This March magazine will have a very consistent theme to it… a hi perspective on Michigan co Michigan players, and even accomplished course design Hearn sharing his knowledg restoring historical greens.
As we know, media outlets n love to spit out their ‘best of time of year, so we share the from GolfPass, which share voter results on the ‘Best Va and the ‘Most Improved.’ M well on both lists at a national level.
The cover story focuses on the Gaylord Golf Mecca, and how it is proving to be a good example of one ecosystem reflecting the study that shows how golf is a $6 Billion industry in the Great Lakes State.
We also preview the courses in Michigan that will celebrate 100 years in 2025, and share a wonderful story on the Hill brothers from Jackson and their amazing historical success on both the PGA and Champions’ Tours.
You can also find:
Full 2025 schedule of amateur golf tournaments run by the Golf Association of Michigan, including USGA qualifiers.
A look at two courses found along the U.S. 23 freeway between Brighton and Flint And so much more !
Thank you as always for joining us.
TomLang
EditorandPublisher
Pg. 18
By Tom Lang By Tom Lang
When golf lovers want to take a step back in time – to an era where courses that follow the natural contours of the land were played by legends like Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen and the other who’s-who brigade of golf history displayed on the walls inside the 1920’s golf shop – the famed Belvedere Golf Club in Charlevoix often comes to mind.
The history is just as rich at Belvedere as some of the most famed courses in the country. Its resume includes hosting 40 Michigan Amateur Championships over the decades – plus yet another coming this summer in June – and the course is a staple for players who like to use hickory clubs.
By fluke, the original hand-drawn architectural plans by William Watson (an apprentice of Old Tom Morris) were uncovered in 2016 in Charlevoix during a building demolition. While Belvedere Golf Club remained one of the best designs in Michigan, and minimal evolution of the grounds took place since the club’s opening
in 1925, the unearthing of the original drawings caused a desire from members to approve a twoyear restoration plan returning the golf course greens, fairways and many of its tees to the hand-drawn design. The changes were completed with architect Bruce Hepner’s help.
Most changes consisted of enlarging the putting surfaces on greens, which in many cases now causes a drop off on the edges. A bunker was added on the right side of the fairway on No. 7 as a key strategy choice off the tee. The greens have delicate undulations that are manageable, but also at times maddening if you don’t pay attention.
Whenever I write about a golf course I tend to pick a favorite stretch of three holes to highlight. At Belvedere, that is a tall order to fill as each hole is wonderful in its own right. Yet if forced to choose, unsuspicious Holes 12-14 could very well be it (or equally 7-9), while tagging 15 and 16 on for sure. Hole 12 is a par four with a blind tee shot to a peak in the fairway that needs to be cleared to unblock the view of the
challenging green down below, which is protected with bunkers plus water off to the right.
Then 13 has a slight right-to-left draw to a green approach shot beautifully framed by a stand of trees on the left and side hill off No. 12 on the right. It’s not a difficult hole but is simply elegant to view. The 14th is a wonderful par 3 to an elevated green also framed by trees.
The next two holes, however, really stand out as unique to the course layout and are defining of the natural severe contours Watson had to work with. Hole 15 is a par 5 hard dogleg right. The tee shot needs to stay on the upper tier before the second shot turns hard right and down to a lower plateau. No. 16 is a shorter par four in distance but with a second shot into the green that will make the best player’s knees shake. The green is so highly elevated as the routing goes back uphill, that any shot to the right side of the green will roll off and slip off
the green complex that’s about three (building) stories tall on that side.
Hole 16 is often revered by many as the best hole on the course.
WalterHagenwonthe1929GreatLakesOpenat BelvedereandsaidNo.16wasthebestpar4in America.HallofFamegolferandbroadcasterKen VenturimadehiswaytoBelvedereonthe recommendationofhisclosefriend,Gene Sarazan,whotoldhimhehadtoseeandplay16. OtherchampionstoplayBelvedereincluded BobbyJones,TommyArmour,BenHogan,Sam Snead,JackNicklausandTomWatson,whogrew upasachildandteenvacationingwithhisfamily atnearbyWalloonLake.
“Ilovethatcountryupthere,”saidthefive-time BritishOpenchampion.“We’dgofortwoweeks, thenthree,andthenamonth.Iwentupevery summerthroughcollege.”Anhonorarymember, Watsonstillshowsupnearlyeverysummer.
Rightinlinewithitstremendously-richhistoryis thefactthatnearly50memberswhoplaygolfat Belvederewitholdhickoryclubs,andoftendress inawayreflectingthateraingolf.In2019the clubhostedtheU.S.HickoryOpenthatattracted aninternationalfield.
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For modern-day 2025 ‘tradition’, Belvedere is returning to its roots of hosting the most Michigan Amateur championships of any club in the state of Michigan. The premier tournament was first held at Belvedere in 1930, where legendary Michigan golfer Chuck Kocsis captured the inaugural event and won the championship two more times. Belvedere became the permanent host for the tournament from 1963 to 1988, where some of the top names in Michigan golf were crowned, including legendary Michigan player Dan Pohl (PGA Tour and Ryder Cup Member), who won the event twice.
