MI Golf Journal Feb. 21

FEBRUARY 2021

Bay Harbor Turns 25

The Charlie Woods Effect Best Golf Movies PGA HOPE Gives Veterans Hope New Equipment & Golf Ball Reviews

Q & A with Hale Irwin

Michigan Golf Journal PGA HOPE

PGA HOPE Brings Exactly That – Hope

The game of golf focused toward Military Veterans

By Tom Lang

Even in a Covid year, this past summer Fox Hills Golf and Banquet Center was able to get a PGA HOPE program up and running at the popular 63-hole facility and dedicated Learning Center in Plymouth Township.

PGA HOPE introduces the game of golf to Military Veterans with disabilities through a developmental 6-to-8-week curriculum, taught by PGA Professionals

trained in adaptive golf and military cultural competency all across the country.

Michigan Golf Hall of Famer and U.S. Army medic Veteran himself, Buddy Whitten, led the initial PGA HOPE Metro Detroit efforts at Fox Hills, with the assistance of Mark Runchey. All programs are funded

by PGA REACH and supplemented by the foundations of PGA Sections across

February 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

America, so the cost of programming is free to all Veterans.

Rick Lee of Brighton is a 28-year U.S. Army Veteran who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Panama before being medically discharged in 2015 due to PTSD and lung injuries. He is a committed golfer who said he truly appreciated the PGA HOPE program and wants more disabled Veterans to give it a try.

“I know PGA HOPE tries to draw in new golfers,” Lee said. “For all Veterans, but especially those with PTSD, and the suicide rates with all the depression – it’s really good for guys to get out of the house and interact with other people, especially other Veterans, and learn the game of golf.

“You can never perfect the game but there’s always that challenge to get better, and the camaraderie and friendship with other golfers is great. I’m an experienced golfer but I still learn a lot (in the program).”

Currently, there are 132 active PGA HOPE program locations nationwide, positively impacting more than 2,500 military Veterans each year. More than 350 PGA Members have been trained to specifically help Veterans.

“We are getting set up for this coming summer for the second year at Fox Hills,” Whitten said. “We can host 16 veterans with disabilities per clinic with four golf instructors per 2-hour session. We hope to have a veteran golf league after the clinics this year.”

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Whitten said he was able to teach 11 more Veterans this fall in another first-year program in Pensacola, Fla. It had Veterans who never tried the game before, including a paraplegic and two with spinal cord injuries.

Any disabled Veteran who would like to learn more can contact Mark Runchey at markr@foxhills.com To help fund PGA HOPE Michigan, supporters can spend a day at Topgolf Auburn Hills on Sunday, Feb. 28. For $75 enjoy a lunch buffet, soft drinks, a cash bar, and golf! All proceeds go to PGA HOPE Michigan and its various host sites. To register Click Here.

Photo was taken prior to COVID-19.

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Cover story: Bay Harbor Turns 25

15

The Charlie Woods Effect

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Golf Balls and New Equipment Reviews

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Youth Golf Development, Rolla Frisinger

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All-Time Best Golf Movies

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Michigan News and Notes

Golf Q&A: Hale Irwin

PGA Tour Pro Hale Irwin

With Tom Lang

World Golf Hall of Famer Hale Irwin has just about done it all in the game of golf, which includes 20 PGA Tour wins – 3 of which were U.S. Opens – plus 45 PGA Tour Champions victories and 17 International wins. He won the Buick Open in 1981 in Grand Blanc and the Ford Senior Players Championship in Dearborn in 1999.

Irwin, now age 75, added another record in the Champions Tour season kickoff in late January at Hualalai, Hawaii when he made his 25th start at the event, the most of any player at one venue.

He won the first event at Hualalai in 1997, and again in 2007 to establish his PGA TOUR Champions record with a 45th career victory.

Michigan Golf Journal spoke with Hale Irwin one-

on-one from Hawaii during tournament week:

Q

Do you have any particularly special memories of your Michigan wins or your trips to Michigan in general?

A: “I always enjoyed Michigan. I think we had good golf courses (for events). And one of the things about some of the northern tier states is, because the winter

times linger and the spring seasons might be a little late coming, the excitement level of getting into summer and golf and the outside activities that people enjoy is very strong.

So, the support that we had throughout the golf community was very good.

Playing in Michigan was always fun because you knew you were going to be in a sports-enthusiastic state with all the professional and college Continues on page 7 >>

February 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

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teams available for the fans to observe and watch and cheer for, and that extended into golf. That was the fun part of going to Michigan for me.”

Q

Did you hunt or fish here (some of his hobbies)?

A

“I went fishing, not hunting, a couple times.

But fishing is like golf; it doesn’t always work (he said with a chuckle). When I go out and fish, I love to catch fish, but if you don’t catch any, hey, that’s part of fishing too. It was more of a relaxation process for me. Spend some time outside, doing something other than golf – getting away from the thing that’s defined my life, doing something else. I just enjoy being outside doing those kinds of things. In Michigan you’ve got some great outdoor activities, so I did what I could when I could.”

Q

What is your favorite – making holes in one or shooting your age?

A

“Holes in one. I only have 10, but I’ve shot my age more than that (at least

42 times on Tour alone). I’ll go with the holes in one.”

Q

You played at Treetops shootout in northern Michigan some 20 years ago, and since then more resorts have added Par 3 courses… what did you think of Treetops and what do think the future is for such designs?

