MI Golf Journal June 2022

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MICHIGAN GOLF JOURNAL If anyone had any doubt, golf season in Michigan is now certainly in full swing.

Golf leagues are packing local golf courses across the state. The high school boys golf season concludes June 11 with state finals competitions in all four divisions. The Sr. PGA Championship was completed in Benton Harbor, with the Meijer LPGA Classic coming Father’s Day weekend.

What's Inside:

We touch on those latter two topics in this June edition, but I also share three really cool featured stories that all readers should enjoy… a look at four golfers in Michigan who have missing limbs or play golf with prosthetics; a story on what a perspective of golf means to one man with a partner who has survived cancer; and our cover story on the Up North playground known as Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. We also share this month a new golf equipment review, a course review in the Freeways and Fairways series, advances on the Michigan Am and Michigan Women’s Amateur and so much more than can be listed here.

Thanks for joining us.

Tom Lang Editor and Publisher

PG. 11

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ADAPTIVE GOLF GAINING NOTICE

Adaptive/ Amputee Golfers Shine with Their Skills

By Tom Lang Tracy Ramin should have died 24 years ago after a horrific crash on I-75 near Flint, not far from his home in Montrose.

Instead, that fateful day and his recovery since has given him the undying passion for life and zeal to help others like him improve their lives through the game of golf.

Ramin said he was hit by a fast-moving pickup truck along the freeway at age 24 that threw him over 100 feet, put him in a coma for a week, took half of his left leg and beat his body up so bad the list of injuries were so extensive, and too gruesome for some readers, to share here. Let’s just say, it completely defined the medical world’s definition of ‘trauma.’

But after getting a prosthetic left leg below the knee and enduring dozens of surgeries, he is at age 50 a leading national advocating voice, and golf teacher, for others who have mental and physical disabilities they overcome via golf.

Tracy Ramin

Michigan – are heading to the Home of Golf, Pinehurst, in July to play in the USGA’s firstever Adaptive Open, along with people representing 12 countries and 29 states in a field with an age range from 15 to 80. The 15year-old is from Hudsonville, MI, and we’ll get to her shortly.

Ramin has been in leadership roles for several years for adaptive and amputee golf organizations and his work is part of the reason the USGA has created this new tournament. Four years ago, he hosted the National Amputee and Disabled Championship at The Fortress in Frankenmuth.

USGA Adaptive Open at Pinehurst:

That event and others like them have been around a very long time, including the Michigan Amputee Golf Association. They’ve

Ramin and others like him – three more from

played an annual event for decades at Pine

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View in Three Rivers, a free tournament for two days of golf and two meals at no cost.

themselves they cannot do it. You may inspire someone just by walking into the

They raise funds to host it because most people missing body parts don’t have much money.

But with the USGA now recognizing this

room.”

segment it could be a game changer.

Ramin lost virtually all his muscle tissue in one shoulder, but after the accident he was in the hospital 24 days and had a make-shift prosthetic within 3 months and went to the golf course.

“The Lord sparred me, and I never knew what my mission in life was, and most people wander for years before they know,” he said. “And I didn’t know right away but for the last 15 years was trying to get golf added to the Paralympics.

“That’s one of the reasons we formed USAGA (United States Adaptive Golf Alliance, https://www.usaga.org/) to bring all the 40 organizations in the United States together under one roof. They serve 40,000 adaptive golfers nationwide, 26 percent of which are military Veterans.

Remis then told the story of inviting a friend many years ago to come out and play golf about a month before another tournament.

The friend did play, then a few years later confessed that he was planning to commit suicide that day Remis called.

“It changed the course of his life, that one invitation to play.”

He’s Not the Only One: Golf – and cancer – changed Brian Bemis’ life as a teenager.

Now at age 48 he is the Locker Room manager at Country Club of Lansing. He didn’t begin playing golf until his teenage years, after he lost his leg to a rare bone cancer at age 12.

Continues on next page>>

“Even back before I got hurt, the pursuit of the next great shot is what does it. I feel if I can play in events and do well, it’s just going to create more awareness.

