MI Golf Journal Dec. 2021 Issue

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EDITOR'S LETTER Wow, what a year it was in Michigan golf during 2021.

Of course, we wish it wasn’t almost over, but we can certainly celebrate what was, and look forward to 2022 and hopefully even more expansion in the game.

In this final magazine of the year, I looked back and did my best to capture the top 10 stories in our state during 2021. There is no doubt I missed someone or something, but ideally this section of the magazine will do justice to the people in the game and update the faithful readers with new information on each one.

We also must give a shout out to the golf industry in general, which sold out of virtually all equipment and most tee times at local courses. A special tip of the cap goes to course Superintendents who had to work longer hours and with less staff than prior years to keep up with all the golf lovers and those new to the sport. And golfers that supported youth opportunities like First Tee and Youth on Course. Praises to one and all.

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Seasons Greetings, Tom Lang Editor and Publisher

PG. 22

Top 10 Stories of 2021 concludes

PG. 26

Washtenaw Golf Club’s Future Means Looking Back in Time

PG. 30

GAM Players of the Year

PG. 34

Michigan News and Notes

PG. 37

Toptracer Range Free at Miles of Golf

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No.10

TOP 10 STORIES OF 2021

Michigan’s Bentley Coon Headed to Augusta National for Drive, Chip and Putt Finals

No.9

Amateur Bradley Smithson Wins the Michigan Open

It is rare for any amateur golfer to win the professional Michigan Open Championship, but Bradley Smithson became just the fifth amateur to do so in 2021 in the 104-year history of the state championship.

Bentley Coon’s first time on a golf course actually came when he was only three days old, when mom and dad placed his car seat in the basket on the back of the power golf cart and headed out for Smithson, a Grand Rapids-area golfer at a round.

Michigan State, birdied the 18th hole in the final round to force a playoff with professional From that day until now at 11 years old, Bentley Patrick Wilkes-Krier of Ann Arbor, who Coon of Horton, has essentially been obsessed teaches at the Kendall Academy in Ypsilanti with the game. In October he won the 10-11 age division of the Drive, Chip and Putt Regional held and is the former assistant golf coach at Michigan. He also qualified for the 2016 U.S. at Oakland Hills Country Club – which sends Bentley to the national finals at Augusta National Golf Club in April. He won in overall scoring and won the Drive category as well for his age group.

Bentley said he hopes to meet lots of pro golfers at Augusta and that his favorite Masters winner is Dustin Johnson, “because he can hit it far.”

Open.

In the playoff, Smithson chipped in for birdie from about 15 feet off the green to force a second hole, which he also birdied to win. The 18th hole at The Bear is one of those defining holes of the Jack Nicklaus design, so making three consecutive birdies was quite the feat.

Bentley knocked his longest drive at Oakland Hills 253 yards. He reached the same Regional level at Oakland Hills in 2019 at age 9, but didn’t win. Then in 2020 there was no competition due to Covid.

“For sure, this definitely the biggest win of my life, and definitely the best,” Smithson said.

“But this win doesn’t change my plans; it strengthens my goals.”

TOP 10 STORIES OF 2021

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No.8 A New 9 at Saskatoon Golf Club

The already bustling Saskatoon Golf Club near Caledonia opened a new 9 holes in mid-June called the Silver Course that drew more attention and tee time demands than the club thought it would. After a long hiatus of new golf options in Michigan, this makes my list at No. 8 for top news stories in 2021.

The Silver Course is an excellent layout that adds new features on the property that already had four sets of 9-hole courses and is a popular home for league play that alone accounts for more than 1,300 golfers each week all summer long.

I would call the 6th the signature hole, a par 3 crossing back over the same creek golfers had to carry off No. 4 tee. The green on 6 is slightly lower than the tee boxes and backs up to Hole 2 that sits high atop the hill separating each green, creating a bowl effect on No. 6.

The new Silver Course sits near the Gold Course (est. 1992) on the north side of the road that splits the property. They will be bundled as one 18 course, and the current Blue and White Courses across the road will be bundled as a second 18. The original Red Course will be used mostly for a stand-alone 9 that’s popular with the older crowd and beginners, but can be added to any rotation mix.

More info at: https://www.saskatoongolf.com/

All Top 10 Stories of 2021 By: Tom Lang

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TOP 10 STORIES OF 2021

No.7

Stoatin Brae Named 2021 National Golf Course of the Year

Stoatin Brae Golf Course at Gull Lake View Golf and Resort in Augusta, Mich., earned the 2021 National Golf Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), after earning Michigan Course of the Year in 2020.

the most is that we made it a playable golf course,” said Bill Johnson, vice president of Gull Lake View Resort. “That was always John’s and my dream, to make it a destination golf course that is affordable golf, and I think all those things came through this year.” (Note: John Scott is the former family leader and resort president who died unexpectedly in the spring of 2020.)

Lake View courses, making the resort one of the largest family-owned golf resorts in the world. This latest course was developed in 2016 by the Scott family and Tom Doak’s senior associates of Renaissance Design of Traverse City.

contributions to its communities and the game

“It’s a very popular course and so many of the writers and

and is a model of operations to its peers.

Stoatin Brae beat out three other regional finalists,

raters gave it higher marks,” Johnson added. “It’s a fun course that is playable. It took a while, but to see Stoatin Brae grow in well and become what

couple tress in play, otherwise the location supplies an elevated view of the surrounding countryside.

Whether having a good day or

including Pinehurst Resort and Country Club.

it is has just made everything we wanted come to life.”

“The nice things I have heard

Stoatin Brae is one of six Gull

The award recognizes a course that epitomizes exceptional course quality and management excellence, makes important

The course itself is loaded with challenges but is balanced by a sense of serenity with its wide, wind-swept fairways. There are only a

bad day at striking the ball, every golfer should be able to walk off the course and say that was a great way to spend their time.

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TOP 10 STORIES OF 2021

No.6

Photo Credit: Craig Hensley

The Whites: Brother and Sister Earn Tour Cards

The brother-sister duo of Brett and Sarah White of Caledonia have had breakout years and did well enough in 2021 that they have earned their cards for the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour and Symetra Tour, respectively.

