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Michigan Golf Journal

Summer Finally Arrived What a weird spring we had – but that just means you live in Michigan. With warm summer days surrounding us much more consistently, there is no excuse not to get out and golf with friends, family, colleagues or even complete strangers – which is the true beauty of the game – meeting someone new on the first tee and becoming friends by the 18th green. So much golf activity has hit the Michigan landscape that this June edition of Michigan Golf Journal seems to jump all

over the map. For starters we’ve got the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give and the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic in June.

Don’t forget to go outside and tee it up soon – but please enjoy the stories we’ve shared first. Hit ‘em straight,

But we also wanted to bring you a wide variety of stories from the game, and we have them. Ranging from PGA Tour pro Morgan Hoffmann’s quest to stave off the effects of Muscular Dystrophy, to school children learning STEM concepts on a golf course; from a four-generation family golf business to Father’s Day gift ideas, to how high school coaches rallied around another coach who stood up for the integrity of the game.

Tom Lang Publisher/Editor

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Michigan Golf Journal

What’s Inside: 04

PGA Tour Golfer Fights Off Muscular Dystrophy

First Green Use Golf to Teach Kids STEM

Q&A with PGA Tour Commissioner

Restoring Honor in High School Golf

Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, #TeamUp

Then and Now, Golf’s Evolution

Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Four-Generations of the Family Golf Business

PGA Tour Golf Journal Michigan

PGA Tour Pro Morgan Hoffmann Faces Down Muscular Dystrophy By Tom Lang

It’s more typical to hear that children look up to pro athletes for inspiration – yet PGA Tour pro Morgan Hoffmann found the opposite. He looks up to a 13-year-old. Hoffmann, age 29, just returned to the Tour in January and will be playing in Detroit’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, after a long hiatus from the sport he loves that began in late 2016. That’s when Hoffmann, a former World No. 1 Amateur and Oklahoma State Cowboy, learned he was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy. As Hoffmann himself wrote in an online post in late 2016: The characteristics of this specific type of MD (facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy) are atrophy of the chest, back, neck, arms and sometimes legs. Each case is different, and some muscles degenerate more quickly than others. He added that he first noticed deterioration in his right pec muscles as early at 2011. He still earned his PGA Tour card two years later. However, after the official diagnosis of MD in late 2016, Hoffmann took off from the vast majority of the Tour schedule to seek out answers, solutions and potential treatments – the latter mostly overseas in Nepal.

While he has vowed to not let Muscular Dystrophy win, Hoffmann recently explained a heart-felt gratitude for a young man who made a huge impact on him. As Hoffmann explained it in a one-on-one conversation with MGJ in mid-May, leading up to the recent AT&T Byron Nelson tournament

June 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

(where he finished T29) he went to New Orleans for three days. There Hoffmann says he spent each day with a family whose 13-year-old son has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, for which he said most people do not live past age 25. The family found Hoffmann through The First Tee. “The family was really low key, and I just went and we hung out,” said Hoffmann, who’s diagnosis is not nearly as grave as the young teen. “It was really special. That was just really cool to spend time with someone who is in kind of the same boat – but has it much worse – yet he has a great, positive outlook on life. We played basketball and golf, played catch all day. He can only really swing with one arm, but he was hitting it. It was cool to see.”

Hoffmann does not eat any cooked or prepared foods – just fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts – and he drinks only alkaline water.

Return to the PGA Tour: Taking time off from the Tour was necessary for Hoffmann to fully dedicate

Healthy Eating is Major Change: Hoffmann did not hold back on his negative opinions of ‘western medicine’ and has vowed to find a cure for the disease. He started a foundation in Florida to research Muscular Dystrophy and help those diagnosed with it live healthier lives in the meantime. “It’s been non-stop studying how to help and aide and cure this disease that’s un-curable, at least in the United States they tell me that,” Hoffmann said. “They said ‘it’s incurable and good luck,’ which really frustrated me. So that’s when I went overseas to Nepal for four months for Ayurvedic treatment and it helped a bit. But it’s still not fully cured so I’m still researching and I’m very strict on diet. I’m a big believer that a raw, alkaline, vegan diet can help cure a lot of diseases and also change your genetics. I’m in that kind of experimental stage right now.”

Hoffmann teamed up with former Ralph Lauren designer, Charlie Schaefer, a Birmingham, MI native, to start Greyson Clothiers. A Detroit store is coming soon. Continues on page 6 >>

PGA Tour Golf Journal Michigan

himself to all options to slow down and/ or heal the atrophy, but he had the itch to return to golf this year. “After the treatment, that I felt was helping and slowing down the atrophy, I was really motivated and I made the decision to start playing again because I didn’t know how long I had,” said Hoffmann, who will be playing in the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club. “I don’t know what my progression time will be, so I wanted to get back and play the game I love.” Which hasn’t been easy, especially trying to return to and maintain a golf game at the elite level that’s needed on the toughest Tour in the world. Hoffmann, who was runner up at the 2017 Honda Classic, said his game is completely different from his days hitting the long ball. “I’ve lost about 30 yards and I’ve had to learn a whole new game,” he said. “So, it’s been a real challenge to get back out on Tour and playing completely different golf. I used to be one of the longest hitters, now I’m one of the shortest. So, it’s been difficult but it’s a challenge that I’m up for, for sure. “But I’m going to find a cure for this; I won’t have MD at some point,” Hoffmann added. “I know that for sure. So, I just need to dedicate myself to what I’m doing and once I do find that, I’ll let it be known to the world.” Editor’s note: To read Hoffmann’s medical diagnosis story and background growing up in his own words, go to: https://www. theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/ morgan-hoffmann-pga-tour

Top Players Committed to Detroit PGA Tour: Dustin Johnson Rickie Fowler Bubba Watson Jason Dufner Billy Horschel Charles Howell III Kenny Perry KJ Choi Kevin Kisner Sam Saunders Cameron Champ Smiley Kaufman Chris Kirk Brian Stuard (Jackson, MI) Jimmy Walker

PGA Tour Golf Commissioner Michigan Journal

Q&A with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan With Tom Lang

The Commish was in Michigan in early May; here are some of his responses to the Michigan Golf Journal:

Can you speak to the excitement level of the second year of the Ally Challenge (PGA Tour Champions) and the first year of the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit?