“This is a very exciting time for the Belvedere Golf Club, turning 100 and hosting the most prestigious and historic amateur championship in Michigan this year,” said Tom Folliard, Belvedere Club President. “We are very proud of the history at Belvedere and how this William Watson classic has stood the test of time hosting some of the greatest players in the game. From Hagen, Sarazen, and Jones to Hogan, Snead, Watson, and Nicklaus, to everyday golfers, Belvedere has
always been a course attracting golf aficionados from all over the country.” Belvedere is ranked among Golf Digest’s America's 100 Greatest Public Courses, GOLF Magazine’s
Top 100 Courses You Can Play in the U.S., and Golfweek’s Top 200 Classic Courses. While technically a private club, Belvedere does make some public tee times available.
For more information, visit www.belvederegolfclub.com.
ByGregJohnson ByGregJohnson
When a new study by the National Golf Foundation (NGF) revealed big, bold news about Michigan’s golf industry in early 2024, the people involved with the Gaylord Golf Mecca nodded in unison.
The study, which revealed Michigan’s golf industry has an annual economic impact of $6.1 billion, also told the world something the Mecca has been sharing via its cooperative marketing for 38 years. The Mecca and Northern Michigan make up America’s favorite summer golf destination.
The study commissioned by the Michigan Golf Alliance revealed more than 1.85 million golfers travel to Michigan for golf and spend more than $1 billion annually with nonresidents playing about three of every 10
rounds in the state each year.
Only a handful of states have a larger proportion of annual rounds played by visitors and they are the Sunbelt states of Arizona, Florida and South Carolina, along with the worldwide tourist destination, Hawaii. Those states, of course, have golf without a winter interruption instead of the five to six months where golf is enjoyed in Michigan, and even a little less in Northern Michigan.
The study also said only Florida, California and Texas, with golf facilities open year-round, have a higher volume of annual rounds played than Michigan, which had approximately 16.42 million rounds played in 2023.
And the NGF said outside of the coastal, warm weather states of Florida and California, it can be argued that no U.S. state has a more
substantial footprint in the world of recreational golf. Michigan is 10th in the U.S. in size and 11th in population but ranks third in the total number of golf courses.
Of course, the Mecca has 17 courses and 20 lodging partners in the heart of the state surrounding the cozy community of Gaylord, which fits the state profile perfectly.
The Mecca courses are also part of 859 courses overall in Michigan, and part of the most open-to-the-public golf courses of any state.
The numbers fit with long, beautiful summer days on the edge of the Eastern Time Zone, making it a better destination option than
over-heated Southern states. The Mecca and Northern Michigan are clearly the place to be in the summer.
Thus, the nodding heads in the Gaylord Golf Mecca.
“That’s been central to our message from the start,” Paul Beachnau, executive director of the Mecca since its inception in 1987, says. “We are unique in this country as a destination in the north in the summer, and we do it with the quantity and the quality of golf we provide through a tremendous group of golf course owners who have vision and believe in cooperative destination marketing.”
Gaylord, about 230 miles from the Detroit area, 175 miles from Lansing and 180 from Grand Rapids, can be found by going straight up I-75 to a welcoming community less than 60 miles from the Mighty Mac bridge to the Upper Peninsula.
Gaylord is in the heart of the Northern Lower Peninsula and offers a woods and water paradise where long summer days on the edge of the Eastern Time Zone allow all day golf and play.
The Mecca, according to Beachnau, credits oldfashioned Michigan work ethic, cooperation, vision and investment.
“We keep getting better,” he says. “You continue
to see Mecca members improve their golf courses and properties with renovations, investment in additions and facilities, all the hard-work items. When you put it all together, it makes a better experience for our visitors.”
Black Bear Golf is an established property under new local ownership, and it has been welcomed into the Mecca for 2025. Located just north of Gaylord, the 18-hole, 6,500-yard course built in 1965, was purchased a year ago by longtime Gaylord area business owners Olivia and Rob Smith, who spent last summer making dramatic improvements.
The big fix, with the help of their son, Will, working with the irrigation system, was in course conditioning. In fact, Golf Advisor revealed golf fans voted it the No. 1 Most Improved Golf Course in 2024.
Smith says gaining membership to the Mecca to market with all the other successful golf courses in the area was part of their plan in making the golf course purchase.
“We’ve lived here in Gaylord, been a part of the business community and we know how successful the Mecca has been and what it has done to make this a golf destination,” she says. “It’s great to be a part of it.”
The Mecca’s lineup, in addition to new member Black Bear Golf, includes:
Black Lake Golf Club with its award-winning Rees Jones-designed golf course.
Gaylord Golf Club with its classic pristine greens that have charmed golfers for decades. Garland Lodge & Golf Resort, which is home to four golf courses and is in year 73 as a destination.
Indian River Golf Club, a classic which bills itself accurately as the friendliest golf course in the north.
Lakes of the North Golf Course, a get-awayfrom-it-all spot that provides an affordable hidden-gem golf course.
The Pines at Michaywe, which has been a home of classic golf for 52 years, including hosting the Michigan Amateur Championship twice.
Otsego Resort, which is continuing multimillion-dollar improvements and features two courses, including the highly acclaimed Tribute Golf Course.