A

“I think Treetops was great. Got one of my holes in one there.

“When you have a daily dose of what I have seen throughout my career, something different is kind of fun. I think the time commitment in golf, I think through the years has gotten a little bit longer. You

watch on television how long it takes these young people to hit a golf shot…

“I’m a proponent now that either if the land is not available, nor the time, you can build three 6-hole loops if you want a traditional 18, so people can play 6 holes, 12 holes, 18. I look at it as let’s accommodate the demand with better facilities, and although better should mean ‘quality facilities’ it can mean do (what’s best) with what’s available. There are courses out there that maybe should just be 12hole courses. Take 18 out of play and make them 12 holes. Why not?

“We have to get out of this traditional mode that it has Continues on page 9 >>

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February 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

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to be 18 holes… making fun out of the game again.”

Q

You were an accomplished college golfer (1967 NCAA Champion) and 2-time first-team AllBig Eight football player at Colorado… did you struggle to decide which sport you wanted to pursue the most?

A

“That’s the easiest question you’ve asked. No, absolutely not (chuckling).

There was never any doubt.

I could say with a big ego, ‘oh yes I’m going to go to the NFL.’ But come on, let’s get real. My size, are you kidding me? My top speed was slow, and my top weight was 180 pounds.

Where was I going? I’d be going to the hospital, every time.”

Q

The Payne Stewart Award is given as one of the top awards in golf that really has little to do with playing ability and more about service and character… what thoughts went through your mind when you learned you had been chosen for 2019?

A

“I was proud of the fact that my involvement included others. I never felt that it was just my show; it was a team effort, and that team could have interchangeable parts.

It was more the effort of a lot of people to bring happiness, or better health, particularly to kids. I want it to be an award that I share with others because that’s exactly the pride and satisfaction I felt for the people who were part of that award.”

Other Personal Notes: • Says if he could meet one famous person dead or alive his choice would be Abraham Lincoln, because he came along at a very tumultuous time in our history and had a positive influence.

• Leans toward the 2-iron he hit at the last hole to win the 1974 U.S. Open at Winged Foot as his alltime favorite shot.

• Broke 70 for the first time at age 14. MGJ

Michigan Golf 25th JournalBirthday Bay Harbor

Bay Harbor Turns 25 The Cornerstone of BOYNE Golf is a National Reclamation Property

By Tom Lang

Milestones and anniversaries are always good reminders of where we’ve been and offer a chance to celebrate all the accomplishments.

This is especially true for Bay Harbor Golf Club, the cornerstone of the BOYNE Golf properties near Petoskey.

Bay Harbor sits at a location that for over 100 years prior was an old quarry and then a cement processing plant that sat dormant for many years, before blossoming into a prime area for luxury accommodations, pristine golf and one of the largest land and environmental

reclamation projects ever in North America. Now Bay Harbor Golf Club is celebrating 25 glorious years in 2021.

“Looking back on this milestone brings back many very positive memories and great personal satisfaction for all of us,” said Stephen

February 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

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Kircher, CEO/President of Boyne Resorts. The challenges of working a route through the former abandoned cement plant and balancing design with the real estate development needs were certainly monumental.

Former cement plant site

“But we struck a balance and created a golf experience like no other. At the time, the Links course was the most expensive nine-hole course ever built, but the end result was worth every penny. The course looks like it was always meant Continues on next page >>

Michigan Golf 25th JournalBirthday Bay Harbor Quarry Hole 9

to be there, a testimony to the skill and commitment of the team involved. Having three distinct nine-hole experiences separates Bay Harbor Golf Club from any other 27-hole facility in the country and in the decades ahead will prove to be one of its biggest assets.”

The first time I ever played the Links Course – risking

my tie to an old 1980s phrase – I was blown away.

I still get the same feeling of excitement any time I can return.

Perched on cliffs atop the Little Traverse Bay, The Links is reminiscent of Ireland’s famous seaside courses.

Miles of shoreline create a backdrop of unsurpassed beauty, with undulating fairways and green complexes framed by scrubcovered dunes. The cliff-top, par-5 seventh hole has been named one of the world’s 500 best holes by GOLF Magazine.

The Quarry winds its way through an immense, abandoned shale quarry.

Notable gorges surrounded

by stone cliffs, natural ponds and a gentle waterfall are hallmarks of the experience.

Whether one makes birdie or bogey, the drivable par 4 sixth is sure to dominate post-round conversations.

The Preserve features many northern Michigan hallmarks like stately trees towering over native grasses, wildflowers and wetlands, yet the closing par-3 ninth hole emerges from the forest to a breathtaking coastline setting on the bay that leaves a lasting impression.

As outlined, the three nines each have their own unique personalities and settings, which when combined provide arguably one of the

February 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

country’s best in variation and beauty for playing golf on one piece of property.

The blend is Michigan’s only Gold Medal for Overall Excellence ever handed out

by GOLF Magazine during the 20-plus-year history of the award. Bay Harbor Golf Club is the cornerstone of BOYNE’s 10 premier golf courses spanning three resorts in northern Michigan – “America’s Summer Golf Capital.”

Another distinction is if golfers head to notorious resorts like Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, or Kohler, to play the top courses at those locations requires an overnight stay onsite.

A BOYNE Golf experience does not – yet if you chose to, the most luxurious of Boyne Resort’s accommodation offerings is the Waterfront Inn at Bay Harbor, named a Top Resort and Top Spa by readers of Conde Nast Traveler.

