Medium rough along with heather borders the tree-lined layout. A real sand fairway bunker sits on the far left at the turn. A real sand bunker in great shape guards the right front corner of the green. Maintained fringe encircles a medium size green that is elevated and tiered. This green offers fast speed while it is receptive, undulating, and sloped back to front.
Hole 3 – Par 4 – Rating 8.33
Red: 288 yds
Gold: 299 yds
White: 351 yds
Blue: 416 yds
Large, elevated, level tees overlook a rolling fairway on this slight dogleg right. The hole plays downhill from tees along a narrow, tree-lined layout with medium-length rough. Two real sand greenside bunkers guard the approach—one on the left side and one in back. Maintained fringe encircles a large green that runs fast, is receptive, undulating, tiered, and sloped back to front. This green is wider in the back and narrow in the front.
Hole 4 – Par 5 – Rating 8.29
Red: 376 yds
Gold: 400 yds
White: 468 yds
Blue: 483 yds
The first par 5 on the front nine begins from tiered, elevated, large level tee blocks that overlook a rolling fairway. This slight dogleg left plays downhill from tees before climbing uphill to the green. A real sand fairway bunker lies right of the fairway as you near the green, while a real sand greenside bunker guards the left side of the green. Maintained fringe encircles a large green that runs fast on a tiered surface with a high tier on the back left corner. This green is receptive, sloped back to front, and features a false front.
Hole 5 – Par 3 – Rating 8.00
Red: 80 yds
Gold: 117 yds
White: 126 yds
Blue: 160 yds
The first par 3 on the front nine launches from very wide, tiered, elevated, large, level tee boxes. This hole plays downhill to the green surrounded by medium-length rough. A real sand bunker protects the front left of the green. Maintained fringe encircles a large green that offers fast putting speed while it is receptive and undulating. Everything slopes to the front left area where the green forms a bit of a bowl.
Hole 6 – Par 5 – Rating 8.25
Red: 351 yds
Gold: 374 yds
White: 440 yds
Blue: 492 yds
The second par 5 on the front nine starts from small, level, slightly tiered tees onto a rolling fairway. This dogleg right features two real sand fairway bunkers down the left side at the turn and another farther down the right side. Medium rough plus heather line the layout. Two pond water hazards threaten shots—the first lies right of the fairway at the dogleg, while the second is left of the green. A real sand bunker protects the right front corner. Maintained fringe encircles a small green that runs fast, sloped back to front, and tiered with a high tier on the back of the green while it is receptive and undulating.
Hole 7 – Par 3 – Rating 8.33
Red: 104 yds
Gold: 137 yds
White: 153 yds
Blue: 164 yds
The second par 3 on the front nine requires players to tee off over a water hazard from large, level tees that are wide, elevated, and tiered. Medium rough surrounds the green. A pond water hazard protects the front and right of the green. Two real sand bunkers—one left and one right of the green—have multiple rakes available. Maintained fringe encircles a large green that runs fast, is receptive, undulating, sloped back to front, and sloped right to left. Everything wants to go front left or center.
Hole 8 – Par 4 – Rating 8.00
Red: 255 yds
Gold: 277 yds
White: 317 yds
Blue: 344 yds
Elevated, small, level tees overlook a rolling fairway that plays uphill to the green. Three real sand fairway bunkers cluster right of the fairway with multiple rakes available. Medium-length rough plus heather border the hole. A real sand bunker sits on the right front corner of the green. Maintained fringe encircles a medium-size green that runs fast, is receptive, undulating, and crowned. This surface slopes run to the right and left front corners and the back.
Hole 9 – Par 4 – Rating 8.29
Red: 255 yds
Gold: 281 yds
White: 311 yds
Blue: 331 yds
Tiered, small, level tee blocks launch drives onto a rolling fairway that plays uphill to the green. Pond/wetlands run the left side through medium rough plus heather. Out of bounds threatens far right. An excellent real sand bunker with multiple rakes available sits in the front middle of the green. Maintained fringe encircles a small green that runs fast, is receptive, undulating, and crowned on a very shallow putting surface. This highly crowned area on the back middle slopes to the left and right front corners.
Average Rating Holes 1-9: 8.29
The Falls at Barber Creek Back Nine
Hole 10 – Par 4 – Rating 8.00
Red: 220 yds
Gold: 242 yds
White: 277 yds
Blue: 300 yds
Small, elevated, tiered, level tee boxes open to a rolling fairway. A pond water hazard sits left as the hole plays downhill from the tees. A real sand fairway bunker lies down the left side past the water with medium rough plus heather. Two real sand greenside bunkers guard each side of the green. Maintained fringe encircles a small green that offers fast putting speed while it is receptive, undulating, and tiered. This high tier fades off the back with a severe slope up to the high back tier.
Hole 11 – Par 4 – Rating 8.33
Red: 212 yds
Gold: 255 yds
White: 291 yds
Blue: 312 yds
Small, level tees start players on a rolling fairway with a slight dogleg left. Two real sand fairway bunkers sit on the right side at the turn through medium rough plus heather. No greenside bunkers threaten the approach. Maintained fringe encircles a small green that runs fast on an elevated surface while it is receptive and undulating. This kidney-shaped green falls off on the back, is crowned in the middle, and sloped back to front from the center and to the left.