You never know who is sitting on the couch watching and thinking to

Tracy Ramin

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ADAPTIVE GOLF GAINING NOTICE is, meaning his scoring index (which is 6.4).

Without skipping a beat, he replied: “Tom, I only have one leg, come on.”

We got a good laugh out of it, just like everyone else that asks him that question on a daily basis.

“I fell in love with golf almost immediately,” Bemis said. “Before losing the leg I played every sport imaginable (but didn’t like golf). Then I was watching golf one day on TV and a 30 second lesson by Ken Venture was on. I grabbed my dad’s 9-iron, emptied his bag of golf balls and the rest is history.

“As crazy as this is to say, golf is like Heroin for me. I just can’t get enough of the game. I love being at a golf course. It’s just phenomenal.”

His right leg is missing all the way to the hip, leaving no attachment point for a prosthetic. He uses crutches to get around with one good leg, and uses them for putting, but drops the crutches and balances to swing the club everywhere else.

Naturally, I asked Bemis what his golf handicap

“I’ll be playing against a lot of friends down there (at Pinehurst), but honestly, I want to kick their butt,” Bemis said with a chuckle.

“That’s how we all feel about it and it’s fun to do.

And I’m just grateful that Brian Bemis the USGA has seen something in our group, and to put on such an event, and I am just honored to be one of the 96 people to be the first doing it.

“People walk up to all the time and say that I am an inspiration,” he continued. “To me I don’t think of it that way because if you want something bad enough, I think you’ll figure out a way to do it. I guess I impress people, but to me it’s just me being me.

Kim Moore knows a lot about just being herself.

She was born without a right foot but ascended through life with amazing athletic skills using a prosthetic, to the point she played college golf (at Univ. of Indianapolis) Continues on pg. 8>>

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ADAPTIVE GOLF GAINING NOTICE before spending three years on the LPGA’s Futures Tour as the only golfer on Tour with a

“It’s going to be such a cool event,’ she said about the USGA’s Adaptive Open. “I’m so

prosthetic. She never heard of events for Adaptive Golf until she finished college.

excited to be a part of it. I want to do well with it being the first, inaugural USGA event. Just the notoriety that comes with that, is going to be huge for disabled golf. I really hope that they have a good media presence with this because I think a lot of people would like to see it and watch it.”

She still finds herself at college these days – as the head women’s golf coach at Western Michigan University.

“I’ve always been playing in able-body events until graduating from college in 2003,” Moore told me from her office overlooking the Western football stadium.

“I hit a couple shots and they were like, ‘holy cow,’” she said. “They told me a few holes later that, ‘we were kind of afraid when we saw your leg, we were thinking, ‘oh man she’ll probably slow us down.’ Then they said, ‘nope, you’re kicking our butts. We’re so glad you were able to join us.’”

Moore said if anyone watches these national events for adaptive golf, fans will see really good golf. Winners are usually under par.

She feels that myths about adaptive golf swirl around the topics of not hitting the ball as far, and that ‘normal’ golfers will be slowed down by her presence. She regularly blows those myths sky high, and recounted an experience she had during college.

Moore went out on her own for a short practice round at

Kim Moore with one of her players

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ADAPTIVE GOLF GAINING NOTICE the school’s home course. She caught up with and joined a 3-some of men on the second tee.

without a right hand, yet she plays golf and softball competitively.

Moore has adapted to every sense of her life since birth and was typically the only

Howard just finished 9th grade at Hudsonville High School and played JV golf. Last year, Howard had a chance to play golf with the

‘disabled’ golfer in all her events growing up.

“So, when I go to some of these amputee events, I feel like I’m one of the most ‘normal’ people out there,” Moore said. “As a below-the-knee amputee, which in most events is a pretty good feat, but out there, that’s usually one of the most mobile players (in adaptive golf) and just seeing and watching the other players is even inspirational to me.”

LPGA Tour’s Korda sisters, at a private event in Florida. Less than two months later, Nelly Korda won the Meijer LPGA Classic near her home, where Howard came to hang around as much as possible with her sports schedule.