Across the street and a wonderful part of the Bay Harbor golf experience is Crooked Tree Golf Club.

Perched on the bluffs above Lake Michigan, the front nine is carved from an old orchard while the

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back nine offers wonderful views of Little Traverse Bay.

back riding and the Young American’s Dinner Theatre.

The other two resorts within the BOYNE experience include the original Boyne Mountain property to the south of Petoskey, and Boyne Highlands to the north. From its furthest edges, the three distinct resorts are less than a 45-minute drive of each other.

Boyne Highlands is the home of the original destination course that began the overall Northern Michigan golf resort evolution in 1966 – The Heather – home to several historic Michigan Amateur Championships, including in 2020, a year after it was voted National Golf Course of the Year.

Boyne Highlands: This furthest-north Boyne location was named by Golf. com readers as the best U.S. Golf Resort for Value.

In addition to the 9-hole under-the-lights Cuff Link course, the Highlands also features activities like zip lines, biking trails, horse-

The Hills, Boyne Highlands

After opening The Heather, Boyne Highlands added three more 18-hole courses.

The approach to the 11th hole, a lengthy par 5, begins a three-hole ascent on the Arthur Hills Course that culminates with a magnificent view from the Continues on next page >>

Michigan Golf 25th JournalBirthday Bay Harbor

13th tee, one of the highest points in the region. The course also showcased Big Break X: Michigan, Golf Channel’s popular golf travelogue.

The Donald Ross Memorial is, in essence, a “greatest hits” compilation of Ross classics. To ensure authenticity, yardages and elevation changes from tee to green are identical to the originals, giving players a chance to experience handselected holes from courses that have hosted three Ryder Cups, eight U.S. Amateurs, 11 PGA Championships and 14 U.S. Opens.

The Moor is regarded by many as the most challenging of BOYNE Golf’s 10 tracks thanks to its diverse collection of numerous dog leg holes, most tightly framed with tree-lined fairways.

Boyne Mountain: When I think Boyne Mountain, much like the Highlands, I think families.

Two excellent golf courses for starters in The Alpine, tough enough it hosts the annual PGA Michigan Tournament of Champions – and The Monument, which begins after a long cart ride to the top of the mountain

on a layout that meanders downhill on the back side of the famous ski hills.

Yet for the non-golfers there are also a ton of activities like the grand Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark, a new grab-and-go Detroit Style Coney Island hot dog stand, shopping area, and a wonderful spa my wife called the best she’s ever tried.

Overall Accommodations: The “Great Escape Golf Vacation” package began over 30-years ago as a way to entice golfers to visit northern Michigan on extended-stay golf trips. Over the decades, it evolved and became North America’s best golfing value

and a great destination for a buddies’ golf trip, couple’s golf getaway, or simply a golf escape with friends.

The Great Escape includes five-nights lodging at Boyne Highlands Resort or Boyne Mountain Resort (Sunday check-in/Friday check-out), welcome reception, gift package, breakfasts and dinners daily, and unlimited golf on seven of BOYNE Golf’s championship courses at Boyne Highlands, Boyne Mountain, and Crooked Tree plus an optional round on one of the Bay Harbor Golf Club courses.

With so many options spread across three all-inclusive resorts of BOYNE Golf, traveling golf enthusiasts cannot go wrong. MGJ

Charlie Woods

The Charlie Woods Effect

Will the great play of Tiger’s son on TV attract more youth to today’s game?

By Tom Lang

Just before Christmas the global golf world was buzzing over the play of Tiger Woods’ 11-year-old son Charlie.

Golf media, social media and conversations amongst friends were dominated in the multiple ways Charlie seemed to be a mirror image of his famous father, while they played as a team at the madefor-TV PNC Championship.

Credit: Elise Tallent, PGA TOUR

Bottom line, it was simply fun and heartwarming to watch a father and son enjoy the great game of golf together. The fact it played out to a national TV audience was even better.

Parents everywhere who love golf want to experience the same with their own children – I know I do.

And maybe Charlie’s performance will help make that goal more possible for other parents, too. It already has for at least two families from Novi.

Desmond Boxman, both age 9 – were so excited to see Charlie perform well on TV that the boys want to increase their involvement in the game.

Neighbors Chris Whitten and Jeff Boxman said their son’s – Lucas Whitten and

“It was just really fun watching him and how far he could hit, and like, knowing Continues on next page >>

Michigan Woods Golf Journal Charlie

Desmond and Lucas

that he practiced that much to play and be that good at that sport,” Lucas said.

Both boys play other sports like basketball, tennis, soccer and baseball. Yet both Lucas and Desmond admitted they became so much more enthusiastic about golf after watching Charlie Woods, that they want to transfer more of their play time into golf this year.

“We’re so used to seeing the pros on TV, but for

Lucas to see a kid who’s so close to his age, with the pros, was really cool,” Chris Whitten said. “We all know Tiger Woods as the competitor, but to see him in that totally new role I think opened a lot of people’s eyes and got people excited to try some things with their own kids.

“Charlie’s routine was so good, and he didn’t seem intimidated by playing with Justin Thomas or anybody else. I think it gives a lot of dad’s some

excitement to get out there more with their kids.”

Lucas Whitten said he has visited the range and has played on a course a handful of times but this coming year he wants to tryout for Drive, Chip and Putt and will likely enter his first-ever tournament.