Hole 12 – Par 4 – Rating 7.75
Red: 212 yds
Gold: 229 yds
White: 267 yds
Blue: 291 yds
This drivable par 4 presents a risk-reward scenario from small, level, tiered tee blocks. Player’s tee over the wetland left to go for it onto a rolling fairway. The hole plays downhill from tees before climbing uphill to the green. Two real sand fairway bunkers sit one left and one right through thicker, medium-length rough. Two real sand greenside bunkers cover the front and left side. Maintained fringe encircles a medium-size green that runs fast, is receptive, undulating, and tiered. This surface is sloped back to front plus sloped right to left on another kidney-shaped green with the high tier in the back.
Hole 13 – Par 3 – Rating 7.60
Red: 134 yds
Gold: 147 yds
White: 155 yds
Blue: 192 yds
The first par 3 on the back nine launches from elevated, tiered, level, medium-size tee boxes. This hole plays downhill to the green over medium-length rough that surrounds the green. Tree-lined left and all lake water hazard to the right frame the approach along with some heather. No bunkers challenge the shot. Maintained fringe encircles a large green that offers fast putting speed while it is receptive, undulating, and tiered. This surface is sloped back to front with a higher tier in back as everything runs to the water and front.
Hole 14 – Par 5 – Rating 8.00
Red: 391 yds
Gold: 400 yds
White: 479 yds
Blue: 521 yds
The first par 5 on the back nine begins from tiered, level, medium-size tees onto a rolling fairway. This dogleg left plays downhill the entire way through medium-length rough with heather on moguls. Trees line the left side with no bunkers in play. Maintained fringe encircles a medium-size green that runs fast, is receptive, undulating, and tiered. This surface is sloped back to front plus sloped left to right with a high tier on the back side and the lowest point on the left front corner.
Hole 15 – Par 3 – Rating 8.67
Red: 86 yds
Gold: 94 yds
White: 121 yds
Blue: 141 yds
The second par 3 on the back nine launches from elevated, tiered, large level tee boxes. Players tee over a waste area and pond water hazard as the hole plays downhill to the green through long heather. A real sand bunker guards the right front. Maintained fringe encircles a medium-size green that runs fast, is receptive, undulating, and crowned. This figure-8-shaped green is higher in the middle with the backside flowing to the back and the front part running to the front.
Hole 16 – Par 4 – Rating 8.29
Red: 240 yds
Gold: 281 yds
White: 311 yds
Blue: 361 yds
Large, long and narrow tees require players to tee over pond water from back tees onto a rolling fairway. Pond water hazard runs all down the right side with medium-length rough. Trees line the left side. A real sand bunker guards the left side of the green. Maintained fringe encircles a medium-size green that runs fast, is receptive, and undulating. This surface is sloped back to front while the middle and front part of the green slopes towards the water.
Hole 17 – Par 5 – Rating 7.75
Red: 341 yds
Gold: 388 yds
White: 431 yds
Blue: 461 yds
The second par 5 on the back nine starts from level, elevated, medium-size tees. Players face a decision on how much to cut over the water hazard front left of the tees onto a rolling fairway. This slight fade left plays downhill from the tees. Three real sand fairway bunkers threaten drives—one down the right side and two smaller ones right and left closer to the green. Trees line the right through longer rough plus heather on both sides past the water hazard to the green. Two real sand greenside bunkers guard left of the green. Maintained fringe encircles a medium-size green that runs fast, is receptive, undulating, and tiered. This surface features a high tier on the left back corner plus a low tier on the back right corner while it is sloped back to front and sloped left to right.
Hole 18 – Par 4 – Rating 8.00
Red: 261 yds
Gold: 284 yds
White: 299 yds
Blue: 322 yds
Elevated, large level tees provide views onto a rolling fairway. A real sand fairway bunker sits on the right side with a fence line well right and long heather left. Two real sand greenside bunkers guard the left and right front corners. Maintained fringe encircles a large green that offers fast putting speed while it is receptive, undulating, and tiered. This high tier on the back forms a slightly bowl-shaped surface and the green slopes back to front from the tier.
Average Rating Holes 10-18: 8.04
Overall Course Rating: 8.17
SUMMARY:
The Falls at Barber Creek in Kent City, Michigan, operates as a public 18-hole golf course that has a little bit of everything. This beautiful course delivers exquisite attention to maintenance and a unique appearance. Players encounter beautiful lakes and ponds alongside breathtaking scenery. Blue grass fairways line mature trees and bent grass greens. The course features some dramatic elevation changes and a spectacular 34-foot waterfall. Golfers enjoy an exceptional golfing experience suited to the most advanced golfer. Michigan Golf Matrix considers The Falls at Barber Creek a top course in the area but also a value play that shows the cost is well worth the experience. See our video of The Falls at Barber Creek.
Tees – 8.00
Fairways – 9.29
Fairway Bunkers – 8.00
Rough – 7.78
Water Hazards – 8.42
Greenside Bunkers – 8.00
Fringe – 8.00
Greens – 8.11
Pricing: Refer to www.thefallsatbc.com or call (616) 675-7345 for tee times and pricing
Value Rating: +3.40