When a reporter at the tournament mentioned that she is the inspiration to many others, Howard responded:

Sophia Howard is one of those motivated kids

“I think my physical challenge doesn't have anything to do with it. I may look different,

who show us all that a physical challenge doesn’t mean you cannot play this wonderful game of golf – and also do it well.

but I think I'm just another average person. I go out and do the game of golf how everybody else does and I don't let that stop me. Just go

The 15-year-old from Hudsonville was born

out and kill it.”

Sophia Howard (center) with the Korda sisters

NEW EQUIPMENT REVIEW

11 look preferred by skilled players.

The hydropearl 2.0 finish repels water to ensure predictable, consistent performance from wet and dry conditions.

Ping i59 Iron Review

by Joe Dier, Club Fitter at Miles of Golf

Higher MOI- Toe and tip weighting elevate MOI to reduce the stat area and achieve a

The PING i59 is the newest edition in PINGs iron lineup. The i59 is the replacement for the PING iblade. It offers a sleek players look and feel while offering the forgiveness of the i210. To achieve the forgiveness this club offers, while being as “blade-like” as it is, it requires some unique technology. Below is some of the tech offered in this iron:

level of forgiveness unprecedented in a forged design.

AlumiCore Technology- An aerospace-grade aluminum insert allows approximately 30 grams

2. I would say the i59 is more forgiving than a typical blade is, but I wouldn’t say it’s ‘forgiving.’ You might not lose as much distance on mishits as you would on some

of material from the center of the club to be redistributed to the perimeter in the form of toe and shaft tip weights, elevating the MOI to match that of the larger PING i210 iron.

MicroMax Milled Grooves- The precisionmachined face has new MicroMax grooves for tighter spacing and a geometry that results in an average of four extra grooves to reduce fliers in the short irons and preserve spin in the long irons.

Tour-Preferred Styling- A thin topline and proper offset presents the clean, streamlined

While testing these irons a couple of things jumped out at me right away.

1. I love the look. As someone who typically likes a smaller profile in an iron, it checks that box fully for me.

other ‘traditional’ blades but you will still lose performance.

3. The final thing that stood out to me was the feel. To me, the iron has a good feel to it, however since it is a multi-construction iron, it doesn’t have that same solid-body forged feel like a typical bladed iron has.

More information on this club can be found at https://ping.com/en-us/clubs/irons/i59

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UP NORTH PLAYGROUND

Grand Traverse Resort: A Golfers’ Up North Playground

By Tom Lang

Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is a true epitome of what many people picture in their minds as ‘Up North’ golf in Michigan. Views of the East

As a businessman I often think of all the popular conferences and meeting spaces.

Grand Traverse Bay, northern hardwoods and rolling plains covered with fruit trees are just of few of the picturesque mental images.

As a family man, thoughts go to the three

As a member of golf media, I also think of all the great Michigan PGA Open championships played at GTR over the years – with the 2022 version scheduled for this June 13-16.

every age, every day.

generations of my family celebrating the parent’s 50th wedding anniversary, where the amenities offered something for everyone of

Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is a large property with dozens of vacation activity

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Hole 15, The Wolverine

options, but first and foremost it is a golfer’s paradise, with a variety in three true tests of golf at The Bear (Jack Nicklaus), The Wolverine

most difficult golf course in Michigan. It was recently ranked as the 18th-toughest course in America, according to Golf Digest. Nicklaus

(Gary Player), and Spruce Run (William Newcomb) – but for me I never feel like the place is so big you lose the personal feeling of a home

designed the layout with Scottish terraced fairways, tiered greens, deep grassy roughs, moguls and mounds, and deep pot bunkers. The

away from home.

Resort grounds crews have made the course a little softer than the original for all skill levels over the years, but it remains the regular home

Three Championship Golf Courses: The Bear has been known from day one as the

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UP NORTH PLAYGROUND undulation. The Wolverine was pretty open if you get it to the right spots, but there were a lot of places for trouble. It’s a very fair test, and certainly beautiful.