To date, most of the two boys’ and their friends’ exposure to golf is playing a game around the neighborhood with foam balls where they

February 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

hit in and out of yards – seeing who can use the least strokes to reach the maple tree at the ‘Johnson’s’ or the mailbox at the ‘Smith’s.’

“It was cool to see an 11-year-old play with his dad, in a PGA tournament,” Desmond said about his newlypeaked interest in the game and how much he likes individual sports.

“It’s fun that you get to swing a club, and not like

shoot a soccer ball or catch a football.”

It probably doesn’t hurt that Tiger Woods is his favorite player. “I like that he’s really good with his irons, he’s really accurate,” Desmond said.

Dad Jeff Boxman watched much of the Tiger-Charlie combo competing at the PNC. “There’s nothing like it, going out to the golf course and spending

the time with your son or daughter. It’s a great experience to be there together, out in nature and the elements,” he said.

“There has to be involvement from parents and the golf industry to keep kids interested. I think golf courses really need to support the youth, through pricing programs to make it affordable, and welcoming youth players to the course as well is a big thing.” MGJ

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New Golf Balls

Golf Balls: New for 2021

By Ed Travis

Titleist 2021 Pro V1 & Pro V1x

Titleist has updated their bestselling Pro V1 and Pro V1x and the most played balls on every professional tour with redesigned aerodynamic dynamic dimples plus a new core, casing and cover for increased distance, softer feel and more control.

Fast Facts: Titleist Pro V1 3-piece premium category ball New urethane cover formula 388 dimples Softer feel, lower trajectory, lower spin vs.

Pro V1x Reformulated core White or yellow In shops January 27 $49.99 Titleist Pro V1x 4-piece premium category ball New urethane cover formula 348 dimples Firmer feel, higher trajectory, higher spin vs. Pro V1 Reformulated core High flex ionomer casing White or yellow In shops January 27 $49.99

Callaway’s New ERC Soft

Callaway says the ERC Soft is their longest ball with soft feel and for 2021 it has a new cover material and core to promote maximum distance along with greenside control. At retail February 25, 2021 -- $34.99 per dozen.

Fast Facts Callaway ERC Soft 3-piece construction Hybrid cover High Energy Core High Speed Mantle Triple Track Alignment White or yellow Since 2015 Callaway’s ball lineup led by the premium Chrome Soft and Chrome Soft X has made it the number two selling brand in North America. However, for the average weekend golfer wanting a low-spin ball off the tee while still having enough spin to control the critical scoring shots around the green the ERC Soft is a viable choice.

At roughly $10 per dozen less than premium balls, so-called “Tour balls,” ERC Soft competes with the Titleist AVX, Bridgestone Tour BRX and TaylorMade Tour Response.

The Triple Track Alignment is not new, but I see an increasing number of players taking the time to use it, including myself. MGJ

Michigan Golf Journal New Equipment Reviews

Equipment reviews from Miles of Golf TaylorMade P Series Iron

By John Watchowski, Club Fitter

When looking at recently released golf clubs, every company seems to be intensely focused on distance with the traditional blade style iron starting to become a thing of the past. TaylorMade is bucking that trend with their new P Series iron line-up. The line-up features the P7MB, P7MC and P770. We have the irons, have done the testing and these clubs are not to be overlooked.

Let’s start by looking at the P7MB and the P7MC. These are your traditional player’s irons. Both are a solid forged iron with a thin top line and minimal offset. The lofts are more traditional with the 7 iron at 34 degrees and pitching wedge at 47 degrees while the 1025 Carbon Steel provides a soft buttery feel. Keep in mind that these irons are designed for low handicap players looking for more control and consistency.

These irons are also designed to work together very well, meaning that you can create a combo set with these two irons without having to adjust lofts to match distances. With a split cavity, the P7MC has a slightly lower center of gravity than the P7MB. Having a slightly lower CG should promote a slightly higher ball flight. Both sets are clean and pure, so for the golfer looking for a player’s iron these should fit the bill.

Now we move into the third addition, the P770 with the focus back on distance. For the past two years, we have seen huge distance gains when fitting customers to TaylorMade’s P790 irons.

READ MORE: https://www.milesofgolf.com/taylormade-p-series-iron-review/

February 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

Cleveland Golf Wedges

By Shawn Zawodni, Club Fitter Cleveland Golf is known for making some of the most iconic wedges in the history of golf. In 1988, the company released one of the top selling golf clubs of all time, the legendary 588 wedge. The 588 quickly became the most popular wedge on tour. After riding the success of the 588 for over two decades, Cleveland has released one of the deepest, most complete collections in the history of wedges. They currently offer 4

Titleist TSi Metals

By Nate Lammers, Club Fitter

Two and a half years ago, the Titleist speed project was put in motion with the introduction of TS drivers and fairway metals. The goal was to increase ball speed across all areas of the club face by pushing the boundaries of technology and aerodynamics. The advancements made over the 917 line allowed TS to produce as much distance as possible to compete with other major manufacturers. With the TS2 & TS3 metals Titleist saw the speed that they were hoping for, which increased driver/fairway sales, and saw an increase in tour demand. These clubs put Titleist back on the map in terms of distance without sacrificing the classic look and feel that they are known for.

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wedges: RTX Zip Core, CBX Full Face, CBX 2, and the Smart Sole. I will not be reviewing the Smart Sole because we do not have demos but they are huge wedges with massive soles designed to make the game as close to idiot proof as possible.