Brett White won the Michigan Open in 2020, which brought more exposure to his back story of just a few years earlier when he had contracted a virus in his brain that was serious enough he had to go through physical rehabilitation just to walk again – let alone try retuning to highlycompetitive golf.

Sarah White won her Symetra Tour debut in the summer of 2020 at the Founders Tribute. She got in from an earned exemption at a tournament the week before in a Women’s All Pro Tour event. At the Founders Tribute, she went head-tohead with Sophia Popov

Sarah White, far right, Brett White second from left

who the following week unexpectedly won the Women’s British Open and just recently competed in the Solheim Cup for Europe.

Sarah earned a T8 and T15 on the Symetra Tour in 2021 and kept her card in the qualifying tournament. During midDecember she will be competing in the LPGA QSeries finals to try earning LPGA Tour starts as well for

coming out of the hospital, but once I won in Las Vegas, and getting the Michigan Open win I can see my game has progressed a lot,” Brett said recently. “I can see that it’s attainable and it’s a big step in my career. I’m excited to get it going. I have some work to do but I’ll be ready when the time comes. I’m looking forward to getting out there and getting my feet wet.”

2022.

Brett said he has earned a guaranteed 8 starts on the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour via Q-School.

Brett said the best part of his game right now is his wedge play and putting, but he has work to do with the driver. He

If he makes just a couple cuts,

hits it long but not always in

after the reshuffle he will be able to play the remainder of the year.

good spots.

“Everything I came back from I didn’t know if I could

“I’m working to turn my driver into my big strength, because you see on Tour hitting it long and straight is a

accomplish this 4 years ago

money maker.”

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Valentina Rossi of MSU Reached USGA Women’s Amateur Semifinals Valentina Rossi

Valery Plata

Accomplishment came back-to-back following MSU teammate doing the same Valentina Rossi of Argentina, pulled off an incredible feat by reaching the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur the summer of 2021, making her the second consecutive Spartan to reach that national plateau. The fact two Spartans went back-to-back adds to this being ranked the No. 5 story in Michigan this year.

The summer prior in 2020, Valery Plata, of Colombia, was the first MSU woman ever to do so. Not many colleges in America can say they’ve had a golfer reach the final four of the nation’s top woman’s amateur tournament in consecutive years.

across the TV screen all week, even after a few misses.

No.5

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10 2 1 T op 20 All ries ofBy: S to itte n n g W r m La To

"Valery being in the semifinals last year (2020) gave me a feeling that I could do it, too," Rossi said during tournament week this summer. "It was great to practice with her the first day we were out here. We talked a lot while we were here, and it helped me.”

Rossi finished the 2021 two-round stroke play portion of the event tied for 12th place. Plata

Plata provided a lot of wisdom for Rossi about

tied for 29th, also advancing to match play. But it was Rossi’s turn to reach the final four, where she succumbed to Yu-Chiang Hou of Arizona by a score of 2 down. Along the way, Rossi beat players from Stanford, Michigan,

the national amateur, which the latter transferred into stellar play with incredible

Mississippi State and University of Texas San Antonio.

putting and an infectious smile radiating Continues on next page >>

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TOP 10 STORIES OF 2021

“The U.S. Amateur was very important way to end my summer,” Rossi said at the time.

“More than 1,000 girls tried for the U.S. Amateur. So, this tournament is really hard.

To be exempt for the next two years is really important, and Valery is exempt for next year too.”

Results like these can only help MSU’s recruiting and national prominence as a top school in the northern climate of the U.S., something head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll is trying to infuse into current players a well.

“As much as we’ve watched (this team) play and we know what they’re capable of, at any one time, all these kids are capable of doing what the two of them have done,” the head

coach said. “I think now it’s just more ammunition for the other players to say, ‘oh my gosh, Valery did this,’ that’s one thing.

Then ‘oh my gosh, Valentina did it. Okay, it’s my turn.’”

Just recently on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, Plata won the inaugural 54hole Women’s Amateur Latin America Championship by two strokes, helped along by a birdie on 12 and eagle on the 13th holes.

The victory earns Plata exemptions into two of the LPGA’s five majors in women's golf next year: the AIG Women´s Open and The Amundi Evian Championship. Teammate Rossi finished third in the event with players from 16 countries.

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No.4

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National Runner Up for Michigan’s Jerry Gunthorpe Jerry Gunthorpe never trailed the entire final round of the U.S. Senior Amateur played at Country Club of Detroit – until the very last stroke.

The Lansing Everett grad, Ovid resident and Owosso County Club member reached the finals of the USGA national championship for golfers aged 55 and above by earning a No. 9 seed in stroke play at 3-under par, before winning five rounds of matches for the right to take on eventual champion Gene Elliott of West Des Monies, Iowa – who won the 18th hole to win the match 1-up.

It was the only time all day Elliott led the match. Both players won four holes apiece

until Elliott got the fifth win on the par 4 18th hole.

“Maybe a little nerves there, where I couldn't get the putter to release,” Gunthorpe said of his two missed par putts on 17 and 18, his only two bogeys of the match.

Gunthorpe won the second hole and from then on was either 1-up or tied with Elliott.

The match was 1-up at the turn before the two players exchanged numerous wins back and forth. Gunthorpe was 1-up after 16 holes, but Elliott took the final two holes for his first ever national championship.

Elliott has played in 36 USGA events, compared to just a few for Gunthorpe. Elliott has been one of the most accomplished amateur golfers in the post-World War II era Continues on next page >>

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TOP 10 STORIES OF 2021 not to have won a national championship, until 2021.

Gunthorpe chose the career route of running his business, Gunthorpe Plumbing and Heating in East Lansing, after playing golf at Lansing Community College and meeting his wife there. His biggest win prior is the Horton Smith Invitational at the Detroit Golf Club in 2004. He also got through the first phase of the PGA Tour Champions qualifying school in 2012 to prove to himself he could do it, but never wanted the grind of pro Tour golf.

