Tom Doak shows his 'minimalist' approach on the Black Forest golf course at Wilderness Valley in Gaylord, Michigan

GAYLORD, Mich. -- The Black Forest Course at Wilderness Valley is renowned architect Tom Doak's second design and the first to really exemplify his "minimalist" approach.

The golf course, which opened in 1992, is set on 400 acres of native Michigan evergreen and hardwood forests and cuts through the land naturally.

Where Doak gets golfers is on the greens and in the bunkering. The greens have that classic look, like they were crafted by hand rather than machinery, making them difficult to read. Many of the breaks are subtle and many of the putts have multiple breaks, including tricky ones around the holes.

There are more than 100 bunkers on the course and no two look alike. They are true hazards, so they are to be avoided at almost any cost.

Each hole is independent of each other and there are no homes on the course. From the tips, it will play more than 7,000 yards, but power isn't the key to success. Golfers must manage this par 72 with careful club selection, calculated misses and a keen short game.

Wilderness Valley - Black Forest golf course - hole 18

With plenty of difficult bunkers and confounding greens, Tom Doak's Black Forest golf course at Wilderness Valley tests patience as well as skill.

Courtesy of Wilderness Valley

Wilderness Valley - Black Forest golf course - hole 2

The second hole on the Black Forest Course at Wilderness Valley is a long, difficult dogleg right par 4.

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Wilderness Valley - Black Forest golf course - hole 3

Big hitters who can drive it accurately can catch the down slope and get close to the green on the 374-yard, par-4 third on the Black Forest Course at Wilderness Valley in Gaylord, Mich.

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Wilderness Valley - Black Forest golf course - hole 4

Even the flatter greens on Tom Doak's Black Forest Course at Wilderness Valley can be difficult to read.

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Wilderness Valley - Black Forest G.C. - hole 9

The par-4 ninth on the Black Forest G.C. at Wilderness Valley is short, but there are plenty of treacherous bunkers protecting the green.

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Wilderness Valley - Black Forest golf course - hole 12

The par-3 12th on the Black Forest golf course at Wilderness Valley in Gaylord, Mich.

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Wilderness Valley - Black Forest golf course - hole 15

The green on the par-3 15th on the Black Forest Course at Wilderness Valley slopes away from players.

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Wilderness Valley - Black Forest golf course - hole 18

While some of the greens are subtle on the Black Forest Course at Wilderness Valley, others, such as the 18th, are not.

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