“Spruce Run was awfully tight, so you’ve got to be pretty accurate off the tee. If you’re not, you’ve bought yourself some trouble. A good test and it’s fair. It’s all right in front of you.

Hole 13, The Bear

of the demanding Michigan Open, our state’s premier championship for pros and amateurs alike. MSU golfer Bradley Smithson is the defending champion from 2021, and one of the rare amateurs to win it in the 105-year history.

When I play The Wolverine, the back nine is my favorite, especially starting at supposedly “unlucky” hole 13 (this month’s cover photo).

From the tee box the hole looks fairly routine, but reach the corner of the dogleg right and the approach to the green is a beautiful, wide-open view of your downhill shot to a bunkerprotected green against a backdrop of water and a massive cherry orchard. No. 14 is a medium par 3 that runs right alongside the same downhill shot you had at 13, making for back-to-back beauties.

“A good place for a buddy’s trip,” Art concluded.

Women Are Joining the Game in Droves: The game of golf has seen an incredible spike over the last couple years, but the game has really grown with women specifically. Mark Hill, Director of Instruction at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, says he started to see a noticeable change in how many women were participating in golf in 2021.

“The biggest thing we are seeing is people are retiring or working from home and now have more time to be outside,” Hill said. “It’s becoming a social event. People have friends playing golf and they want to be part of it.”

As a solo player, last year I was paired up with

The Resort’s Golf Academy has always been a popular spot year-round, but Hill said they are

three buddies from Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania who take a northern Michigan

busier than ever with private lessons, clinics, and special events.

retreat together each summer – Tom, Fisher and Art. “It’s our first time at this resort,” Art said. “I like it. The courses are very challenging. A lot of

If you are new to golf, or returning to the game, take a lesson with a PGA professional,” Continues on next page>>

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he suggested. “The one-on-one interaction is crucial to improving your game. Golf is hard, and you need to have a sense of humor and fun to avoid frustration. It helps to take lessons with other people who are at the same level as you.

It’s great to learn alongside people.”

The GTR Golf Academy is unique that it allows guests to go out on the Resort’s three championship courses and experience the game, proper etiquette and what to do. They offer several women’s golf clinics and Hill said the turnout has been incredible.

“Women of all ages have signed up – younger kids, teens, and older women looking to get into the game. Each clinic has had a record sign-up rate and sold out.”

Hill mentions that women are also getting into the game more as an activity to do with their husbands or partners.

“It’s definitely becoming more of a couple’s game,” he said. “We are seeing more and more couple’s take lessons together as well.”

“With more lessons, clinics and events being offered, women of all skill levels can pick up a club and get out on the course and be a part of the more than 600,000 women nationwide to have taken up the game the past year.

Spruce Run

Wolverine’s Take Note: Special Wolverine Weekend, June 17-19: Maize and blue fanatics are planning a huge gathering you can join at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa’s Wolverine Weekend. The June 17-19 Wolverine Weekend features golf on The Wolverine, a meet-and-greet with star athletes, plus dinner with keynote speaker and author John U. Bacon.

The Wolverine golf course is World Golf Hall of Famer Gary Player’s first signature course in Michigan. With the same name as the iconic mascot, it is the perfect course for Michigan fans, students, alumni, and athletes to play.

Wolverine Weekend kicks off with a live broadcast of Sports Talk 1050 WTKA on Saturday, June 18. Sam Webb, Ira Weintraub and special guest Devin Gardner will be live from the clubhouse. The golf outing to follow includes meet-and-greet photo opportunities throughout the course with current Michigan football players J.J. McCarthy, Ronnie Bell, and Ryan Hayes.

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UP NORTH PLAYGROUND The special event weekend continues with a ticketed dinner and speaker series. There’s an

National Cherry Festival week. With events happening on property and in town, you will

extended meet-and-greet session with the athletes, Gardner and Bacon. Guests will receive a three-course dinner and lite version of WTKA’s Monday Morning Quarterback with Devin Gardner. Bacon will then take the stage as keynote speaker.

get the full Traverse City experience on and off the course.