“I really haven’t tried too many USGA events,” Gunthorpe said. “I (spent my time) raising my kids, playing golf with them, did all that stuff. This was secondary to me, the competition side.

“I’m okay with that and I’m enjoying what I’m doing.”

As runner up in the national finals, Gunthorpe received a silver medal, an exemption into the next three U.S. Senior Amateur Championships, an exemption into the 2022 U.S. Senior Open Championship, an exemption into the 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship (at Sankaty Head Golf Club in Siasconset, Mass.) and an exemption into the 2022 U.S. Amateur Championship (at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J.) “I'll never forget this week for sure,” he said in early September. “It's the highlight of my career. I've played a lot of tournaments.

Nothing that is of this grandeur thus far, and I guess that alone is a pretty good thing to

look back on.

“We’re going to see what is all possible and my first focus will be the U.S. Senior Open. I look forward to preparing for that, hopefully getting good practice rounds in and seeing how I do in that competition.”

Last winter Gunthorpe traveled south and played in three Golfweek senior tournaments and plans to do the same again this winter as well as take advantage of a few national invites as U.S. Senior Am runner-up.

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TOP 10 STORIES OF 2021

No.3 Plymouth Twin Sisters Finish 1-2 in Division 1 State Finals Bridget Boczar of Plymouth won the high school Division 1 state finals in October, the largest division in the state.

Her twin sister, Grace, was tied for the lead at Grand Valley State’s golf course after day one while Bridget was in 4th, but after Bridget’s second round 69 for a 143 total, she finished just one stroke ahead of her sister, Grace (72-72-144).

The simple fact that Bridget won the state title and was voted Miss Golf does not make this the No. 3 story in Michigan, but having twin sisters place 1-2 – at such incredible odds for a competitive result – helped it climb the list.

(Note: two sisters in Nebraska, a senior and a sophomore, finished 1-2 this year, separated by 6 strokes in a smaller division of their high school finals.)

believe they are twins. They really don’t even look like sisters to start. Bridget plays more of a power game, hitting it 240-250 off the tee, and Grace is more about

Bridget said the end result didn’t surprise her as much as most people probably would be.

success in the short game.

According to golf instructor Brian Cairns at Fox Hills Performance Center, Bridget plays more from her

“I can see us both in any (high school) situation

instincts, and Grace is a very focused person on technical skills.

placing in the top 5, and I’m glad how it turned out,” Bridget said.

Some might find it hard to

“It was just such a great ending to a really great career for both of us,” Grace said about the state finals. “It felt

WWW.MIGOLFJOURNAL.COM very fitting, yet kind of ironic in a way, because we came

low 18-hole score (67) and low season average (70.8). Grace

into (the high school game) together and we left out together as the two best in the state. It was funny (the

added first-team All-State to her resume.

odds) but also really sad in a way, too, being the last tournament as seniors. But it was really cool.”

their lives, there’s going to be a lot more togetherness ahead after they finish high school this year. Both have accepted offers to play golf at Oakland University.

Bridget won Miss Golf on the strength of winning or coming in runner up in every match Plymouth played this year. She broke every school record for women’s golf at Plymouth: Low 9-hole score and low season average, plus

Despite other differences in

“I always just imagined us going to college together,” Bridget said. “I don’t think I’d be able to separate from Grace, now. We’ve been together in all the tournaments. I think we’ve only played a couple of tournaments separately, ever, maybe two (since first playing golf tournaments in elementary school), where we weren’t in the same field. So, we definitely want to stick together.”

Bridget Boczar

Grace said they like the competitive schedule Oakland U. plays, the head

15 coach’s goals and the education they will receive.

“No, I don’t think there’s ever too much together time,” Grace said regarding the chance they’ll get sick of each other. Grace also agreed Bridget has come out on top more often in golf scores, “But I think I’m more consistent at shooting just about the same scores over and over and over again, whereas Bridget tends to fluctuate a little more.

“We know it’s going to flip back and forth, so if I’m happy for Bridget (when she wins) I know Bridget will be happy for me the next time.”

That wasn’t always the case, according to their mom, Roxanne, who said a few years ago there was some dissension now and then and “I kind of laid down the law.

I told them if one of them wins, the other needs to be there and support each other, so from here on out I don’t care how bad you played, you need to be there for the other one.”

Their older brother, Jack, has always been there for them. Another ironic part of this 1-2 state final tail is the fact that

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TOP 10 STORIES OF 2021 in 2016, at the same course, Jack placed runner up in the state finals when he came up short in a playoff. Both sisters were there on the second day to watch.

“I was in 6th grade then and just okay at golf, so I don’t think I comprehended how big a deal it was to have a chance at the state championship,” Grace said about her brother. “One of the graduated Plymouth team members asked me if Jack was good at playoffs. I looked at him and I vividly remember this, always, and I said, ‘they call Jack the dream crusher,’” she said with a smile, referring to his golf competitors.

“During the practice round I said, ‘Bridget, wouldn’t it be so funny if we got into a playoff for the state championship, too?’”

There was no playoff this time, and no broken dreams in the Boczar house – except for maybe one. Northville won its fourth straight team title, unofficially the No. 11 story this year.

Previous issues available on www.migolfjournal.com

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No.2

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American Dunes Draws International Attention to Michigan

The one and only Golden Bear joined forces with Air Force reservist Lt. Col. Dan Rooney to create a one-of-akind golfing experience in Michigan – American Dunes.

Now… you might find a few

American Dunes – the former Grand Haven Golf Club that became the founding location of the Folds of Honor developed by Rooney several years ago – truly is an incredible place to chase after your Titleist or Callaway

when people come here to golf, they’re going to play the most heroic round of golf they’ve ever played – and that means you’re not playing for yourself, you’re playing for someone else when you come to American Dunes,” Rooney

courses around the country that have a rich mix of contrasting green grasses and naturally rolling, exposed sand dunes like those that are

sphere. But Rooney and his followers, as passionate as they are about golf, are quadruple passionate about honoring veterans and

said. “But we also wanted a place that was fun. We want people to come here and celebrate everything that makes this country great and

commonplace along the shoreline of Lake Michigan.

military men and women by providing education

have an awesome golf experience.