“For players on both the PGA Tour Champions and PGA Tour, to be back here in Michigan, and be back in such a big and powerful way with two great events, is something we take enormous pride in. We looked at last year and saw the crowds out here (Warwick Hills) and saw the incredible response from the community, and we know we’re going to get more of that this year, and I think you’ll see that same enthusiasm at Detroit Golf Club.”

What are some things about the Detroit Golf Club

that maybe excite you for the PGA Tour event coming?

“Being in the City of Detroit at this point in time, on a Donald Ross Golf Course, with a rich history and tradition … talking about a path forward, this is a really exciting time to bring the best players in the world on these two Tours into this market. And I think that (the Detroit Golf Club) is going to prove to be a great test. And I think it’s going to show beautifully on television. Not just the golf course, but when you’re in the city you’ve got the opportunity to tell the story … and to have our players experience it and talk about it, this year will be the start … but I expect that we’re going to be there a long time to come.”

With the Champions Tour here and the PGA Tour coming back, would you see a Major championship returning to Michigan?

“I would never put a restriction on this marketplace…We don’t operate the major championships, but you’ve got a lot of great, smart leaders in organizations that have deep commitments to the game – and given the strength of this marketplace, to me it’s just a matter of time.”

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LPGA’s First Team Tournament Michigan Golf Journal

#TeamUp

For First Time on LPGA Tour By Tom Lang

The Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational will be an event filled with firsts: • First time for an official team event on the LPGA Tour • First time playing a Tour event in more than one year for LPGA Tour star Suzann Pettersen, who is coming off maternity leave to be in Midland • First time for 8-time LPGA Tour winner Brooke Henderson to play a team golf event Those and many more first-time opportunities for golf fans await during the July 15-20 Tour event at Midland Country Club, one of Michigan’s finest facilities. The 72-team format will play four rounds – Wednesday through Saturday’s final – switching daily between best ball and alternate shot. Both players on the winning team

will earn the same privileges of a two-year exemption on the LPGA Tour Priority List, plus one-year entrance into three majors.

Many players have yet to announce their chosen teammate, but early commitments include the duos of Pettersen

June 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

and 2019 Solheim Cup Captain Catriona Matthew; Americans Lexi Thompson and Cristie Kerr; young phenom Lydia Ko and In Gee Chun; the Jutanugarn sisters, Ariya and Moriya; Katherine Kirk and Amy Olson – plus Michigan native Kris Tamulis (formerly of Lapeer) pairing with Kim Kaufmann. Tour stars yet to announce a committed partner as of mid-May include Henderson, Michelle Wie and Danielle Kang. LPGA Tour Commissioner Michael Whan said Michigan was the right place, and 2019 was the right time for the LPGA Tour to launch its first-ever team tournament.

“To be honest, if you go back to 2010, we needed to fill our (LPGA Tour) schedule,” Whan told the Golf Channel. “We needed to provide enough opportunities to figure out who the best female golfers in the world are. “Now I think we have the opportunity to sprinkle the rest of the schedule with some difference… (like the) Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, playing in the team format. I think golf is ready for it, but more importantly I think the LPGA is at a point in our schedule and in our history where we want to show something different, we want to show some fun. We want to create variety on our Tour.”

Henderson is looking forward to the team format fun she first discovered playing youth hockey. “For me, being from Canada, it will be the first time on the LPGA Tour that I have had a team or a teammate, so I’m really excited and I’m really looking forward to it,” Henderson said. “It’s just so different, you know, growing up playing hockey I had that team comradery and it was so much fun for me. I made friends that will last a lifetime and I think like in golf, if you can do that, I think it will be great as well.” Kauffman said her friendship with Tamulis will make tough situations on the course and in the scoring format more comforting. “We have been friends for six years and counting,” Kauffman said. “I wanted to play with someone you enjoy playing with. Best ball is fun because you can shoot that really low number and if you’re a good team and if you best ball well you’ll get those birdies when your partner isn’t getting a birdie, and vice-versa. Alternate shot is so fun; maybe a little scary as a player because you can have some big numbers if you hit it into places you’re not used to. I’ve never really done

LPGA’s First Team Tournament Michigan Golf Journal

alternate shot in any sort of tournament so I’m looking forward to it.” Ariya Jutanugarn is a twotime major winner with 10 LPGA Tour victories (including her first at the Volvik in Ann Arbor three years ago) and represented Thailand in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Jutanugarn suggested there are unique advantages presented by teaming up with her sister, and potentially less stress after a bad shot. “I think me and my sister are going to be good for each other, you know, because we know our game for so

long and we know it really well. (In) alternate shot, I 100 percent go with my sister because, you know, sometimes when I miss the shot, I won’t feel bad for her if we play together.” Pettersen is a Dow ambassador and helped make this Midland tournament a reality. It’s an appropriate place for her to return to competitive golf – albeit coming from a unique perspective as a new mom. “My intentional plan was always to return as quickly as I could after giving birth, but there’s a time for everything in life and I’ve

just really enjoyed being with little Herman and kind of being at home, just being a regular mom,” she said. “I have to say, to put things in perspective once you have a small one almost running around… it doesn’t even compare to golf. It puts golf in perspective, and it’s been a little bit hard to get back into the normal routine… But I’ll put all the effort I have into preparing for the Dow.” The Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational should be a great opportunity for families to enjoy the great outdoors while watching unique team golf. Learn more at: www.DowGLBI.com.