Get your Wolverine Weekend tickets fast. Room availability is limited. Click here for more details.

Highlighted Events: June 13-16: Hall Financial Michigan Open Championship Presented by Turtle Creek Casino The 105th playing, fans watch for free the most prestigious PGA tournament in the state.

July 8: Cherry Golf Scramble Join for a “cherry” good time at National Cherry Festival Golf Scramble on Spruce Run. September 2-5: Labor Day Weekend Golf Special Special pricing makes it easy to try out each of the three highly acclaimed courses.

October 1: 12th Annual Big Hole Golf Tournament Three-person scramble on Spruce Run features gigantic, impossible-to-miss 10’ cups.

June 17-23: Golf Your Daylights Out

October 16: 14th Annual Tuff Enuff Golf Tournament

Play as many holes as you can squeeze into a day during the summer solstice and extended daylight in northern Michigan.

Play one of Michigan’s toughest courses, The Bear, at its absolute hardest at over 7,000 yards with toughest pins.

July 2-10: National Cherry Festival Golf Special

More details here on all special events.

Hole 10, The Bear

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FREEWAYS AND FAIRWAYS

Freeways and Fairways: Wheatfield Valley Golf Course

By John Retzer (GolfBlogger.com) Editor’s Note: this is one in a long series of examining golf courses located along Michigan freeways that you might drive by often but haven’t yet stopped in to try.

Wheatfield Valley falls into the category of “pleasant small-town courses,” the likes of which you can find in literally hundreds of hamlets across the Mitten State. In this case, the town is Williamston, located about 20 miles east of Lansing.

The course is aptly named, for it was built on former farmers’ fields. In fact, I’ll coin a term here: Along with linksland, parklands, and woodlands courses, there is a distinct species called “farmlands.” There are a lot of those in Michigan. It’s not a derogatory term, though, any more than it is to note that The Old Course

was once a sheep pasture.

As a farmlands course, Wheatfield Valley is mostly open, and mostly flat, with light woods on its perimeter that in its agricultural heyday might have served as windbreaks or boundary lines.

The “Valley” is a low area on the back left (southeast) end of the property, abutting I-96.

Half the course’s holes are routed through those lowlands, with four (Holes 2, 8, 13 and 16) taking advantage of the one-to-one-and-ahalf club elevation change.

Wheatfield Valley is a relatively short par 70.

From the tips, it measures just 5,726 yards, Continues on next page>>

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with a slope of 117 and a rating of 67. In truth, it’s more like a par 69, because the par 4 eighteenth

elevated tee. A good shot is straight out to the left side of the fairway, playing wide of the

tips out at just 201 yards. The longest hole is the 506-yard par 5 17th.

trees on the right. There’s a bunker out there to threaten a shot that carries too far, so pick your distance carefully. The second shot is

Struggling putters will love Wheatfield Valley’s greens, because they are mostly flat.

Short hitters will also love this course. If you’re a long hitter, think of Wheatfield Valley as an opportunity to practice hybrids and irons off the tee.

My favorite hole at Wheatfield Valley was the downhill, dogleg right par 4 13th. Measuring 360 from the back tees, the 13th starts from an

into a relatively deep and flat green. Land your shot on the front and let it carry to the hole.

No one will ever mistake Wheatfield Valley for a country club, but for a neighborhood course it was adequate. Michiganders are lucky to have so many course operators bringing golf to every corner of the Mitten State.

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FALL RATES ALERT

Fall Specials at Hilton Head Island Don’t get caught by this notice on your travel planning computer screen: SOLD OUT.

www.hiltonheadgolfisland.com.

Such is life amid the ‘Great Golf Renaissance.’

has long been one of the nation's most soughtafter golf destinations. The area’s beautiful

Hilton Head Golf Island's vacation rentals and courses aren't full yet – but they're getting close, so golfers planning a trip south this coming fall or early winter are encouraged to book their fall packages now.