But playing American Dunes is as much or more about the overall experience than it is just hitting a little white ball.

scholarships for children of fallen and disabled soldiers.

Rooney continued to explain the uniqueness of any 18-hole

“What’s on my soul is that Continues on next page >>

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TOP 10 STORIES OF 2021 remembering others more than themselves, pay tribute to lives lost and when they talk about the experience, the golf course they played will be about 5th down their list of topics.

Barbara and Jack Nicklaus

round played at American Dunes, by always reminding people why they came. The only way to get into the clubhouse is to go by the memorial wall, which

heard all across the golf course. That signifies the 13 folds that bring the American flag to its triangle shape (presented to families when a solider dies), the ultimate

memorializes fallen U.S. soldiers with plaques showing names, service branch and duty, dates died and military boot prints

symbol of freedom in this country, Rooney said, adding “and we will pause for 2-anda-half minutes every day at this golf course... and

along the pathway.

remember the fact that freedom isn’t free.”

Then at 13:00 hours every day, 1:00 p.m. translated military time, the course play taps on some hidden loudspeakers and have a bell that tolls 13 times that can be

American Dunes truly is about the experience. A goal of Rooney’s, Nicklaus’ and general manager Doug Bell is that golfers will enjoy the day

The course officially opened on May 1, to great fanfare with Nicklaus christening the event by hitting first drives with Rooney as antique airplanes did a fly-over. Nancy Lopez also visited that day to lend her support to the Folds of Honor cause. Even the Budweiser Clydesdales made their first public visit after the start of Covid.

Virtually every single tee time in 2021 was sold out, and by early November the new grasses needed some rest. Tee times in 2022 are now able to be reserved online. Go to the website for more information before calling: http://americandunesgolfclub .com/ “I love the game of golf, but I love my country even more,” Nicklaus has been quoted many times.

“So, to be part of that, when Dan came down to ask me (to develop the property), I knew

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15th Hole, Par 3

there was no way I was going to say no. I was very honored to be part of it…and when we got here we were blown away by what a great piece of property it was.”

The exceptional property has always been there near the shoreline of Lake Michigan,

but over the generations became covered by trees that smothered the fairways.

Nicklaus told Rooney that with a name like American Dunes, everyone needs to see the dunes. After removing over 1,000 trees, the end result is a spectacular golfing experience that highlights

some of our Great Lakes State’s best geography and topography.

Rooney said his favorite moment on the golf course – and it’s hard to disagree – is going up the hill of the 11th fairway as you crest the blind tee shot to the dogleg right.

“Whether you’re walking up into Wrigley Field, going up the stairs, in that moment where you see the friendly confines, and there’s just this rush as a sports guy,” he said in likening it to other exciting moments in sports. "When people go over the hill on No.11 … it takes your breath away. It’s a spiritual, emotional moment when you Continues on next page >>

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TOP 10 STORIES OF 2021 look out and you can see 6 different holes from that point all traversing through the dunes. I’m with Jack in that I think the course plays in such an awesome cadence, from long to short (holes) to big greens to small greens.

It’s so memorable.”

The front nine has trees along each hole but they are pushed way back from the former design and are utilized to rim the property.

The par 3, 4th hole is possibly

the most difficult to score on.

It’s not a long downhill shot but the green is fairly small, guarded by sand and is crowned, so a golfer’s aim has to be most true here.

The back nine opens up like a massive curtain across God’s stage of rolling sand dunes.

The layout has six ponds, only one of which is on the back nine at the left front of the green of my favorite hole – No. 15. The tee box at the downhill par three is the

highest point on the property and sadly signifies that you’re only a few holes away from finishing an experience you don’t want to end.

All Top 10 Stories of 2021 Written By: Tom Lang

Par 3, Hole 7

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TOP 10 STORIES OF 2021

No.1

James Piot

James Piot of Canton Wins U.S. Amateur Championship By: Tom Lang When people say the phrase ‘It couldn’t have happened to a nicer person’ – this past August they’d likely have been talking about golfer James Piot.

And many are still saying it four months later.

The MSU senior from Canton vaulted to the top of the golf world, if only for a day, by running through the match play buzz-saw and winning the 121st U.S. Amateur Championship at Oakmont CC with a two-round final 2and-1 victory over North Carolina’s Austin Greaser.

But quite frankly the ‘high’ has lasted a lot more than one day and no one could blame Piot that the situation still keeps him hovering at or near the top today.

The U.S. Amateur is the world’s premier amateur golf championship. Nothing else comes close, which is why it stands alone – and which is

be relaxing with his buddies, focusing on the MSU team, and forgetting about the biggest accomplishment of his career.

why it’s without question the No. 1 story in Michigan this year. He became the first ever Michigan native to win the

“And I keep reminding him he doesn’t get that anymore,” Ellis said. “You are a big deal,

prestigious event in its 12-plus decades.

His caddie and MSU assistant golf coach Dan Ellis recently told me Piot would just a soon

and it will be that way for a long time now. And you earned it.”

Piot has truly remained grounded. Much of that comes

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from the upbringing he had

Right now, I’m just trying to

on my shoulder that I’ve been

by parents, Glenn, Sr. and Judy. His long-time golf teacher, PGA member Brian Cairns, has also worked hard to not just keep Piot’s swing in good shape, but to keep

enjoy college.”

It's not lost on Piot that he didn’t accomplish some lower-level goals on his way to the U.S. Amateur title,

there but not gotten it done,” Piot said about the Michigan Amateur. “So, for this one (U.S. Amateur) to be the one I got done, that was the coolest feeling in the world.”

him grounded mentally and personally.

another thing that keeps him humble. He never won an

Playing for a potential Big Ten title is a top goal for Piot this

individual high school state championship, coming closest one-stroke off the winning score his freshman year (2014). He never was awarded Mr. Golf (while future MSU teammate Andrew Walker won it three times), nor the tournament he wants the most, a Michigan Amateur championship. He was runner up in 2020.

spring. He came back to the MSU team this year by advantage of the NCAA extension for student/athletes due to Covid-19, and he’s thrilled he did.