June 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational: News and Notes ticket costs include admission to the golf tournament.

Youth Focused: Golf, Food, Fun: All the Elements Kicking off the week is the two-day Eat Great Food Festival featuring live entertainment, taking place in downtown Midland, Sunday and Monday. Then there is the 4-day Eat Great Hospitality Trail, Wednesday-Saturday at the tournament. The ‘Trail’ allows fans to move between four upgraded viewing decks spread throughout the golf course, tasting samples of the dishes and brews unique to each county in the Great Lakes Bay Region. Tickets for both events are: Adults $40 each; youth tickets (13-20 years of age) are $20 each and children 12 and under receive free admission. These all-you-can-eat food

On Monday, July 15, two half-day Youth Clinics will be offered in conjunction with the First Tee of Eastern Michigan. To gain a little knowledge in STEM, stations will be set up at Midland Country Club to engage kids in hands-on experiences in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math as they relate to golf and other sports.

Schedule of Events: Sunday, July 14: Even week kicks off with a two-day food festival in downtown Midland. Monday, July 15: Gates open to the public, first round of practice. Tuesday, July 16: Pro-Am. Wednesday, July 17: Round One of the four team stroke

play tournament.

Saturday, July 20: Final round of the four days. The innovative team format features foursomes scoring on Wednesday and Friday, and four-ball on Thursday and Saturday.

General Ticket Sales: Daily tickets are $10 and weekly tickets are $25. There will also be free daily grounds access to the tournament at Midland Country Club for children age 17 and younger – and the same for all current and past military personnel. www.DowGLBI.com/tickets.

Information and Social Media: To stay up to stay up-to-date on all event information, links include: www.facebook.com/ DowGLBI, www.twitter. com/DowGLBI, and www. instagram.com/dowglbi (@DowGLBI).

Gift GivingGolf Ideas Michigan Journal

What to Get for Dad? Christmas comes twice a year in the golf business; there’s the actual holiday season at the end of calendar year and then there’s Father’s Day. Because we’ve entered the heart of the golf season in Michigan, it’s the ideal time to get something for the golfing dad, too, that he will put into play on his next league night or the outing he’s been looking forward to for weeks. Plus, just like the Christmas holiday, golf deals can be found everywhere. Here are a few gifts to consider for dad this Father’s Day:

FootJoy Contour Fit Golf Shoes FootJoy’s tag line is “The #1 Shoe in Golf,” and for good reason.

FootJoy has offered quality footwear for decades, from their entry-point GreenJoy model to the shoes that set the industry standard for waterproof and comfort, the DryJoy. A 2-Year waterproof shoe usually costs over $100, but the FootJoy Contour Fit is now available for under $50. With the additional cushioned fit and enhanced support features, you’ll keep dad’s feet comfortable and dry on the course regardless of the conditions. Special sales price available at Maple Hill Golf.

Instruction

There is some aspect of dad’s game that he’d love to improve. But, like many golfers, he’d rather spend time and money on the course than at the range. Getting him an hour of good instruction is the gift that will keep on giving. It can help him cure his slice (saving him money on golf balls) or fix the chipping yips that keep him from breaking 80. Teaching and PGA professionals in your area are easy to find (your local course can help you find a quality instructor) and package deals that include more than one lesson are often

June 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

available. More info at: maplehillgolf. com/facilities/lessons

Custom Club Fitting Choosing a new club for dad can be difficult. Even if dad thinks he knows what he wants, he may not know if it’s exactly what he needs. There are many things to consider for a properly fit club: length, loft, lie, shaft, flex, and more. A custom club fitting ensures that all these things are considered and that he’s able to choose the best club for his game, maximizing his enjoyment of the new club and your Father’s Day gift. More info at: maplehillgolf. com/launch-kitchen

Swing Align for Swing Training Swing Align helps golfers improve through consistent alignment with their target line, through keeping their arms and body in sync while rotating, and by making it easy to build a repeatable golf swing. It’s the intuitive training aid that is simple to use. “Two of the biggest issues golfers have are setting up properly and staying connected throughout Continues on page 16 >>

Gift Giving Ideas

their golf swing,” says Chris McGinley, cofounder and 30-year golf industry veteran.

Maximize Your Play Time

The best golf destinations cover a lot of ground beyond the 18th green. French Lick Resort is the golf getaway with more to love. We have 45 holes of golf, including championship courses by legendary designers Pete Dye and Donald Ross. Add in hundreds of ways to win at the casino, casual and fine dining plus other amenities, and the numbers are on your side for an epic golf trip. French Lick Resort brings it all together with golf, food, fun and gaming at one unforgettable destination. For groups of 8 or more, give our golf group sales manager Alex Whiteman a call at 812-936-9300 (ext. 7227) to get the ball rolling.

