Golfers look before they book
Michigan golf is a crowded market. The state has 748 daily fee, municipal and resort courses, more than any other state, according to a March 2026 National Golf Foundation report. A golfer choosing between them, or a planner booking an outing, is comparing rate pages, photos and videos. Aerials are how a course shows its routing, its setting and its signature holes before anyone drives out.
What courses need varies. Public and resort courses need hole flyovers and marketing aerials for booking pages and ads. Private clubs use aerials for membership drives, event sales and renovation updates. Courses that host weddings and outings need the clubhouse, patio and event lawns shown from above.
Hole flyovers, the way golfers read a hole
A good flyover answers the questions a golfer asks on the tee: where to aim, what is in play and what the green looks like. We start behind the tee, rise to show the landing area and hazards, follow the line of play and finish over the green. Each hole is flown at a consistent height and pace, so the set reads as one piece whether a golfer watches hole 3 or hole 17.
Wind matters. Michigan courses near the Great Lakes and on open terrain can be gusty by midmorning, which is one more reason to fly early. We watch the forecast and move the date if wind would make the footage unsteady or the flight unsafe.
Working with the grounds crew and the tee sheet
The superintendent’s schedule shapes the shoot as much as the light does. Before we fly, we confirm the fairways and greens are mowed, bunkers are raked, flags are in, sprinklers are off and carts and maintenance equipment are out of frame. Fresh mowing lines look sharp from above; a wet course after the irrigation cycle does not.
Then there are the players. FAA Part 107 limits flying over people who are not part of the operation, so we fly holes in routing order ahead of the first groups and hold whenever someone is nearby. On busy mornings, the pro shop can block the first few tee times or send early groups off the back nine while we work the front.
Tournaments, outings and big events
Michigan hosts events that draw crowds and cameras. The PGA Tour’s Rocket Classic was played at Detroit Golf Club from July 30 to August 2, 2026, according to the tour. Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills lists 17 major championships on its South Course, including the 2004 Ryder Cup and the 2008 PGA Championship.
At events like these, the organizer controls access and media, and FAA rules apply to the crowd. Sustained flight over an open-air assembly requires a drone that meets the FAA’s operations-over-people categories and Remote ID, and the heavier Category 3 drones cannot fly over open-air assemblies at all. For member-guests, charity outings and club championships, we shoot the course the morning before, then cover setup, arrivals and the awards from angles that keep the drone off the gallery. Ground coverage of the event itself is part of our event video work.
Michigan’s season
The window is short, which is why planning matters. Spring green-up is the first chance for fresh aerials, midsummer brings the longest days, and fall color on tree-lined courses gives a final burst of content before the season closes. We plan the schedule around your course’s opening date, peak color in your part of the state and the events on your calendar.
Send the course, the number of holes and how you plan to use the footage. We will check the airspace, coordinate with your superintendent and send a fixed quote. Plan a golf shoot.