“My goal from the beginning has been ‘don’t let this change you,’” Piot told me.

“My mentality about golf is it’s just golf. Obviously, it’s a big part of my life, it’s what I do but there’s more to life than golf and just one good week doesn’t change who you are as a person, and it shouldn’t. For me, I wouldn’t say I’m putting it in the past, but just focusing on the future and being who I am.

“There’s always been a chip

But PGA Tour exemptions loom large in the coming months, starting with Bay Hill (where Cairns will caddie) and of course The Masters in Augusta, where Ellis will caddie. Piot also gets exempted into a handful of others, with the biggie being the U.S. Open. Yet how quickly he turns pro to try earning points for the next PGA Tour season hinges on how much he does or doesn’t want to play in the British Open in mid-July. He needs to remain an amateur to keep that invitation.

Piot told me there’s a 75 percent chance he will turn pro after the college season Continues on next page >>

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TOP 10 STORIES OF 2021

Captain Stacey Lewis and James Piot

ends in May, and Ellis (who began recruiting Piot in 2013 in high school) is scheduled to remain his caddie, while remaining on staff at MSU, to get Piot through the summer.

sure you get the details right.

So, we kind of meet in the middle there and it’s a good balance. There were a lot of good decisions at Oakmont that ended up working out in our favor, putting pressure on opponents and being

sage advice for people to connect with to help advance Piot’s career.

something good going at Oakmont,” Ellis said about the player-caddie relationship. “He trusts me and he’s certainly a fun horse

conservative when you have to. Match play is so strategic in that way.”

Trevino as both prepped for a special event at the Ally Challenge (and Nicklaus was prepared with multiple U.S. Amateur photos he signed for

to take around the track because he hits it right where

has had more than his fill of stardom and celebrity status.

Piot.)

he’s looking all day.

“He’s more of a quickplaying, little less thought and more ‘let’s just hit it’ –

He’s heard well wishes from Magic Johnson and dozens of past U.S. Amateur champs, including Bryson DeChambeau. Cairns said

Piot was also introduced on the field of Spartan Stadium between quarters of the MSUMichigan football game in October, soon after appearing

and my personality is to kind of over-analyze and make

even Phil Mickelson took Cairns’ call and gave a ton of

on the Fox Big Noon Kickoff pregame show, chipping balls

“We obviously had

Since the big August win, Piot

There was the Kirk Gibson golf outing invitation, and a practice-green conversation with Jack Nicklaus and Lee

WWW.MIGOLFJOURNAL.COM into a trash can vs. former

has spent with any pro of her

into every shot, and just have

NFL start Reggie Bush on national TV.

caliber.

“Throwing out the first pitch at the Detroit Tigers game

“She’s a super-laid back down to earth person,” Piot said. “You don’t know what

a no-quit mentality. She was awesome at talking about the specifics of golf and course management and just how I play the game. Definitely

was probably the cool one for me because I had all my

to expect when you meet a big-time golfer like her. But

learned a lot from her outside of golf, too, managing time

buddies there and it was the first week after going from

she shared a lot of life advise.

and relationships. It was awesome.”

just a college kid to 4 days later throwing out the first pitch,” Piot said. “That might be when it really set in.”

“She was kind of critiquing my game, my tempo. I’m a faster player and she was showing me the ropes like how you have to be locked

Piot was also invited to represent the U.S. in the Spirit International Golf Championship at Whispering Pines in Texas. The menwomen combined event had just four players total representing each of their countries. Piot won gold and silver medals. The Spirit alumni have gone on to win over 650 professional titles, 25 major championships and 17 Olympic appearances.

They include 16 PGA Tour winners, 25 European Tour winners, 23 LPGA Tour winners and 21 Ladies European Tour winners.

There he spent six days with LPGA star Stacy Lewis who was U.S. team captain. It’s the most amount of time Piot

That’s one cell phone number Piot will hold onto with dear life.

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WASHTENAW GOLF CLUB

Washtenaw Golf Club Restoration and Redesign

By: Tom Lang

Oftentimes a golf course will go through a restoration, or a redesign.

At Washtenaw Golf Club on the edge of Ypsilanti near Ann Arbor, it’s going through BOTH – and doing so a little at a time.

The plan is over the next five years to restore

often the public voice of Washtenaw’s tripartner ownership. “And if you come back just once a year, each time you’ll say it’s better than it used to be."

Award-winning golf course architect Ray Hearn, who lives in Holland after many years in Lansing and metro Detroit, is the

much of the earlier 1900-30s look and feel of square-corner greens, and much fewer trees in general that have grown up and out over the decades and have cut off fairway angles and approach shots that have stolen some of

lead restorer and designer on the project. He said about 40% of the remaining trees will be gone in the next few years.

the best virtues of the 1899-founded club. It was a private club all that time until just a

historic (square) corners of some of these greens that were lost over the years,” Hearn

few years ago it opened for public play.

commented. “Then not only bringing back green shapes from that age, but some new cup areas from these corners that will amaze golfers who have frequented that course over the years.

“I think it’ll be fun to see the evolution,” said Dave Kendall, owner, a golf teacher and Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member who is

“At the top of the list is finding the old,

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“Then from the edges of holes, remove enough trees that get back to the original

“And a heavier lift will be restoring the bunkers that make sense to restore and then

angle and options that used to be there. Make more freedom of fairway edges to the mowing lines, to give them a little more rhyme and reason and make them look like

calibrate others with modern-day hitting distances” Hearn continued. “But at the end of the day, we want people to look at Washtenaw and say, ‘this architect and these

they’re set back in time too.

owners have really respected the history of this course.’ So, it’s a course of both restoration and renovation.”

“And a heavier lift will be restoring the bunkers that make sense to restore and then calibrate others with modern-day hitting distances” Hearn continued. “But at the end of the day, we want people to look at Washtenaw and say, ‘this architect and these owners have really respected the history of this course.’ So, it’s a course of both restoration and renovation.”