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“The Swing Align training aid was designed to help golfers set up square and hit it solid by providing a strong visual indicator they can use to line up square to their intended target. The device uses muscle memory to develop a repeatable golf swing with more power and accuracy by keeping their arms and body synchronized when rotating.” Click on the video link to learn more about how Swing Align works: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Dc1VL6Dn2i8&t=1s

ShotScope Shot Scope will identify shot data from each segment of dad’s golf game just like the pros, but at a much more affordable cost. Over 40,000 courses worldwide are loaded into the large memory, where Shot Scope V2 combines a state-of-the-art GPS Tracking system and records data from every shot. Light weight sensors are inserted into the butt handle of each club in dad’s bag. Then download the free APP and he’s ready to swing away. In addition to providing the most accurate yardage to hazards and greens, it automatically records the results of each shot and yields instant feedback on distance, approach, short game, tee shots and putting. Shot Scope’s enhanced Smart GPS instantly knows where dad is on the golf course and provides accurate data to every point on the green. Find out more about Shot Scope at: www.shotscope.com/us/

College Golf Awards

2019 College AllConference Golfers Big Ten Women:

First Team Allyson Geer-Parks

MSU

Second Team Paz Marfa Sans Yurika Tanida

MSU MSU

Sportsmanship Hannah Ghelfi Paz Marfa Sans

Michigan MSU

Big Ten Men:

First Team James Piot Donnie Trosper

MSU MSU

Sportsmanship Henry Spring Michigan Andrew Walker MSU

Mid-American Conference Men: First team Beau Breault Ty Celone

EMU EMU

GLIAC Women:

First Team Katie Chipman * Olivia Reed Mackenzie Blomberg Maria Sol Pose Caro Els Karrisa Guthrie

GLIAC Men:

Grand Valley Grand Valley Grand Valley Grand Valley Northern Mich Northern Mich

First Team Alex Scott * Grand Valley Brendan Seys Wayne State Bryce Messner Grand Valley Jack Weller Ferris State Jagger Richard Northwood Player off the Year *

WIN FREE HOSPITALITY TENT PASSES

Michigan Golf Journal is giving away multiple pairs of tickets for the LPGA Tour’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational July 17-20. Multiple winners will be drawn for the following tickets/passes:

Hospitality Trail: passes to enjoy four upgraded viewing decks around the course. Pass holders can move around the course and sample dishes and brews unique to each county in the Bay region.

Week-long golf passes to the tournament grounds. SIGN UP DEADLINE JUNE 30: At www.michigangolfjournal.com OR become a new Twitter follower at @MIgolfjournal.

LPGA TourGolf in Grand Rapids Michigan Journal

Four Meijer LPGA Classic Champions Returning

Goal: raise $1 million for Simply Give charity

By Tom Lang

Four of the first five winners of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give are slated to return to Blythefield Country Club, just north of Grand Rapids for the 6th annual LPGA Tour event, June 1216: defending champion So Yeon Ryu, 2107 winner Brooke Henderson, ’15 champion Lexi Thompson, and the inaugural-year winner Mirim Lee. Other notable players to have verbally committed are: Cristie Kerr, Inbee Park, Morgan Pressel and Gaby Lopez. Ryu, who also won the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, made an unprecedented move last year when she gave back $100,000 of her winner’s check to the Simply Give cause, which provides funding to local food pantries throughout Michigan and

the Midwest. The Simply Give program has generated over $48 million since its inception, with $4.2 million of that coming from the golf tournament proceeds. “I think an LPGA golfer can be an inspiration around the world,” Ryu said. “As LPGA golfers we wish we can help out to make the whole world a better place to live. This is such a special place to me, even though I’ve never lived here. I’m not from here but it feels like home here. Everybody is so friendly; everybody is so kind. And last time the Simply Give program was my motivation to win the tournament. I hope to have the same motivation this year and hope I can defend my title.” The tournament’s $4.2 million for Simply Give translates to more than 40 million meals for people in

need. Tournament officials have a goal this year of matching or exceeding the $1 million raised each of the past two years.

June 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

“My peers and I consider this one of the best events on Tour, because the community is so supportive,” said LPGA golfer Mariah Stackhouse. “We travel around the world, and I particularly enjoy this event because of that support – and for what the tournament does for those who are hungry.” “We get big crowds at majors on the weekend, but we get big crowds at the Meijer every single day. And that’s really special and it makes it fun for us to come and compete.”

News and Notes: • The Grand Taste will grow to include more restaurants and breweries handing out unlimited samples, all included in the one-day $40 cost per adult ($10 for kids) which includes golf tournament access, and concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings. • General admission: daily golf pass $10; weekly, $25. • Local band Great Scott will perform on the Grand Taste Garden

stage Friday, plus The Golf Channel Band and Chevel Shepherd, winner of The Voice season 15, on Saturday. • Kids Clinic, age 17 and under, June 15. Twohours of activities, games and lessons from LPGA Tour and local pros. • Meijer LPGA Classic Veterans Pro-Am, by the Eisenhower Center, June 10. LPGA golfers and veterans will play at Blythefield Country Club. Eisenhower Center helps individuals with traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries, substance

abuse concerns and dual diagnosis. • Discovery Land for kids will double in size. It’s an air-conditioned destination loaded with kid-friendly activities, a 40-foot putting area, ice cream, and photo ops with LPGA players and characters from Nickelodeon, Hasbro and Universal Studios. More information is at: www.meijerLPGAclassic.com.

U.P. Golf Golf Journal Michigan

Get UP to the U.P.

Now that a long northern spring season that continued to see occasional snowfall has finally concluded, golf is in full swing at Island Resort & Casino’s two championship tracks – Sweetgrass and the new Sage Run. Sage Run had a partial opening last year to give the state of Michigan the first of two new destination golf course openings in 2018. It was envisioned from the start as a rough and rugged golf experience – and while that might not fit the eye of some golfers who prefer every inch of a golf course to replicate the finely-groomed Augusta National they see on TV – rough and rugged certainly fits the look and feel of the overall Upper Peninsula environment.

It is a polar-opposite of the property’s original course near Escanaba – Sweetgrass. Sweetgrass is an excellent layout, a GolfWeek top-20 in Michigan. It covers gently rolling land that is groomed, clean-cut if you will. It hosts the annual Symetra Tour event – June 21-23 – to the raving reviews of those players trying to elevate onto the LPGA Tour. Five times in the last six years, the winner has gone on to earn an LPGA Tour card the following year. The Island Resort Championship has had the longest run of any Symetra event in the state; this year for the 9th consecutive time. The winner will automatically qualify for the LPGA Tour’s Evian Championship in France.

