Michigan Golf Hall of Famer John Morse’s victory in the Hawaiian Open. Another anniversary comes up next year – 2016 is the 30th anniversary of the last Michigan pro winning on the PGA Tour. Dan Pohl won twice in 1986. Our lads haven’t done as well as the Texans, Floridians, Alabamians, Georgians… well, a bunch. Tops on Tour currently are Jackson native Brian Stuard, an Oakland University graduate, and Justin Hicks of Wyandotte, a University of Michigan alum. Stuard won $1.8
Photo by Jennie McCafferty
Photo below: Water, grass, sand and hills protect this green at Streamsong Blue, designed by Tom Doak.
million last year and Hicks won $1.5 million but no victories. I believe Traverse City is No. 1 in the home of top-ranked golf course architects. Tom Doak has been a top designer for years with Pacific Dunes, the top course at Bandon Dunes, and now the Blue course at Streamsong in Florida. Doak presently is working at Forest Dunes on a course that can be played both straight out and then back to front. Mike DeVries, who grew up working at Crystal Downs and then worked for Doak, got two raves from Golf Channel’s traveling rater,
Matt Ginella, last month. While appearing on Architects Week, Ginella said DeVries is the most underrated of today’s name designers, and his Kingsley Club private course outside Traverse City is one of the country’s most underrated courses. DeVries, who worked on Pilgrim’s Run, Diamond Springs and The Mines on the west side of the state and Greywalls in the U.P., went way, way, way west for his latest creation, Cape Wickham Links in the Tasman Sea south of Australia. Check it at http://www.capewickham.com.au and be blown away. - MG -