I took a recent tour of Washtenaw, and it was

I took a recent tour of Washtenaw, and it was obvious that many green corners used to be square. The shape and the mounding to support them is still there, it’s just that over time, mowers ‘cut corners’ so to speak by just driving in circles because it was easier.

Holes No. 1, 6, 7 and 9 on the front clearly Continues on next page >>

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WASHTENAW GOLF CLUB

have squared off green complexes, plus the first three holes of the back nine.

Kendall did a hand count of trees on the property and found 1,298.

“It’s kind of a faze in golf right now, with the cutting of trees,” Kendall said. “Oakmont basically clear-cut their course. Inverness (Toledo) did a little bit of that. I don’t have

Research by Hearn also revealed the original 9-hole design was completed by English golf professional and architect Herbert Way, who was a good friend of Donald Ross and assisted him with some courses in the metro Detroit area. Way also was runner up of the 1899 British Open, the same year Washtenaw was founded.

Fast forward to today and Kendall and his

something against trees, they are a big part of this golf course, and they will continue to be. But they need to be managed because over time they grow up and out and over fairways and into each other. That’s not

partners have paused plans to add a yearround updated restaurant into the mix until Covid is more under control, but construction is almost complete on an indoor bay/lounge that people can rent out

healthy.

and use for small parties at the north end of the clubhouse, which in part used to be the

“I was expecting a lot of controversy from some of our regulars about taking out trees, but the ones who have said something have said, ‘it’s about time. I’m so glad you’ve done it.’ Some former private members here have

locker room when the club was private.

said we’re bringing it back to what were some of its best years.”

2021 for the Michigan Armed Forces Hospitality Center at Detroit Metro Airport

A personal plug for Washtenaw is that the layout, fun atmosphere and solid staff makes for a great outing. This author hosted one in

and it was the best one to date.

GOLF AWARDS

More Awards for French Lick Resort For Michigan golfers who enjoy heading south to soak in the rich history, and play the dynamic courses of French Lick Resort, you are not alone… so do the national golf publication raters.

The Pete Dye Course at French Lick was recently named in the Top 20 of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses, as awarded by Golf Digest. Coming in at No. 19, the Pete Dye Course was one of just two Indiana courses to make the list, earning elite company near the op of the rankings alongside other legendary properties including Pebble Beach (ranked

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Par 3, Hole 12

#1), Whistling Straits, Pinehurst and Bethpage Black.

Golf Digest named The Pete Dye Course “Best New Public Course of 2009” when it opened in April of that year, and it has made Golf Digest’s “100 Greatest” rankings every year since 2011.

In GolfWeek’s “Best You Can Play” in Indiana rankings, The Pete Dye Course earned the #1 spot, while the resort’s Donald Ross Course came in at No. 2. It’s the 12th consecutive year that the Dye course earned No. 1 on this list, while the Ross course has been No. 2 for 11 years running.

Additionally, The Donald Ross Course which traces its roots back to 1917 was named to Historic Hotels of America’s list of “Top 25 Most Historic Golf Courses” for 2021.

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GAM PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Midland’s Kimberly Dinh Tops 2021 Women’s Points List

By Greg Johnson Kimberly Dinh looked over her summer golf statistics

The Senior Research Specialist for Dow

with her coach, PGA professional Kyle Martin of

Chemical in her hometown of Midland,

The Fortress in Frankenmuth, and they noticed across-the-board improvement.

she played in just four tournaments using her four weeks of vacation from work – two GAM championships and

“It’s crazy to think I’m a better player now than at the end of my college career when I was playing all the time,” she said. “It’s cool and motivating to know there is a little more out there.”

two USGA championships – but totaled 860 points for the season.

Dinh, age 29, topped the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) Points List and has been named the 2021 GAM Women’s Player of the Year.

Dinh, a GAM member through Midland Country Club, keyed her season by winning the Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship, reaching the round of 16 in match play in the U.S. Women’s MidAmateur Championship and finishing second in the GAM Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

Mikaela Schulz of West Bloomfield was second with 625 points. The University of Michigan golfer won the GAM Women’s Championship and was runner-up to Dinh in the Michigan Women’s Amateur.

She plans to play a similar schedule next summer and is excited for the opportunity to make another run in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.

GAM’s Ken Hartmann said Dinh winning Player of the Year off of four tournaments is an impressive accomplishment. “Especially now that she is working, it’s tough to compete with the younger players who have

Dinh played college golf at the University of Wisconsin and then played zero competitive golf during five years of graduate work at the

more opportunities to play and more time to practice,” Hartmann said. “She has found a way. She is gifted with intelligence, works hard on

Massachusetts Institute of

her game when she can and

Technology (MIT). She said winning the Michigan Amateur was the highlight of her golf career to this point.

takes nothing for granted. It looks like she has taken the successful approach to her academics and applied it to her golf.”

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“Player of the year is not something I strive for but it is a kind of validation for the year,” Gunthorpe said. “It’s always good to be on top of a list, but I’m usually focused on just playing my best and how I can do better next year and keep moving forward.”

A series of great things have transpired as a result of Ovid’s Jerry Gunthorpe grabbing amateur golf’s attention with his runner-up finish in the 2021 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship, played this year in-state at Country Club of Detroit.

By Greg Johnson

bogeys on the final two holes and lost 1-up to Gene Elliott of Iowa in the heartbreaking championship match, has been named the Golf Association of Michigan’s Senior Men’s Player of the Year. Gunthorpe was either tied or leading all day in the final, until the very last putt.

“I look at it more now as how do I move forward next year with the opportunities it has afforded and the full golf schedule I have,” Gunthorpe

The Lansing area plumbing and heating company owner is a GAM member through Owosso Country Club. Tom

said. “Of course, when I think about what happened it

Gieselman of Commerce Township and Oakland Hills

still burns. I don’t think that will ever go away. It was the not the result I wanted. I was right there.”

Country Club, who made news with Gunthorpe by reaching the quarterfinals of the same U.S. Senior Amateur, was second in

Gunthorpe, who made

points.