And Treetops Resort, with its unmatched five golf courses including one of the most famous par 3 courses in the world – Threetops.
Gaylord, fondly known as the Alpine Village, started its journey to being a U.S. golf destination in 1987. Harry Melling, an auto industry supplier and NASCAR team owner who had earlier purchased a ski resort on the edge of town, unveiled the Masterpiece, the last major golf course design by the legendary architect, Robert Trent Jones Sr.
The award-winning work by Jones attracted golfers to what became known as Treetops Resort, but also quickly put Gaylord in the national golf conversation as a must-stop in the Midwest.
When golfers stopped, they found uncommon variety fashioned by Jones, and eventually multiple highly regarded architects like Tom Fazio, Rees Jones, Rick Smith, Wilfred Reid, the team of Rick Robbins and Gary Koch, Michigan’s Jerry Matthews, Bill Newcomb, Warner Bowen, Don Childs, Bill Newcomb and Ron Otto.
“We might not be as well-known as Myrtle Beach or the Alabama Golf Trail, but our courses rival in design and variety those bigger boys in the destination game and we are a lot easier to travel to for Michigan golfers and those in the Midwest,” says Judy Mason, head professional at The Pines at Michaywe.’
Beachnau says last summer’s NGF study confirmed the Mecca has been headed in the right direction for almost four decades.
“We have something special here,” he says.
MichiganhasNos.1,2and11 MichiganhasNos.1,2and11
The national GolfPass web platform recently revealed the top 25 best courses in America for Most Improved.
Three of them are in Michigan, and all are in the top 11, including Nos. 1 and 2. They were honored in the nation’s top 25 Most Improved Courses, and all comments are supplied by GolfPass writers and its raters, who are typically average public play golfers. You can be one too if your visit the website: https://www.golfpass.com/traveladvisor/write-review
No.11:ShantyCreek-TheSummit Bellaire
Whatthey'resaying: It was nice to see that Shanty is putting some money into the
Summit. The changes made have been noticeable. New sand in bunkers better cart paths and actually green fairways. For 50 dollars, I’ll play again.
Another reviewer said: Best Bang 4 Buck. Best course you can play in Northern Michigan for 50 Dollars. Has all you want in a course (except) a steep tee fee. I would recommend to any level player.
Yet another: Picturesque and challenging. Course was in really good shape. Greens a touch on the slower side but rolled true. Nice elevation changes and excellent use of the natural landscape. Got a heck of a deal too. 8/10 in my book.
Whatthey'resaying: The course has come a long way over the last two years. Love the new carts. Bunkers were in great shape and the overall course was in great shape. Thanks to the new owners for the huge improvement.
Editors: Located just 15 minutes from Flint, The Captains Club Golf & Event Center is one of the area ' s most popular public courses and it was even voted Grand Blanc's best golf course. Known as much for the challenging layout as it is for the affordable rates, the spacious layout offers plenty of room with wide-open fairways, none of which run parallel to one another. Dense stands of mature trees enclose most of the holes, making them feel even more peacefully secluded. Towering trees loom above the narrow fairways and they also surround the large, undulating greens. Water also has a prominent presence on the golf course. A series of waterways weave through the holes, almost completely surrounding some of the greens. The Captains Club Golf & Event Center is a course that will test your iron
skills, but there aren't many opportunities for driving.
Whatthey'resaying: After a 10+ year hiatus we decided to give Black Bear another try after hearing that new owners had taken over. It is back and super enjoyable. Probably the best golf value in Northern Michigan.
Another review: I wish new owners the best of luck! Very friendly and much has improved since my last round of golf out there. Had fun.
A five star review said: This course is a nice northern Michigan course. Played this course (Sept. 2024) for the first time and found it very challenging. If you don’t stay in the fairway it will make you pay. Course was in good shape and they were making it even better. You will not find a better value for your money. Will definitely be back.
GAM CHAMPION OF GAM CHAMPION OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION: The Joanne and INCLUSION: The Joanne and Ted Lindsay Foundation Autism Ted Lindsay Foundation Autism Outreach Services at Outreach Services at Oakland University Oakland University
BryanHarris
GAM CLUB SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE
GAM CLUB SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE OF THE YEAR: Bryan Harris of Forest Akers OF THE YEAR: Bryan Harris of Forest Akers
Bryan Harris, the general manager at Michigan State University’s Forest Akers golf courses and practice facilities, embarked on his career as a graduate of Ferris State University’s Professional Golf Management program in 2007 with plans to teach the game.
“Forest Akers took me in a different direction though,” he said. “I found I really enjoyed the challenge of running a golf operation, of figuring out creative ways to get things done and working with people who feel the same way.”
Harris, 42, a PGA professional who has served Forest Akers for his entire professional career and became general manager in 2017, has been named the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) Club Services Representative of the Year. Harris grew up in nearby Charlotte, and one of his college internships was with Forest Akers.
“Bryan is a great ambassador of ours and for golf in Michigan,” said Ken Hartmann, senior director of competitions and USGA services for the GAM. “He gets it. He understands what we do and why, and he is always willing to help us out, host tournaments and sees the value in bringing GAM golfers to the campus, especially the junior golfers. He goes above and beyond.”