READ MORE: https://www.milesofgolf. com/cleveland-golf-wedges-review/

Now that Titleist has pushed the limits of technology, the question that needs to be asked is where do they go from here?

The answer is simple; TSi (Titleist speed and innovation) metals. Titleist objectives for TSi was to deliver what they call the total package; Increased distance, improved forgiveness, a shape that players prefer, and better sound and feel. How could these objectives be achieved? Titleist believes it is achieved with “(i)”; Innovation, inertia, integration (of materials and mass properties), and Impact. The NEW Titleist TSi2 & TSi3 driver and fairway metals are born. Here are the key advancements that make TSi the best Titleist metal line ever. MGJ

READ MORE: https://www.milesofgolf.com/titleist-tsi-metals-review/

Michigan Journal Game ofGolf Your Life

GOLF Game of Your Life Foundation Building Up Youth

By Tom Lang

Rolla Frisinger collects scorecards.

The average person retires from their careers around age 65 – yet while Rolla Frisinger has reached that golden milestone, it’s quite possible he is just getting started.

to the safe outdoor sport.

Frisinger was making golf fun and challenging for kids long before it was ‘cool’ to play the game – before kids were in masses motivated to become Tour players.

main objectives: teach kids the game of golf, provide well-run tournaments across Michigan to challenge and test their skills, and hand out scholarships for college.

For more than four decades he has served youth golf in an attempt to grow the game and shows no signs of slowing down now as even more youth are flocking

Frisinger created G.O.L.F. – Game of Your Life Foundation in 1994 while still the head pro at Coldwater Country Club.

The non-profit has three

Check, check and check.

Going into the 2021 golf season, Frisinger and his team have handed out $477,500 in college scholarships, have run

February 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

1,060 Meijer/Callaway Junior Tour events, and seen more than 16,000 youth come through their system. This year 38 tournaments are scheduled at locations like Warwick Hills, Barton Hills, Battle Creek CC, CC of Lansing, and Radrick Farms with the year-end awards at American Dunes. Full schedule (led by Tour Director Chris Tilbury): https://glfpb.bluegolf.com/ bluegolf/glfpb21/schedule/ index.htm Kids ranging age 7-23 years old compete in events from 9-holes to 36. Several Michigan “graduates” like Morgan Pressel, Ryan Brehm, Brian Stuard, Kris Tumulus and Liz Nagel today still play on their respective LPGA and PGA Tours – in addition to almost a dozen players who have won Michigan Opens and Michigan Women’s Opens.

“Right from the beginning it was my mission to create quality competitions and facilities, and to give back funds as a non-profit corporation as much as we can – and 27 years

later we hope to crack the half-million-dollar mark,” he said, adding that the ultimate goal is $1M which he hopes to witness.

“I have always loved helping the junior golfers, I have always had a passion for that. It’s so fun to see these kids grow and learn the game.”

Frisinger said Pressel was clearly an early shining star, who played at ages

23

11-12, as her maternal grandfather took her around the state each summer.

“She was light years ahead of everyone else,” Frisinger said. “I remember getting the phone call from Dr. Krickstein saying to me, ‘now, my granddaughter is really good. She should be able to play up a few age divisions.’ I told him we don’t do that before seeing kids play a few times,

Continues on page 25 >>

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Game of Your Life because all the parents tell me their kid’s going to be the next Tiger Woods or Annika Sorenstam,” he added with a grin.

“But she proved herself. She won every event by 10-11 strokes. She was amazing.”

How it Began:

After learning the game of golf from his father, Ralph, who won two Ann Arbor Amateur titles in the 1930s before dipping his toe into the PGA Tour as it was in the 1940s, Frisinger played golf at Tri-State University (now Trine) in Angola, Indiana. The pro at the local club left when Frisinger was a college junior and was asked to take over his duties, where he stayed for eight years. That led

to the gig at Coldwater CC in 1984, where he quickly saw how old the membership was and needed an influx of young people for mere survival.

GOLF hit its membership peak in the mid-2000s with more than 1,500 member kids each summer. Due to the success and the Frisinger’s proven need to develop youth golfers, groups like the AJGA and others have added their own youth tournament options in Michigan, so GOLF is closer now to 700 members.

Frisinger looked around the state, and other than the GAM Junior Championship for boys started in the 1970s and for girls in the 1980s, there were virtually no open tournaments for youth.

Scholarships are the Focus:

He ran 6 events in first year of 1994, with 196 kids. The next year grew to 400 kids; next year to 700.

That’s when he needed to leave the Coldwater CC head pro position to devote everything to the Foundation at end of that season.

“It’s all about character for me,” Frisinger said. “I mean we teach swings and what have you, but here it’s more about value of life, quality of life, so character is the number

College scholarship criteria have nothing to do with golfing skills.

Continues on page 27 >>

Game of Your Life one attribute. And when you see these kids over the course of a summer, you know the quality of kid they are by the end of the summer, and their behavior. Then we add community service and GPA as the main three things we look at for the scholarships.

several green complexes with traps for short game practice, multiple heated hitting bays, an indoor hitting bay for club fitting and private lessons, and a retail golf shop. Its generally draws golfers from an 80mile radius, even deep into Indiana.

“Our staff see these kids often. Obviously, the kids who are out there throwing clubs or shaving a stroke here and there off their score, those kids we don’t give any consideration to.”