Gunthorpe plans to take advantage of the exemptions that came his way from his finish in the U.S. Senior Amateur. He plans to play in the U.S. Senior Open, the U.S. Amateur and the Senior Amateur again, and possibly the British Senior Amateur overseas.

Gunthorpe isn’t sure what to attribute his success in golf to at age 58.

“I keep thinking I’ve competed my entire life and I’m able to compete more now and play more now,” he said.

“I still hit it a long ways and that’s an advantage with the older guys. Last summer I put together some of my best scores ever in competition.

There’s a comfort level I’ve reached and things are clicking. I do what I do, prepare and the results seem to follow.”

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GAM PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Orchard Lake’s Rick Herpich Tops Super Senior Points List

By Greg Johnson

The U.S. Senior Amateur Championship, played this summer at Country Club of Detroit, provided special golf moments for a handful of Michigan golfers, including Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake.

“Being co-medalist in the U.S. Senior Am qualifier at Oakland Hills, then getting to play here in our hometown at Country Club of Detroit, hitting the very first tee shot to begin the tournament with my son there, my wife, my brother all there, and then to make match play at (age) 68,” he said. “That was a pretty cool thing.”

A member of the GAM through Orchard Lake Country Club, Herpich gained key points with his play in the U.S. Senior Amateur and totaled 380 to top the Super Senior points list. (The same U.S. Amateur Championship runner up finish put Jerry Gunthorpe at the top of GAM’s Senior Men’s Player of the Year.)

Herpich, a retired Valassis Communications executive

compete and this is a game you can play for a long period of time,” he said. “The thing for me is I’ve gotten better over the years. A lot of guys I compete with played so well when they were in their 30s and 40s that now they seem disappointed that they can’t play like they used to play. For me, it’s the opposite. I keep seeing improvement and that’s exciting. It helps keep me going. I’m lucky that way.

Herpich, who won the Super Senior division at the GAM

who winters with his wife Debbie in LaQuinta, Calif.,

“I play and practice, but I also continue to work with a

Senior Championship and was second in the GAM Super

has added national senior golf to his schedule in recent years. He recently finished fifth in a Society of Seniors national event in California

personal trainer at Orchard Lake (Country Club),” he said.

“Tom (Kruszewski) has kept me in really good physical shape. Being able to keep my

and will play in at least two more events in the spring.

flexibility, balance and strength as I have gotten older

Senior Championship, has been named the Golf Association of Michigan’s Super Senior Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.

had really helped.”

“I’ve always loved to

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Grand Blanc’s Terry Delcamp Tops Senior Women’s Points List

By Greg Johnson

Terry Delcamp of Grand Blanc retired from her family insurance business last year and played more golf this year.

“Pretty much every day that ended in a ‘y,’” she said and laughed. “I don’t practice for hours, never have. I play a lot instead. It wasn’t great golf that I played this summer, but for me it was pretty darn

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it. It’s probably more an obsession than anything else, but it feels good to do well and win something.”

Delcamp said while there are several senior women who can win tournaments Massa

Delcamp, a GAM member through Flint Golf Club, led the senior women’s point list with 545 points, narrowly topping the Senior Women’s Player of the Year from the last six consecutive years, Julie Massa of Holt and Forest Akers Golf Courses, who had 540 points.

Delcamp called it a fun year and said it feels great to win

steady.”

the honor.

Steady, and winning the Michigan Senior Women’s Amateur Championship as well as the season-ending GAM Senior Tournament of

“I’ve never been a great player,” she said. “I played a little college golf (two years at Central Michigan University), then I took

Champions helped result in Delcamp, 59, being named

about 10 years away doing other things, a career, all

the Golf Association of Michigan’s Senior Women’s Player of the Year.

that, like a lot of people.

Then I came back to it and I’ve just been beating away at

stands out.

“She has been the cream of the crop since she turned 50,” Delcamp said. “You know that if you are going to go out and do anything in Michigan golf you have to beat Julie. For the most part this year I was able to do that.”

It’s fun and making friends that inspires Delcamp to play and maintain her game at an elevated level. “That’s really the big thing for me, and the GAM tournaments make that possible,” she said. “We owe a lot to the GAM for having tournaments for us to play in.”

She said her sudden-death playoff win over Shelly Weiss in the GAM Senior Women’s Championship was the top moment of the summer.

“I had not putted that well for two days and had to make a six, seven-footer to win,” she said. “By golly it went in. That felt great to pull that off.”

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MICHIGAN NEWS AND NOTES

Senior PGA Championship Tickets Now Available The PGA of America announced that tickets for the 82nd KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship are now available for purchase at SrPGA.com. The Championship, one of the most historic and prestigious events in senior golf, will be played May 2529, 2022 at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Mich. The Championship not only brings the most accomplished senior golfers to Michigan, but also provides a variety of family-friendly fan experiences for all to enjoy.

“The KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship is always a memorable event, but it’s especially exciting when it is being played at ‘home’ in Benton Harbor,” said Brandon Haney, Championship Director. “This community and our friends at KitchenAid have showed up time and time again for the Championship, and we are already working with them to make this year one of the best events yet.”

Limited Edition Holiday Gift Boxes are also available. They include a Championship hat, souvenir ticket, gift card for round(s) of golf at Harbor Shores, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course, and a holiday card for personalization. Many options can be chosen that would include food, drinks, multiple days of attendance and more. Visit the website for detailed options.

Contact the Championship Office at 269-487-3200 or spgabh@pgahq.com with any questions about the volunteer opportunities.

Oxford National Pro-Ams The Oxford National Pro-Am just completed its 25th season in 2021 and will showcase at least six events on the 2022 event schedule, including a return to Shadow Creek Las Vegas for two exclusive event opportunities.

Tournament Operations Luke LaFave, a resident of Michigan, has watched the Pro-Am series grow from one event in the inaugural year to now six events annually, welcoming around 500 players per year to the events.