At the end of a busy golf day at the Oakland University Golf & Learning Center, Golf Services Manager Ashley Dewling likes to stop for a minute before sunset and watch what is happening.
“I’ve been running around all day, I’m tired, had enough of golf, but then I see wonderful kids and adults getting introduced to the game in such a wonderful way and it puts a smile back on my face,” she said. “It’s just something very special.”
The Joanne and Ted Lindsay Foundation Autism Outreach Services at Oakland University has been named the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) Champion of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for 2025.
The program, commonly referred to as OUCARES, includes the outreach services of the Oakland University Center for Autism.
In 2018 the Lindsay Foundation pledged a $1 million endowment to further develop programs for teens and adults living with autism, which led to the changing of the program’s name to honor Ted Lindsay, the late Detroit Red Wings legend and Hockey Hall of Famer, and his late philanthropic wife, Joanne, who served on the board for OUCARES.
The national golf service providing tee time reservations and course reviews published by GolfPass recently revealed the top 25 best courses in America for value.
Four of them are from Michigan, once again supporting the wide claims that our Great Lakes State not only has great courses, but overall has great value for the dollar.
The following four courses were honored in the nation’s top 25, and all comments are supplied by GolfPass writers and its raters, who are typically made up of average public play golfers. MI Golf Journal has not verified if price ranges provided are still good for 2025.
No.21:EagleGlenGolfCourse
Farwell, Michigan Greenfee: $52-$69
enjoy this course so much for the value and they are adding a few improvements to the appearance.
Eagle Glen Golf Course is one of central Michigan's best public courses. It has a traditional links-style layout reminiscent of the great courses of Scotland. The wide-open landscape is dotted with natural wetlands and tall native grasses. The layout features large, rolling greens that are framed by strategically placed bunkers and gently sloped mounds. The greens can be tough but there is usually ample room for recoveries and the generous landing areas give high handicappers a chance too. There are many water hazards that come into play but one of the most difficult elements of the course is the wind. It's a layout that requires both accuracy and proper club selection.
Cadillac, Michigan
Greenfee: $20-$59
Whatthey'resaying: Getting a low price made this such a treat. The course layout is challenging and matches that of many other Up North locations. Greens were true and fast. The front nine winds through rolling hills giving many variations in elevation. The back nine takes you around the lake and offers cool position shot holes, as well as elevation changes. The par threes are different lengths that force you to use different clubs. Lots of deer, herons and geese.
Another review said: This was our first time playing Lakewood and my wife got her first hole in one on hole 8. It's a beautiful course with lots of elevation change and natural beauty. Put it on your Cadillac area golf list.
Baldwin, Michigan (east of Ludington)
Greenfee:$30-$55
Whatthey'resaying: Love the course! The greens are in great condition. Through the app we got an awesome deal. I would recommend this course to any friends!
Another wrote: Nice course, great price. Was pleasantly surprised by the course condition, well maintained at a great price. Greens were challenging but fair, fairways were wide enough and open to keep the ball in play. We finished,18 holes in 3.5 hrs. Glad we played it.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable round with good pace of play and at a fair price.
Adrian, Michigan (former Adrian CC)
Greenfee:$25-$52
Whatthey'resaying: Old school charm. Super small greens. Intriguing design. Tight but playable. Very fun enjoyable round.
Another five-star review said: Small undulated quick greens. When playing here, you better have accurate irons because if you miss the small postage stamp greens, you will struggle. All around great shape. This course used to be private a few years back. You can definitely tell by the way the course was laid out that it was a private country club. All around enjoyed my round here and will be back.
ByTerryMoore ByTerryMoore
It's been said the Hill brothers, Dave and Mike, put their native Jackson on the national golf map. Older than Mike by 19 months, Dave is widely recognized as one of Michigan’s greatest players. Late in his lauded career, he said, “I was probably three shots a week from winning a major.”
Even without a major golf trophy, Hill compiled an illustrious PGA Tour record, winning 13 PGA Tour titles in all, including four of them (’67, ’69, ’70 and ’73) in Memphis, Tenn., now known as the home of the FedEx St. Jude Championship
He did come close to winning the U.S. Open in 1970 when he finished seven shots behind Tony Jacklin at Hazeltine in Chaska, Minn. But Hill’s runner-up finish was overshadowed
by his controversial remarks about the course earlier in the week. When asked what the course lacked, the always candid Hill said, “Only 80 acres of corn and a few cows to be a good farm.”
And Dave Hill knew a thing or two about cows and farming. James David Hill was born in 1937 and raised on a small dairy farm in Jackson. Dave’s dad George also ran a machine shop but he took his sons to a nearby golf course to practice.
Later, Dave became a caddie. For the local Jackson newspaper, he
recalled that at age 11 he played in his first golf tournament and shot 101. He soon blossomed into a fine player and went on to play collegiately at the University of Detroit.
Turning pro in 1958, Hill won the 1959 Michigan Open. Two years later, he won his first PGA Tour title in Tucson in a playoff against Tommy Bolt and Bud Sullivan. Later that year, he claimed his second title at the Denver Open with a 21-under four-round performance. Winning by six shots, Hill was seen as one of best and brightest stars on the Tour.