With demand for advanced reservations climbing, the island’s premier resort partners – The Sea Pines Resort, Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort and The Heritage Golf Collection – are making their fall golf packages available for booking at

Simply known as the “Golf Island” the region

natural setting – marked by barrier islands, coastal marshes that protect marine life, and Spanish moss-draped live oaks – has inspired great designs from Pete Dye, Robert Trent Jones, Sr., Rees Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Arthur Hills, Bob Cupp, Willard Byrd, George Cobb, Clyde Johnston, Davis Love III and other noted architects.

Don’t delay if fall golf on the Golf Island is on your bucket list.

NEWS FROM BOYNE RESORT

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The Highlands Debuts New Welcome Experience at Boyne Lodging guests visiting The Highlands are now being greeted in a new way, at a new locale, with the completion of the renovated Discovery Center. With a fresh and modern feel, it now serves as the central check-in for all resort

The Towers Have Risen for SkyBridge Michigan SkyBridge Michigan is a 1,200-foot-long suspension bridge under construction at Boyne Mountain Resort. The project reached a major milestone in mid-May with the rising of its timber towers. When completed it will be the world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge and will be a huge year-round, sightseeing attraction spanning the crests between Boyne Mountain’s McLouth and Disciple’s Ridge.

The walking surface will hang suspended 118feet from the ground level and showcase panoramic views of the surrounding Boyne Valley. The bridge is expected to open in September.

The towers are an architectural work of art, each measuring over 50-feet high and nearly 70-feet long anchoring both ends of the bridge. To learn more or view a live web cam of the build, visit boynemountain.com.

accommodations, and also offers a doorway to more information about resort attractions, activity reservations, and happenings in the region.

“In a world built for online experiences, we wanted to bring back the personal connection,” said Mandy Gray, director of lodging at The Highlands. “The arrival is the first impression, and we want people to feel as special as this place is to us.”

The Discovery Center’s makeover includes an expansive patio area complete with fire pit, and easy parking. Located near the resort’s entrance, it adds convenience for guests staying in the many condominium and cottage accommodations spread throughout the grounds.

The Highlands offers Boyne championship golf and ziplining, Segway Tours, horseback trail rides, mountain biking, and so much more. For more information and lodging reservations, visit highlandsharborsprings.com or call 866.759.3530.

By Tom Lang

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IT’S JUST A GAME

A Reminder of What’s Really Important About the Game of Golf

In Augusta, Georgia

How caring for a loved one fighting cancer served as a wakeup call to what matters most By: Jason Manshum, Grand Rapids The day is etched in my mind for eternity. Here I was, experiencing every golfer’s dream – walking the majestic, sacred-like holes of Augusta National Golf Club. Round two of the 2018 Masters tournament. After years keeping my fingers and toes crossed, only to be denied by the luck of the lottery, I had finally made it.

For the fortunate few who have made their way to this Disneyland for passionate golfers, you know that even the best television science does not do justice to the stunning Allister MacKenzie masterpiece, and the knowledge of so many of the game’s greats have won green jackets and pulled off historic shots.

From a golf lover’s perspective, the day was

nothing short of spectacular. However, there was one rather gnawing and troublesome thing going on that spring day. My partner and I arrived in Augusta the day prior after meeting a gynecological oncologist at U-M. We had recently found out she had cancer that was very rare and extremely aggressive. The U-M oncologist said he would have performed surgery on her the very next day if he had an opening – the day we were to enjoy azalea cocktails, pimento cheese sandwiches, and Georgia peach ice cream.

While I’ll forever remember everything about my day at the Masters – the Georgia pines, the azaleas and dogwoods of Amen Corner, Continues on next page>>

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Magnolia Lane, the roars as Tiger flushed an iron on the par-three 4th hole. What I’ll also

beyond belief, I found myself at Augusta National, taking in every step, sight, sound,

remember is how the cancer journey we are about to begin would forever change my love and passion for the game.

taste and feel. Yet my love and I had just been hit with the devastating news that no one ever wants to hear or face. I knew once I got home from the Masters, I would be tried and tested in ways that neither golf nor life ever had.