LaFave took over the event series from its founder and Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member John Traub in 2017. LaFave brought Jordan Young on board to assist in Tournament Operations in 2019. Young is an instructor based out of the Fox Hills Performance Center in Plymouth, MI. More information and a full event schedule for golf professionals and their amateur partners enjoy a full 4-day experience of competition and camaraderie in the Nevada city that never sleeps. Visit: oxfordproam.com or email to info@oxfordproam.com

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Crystal Mountain Resort News: The 2021 American Society of Golf Course Architects Environmental Excellence

reshaping several tee complexes. Planning and implementation of the renovations

Awards honorees have been named, and Crystal Mountain Resort’s improvement

capitalized on making the course more enjoyable for all players with new aesthetic,

project for the Betsy Valley Course is one of three golf facilities nationwide to have been

strategic and functional features.

cited for their work with ASGCA members in addressing unique environmental challenges.

Additionally, Crystal Mountain, which was established in 1956, has named John Melcher chief executive officer effective Dec. 1.

The recognized courses are: Anchorage Golf Course, Anchorage, Alaska/Forrest Richardson, ASGCA and Jeff Danner, ASGCA Crystal Mountain Resort – Betsie Valley Course, Thompsonville, Michigan/A. John Harvey, ASGCA Sailfish Sands Golf Course, Stuart, Florida/John Sanford, ASGCA

“It is an honor to lead Crystal Mountain,” Melcher said in a statement. “I’m excited about the incredible growth opportunities ahead for Crystal Mountain because we are all committed to making this family-owned, family-centric resort the best in the Midwest.”

The award organizers said: Crystal Mountain initiated a forestry management program on the 1,400-acre property using a local forestry contractor to open up play corridors and

Melcher replaces Jim MacInnes, who, after 36 years in resort operations, will be stepping back his day-to-day involvement with the resort to focus more on long-term strategy including leadership development, capital

encourage healthy forest development. A course improvement master plan was the

allocation, real estate and other project development. MacInnes will continue to

first step in a project that included protecting and encouraging healthy tree growth considering species desirability, health and vigor, balancing and recouping costs for vegetation management and renovations with logging monetary values,

serve as chairman of the board and advise Crystal Mountain leadership on critical priorities.

and managing golf and property impacts and constrains.

John has led the charge,” MacInnes said.

“His tremendous enthusiasm for the longterm vitality of Crystal Mountain and his commitment to excellence makes him an outstanding leader for the future of Crystal.”

The team also put forward imaginative visual and strategic treatment of the ground plain by creating sand waste areas and

“We have so far successfully navigated the most challenging period in our history, and

36

MICHIGAN NEWS AND NOTES

Michigan Golf Course Association Announces Honorees Brenda Velandra, owner and general manager at Raisin Valley Golf Club in Tecumseh, Joseph M. Vargas Jr. of Michigan State University’s science and turfgrass faculty, and the Midnight Golf Program of Detroit were announced as the 2021 Award Winners by the Michigan Golf Course Association (MGCA).

They were celebrated at the MGCA Awards Banquet on Nov. 30, during the 2021 Michigan Golf Business Conference in Troy.

golf industry. Vargas has served as a professor of Plant Pathology (PhD) in the Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences Department at Michigan State for over five decades, produced research with international implications for turfgrass and authored the most widely used turfgrass disease book (Management of Turfgrass Diseases).

Velandra earned the Lyle Leeke Distinguished Service Award. It is presented to an individual who has displayed distinguished service to the MGCA and the golf industry in the state of Michigan.

Velandra is the daughter of Arlan and Linda Kapnick, who purchased the then 10-year-

The Midnight Golf Program received the Award of Merit. It is reserved for significant, measurable, and meaningful work in and for the golf industry. The Midnight Golf Program’s mission is equipping determined young adults through life skills training, proactive coaching, long-term mentoring, and the discipline of golf so they can succeed in college, in their careers and beyond. It was founded in 2001 by Renee’ Fluker, a social

old course in 1977. The successful public course remains a family-owned operation

worker and single parent who noticed the impact golf had on her son’s life. Over 3,700

through Velandra, and her brothers Keith and Dave Kapnick.

students have been directly helped in the last 20 years and program participants have been admitted to more than 100 colleges and universities across the country.

Vargas was honored with the Matthews Lifetime Achievement Award. It is awarded to an individual or organization that over the span of a lifetime has provided steadfast leadership, outstanding service, and continuous commitment to the Michigan

Previous issues available on www.migolfjournal.com

DIGITAL GOLF ENTERTAINMENT

37 Entertainment (DGE)

Something New Changes What It Means to be a Golfer

By Chris Mile Clearly golf has grown since the Covid Pandemic because people are looking for things to do to fill their free time; plus there are few activities like golf that we can do with our friends and family that are considered safe.

There are also some really cool new additions to golf that were not around a few of years ago that have radically changed what it means to be a golfer. Where before, there were just two things golfers did. They played golf and practiced golf. Now they can play, practice, and participate in something new, Digital Golf Entertainment.

Digital golf is a result of the technology that traces golf balls either indoors or on a driving range. This technology has gotten so good that it can accurately predict the speed, spin, direction, and trajectory of a golf ball hit by a golfer. Having all this information has radically changed things like club fitting and golf instruction, and created Digital Golf

To me, this is one of the main reasons golf is becoming so popular. Things like virtual golf, closest to the pin, and long drive contests are super fun. For more and more golfers, DGE is right up there with playing golf on a golf course and this technology is only going to get better.

Miles of Golf has made a big commitment to making DGE available to all of our customers though Toptracer Range. Toptracer Range traces literally every golf ball hit by every golfer no matter where it is hit from on our range. On a busy day, Toptracer will gather data on 50,000 golf shots. With that data, you can play virtual golf at some great golf courses like Pebble Beach and St. Andrews, have skills contests with your buddies, and get tremendous practice feedback.

Toptracer Range on most of the Miles of Golf range is included in the cost of a bucket of balls. There is a special set of tees called the Masters Suites that include TVs, lounge chairs, bar service, and reserved tee times that do charge extra to use.

If you have not tried Toptracer Range at Miles of Golf, you need to. It is very likely going to change what it means to you to be a golfer.