He also became widely known as a consummate shotmaker and ball-striker. Hill once told golf writer Tom Cleary, “I felt like I had more shots in my bag than 90% of anybody that played out there. A little old lady 90 years old can putt I want to see her hit a high cut with a 2-iron.”
In 1969, Hill won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest stroke average on the PGA Tour. He is only one of two Michigan players (the other being Dan Pohl) to have won this coveted recognition. Besides being a member of three Ryder Cup teams, Hill was proud of his consistency during his PGA Tour career. For sixteen straight years (1960-1976) he finished in the Top 60 annual money winners on Tour.
Hill went on to further glory on the Senior Tour, now known as the PGA Tour Champions. He won six times on the lucrative senior circuit, the last coming in 1989.
DaveHillRyderCup,1977
Although Hill is sometimes associated with remarks about Hazeltine, later in his distinguished career he reflected on them.
“I put up with a lot of heat from that but hell, I said it so I gotta live with it.” Then he added, “They should have waited another 5-6 years for it to mature. That course was very young.” And after visiting a revamped Hazeltine in 1991, he described it as “ a fun and demanding golf course.”
A softer side of Hill was exposed when asked by Cleary about his late father. “I would die
Dave Mike
tomorrow if they let me see him for just 15 minutes today.” George passed away before Dave and his younger brother Mike had their greatest successes on the golf course.
Dave Hill’s golf legacy must be seen in the success of the Jackson community. Ed Mitchell, a Jackson native and founder of the Mitchell Golf Company, was quoted upon learning of Hill’s passing in 2011 saying, “From my perspective, he inspired a lot of people to take up the game.”
Certainly,includedinthisgroupisDave’sbrotherMike, whose quiet demeanor and PGA Tour career are somewhat underappreciated due to Dave's personality and more impressive playing record. But Mike was a fine player, winning three times on the PGA Tour and later evolving into a force on the PGA Champions Tour where he won 18 times.
The eight years prior to joining that Tour at age 50, Mike spent his days farming and running a nine-hole golf course which is still very active today and a fun place to play –Heart of the Hills in Brooklyn (a little north of the MIS Speedway).
Mike Hill didn’t play as much competitive golf in that
time frame as he was busy still raising children with his wife, Sandy, and running the course. Then in January, 1990 after turning 50, he finished fourth in his debut in the PGA Senior Championship. Later he told the Chicago Tribune, ”It proved to me that I could play and was competitive. If I could do this the first time out, I could make it. No question it was a steppingstone for me. "
Twice during a senior circuit season he won five times and became only the second player to win a $1 million in a season (1991) when he was ranked as the Champion Tour's best player. "I learned how to play better on the senior tour," said Mike to a reporter in 1992. "I didn't think when I was 2829 years old. I thought golf was a reflex action. Davey was more of a student than I was. Now I have more of an idea how to play.”
One of his closest friends, besides his brother, was Lee Trevino, someone who shared the PGA Tour years of the late '60s. They were both military veterans. Trevino served four years as a Marine while Hill spent nearly four years with the Air Force. Later on the Champions Tour, the duo teamed up to win a record five titles at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf tournament.
GolfDigest once ran a story on the Top 10 two-man teams. Trevino and Hill were ranked seventh and described as follows:
"Trevino couldn’t be any more different than Hill. The ‘Merry Mex’ was outgoing, funny, a real chatterbox -- and a Hall of Fame member. Hill didn’t say much … or do much as a career journeyman on the PGA TOUR, albeit winning three times. When they got to the PGA TOUR Champions Trevino kept on winning… Meanwhile, Hill excelled in the greatest mulligan in sports. Both players finished in the top 20 on the money list for the first 10 years of their second careers. They were ideal complements for each other as a team."
As complementary as the Hill brothers were to Jackson golf and their place in Michigan history.
AmemberoftheMichiganGolfHallofFameandthe GolfWritersAssociationofAmerica,TerryMoore livesinGrandRapids.
Thisispartofan occasionalseriesthat looksatgolfcourses foundalongMichigan freeways–thoseyou drivebyfrequently,or onthatannual vacation,butnever seemtohavetimeto stopandexplore. Maybeyoushould.
ByTomLang ByTomLang
Quite simply, the Majestic is aptly named.
The course sits on an incredible piece of property in an unusual area – right along the U.S. 23 Highway in Hartland on the corridor between Brighton and Flint. It provides an ‘Up North’ Michigan experience yet is less than a one hour from downtown Detroit.
The Majestic, which wraps around the spring-fed Lake Walden, is comprised of 27 holes. Holes 2-through-14 continuously wind throughout woods and up and down the rolling terrain, truly giving the layout a majestic feel. Many holes of the third 9 have the same appeal, especially the 3-hole stretch of Holes 23-25.
The course was designed by the acclaimed Jerry Matthews, and is celebrating 25 years. The 1,400-acre property has wonderful views and abundant wildlife found among the attractive hardwoods and meadows surrounding Lake Walden, which golfers can enjoy from a few different vantage points. A hiking and biking trail runs throughout the area as well.