New golf packages combine the best golf in the region with fully customizable packages offering 1-, 2-, 3and 4-night lodging options with up to four rounds of golf. Package prices range from $95 - $758 depending on the time of year and single/ double occupancy. Golfers will also receive $5 promo cash, $5 Bingo coupon, $5 drink coupon, $5 dinner coupon per night, and $5 off spa services at the luxurious Drift Spa. Also new is a refurbished website for the property. The new www.islandresortgolf. com includes new updated golf information including 2019 green fees, golf packages, resort information, course tours, photography as well as social media pages to keep golfers updated.

First GreenGolf for Journal STEM Michigan

Teaching STEM Through Golf By Tom Lang

There are different ways to get children involved in the game of golf – but a program newly introduced in Michigan uses a very unique approach – a field trip to the golf course to teach science and math concepts to school children. It’s called First Green and was originally developed in the Pacific Northwest two decades ago. On May 13, Pine Lake Country Club in West Bloomfield hosted the first in Michigan – to a group of 5th graders from St. Joseph School in Lake Orion. “It’s hard to find things that are engaging for the students to actually get their hands into and experience first-

are having a blast with this. We could see they were really engaged and enjoying being outside – even enjoying the math parts. It’s nice being outdoors and working as a team.”

hand,” said teacher Lindsay Matthews. “And we wanted to do a science-based field trip and felt this would be a great opportunity.” Partnering teacher Emily Zande added: “The kids

Pine Lake Golf Course Superintendent Terry Poley helped set up four different ‘stations’ the kids would rotate through. Students got their hands on a Stimpmeter (how many true golfers can say that?) to learn how math calculations measure the speed of the greens. Students also measured various shapes on the driving range and used mathematical formulas to compute area; and one

June 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

station took soil samples from the ground to shift through screens and see the various earthly elements under putting greens – as well as studied how water effected the grass and soil. An additional bonus was using a Double Ring Infiltrometer. Students were asked to help locate areas on the 9th green that may have too much or too little water. They also used a prism gauge to determine the height of cut of the green, collar, and rough around the green –

and were able to check out the club’s various machinery that helps get the work done on a daily basis. They also had a putting contest to get clubs into the hands of kids who had never tried golf before. “We want to stay involved with the community and help teach the kids about some of the things we do to keep a golf course in good condition – maybe get kids down the road trying a turfgrass career, or just introduce them to the game

of golf in general,” Poley said. “What really jumped out to me was when we asked them how many had every been on a golf course before, very few hands were raised. But once we got them engaged, I thought they stayed focused and probably took away some really good lessons from the day.” School teachers who may want to get their classrooms involved anywhere across Michigan should write to: info@migcsa.org

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Meet NewGolf GAMJournal Executive Director Michigan

College Golf Coach Becomes New State Leader Chris Whitten takes over the reins of GAM By Tom Lang

Chris Whitten’s team just got a whole lot bigger.

people skills (I learned) and understanding different people’s perspectives will help me.

Whitten gave up the men’s golf head coaching job at University of Michigan in early May to move into the new headquarters of the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) as the newest Executive Director, in replacement of the retiring David Graham. Whitten had good success as the men’s coach, recruiting some wonderful talent to Ann Arbor over the years, including a group that recently took 4th in the Big Ten tournament. But now his team will grow from less than a dozen players each season to nearly 60,000 members of GAM. “Coaching was sort of a crash course Masters class in management; especially in

golf management,” Whitten told MGJ about how he’s prepared for the new role. “So, the technique of the game and how to play the course was definitely part of it, but a lot of our day was sorting out personalities, and issues, and all the things that get to happen before we even get to tee it up. Hopefully, too, the

“The most obvious difference is the number of golfers I will interact with,” Whitten told veteran golf writer Vartan Kupliean. “The idea of impacting golf on a bigger scale is exciting. I’ve been around the GAM my whole life and I know the dedication of the members and the importance of what they do. I don’t come in with an agenda other than to do my best.” Whitten did however add the notion that his college recruiting work gave him an appreciation for young players that he will tap down the road: “I do want to have a focus on Junior golfers and the people who are going to represent the future, and to

June 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

make sure to continue the good and solid traditions that GAM has always had.”

low rate and with prizes provided using their handicap.

GAM provides each member a USGA handicap. It rates courses for the same reason, to have a measurement of each courses’ toughness balanced against the handicap system. But there is so much more. GAM runs several dozen tournaments, ranging from the premier men’s and women’s Michigan Amateurs, to Junior tournaments and qualifiers

“If you’ve never played a tournament before we have a tournament you would enjoy,” Whitten said. “There is something for every handicap level. And all the GAM volunteers, we’re golfers too. So, we’re thinking about things that we’ve enjoyed, or would like to enjoy, and to put ourselves in the other golfers’ shoes for the day.”

for the U.S. Open. But there are also opportunities like father-child handicapped events, the GAM Scramble for teams, and GAM Golf Days that open private courses to all golfers at a

High School Golf Michigan Golf Journal

For the Honor of the Game

By Tom Lang

Val Cimini stood up for the integrity of golf, so fellow high school coaches stood up for him. Cimini is the 15-year coach at St. Clair Shores Lakeview. He has run the Husky/ Shorian Invitational the past six years. It’s not a high-profile event, having most years been a field of average-talent local teams, playing on a non-glamorous, flat, short, par 70 course along north-bound I-94 in Macomb County. Yet this year it became the place to compete – where three of the top 4-ranked teams in the state showed up – because of who Cimini said could not play in the event. He stripped Anchor Bay, Harrison Twsp. L’Anse Creuse and Fraser High Schools from the invitation list after all three had played virtually every year since the tournament began. Yes, the same three teams embroiled in the alleged stroke-shaving scandal that took place in the 2018 MHSAA Regionals and gave high school golf in the entire state of Michigan a huge black eye on a national level. (If you haven’t heard about the circus, just Google it and both local and nationwide stories will litter your screen.)