The location offers summer camps, group lessons (no more than 1:6 teacher to student ratio), private lessons for kids and adults, the PGA Jr. League and a new growing nationwide initiative called Operation 36.

Home Base:

“The PGA Jr. League has been huge here,” Frisinger said. “It’s the best thing the PGA (of America) has done to grow the game, I think.

We’ve always had our own self-contained league with three or four teams.”

Since 1997, the Foundation has been permanently located in a building he developed on Jonesville Road just north of Coldwater along I-69. It has 30 acres with a driving range and

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He explained Operation 36 as a way to teach and play golf, and the former Coldwater CC (now Golf Course) will host the step-by-step process, learning golf from the green backward to the tee boxes. The concept has 10 levels with golfers starting at 50 yards away from the green on 9 holes.

When the kid breaks a score of 36 or better in 9 holes, they can move back to 100 yards, and so on for different starting yardages with a goal of eventually beating 36 or better. It includes weekly lessons and testing.

The national website shows 11 such locations in Michigan.

For any additional information on tournaments, scholarships or camps, visit: www.foundationgolfcenter. com MGJ

HOW WAS I SUPPOSE TO KNOW YOU WERE SERIOUS?

Michigan Golf Journal Top Ski and Golf Resorts

Top Golf-Ski Combo Resorts In Michigan

The Heather at Boyne Highlands

Former Michigan resident Jason Scott Deegan recently gave props to America’s Top 25 golf resorts also well known for skiing, in his article for Golfpass.com, an NBC/Golf Channel affiliate. Resorts literally ranged from California to Vermont.

Three of his choices for Top 25 were from the Great Lakes State – Boyne Resorts, Crystal Mountain and Shanty Creek. The Top 25 was not ranked in order.

Deegan wrote: “Golfers and skiers are always at odds. Skiers can’t wait for snow to

fall. Golfers can’t wait for snow to melt.

Despite their differences, golf and skiing form a formidable twosome at resorts around the country. These two leisure pursuits anchor the summer and winter seasons, keeping these unique resorts open year-round.

“Even if you’re not into skiing, golfers would be wise to seek these places out. Mountain golf often rides thrilling, challenging terrain. Plus, resort ski villages can be absolutely magical in the

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summer and fall, hosting concerts, beer tents and outdoor festivals. Summer chairlift rides deliver the spectacular views skiers enjoy without the chill. The changing of the leaves brings even more stunning natural beauty.”

advantage in attracting families in summer and winter.

Here was Deegan’s review of the Michigan properties:

Ski facts: 11 lifts, 53 runs, 450-foot vertical drop.

Crystal Mountain Golf courses: Mountain Ridge, Betsie Valley.

Ski facts: 8 lifts, 58 runs, 375-foot vertical drop.

Comment: The Michigan Women’s Open, held at Crystal Mountain annually, is often decided on Mountain Ridge’s finishing par 5 that tumbles down the (back side of the) ski hill. Beyond the golf, children will love the outdoor pool complex and Michigan’s only alpine slide.

Boyne Resorts USA Golf courses: Alpine and Monument at Boyne Mountain Resort; Donald Ross Memorial, Arthur Hills, The Moor and The Heather at Boyne Highlands Resort.

Ski facts: Boyne Mountain: 12 lifts, 60 runs, 500-foot vertical drop. Boyne Highlands: 10 lifts, 55 runs, 552-foot vertical drop.

Comment: Both the Mountain and Highlands, located about 30 minutes apart in northern Michigan, sport ski runs and golf. With the Avalanche Bay indoor waterpark, Boyne Mountain has an

Shanty Creek Golf courses: Summit, The Legend, Schuss Mountain, Cedar River.

Comment: Shanty Creek is actually three resorts in one with different locations for accommodations, restaurants and other amenities. The Summit and Schuss Mountain courses are both nicely intertwined with the ski mountains of the same name. In summer, golfers favor the other two courses, designed

by Palmer (The Legend) and Weiskopf (Cedar River). MGJ

Golf Tips

Golf Tips: Balance

Improve your Balance in the Off-Season to Improve Consistency During the Season

By Joe Charles – Boyne Golf Academy By far, one of the most requested things in our winter coaching sessions with students is improved consistency. The first skill that we evaluate in terms of consistency is a players ability to hit the center of the clubface. From a physical perspective, the biggest attribute that affects your ability to hit the center of the clubface is balance. That’s why we start all of our lesson packages with a simple series of tests that evaluate students range of motion and stability. The Single Leg Balance Test is a great way to both evaluate your current level of balance and also improve it over time.

Here’s how to do it: from a standing position start with your feet together and arms to your side. Raise one foot so that your thigh is parallel with the ground.

Once you feel stable, go ahead and close your eyes and see how long you can maintain that position.

You should notice that as soon as you close your eyes it becomes much more difficult. That’s because we are constantly using our vision to maintain our center of balance by looking out at the horizon and leveling ourselves, kind of like that gauge in the cockpit of an airplane that shows if the wings are level.

The challenge with a golf swing is that you are not looking at the horizon, you are looking at that little white ball on the ground.

That naturally takes away a bit of balance as you attempt to make an athletic motion. Practice the Single Leg Balance test to regain your stability and hit the ball a little closer to the center of the clubface which should improve your consistency this season! Visit www.