The Majestic was named the 2017 Michigan Golf Course of the Year by the Michigan Golf Course Association (MGCA).
My assessment includes recognizing there is a nice selection of bunkers for challenge and strategy, but they are not overdone. No. 6 is on the list of favorite holes as an uphill shorter par 4 in which the green complex is a huge bowl shape with relatively steep sides. No. 9 is a beautiful downhill par 4, as is No. 14 that eventually goes back uphill to a uniquely-shaped, elevated green. No. 13 is a fun, 90-degree right turn dogleg to a large green.
Standing on the top of the bowl behind the 6th green and looking back provides a wonderful, elevated view of the surrounding countryside. The same can be said for the tee boxes on 9, 24 and 25, the latter two holes being an excellent par 5 followed by an extreme downhill par 3.
The predominant holes located along the U.S. 23 freeway are No. 15, 16 and 26.
Like too many golf courses along Michigan’s freeways, Tyrone Hills is one of those I have passed by for nearly 30 years. No logical reason for it (because it looks wellkept and interesting with lots of trees on the far side of the property) other than I had some other place to be in a set amount of time.
Shame on me.
Tyrone Hills is a very nice, affordable golf course – also situated about halfway between Brighton and Flint along U.S. 23. It’s a Bruce Matthews design from the early 1960s, loaded with that era’s traditional push-up greens – the kind that aren’t too tough to putt, but if your approach shots are not accurate the ball can easily fall off the edges to various collection areas.
Although very close to the freeway, which runs parallel to the first and second holes, traffic noise is not noticeable at all on most holes. As mentioned, there are healthy stands of trees on the far side of the property, and the routing takes both nines through various parts off the woods. Beautiful tree canopies are found surrounding: 3 green, 4 tee, 5 tee, 7 green and 8
tee on the front, plus 14 tee, 15 tee and green, and 17 green on the back nine.
Hole 6 was my favorite on the front – a short par four that has a slight double dogleg twist to it, with a huge mature tree guarding the right-side approach, and trees immediately off the tee on the left. On the back, 15 is a great hole. The tee shot requires a straight drive through a tunnel of trees, then it’s sharply downhill, dogleg to the right going back uphill to the green – a green that is protected on the left by a few huge trees.
Overall, the terrain is gently rolling. There are a couple of formidable hills, but generally the dips and valleys are great for both variation to the eye, and for water drainage. I will not wait another 30 years to go back.
RackhamClubhouse
ByTomLang ByTomLang
Anyone who regularly reads the MI Golf Journal knows that we like to highlight golf courses celebrating their 100th birthdays.
That is a terrific milestone that any course should be very proud of, not only for the fact the courses remain relevant today as a playable track, but to maintain a community business for so long is a true testament.
In all honesty, record keeping can be a little sketchy going back 10 decades, so bear with us. We try our best to recognize and report on such anniversaries, yet in one example I knew a course in SE Michigan was 100 years old and had to tell the course operators that fact; it was something they didn’t know themselves.
It’s well-known that golf’s earliest development in the Great Lakes State came in the 1890s. The following decades found people like Donald Ross, Dr. Alister MacKenzie, Ray Way, Thomas Bendelow and others coming over from England and Scotland and helping
Michiganders develop this new-fangled game in pockets around the Mitten. In their own way they were all pioneers developing what is now a $6 billion business in our golf-crazy state.
The courses we believe to be 100 years old in 2025 are as follows, and at some point this year we will try our best to visit them and do a course review for the publication:
Located next to the Detroit Zoo, Rackham was designed by Donald Ross and construction began in 1923. A few people tested it late in 1924 according to the Detroit Free Press, but it was open for full play in the spring of 1925.
Rackham has gone through a lot of struggles over the years with political footballs being punted around regarding the highly-valuable land the historic course occupies, but so far it has stayed above water and is functioning well. It’s also had a ton of glory days throughout its history to celebrate.
It’s on the shorter side in length, being developed that long ago and land locked by neighborhoods and the I-696 freeway. Sounds perfect for the everyday golfer looking for a historical Ross design at not a high price.
elevation changes, mostly caused by two creeks that run through the property and a couple ponds that will test golfers for laying up or going for it. You can rent a power cart but this is one of those courses that is best walked… shorter than most
IdylWyldIslandGreen
This fun course is located on Five Mile Road in Livonia, a city of 100,000 people that was almost all farmland as recently as 70 years ago. Also now land-locked since neighborhoods were erected in the 50s and 60s, this course remains on the shorter side, at under 6,000 yards, which is often what golfers who go to local municipal course want anyway.
For an overall flat region of western Wayne Co., the course has some visually nice
and a pleasant way to spend four hours or less getting some exercise.
I played Idyl Wyld when living just down Five Mile Road for many years. It was fun and attractive, with good food in the updated restaurant…so I look forward to a return.
This 9-holer located in the center of the thin Keweenaw Peninsula to the northwest of Marquette has roots back to the economic boon of mining in the Upper Peninsula. Much of Michigan’s money at the time was in the U.P., thus a main reason some of the oldest golf courses in the state began there. Calumet is one that survived all these years.