Rob McIntyre is the head coach at Division 1 defending state champ Grosse Pointe South. From across the room at a Macomb County coaches’ meeting in the winter, McIntyre said he watched Cimini turn down Anchor Bay coach Steve Price for a playing spot. GP South had never

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played in Cimini’s tournament but was one of the state’s top-ranked teams that jumped on board that very moment. “The bare bones of it all is that golf is a game of integrity, so I support people who support integrity,” McIntyre said. “Val is an individual who’s been committed to promoting golf, he’s been the salt of the earth type of man. He’s never had a great deal of success in terms of never winning a regional or a state title, but he comes back year after year and puts his heart and soul into the game, in trying to make it the best environment for his kids as possible.” Once the word spread, other firsttime teams that couldn’t wait to play in the invitational included Bloomfield Hills (which was left out from going to states last year due to Anchor Bay’s and L’Anse Creuse’s controversial posted scores at the regional), Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Detroit U-D Jesuit, Davison, and Madison Heights Lamphere. “Quite frankly, the director (Val Cimini) called me and said that ‘we disinvited three schools’ and with that I said we’d be happy to come,” said Bloomfield Hills coach Scott Hayes, knowing which three schools he meant. “That was the only impetus for us coming out here. In

a sublime way we were supported for the disappointment, agony, whatever you want to call it, for our graduated seniors from last year that did not get the chance to potentially compete in the state finals last year, along with Rochester Adams.” In all, 40 teams tried to get into the invitational, double the number that had ever played in it until this year’s 26 teams competed on May 10. Clarkston, ranked No. 1 in Division 1, successfully defended its title from the prior year. Warren DeLaSalle also played, ranked No. 4 at the time. No. 3 Rockford couldn’t make the long trip on a school day. “I’ve had coaches and other people come to me, congratulate me for the integrity (of what we’ve done here) and say what best friends they are to me now, because I stood up for something, and what is right,” Cimini said with gratefulness in a humbled tone. He is saddened by the damage the 2018 Div. 1 Regional results did to the national reputation of high school golf in Michigan, which he said has been affected, “Big time.” We can only hope time – and potential lessons learned – heals all wounds.

Michigan News and Notes

USGA Qualifying Results:

(thru May 22)

U.S. Open, Local Section at Muskegon Domenic Mancinelli, Northville, 67 Alex Scott (a), Traverse City, 69 Andrew Ruthkoski, Muskegon, 70 Donnie Trosper (a), Canton, 71 James Piot (a), (ALT), Canton, 71 Andrew Walker (a), (ALT), 71

At West Bloomfield Coalter Smith (a), Grosse Pointe Farms, 71 Max Kollin, Farmington Hills, 72 At Port Clinton, OH Bryce Messner (a), Howell, 72

U.S. Senior Open Qualifying At Battle Creek Tom Werkmeister, Grandville, 69 Frank McAuliffe (ALT), South Lyon, 72 Mark Eriksen (a), (ALT), Clarkston, 73

Amateur Team Qualifier for Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational A 36-hole qualifier will allow female amateurs with a verified USGA handicap of 2 or better an opportunity to compete for a sponsor team exemption in the 2019 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, July 15-20. The qualifier takes place at Buck’s Run in Mt. Pleasant on JUNE 17.

The first 18 holes will be played in alternate shot format; the second 18 holes will be a bestball stroke play. Maximum of 30 two-person teams. Practice rounds are available beginning Monday, June 3 for $55 with a cart; please contact Jon Conklin at jon@bucksrun.com to schedule. Register at www.DowGLBI.com – by June 1, 2019 under the special events tab!

Reviving the Former King Par Swartz Creek High golf coach Wesley Hull and his son, Logan, have been reported by MLive. com to have agreed to lease space for a new golf practice facility, The Grounds, at the former location of King Par, which closed in 2016 in Flushing. MLive.com also reported: ‘Originally, Wesley Hull wanted to open a driving range and training facility at 6122 W. Maple Avenue after purchasing the land in March, 2018. While the

family has put in 13 acres of grass, the building isn’t finished…While construction is underway, the family reopened a shop and training facility where King Par used to be after the building’s owner reached out to them… “I have four boys and golf’s something that we’ve always got to do together,” Wesley Hull said. “With the driving range, we’re able to give back to the community and help the youth and high school golf teams grow.”’

Golf Tips

The Short Game

Golf Tips provided by Dave Kendall Academy in Ypsilanti There are no great champions in the game of golf that do not have a good short game. There are many outstanding ball strikers who are not good short game players. Great ball strikers have the ability to hit the ball with consistent strike, shaft, and face, over and over again, the same. The ball striker is a scientist: consistent, reliable and dependable. Great short game players understand that each short game shot is different than the previous short game shot. A great short game player becomes good because they understand loft, shaft, face, bounce, run, stop, lie, etc. The short game player is the artist, the dreamer, the creative mind. He/She provides to the shot what is necessary for success.

produce consistent golf shots and the creativity and flexibility of mind to produce the right blend of trajectory, distance, and direction necessary to provide what the situation requires. If your short game needs improvement, a B:4.5” qualified teacher can do an analysis of how T:4.25” your concepts and skills match S:4.25” what will be necessary for improvement.