My dad was the first one to put a club in my hands, sawing off a putter to fit my young boy size. It was love at first swing. Growing up, I’d play many rounds with my parents, getting better each year. By high school, I was playing competitively on the team. Like many trying to perfect this craft and having a taste of success, you want more. You begin to focus solely on score, not the process or experience.

By the time I was an adult, I had unrealistic expectations. Because of this, I was often unhappy with my round. I sometimes let my temper get the best of me. How can you claim to love a game that makes you so angry when you play?

Funny thing about life, like a string of bogies, is that it has a funny way creeping up on you. As I got older, my career took on greater responsibilities. I got married, bought a house, and had a baby.

Later a divorce. With life’s changes, I was no longer playing much golf.

And what times I did play made me sometimes disgusted.

Somehow, I lost site that the game of golf is just that. It’s a game. Why would I get so excited to tee it up, just to come home after in a sour mood?

So, after a lifelong love affair with a game that often frustrated me

It probably goes without saying that I hardly picked up a club that season. My focus was solely as caregiver, watching my beautiful partner bravely battle this disease with the fight of a boxer in the ring. All the while continuing to co-raise a pre-teen boy whom I am a very proud dad. Golf was the furthest thing from my mind.

Just after chemotherapy was complete (following an extensive surgery), and before the grueling radiation treatments would begin, I took the opportunity to play golf with a group of fellow golf-obsessed friends for an annual weekend to top destinations around the state. This was our 13th annual.

Continues on Pg. 25>>

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Something strange happened on that trip. I felt a calm and sense of peace I’d never felt on the course before. I stayed present with each shot. I was suddenly more cognizant to the nature around me…the gentle breeze, the warm autumn sun, the wildlife gallery lurking through the trees, the sound of my shoes walking on the grass. I shared what seemed like infinite smiles, laughs and stories with my longtime friends. I don’t remember my scores, and I didn’t care to. What I remember is who I was with, the compelling courses we played, and the memories we made.

Now coming into another golf season more than four years later, my refreshingly new mindset has only grown. I’ve fallen in love with the game

Friends and supporters

all over again, playing like a kid once again.

Some might call me obsessed; I call it passionate.

My enthusiasm and excitement for the game has never been greater. I have an attitude of gratitude every time I place the tee peg in the ground. I love being in nature. I study and appreciate course architecture and the history of the game. I cherish the walks and laughter. I relish every moment on the course with my friends, son and parents.

But mostly, I’m beyond grateful that I still have the love of my life by my side.

She kicked cancer Cont. next pg.>>

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IT’S JUST A GAME to the curb and remains cancer-free. Every day with her is a blessing. Her good health is like receiving a breakfast ball on the tee. She has inspired me in more ways than she knows.

Life, as I’ve learned, is indeed much like a round of golf. There are no guarantees how it will turn out. There will be ups and downs.

You might stripe a drive down the middle of the fairway, only to find it in an unrepaired divot. We cannot control these things, but we can control our attitude and how we respond.

In golf, as in life, just find the ball and hit it again. Play every round like it’s your last; for it is a privilege to play. Enjoy the moments – big and small. Because we do not know when it will be our last breakfast ball.

Follow our NEW Facebook page for updates and breaking news stories! @MIGolfJournal

click here

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DOW LPGA

Multiple Ticket Options for Dow LPGA in Midland FREE Days for fans as well There is no such thing as one size fits all, so the leaders of the Dow LPGA Great Lakes Invitational are offering a wide range of ticket, food and pricing options.

Saturday. Weekly tickets are $25 per ticket and valid all week, Wednesday through Saturday. Kids 17 and under will be admitted free with a ticketed adult all week long.

Tickets are available for purchase online at www.DowGLBI.com.

Check the website for details where all military personnel and veterans can receive one (1) free daily admission ticket each day to the Veterans Hospitality Suite (sponsored by Kelly Services).

General admission tickets, Eat Great Trail hospitality tickets and Veterans’ tickets are among those available for the LPGA team event at Midland Country Club, July 10-16, 2022.