One of the earliest persons to work the soil and the property was Wilfred ‘Jazzy’ Giroux, who passed away in 1981. He took up golf at Calumet in
late 1939, according to an old story in the Mining Gazette. The club fell on hard times in the mid ‘40s but he rallied the troops so to speak and helped care for the grounds and recruited new members. A still-ongoing tournament that began in 1970, and the restaurant at the course, are named after him.
An online reviewer wrote these comments: A very fun course with such a range of different holes. Even though it is a 9-hole course, I appreciate the different tee boxes per hole, which changes up the tee shot. The second hole is one of my favorite par 5s in Copper County. It is endless! Tee off over a gully with woods on the right, and the fairway is all uphill. A well-placed tree in the middle of the fairway guards your second shot in which the fairway is funneled by the woods to a green with two levels. The uphill climb of this hole makes it feel way longer than it is.
Most of the public cannot try this course, so we’ll keep it short.
Jack Nicklaus set the PGA Senior Tour scoring record in 1990 on this layout when it hosted the first year of the Mazda Sr. Players Championship, before the TPC of Michigan was ready. The tournament soon became the Ford Sr. Players Championship. Nicklaus’ 27-under par still stands today, tied by Padraig Harrinton in 2022.
The DCC website says: “It all started with a simple request from one of the most powerful men in history. In 1923, Henry Ford instructed his general secretary to "lay out a good, practical golf club that anybody could use. " With those 11 words, the Dearborn Country Club was born.”
Ifyourfavoritecourseturns100thisyear,let usknowsowecaninvestigatefurther.Two othersweheardabout–HighlandHillsand HuronShores–mightbeonecenturyoldnow, butappearsthatnextyearismorelikely. Lansing’sGroesbeckGolfCourseisforsure turning100in2026.
The Ally Challenge Extends Sponsor The Ally Challenge Extends Sponsor Agreements Through 2026 Agreements Through 2026
Officials of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren announced a one-year extension of their agreements with title sponsor Ally Financial Inc., presenting sponsor McLaren Health Care, host venue Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, and the tournament’s agreement with the PGA TOUR Champions. With the existing deal in place through this year’s tournament, the extensions ensure The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren will continue as a PGA TOUR Champions event played at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club through 2026.
The 8th playing of The Ally Challenge will take place the week of August 18 – 24, 2025.
One of the primary objectives of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren is a genuine, philanthropic vision. To that end, the tournament has established a legacy of giving in southeastern Michigan, including raising more than $8.4 million for charity since its inception in 2018. The Ally Challenge will continue to positively impact the community in Genesee County and beyond through 2026. Moreover, HNS Sports Group, Ally and McLaren will work together throughout the remainder of the new contract with the unified goal to ensure the success of the event.
All three rounds of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren will be broadcast on Golf Channel.
Gene Davis, the general manager and Golf Course Superintendent at Elk Rapids Golf Club in Elk Rapids has been elected as the Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association (MiGCSA) Chapter President for 2025.
Gene Davis, the general manager and Golf Course Superintendent at Elk Rapids Golf Club in Elk Rapids has been elected as the Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association (MiGCSA) Chapter President for 2025.
Davis is starting his 7th year on the MiGCSA Board of Directors, his 25th year in the golf industry and his 11th year at Elk Rapids G.C. He lives in Elk Rapids with his wife Carissa and his three boys Jackson, 17, Graham, 13, and Rhett 8.
Other officers elected to the MiGCSA board include Vice President Scott Pulaski from Walloon Lake Country Club in Walloon Lake and Secretary/Treasurer Craig McKinley from Buck’s Run Golf Club in Mt. Pleasant. The election marked the end of board service for Past President (2023) Doug Hoeh from Treetops Resort & Spa.
The MiGCSA is dedicated to providing opportunities to members through programs and services that enhance and promote the profession. The MiGCSA has more than 800 Members and is managed by Executive Director Adam Ikamas.
Agolfcoursearchitect’sperspective Agolfcoursearchitect’sperspective
ByRaymondHearn,ASGCA ByRaymondHearn,ASGCA
Historic greens are complex in design and intent, and must be thought of as independent entities functionally, while also coexisting with other features in order to provide unity, variety, strategy, shot value, beauty and playability on any golf hole. Entire books have been written about this topic.
So, how do golf properties evaluate historic greens? A good starting point is to review all aspects of your club’s greens, collars and approaches, especially at courses that suffer from limited cupping areas, chronic turf loss due to green settling, traffic wear areas, internal layering of organic matter or slopes that simply do not work with a desired modern day green speed.
While the course routing is the foundation for any golf course design, the green complex is the heart and soul of each golf hole.
join a private club or return and play a public golf course over and over again.
During the Golden Age of golf course design (mainly 1910 - 1937), many golf architects of that era were respected for their ability to design great course routings that fit into natural landscapes
which included great natural green complexes. Ask 20 golf course designers for their list of favorite Golden Age golf course architects and you may get 20 different answers. Personally, I love the work of Donald Ross, Tom Bendelow, A.W. Tillinghast, Seth Raynor, Willie Park Jr., and Dr. Alister MacKenzie. I have studied their work extensively throughout my career.