BOYNEgolf.com. MGJ

Michigan Journal Top GolfGolf Movies

Top Golf Movies

By Keith Dunlap

With the dog days of winter here, people in Michigan who can’t travel south need to get creative to get their golf fix in.

Well, how about sitting and watching some golf movies?

There are plenty of great ones to get in the golfing

spirit before the season starts, but here are our favorites.

1. Caddyshack - This comedy is not only one of the funniest golf movies, but most hilarious films overall. It’s one of Tiger Woods’ favorite films and the legendary one-liners in this movie are recited by

golfers all across the world.

Centered around a caddie’s pursuit of a scholarship and a gopher, it features some of cinema’s greatest actors in Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield and Bill Murray.

2. Happy Gilmore Starring Adam Sandler, this movie was so funny and captivating that it

February 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

got a lot of people who didn’t know about golf into the sport. The storyline revolves around a hockey player who has success playing the game through unconventional methods, but ultimately has to learn the finer points of golf in an effort to save his grandmother’s house and thwart an enemy. Oh, and there’s a fight scene with Bob Barker that is a classic.

3. Tin Cup - This movie starring Kevin Costner and Rene Russo focuses on the romance of their two characters, Roy and Molly. The ending is a life lesson for everyone. In contention on the final hole at the U.S. Open, Roy decides to be true to his nature and go for the green on an approach shot over water, instead of laying up. The ball goes in the

water. Several other repeated attempts go in the water as well. Still refusing to lay up and down to his last ball and disqualification, Roy holes the shot from the fairway for a legendary 12. He lost the tournament, but gained so much more.

4. Seven Days in Utopia - A Christian drama film, this movie centers on a character, Luke Chisholm, who has a meltdown during a golf tournament and watches his father walk away. Chisholm then crashes his car into a fence in a rancher’s field, which leads to advice from a mentor (Robert Duval) that helped change his entire scope on life. Chisholm then gets a sponsor’s exemption into the PGA Tour “Texas Open” and ends up in a playoff with the world’s top golfer.

5. The Greatest Game Ever Played - This is a rags-to-riches story that chronicles the golfing life of Francis Ouimet, who rises in golf despite being

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from a working-class family and not wealthy. At the beginning of the movie, Ouimet gets into the game by seeing British pro Harry Vardon play in an exhibition. At the end, he and Vardon are battling for the U.S. Open title.

6. From The Rough - This is an inspiring tale of someone who becomes the first African-American woman to coach a men’s NCAA Division I golf team.

To comprise the team, she finds underprivileged players from around the world while battling the school’s racist policies.

7. Seve: The Movie - One of the most famous golfers ever is Seve Ballesteros, and this movie focuses on his rise from the farms of Spain as a child to becoming an all-time great.

8. Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius - The dominant golfer of the 1920’s held a price for Bobby Jones, and this movie depicts how the drive he had for greatness had a negative impact on personal relationships, which was a reason for his early retirement. MGJ

Michigan Golf Journal Michigan News and Notes

Lt Col Dan Rooney honored by NCAA Lt Col Dan Rooney, founder and CEO of Folds of Honor, was honored in mid-January with the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award.

The award annually recognizes seven distinguished athletes on the 25th anniversary of their college athletics careers. Past recipients include Rebecca Lobo, Mia Hamm, Troy Aikman, Dara Torres, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Archie Griffin, Pat Summitt, Bill Walton, Joe Theismann, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Alan Page, Roger Staubach, Wilma Rudolph and Jack Nicklaus.

Nicklaus partnered with Rooney the past couple of years to develop American Dunes, the latest high-end golf course added to our state’s portfolio of outstanding properties for golfers.

Rooney started Folds of Honor, a nonprofit foundation, above his garage in Oklahoma in 2007. Its singular mission which has never wavered, is to provide educational scholarships to the spouses and children of wounded or killed military service members. All proceed from golf at American Dunes will go to the Folds of Honor.

“I’m thankful for the incredible impact the University of Kansas and the KU golf team has had on my life,” Rooney said in a statement. “I am very blessed to be able to pay forward the gift of an education.

A former collegiate golfer at Kansas, Rooney won the 1995 Kansas Invitational and finished in the top 10 twice at the Border Olympics. He placed sixth at the 1996 NCAA central regional. He also helped his team to a second-place finish in the Big Eight Championships in 1995 and 5th place at the 1996 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships. He later played professionally on the mini-tours.

He is a career fighter pilot and was honored with the Spirit of Attack award as a top graduate of F-16 training and is a two-time recipient of the Top Gun award. As an F-16 fighter pilot (1800 hours), he completed three combat tours of duty in Iraq and is a decorated aviator. MGJ

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Flint Native Willie Mack III Gets Exemption into 2 PGA Tour Events Courtesy of Genesis Invitational

Willie Mack III made an unexpected debut on the PGA Tour, Jan. 28 in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines – but he missed the cut after two rounds.

A week prior, Tiger Woods announced that Mack – a native of Flint – as the recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption into the 2021 Genesis Invitational field, Feb. 15-21.

The exemption represents the advancement of diversity in the game of golf.

Mack was a late addition to the Farmers after the

withdraw of player Kamaiu Johnson, due to testing positive for Covid-19. Both Mack and Johnson are sponsored by host Farmers Insurance.

The two events are the first ever for the 32-yearold Mack on the PGA Tour.