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The technique that produces a high weak slice with a driver, will produce a high soft wedge over a bunker. In this case, the skill that would make you a crooked driver may make you a good, high soft, wedge player. Typically, good short game players have a flexibility of mind as it pertains to the creative approach of providing to the shot what is needed, not necessarily what is according to ball striking principles. Great champions seem to have the capacity to possess the concept and discipline to

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Golf Business Michigan Golf Journal Fox Hills in Plymouth

The ‘Then and Now’ Perspective of the Seasoned Golf Course Owner By Kate Moore

When asked ‘what is the easiest part of owning a golf course’? Jeff Hoag, owner of Scott Lake Golf and Practice Center in Comstock Park says there simply isn’t an easy part. Veterans of this complex but rewarding business agree; times have changed. It’s not just how the customer experiences this multifaceted industry, but also how the owners and operators have needed to

adjust. Fewer and fewer courses are being managed by the proprietor, especially non-family-owned properties, leaving the day to day decisions of the business left to non-vested staff. Yet when the golf course has positioned itself to be the hub of the community, it becomes easier to establish the needed relationship with locals. And then there is technology. Staying on top of technology and trends and making enough money to be

able to make improvements don’t necessarily go hand in hand. The golf consumer today is used to making a deal, finding a deal. On-line booking services both direct from the golf course or from a third-party vendor have dramatically changed the way golfers purchase the product. “Before the immediacy of social media and teetimes at a click, people were easier to please,” says Kathy Aznavorian, owner of Fox Hills Golf and Banquet Center in

June 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

Plymouth. “Today service expectations are higher with the younger golfers and technology advancements in the business approach are expected.” The past 20 years have seen dramatic changes, especially compared to the several decades that preceded. “Relating to the customer was tough enough,” says Ed Clark, owner of Sandy Ridge Golf Course in Midland, “when you had to be the face of the business from open to close. But now with cell phones and all the apps you are lucky to actually look anyone in the face.” The constant and immediate flow of communication doesn’t even stop when the customer shows up to play. With handheld GPS and apps on cellphones golfers seem to be always looking down – instead of making eye contact. And then there’s mom and dad. The biggest change in the golf industry is the modification in people’s habits. According to Aznavorian, dads especially used to come to the golf course and enjoy a day with friends — golfing, eating and drinking. Today’s moms and dads are, understandably, more engaged with their kids expanding sports and activity options and it takes them away from spending time golfing like they used to. Men do come out for a round, but time is at a premium and they don’t linger as long in the grill or at the bar. What makes the joys of golf thrive for everyone is when those same parents bring their kids along to golf. Another huge change: making plans. Hoag says it is more likely that a baby boomer golfer will plan their golf dates and locations in advance while the millennial golfer is more likely to book

“day of” without much advance notice. Scott Lake has seen a resurgence of younger golfers and feels better off because of it. Having been in this business for decades, these savvy owners will agree the easy part of running a golf course, if there is one, continues to ultimately be cultivating the relationship with the customer. The hard part: staying on top of technology and trends. “The smile and human interaction that is part of this hospitality business is the reward,” says Aznavorian. Kate Moore is the former Executive Director of the Michigan Golf Course Association.

Gull Lake View Resort Michigan Golf Journal

All in the Family Business By Kevin Frisch

While keeping things all in the family can be an overused catch phrase, the Scott family has been living that mantra with great pride ever since Darl Scott opened his first golf course in Augusta, Michigan, that has since turned into one of the top Midwest resorts for quality and value – Gull Lake View Resort.

Stoatin Brae Hole 2

4th generation Alex Scott, as a teenager

June 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

Stoatin Brae

The 4th-generation Scott to work in the family business is Alex Scott, who is studying turfgrass management at Michigan State University and has worked at Sand Valley in Wisconsin and is currently at Gamble Sands in Washington for some serious hands-on golf experience to bring home to the family business. “He will become a bigger part of the business here,” said Jon Scott, his father and the third generation of the family to steer what started with 18 holes

of golf in 1963 and has expanded to 108 golf holes in an award-winning fullservice resort community with popular villas, restaurants and real-estate development. “My grandpa, my dad, me – we’re really dirt guys, but we’ve always looked at the big business picture,” Jon Scott said. “We’re grooming another dirt guy. There is just some gene in us that loves golf and dirt. My kid loves working on a golf course, like I do, like my father did and grandpa did

and a lot of others in the family, too.” Jon said the family has taken that love of golf and working on golf courses and coupled it with the capacity to continually reinvest. “We don’t take out, we push back in and make sure there is something for tomorrow,” he said. “We don’t just try to benefit from today. It’s been our family perspective over the years. Grandpa started it all. My father was an artist, and I don’t think gets enough Continues on page 34 >>

Gull Lake View Resort Michigan Golf Journal

credit for what he added, and I’ve tried to make an impact and my son will make an impact in his way.” Gull Lake View has impacted golf in Michigan since Darl Scott, an entrepreneur at heart and golf course superintendent by trade, decided to build and open his own public golf course. “It comes from Grandpa, always having something going on,” said Jon, who is the son of Charlie,

Stonehedge South Hole 11

who took the mantle of leadership from his father, Darl. “We don’t mind a little work or getting our hands a little dirty.” As the story goes, Darl and his wife Letha worked hard, and Gull Lake View grew. Then Charlie and Jim, two of their three sons, directed the family golf business into the next generation where Gull Lake View continued its growth. Charlie has retired, though

he still lends a helping hand as the mantle of leadership has been place on Jon’s shoulders. “I love this place, my dad loves this place, and if you know our family you know this is not just how we make money, it is who we are,” Jon said. The Scott family, seemingly ever expanding its friendly, welcoming golf community, opened a sixth golf course in 2016. Stoatin Brae, which means Grand Hill in

June 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

Scottish Gaelic, is the name of the course that marked a departure from the normal pattern of growth at the resort while at the same time reminding the family of previous decisions. “When Grandpa decided to build his own golf course that was certainly out of his comfort zone, and as we’ve expanded over the years, we have pushed those limits that others see,” Jon said. “What we have at Stoatin Brae is different, very different in the kind of course and how it compares to the others we have here because we did not design it ourselves. “But in doing it, forging ahead with it, it is consistent with what our family has done from the beginning. We’re giving more to the golfer, our customers, giving them more reasons to come play golf here, another way to have fun.” Stoatin Brae is only the second course of the six that is not designed by the family with landscape architecture backgrounds.