When considering green restoration, I discuss numerous variables and objectives with boards, committees, superintendents, and golf professionals. Each club has a targeted green speed. I would say the preferred average is in between 10 and 12 on the stimpmeter. I like to see ‘Cupping,’ or ‘Pinnable Areas’ which have slopes between 0.5 - 3.5 percent that are essential to ensuring enjoyable and fair putting experiences. Green contours of 4 to 7 percent create great transition areas between “Cupping” areas while contours of 7 to 10 percent create dramatic accents. Green contours over 10 percent typically equal mowing problems and / or scalping.
In my 25-plus years as a practicing golf course architect, I estimate that seven of 10 courses I have played, visited, or consulted with have shown some symptoms of an improper relationship between existing green contours and desired green speed. This is especially true of historic golf courses where the greens were built before 1940. The complexity and severity of the dilemma can vary greatly, but its nature is fundamentally the same in that the green no longer ‘works’ because the precipitous slope was never intended to be combined with today’s green speeds of roughly 10 – 12 or above, as measured by a stimpmeter.
Many historic green complexes once were mowed and otherwise maintained to generate speeds of 5 – 6 are now being maintained at a green speed of 10 - 13.
Today, many golf course superintendents find themselves in a bind acceding to customer preference with historic greens (members in the case of private clubs, patrons at resorts and
other public facilities). Striking a harmonious balance of green contours and desired green speed is impossible without some sort of remedial action. Do not despair, with a thorough inventory, analysis, design development and creative green restoration modern day green speeds can be harmonized with adjusted historic contours even at clubs where decreasing green speed through cultural practices is not an option.
In historic green design, I like the genius of the Golden Age golf
course architects listed above in the transition areas they created on greens from one pinnable area to the next pinnable area. Modern day transition areas on greens are now typically between 4 – 7 percent slope. Slopes of 7 to 10 percent tend to decrease the golfer’s ability to negotiate these transitions due to the increase in putting challenge.
MacKenzie (of Augusta National fame) was brilliant in terms of integrating slopes from features surrounding the green and bringing them into the green at 5 to 15 percent slopes. Remember though, that the mowing height of greens and green speed in Dr. MacKenzie’s day was much slower than the green speed we commonly see on today’s courses. In between these bold contours flowing into MacKenzie’s greens, the ‘Good Doctor’ still created an abundance of 1 to 5 percent slopes for reasonable cupping areas in his era. Slope contours of 0.5 –3.5 percent cupping areas work best with today’s desired, faster green speeds.
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The prior image is a great tool (shown with the greens and reds) I use in helping public and private clubs understand green slope problems as well as the solutions to correct them while still respecting the original
rchitect’s design intent. The example shows a historic Donald Ross original green (No. 12) that once worked well at the green speed of 5 to 6 back in 1920s. In this case, the original design intent can be restored while allowing the new contours to work with modern day green of 10 - 11 as measured with a stimpmeter.
Nobody designed green surrounds better than Ross and MacKenzie. These types of areas can be mowed today at fairway height. Golfers have a choice of putting, lobbing or chipping their recovery shot back onto the green if they go astray. I tell many that green surround recovery options are just ‘good golf’ as they make the golfer think. Those of you who have enjoyed the good fortune of experiencing these wonderful areas around the greens on some of the great courses found in the British Isles, or on some of the older historic golf venues in the USA will appreciate what I am taking about.
I am sad to report that these wonderful areas around greens are disappearing on many U.S. Parkland-Style golf courses that have aggressive tree addition programs in place. Many unknowing board and committee members feel compelled to surround greens with trees to the point that there is no room around the greens for the wonderful variety of recovery options described above.
In the example of the Washtenaw Golf Club Hole
1 before and after images, we restored the green surrounds to the original surrounds and old green corners found on a 1930 aerial at the historic Washtenaw Golf Club in Ypsilanti, MI founded in 1899.
From this same 1930 aerial, we discovered lost cupping areas in the back right and left corners of the green that warranted a restoration discussion with the course’s managing owner and legendary Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member Mr. Dave Kendall. After soil probing, I was further able to
justify these old green corners found on the historic aerial. The slopes in these two corners were approximately 2.5 percent and thus would make for particularly good modern day cupping areas.
Mr. Mark Pappas, Washtenaw’s talented golf course superintendent, worked with Dave and I to slowly bring these historic cupping areas back to life after a two-year period of careful cultural practices which included scalping, aerating, aggressive topdressing and overseeding. We overseeded with a Poa / Bent seed mixture needed to match the existing mottled but glorious old grasses found throughout the existing green.
The image from White Lake GC shows hole No. 16 green’s restoration at the historic west
Michigan club in Whitehall, a 1916 Tom Bendelow design. The green and collar have now been restored to a 1925 aerial image secured from Michigan State University.
Today, modern day golf course architects have so many analytical tools at their disposal such as historic aerials, before and after slope analysis software, 3D modeling, before and after photo and plan imaging, etc. to make the decisions and the process a fun and meaningful journey for club and staff members.
The author Raymond Hearn is veteran golf course architect and president of Raymond Hearn Golf Course Designs, Inc. located in Holland, Michigan. Additional information on his restoration and renovation design process can be found on his web site at www.rhgd.com.