Mack currently competes on the Advocates Pro Golf Association (APGA) Tour and Florida Professional Golf Tour, earning Player of the Year honors for both tours in 2019.

“Willie learned to golf with his dad just like I did and those are memories that will last forever,” Woods said. “I am excited to see Willie make another lasting memory when he tees it up at Riviera. Willie has endured through difficult times off the course the past few years (at one point living

out of his car) and I know Charlie would be proud of how he has stayed focused on achieving his dream.”

Mack played college golf at Bethune-Cookman, winning 11 titles. In 2011, Mack became the first African American to win the Michigan Amateur Championship, played at Boyne Highlands.

“I want to thank my father who introduced me to the great game of golf,” Mack said. “My dream since I first picked up a club has been to play on the PGA TOUR. It’s really special that I will play in my first PGA TOUR event because of an exemption named after Charlie Sifford, a person I’ve long admired, and in a tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, who is the reason I got into golf.” MGJ

Best Young Teachers: Gary Bissell Grand Valley State head men’s golf coach, Gary Bissell, was selected as one of the Best Young Teachers in America for 2021-22, according to Golf Digest. The list included 177 golf coaches that are under the age of 40.

Bissell was named NCAA Division II Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2019 after leading GVSU to their first national championship appearance since the 2007-08 season. MGJ

Michigan Golf Journal Michigan News and Notes

Update: Northville’s Salem Hills Golf Club The Detroit News recently reported that Salem Hills Golf Course west of Northville found a buyer and will remain a golf course after the long-time owners, Frank and Veronica Godwin, announced in September they would retire and close the course down.

Salem Hills has served the golfing public since 1963.

It was not due to Covid-19; in fact, Salem Hills experienced a very positive financial 2020, as did many local golf courses in Michigan last year.

After that announcement, which we published in a prior magazine, several potential suitors came in and one made a deal to purchase the land and keep it operating

as a golf course. At time of deadline, the new owner’s name or exact plans were not revealed, pending a period of due diligence. MGJ

TEAM BOYNE, Harbor Cup Raised Record-Breaking $75,000+ for Local Charities Over the past 21 years PGA professionals from BOYNE Golf have raised more than $550,000 through the annual Harbor Cup golf event, benefiting local charities including Manna Food Project and First Tee Northern Michigan. PGA professionals from BOYNE

Golf’s properties are pitted against PGA professionals from Petoskey area golf courses in a fun 54-hole Ryder Cup style format.

This year, Team BOYNE professionals set a new yearly record, raising $75,000 for the charities. The donations are

the result of the year-long fundraising effort leading up to and following the event.

Many of the donations came from the members of the Country Club of Boyne and Bay Harbor Golf Club, merchandise sales, and proam and scramble golf events around the area. MGJ

GAM Tournament Registrations Open Feb. 10 Registration for all GAM Tournaments will be open starting 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10 on GAM. org. Players must have their GAM Membership renewed for online tournament registration. Venues hosting

a GAM Championship for the first time include: • Lakes of Taylor GC (Taylor) –

GAM Net Match Play, June 7-9 • Klinger Lake Country Club (Sturgis) - GAM Women’s Championship, July 26-27

Cascade Hills CC (Grand Rapids) will host the Michigan Amateur, June 22-26 for the first GAM event there in 81 years. MGJ

Hall of Fame

Four New Inductees for High School Hall of Fame

Four 2021 new inductees have been announced for Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Ken Bokhoven, Grand Rapids Christian High School Boys golf coach at Grand Rapids Cristian High School for 37 years and coached the girls for four seasons.

During these years, his teams won over 70% of their dual matches (199 and 71) and played in hundreds of jamborees and invitational tournaments, finishing in the top three numerous times. The boys won nine conference championships, three MHSAA Districts, seven MHSAA Regionals and in 2013 won the MHSAA Division II Boys State Championship.

Don Lancaster, Jenison High School Boys golf coach at Jenison High School for 25 years and coached the girls for 15 years. Don retired from coaching in 2019. During his 40 seasons his teams played in nearly 800 dual matches and 88 tournaments finishing in the top four in 32 of those events. His teams won six Ottawa County

Championships, three conference championship plus one MHSAA District and two MHSAA Regional Championships and played in six MHSAA State Championship tournaments.

Bruce Sutton, North Farmington High School Sutton has been a golf coach for 29 years, at Hemlock for four years and North Farmington for the past 25 years. He coached the boys for 29 seasons and girls for 15 seasons and during his 44 seasons of coaching golf his teams compiled a 272 – 135 dual match record, played in 263 tournaments, won 16 times and placed in the top four 84 times. Was Regional Girls Coach of the Year in 2019 and the Oakland County D2 Girls Coach of the Year in 2009, 2013 and 2020.

coach at Northern High School for five years. Then in 2004, he became the boys’ and girls’ varsity coach at Eastern High School where he has continued as the girls’ coach. He became the boys’ coach at Northern in 2006. His teams won 13 conference championships (7 girls and 6 boys); and won the MHSAA Girls Division III State Championship in 2010 and 2012 and won the Boys Division II State Championship in 2019.

Brian Telzerow, Forest Hills Northern and Eastern High Schools Telzerow began coaching in the Forest Hills Public Schools in 1994 as the boys and girls’ junior varsity

Induction of these new members will take place during an MIGCA Hall of Fame and Golf Coaches of the Year banquet to be scheduled later in 2021. MGJ

American Dunes, Grand Haven

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