It is also a dramatic departure from the current five courses, including four designed by either Darl, Charlie or Jon, or in combination. Those courses cut naturally through the trees and hills on the area’s rolling land. Stoatin Brae, created by Renaissance Golf Design of Traverse City, offers views for miles over natural undulations and reestablished prairie grasses, where the wind is seemingly always in play. Jon said Stoatin Brae is among other things an effort to reach the world’s travel-minded golfers who seek destination courses that offer exciting new adventures. “This site is unique for us, and we decided it was best to add something different,” Jon said. The resort’s lineup of courses currently includes the Gull Lake West course, the East course, Stonehedge South, and Stonehedge North all very near the main resort campus, as well

as Bedford Valley near Battle Creek, which the family purchased in 1988. Bedford Valley is a popular parkland William Mitchell design, which blends well with the designs of the family. “We’ve always been willing to evolve,” Jon said. “We’ve always listened to our customers. We’ve always tried to attract new customers, tried new things. Dad building courses and teaching me, Stoatin Brae, our programs, everything we do, fits within our big picture.” In that big picture, Jon can’t wait to see the reaction of golfers this summer to a more mature Stoatin Brae. “People coming back will see a different course,” he said. “It has softened up and is really starting to hit its stride. We found out last year that people found it better. That’s only going to continue. We work to make things better. That’s how we try to do everything around here. It’s the family business.”

History ofGolf GAMJournal Michigan

GAM, the First 40 Years time Michigan Amateur champion, a North and South Amateur Champion and even a two-time amateur champion of Austria.

Chuck Kocsis

The Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) is celebrating its Centennial Anniversary this year, highlighted by a huge celebration at Oakland Hills with special guest JACK NICKLAUS, June 17. These short pieces are a brief look at highlights of the first four decades of the GAM: 1919-1929: James D. Standish Jr., Century of Impact on Golf in Michigan James D. Standish, Jr. was 28 in 1919, a three-

Standish became an immediate member of the Detroit District Golf Association (GAM’s predecessor), through his membership at Lochmoor Club and then Country Club of Detroit. James would become president of CC of Detroit in the 1930s, president of the Detroit District/GAM from 1937-47 and president of the USGA in 1950 and ‘51. He was also made a life member of the Royal & Ancient Club of St. Andrews in 1929. His son, James III served as the first executive director of the GAM for 14 years from 1966 to 1979. “The game has been in our blood for a long, long time,” said his now 85-year-old son, John, the 1993-94 president

of the GAM. “I never really thought about it before, but I guess at least one Standish has been an association member for 100 years.” 1930-1939: Chuck Kocsis Emerges as Michigan’s Greatest Amateur Golfer Chuck Kocsis, who admitted he didn’t care much for match play, said in an interview just a few years before he died in 2006, that sometimes when playing in that format he would hold back with his tee shots to make sure the other player hit it past him. “I wanted to hit it on the green first and putt pressure on,” he said. “It worked a lot.” Everything Kocsis tried on the golf course seemingly worked – a lot. GAM named him Michigan’s Golfer of the 20th Century, and he was certainly the top amateur golfer in Michigan in the 1930s and into the 1940s –

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competing multiple times as an amateur in The Masters.

Belvedere 1940s

Golf legend Byron Nelson wrote in the forward to the book Forever Scratch by Vartan Kupelian that: “Kocsis in many ways, was the most remarkable golfer I’ve ever known.” 1940-1949: Belvedere Golf Club in Charlevoix, Favored Host of the Michigan Amateur Championship Blue water, blue skies, “Big Band” music and superb golf at Belvedere Golf Club were among the reasons the tiny Northern Michigan city of Charlevoix already enjoyed an international reputation as a summer resort area by 1940. The Belvedere course, designed by famed architect William Watson, had been around since 1925. Membership of the golf club, as it remains today, was almost completely summer visitors from southern states and big cities like St. Louis, Memphis, Nashville and Cincinnati. It remains today a lifetime favorite of Hall of Fame pro golfer Tom Watson,

whose family would spend his childhood summers nearby. Belvedere became a regular home of the Michigan Amateur, hosting it 40 times, and will host it again in 2025 during the club’s centennial. 1950-1959: Glenn Johnson Provides Color for Michigan Golf History Glenn Johnson would roll into the Belvedere Golf Club parking lot in Charlevoix in his shiny Cadillac convertible, top down, of course. It would be packed with golf clubs and enough clothing changes from all the choices in the rainbow to outfit himself anew for the each of

the six rounds it would take to win another Michigan Amateur Championship. The proud Grosse Ile Golf & Country Club member won the Michigan Amateur five times, second to the six for Kocsis. He won his first three consecutively in 1954, ’55 and ’56 all at Country Club of Jackson. Johnson, who also won a GAM Championship and a GAM Senior Championship, kept steering his Cadillac to Belvedere. He made it to match play in 25 Amateurs, and in the ’50s won 23 consecutive matches before falling in the semifinals in 1957. By his count, he was 6420 in Amateur matches.

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