In honor of Dow’s 125th anniversary, the tournament will also offer an additional day of free admission for all spectators on Wednesday, July 13, the first of four rounds of the team tournament. The first 5,000 spectators on Wednesday will also receive a Dow 125th anniversary giveaway. Lunch vouchers and giveaways can be obtained at the Dow 125 tent near the main entrance. Spectators are asked to reserve their free Wednesday ticket in advance on Eventbrite.

General Admission tickets are available for Thursday, Friday and Saturday and include grounds access, public viewing bleacher seating and access to various concession areas located throughout the course. Daily tickets are $10 per ticket and valid for one (1) day Thursday through

Food Upgrades at Eat Great: The Eat Great Trail gives spectators a chance to sample a variety of menu items on hospitality decks located throughout the course. A selection of beer and wine will also be available for guests 21 and over.

Tickets are $45 for a single day (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday only). Eat Great Trail tickets grant access to all Eat Great Trail locations and the golf tournament. Kids 12 and younger will be admitted to the Eat Great Trail for free, and those between age 13-20 require tickets to enter the Eat Great Trail suites (youth tickets only available for purchase at the Dow GLBI’s main admissions gate for $20 each)

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MEIJER LPGA CLASSIC

Why LPGA Pros Love the Meijer LPGA Classic Three LPGA Tour pros who have returned to the Meijer LPGA Classic no less than five times each, talk about what brings them back to Grand Rapids year after year: BRITTANY LANG: “It has that feel where we stay for a long time and the community is behind us, and Meijer is amazing.

“First off, it's a great golf course. Then we have the great community feel. They make the players feel welcome, and it's a great town, as well. It's nice to be there. I love it, and I have since day one.”

JESSICA KORDA: “I like the golf course. Like Lang said, the community feel that we get, really the people backing us, I think the crowds pull amazing numbers for us, and alongside Meijer and everything that they do kind of extra outside of the golf course is awesome.

“We like when the crowd gets rowdy, so

Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give June 16-19 Blythefield Country Club, Belmont Defending Champ: Nella Korda Purse: $2.5 million Information and Tickets: www.meijerlpgaclassic.com

definitely something that I like going back to, not only the golf course but it's also the atmosphere that the fans bring. They're always ready to show up for us during that week. I think that's a mix of kind of why I love going back for sure.”

MEGAN KHANG: “I can't help but reiterate, but the crowd is super welcoming. I love looking out and seeing the families that come

out, bring their kids. I always see that there's like a kids' area there and I joke around how I just want to be a kid again and go in there and play with the kids.”

WWW.MIGOLFJOURNAL.COM Moderator question: All past winners of this tournament have either been or gone on to win major titles. What is it about the course that leads the best to rise to the top here?

MEGAN KHANG: “I definitely think that this golf course is definitely a shot maker's golf course. Greens are small.

You've got some undulation up there, whether it's a par-3, you can't see the green, or it's some dogleg par-4s that you've got to favor one side of the fairway.

“I think that helps us dial in our fairway and helps tune us up for majors, because more times than not you're going to need to get those wedges dialed in and make those two, three-footers to get the win. I think that definitely helps get your game in the zone for the majors.”

JESSICA KORDA: “Yeah, it's a plotter's golf course, so definitely having a good game plan going in, you can't hit driver everywhere. It's pretty tree-lined, so being on the correct side of the fairway to be able to have a clear shot at the green, that's important. Definitely you've got to think your way around it, and definitely good prep for majors because it is kind of what a major is.”

BRITTANY LANG: “The girls are exactly right. The course does set up like a major in its play; it definitely has a major feel.

It's a big event. The community comes together. There's always something going on, on the golf course. It has a big feel. We draw great crowds there, so that's great practice for majors, as well.”

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32

MICHIGAN AM CHAMPIONSHIPS

2022 Michigan Amateur Championship

Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship

Hawk Hollow Golf Course, the original property that is now part of the Eagle Eye Golf & Banquet

Great Oaks Country Club will host the 2022 Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship,

Center’s collection of five courses near East Lansing, will host the 2022 Michigan Amateur

June 13 – 17, for the second time after previously hosting in 2009.

Championship, June 27 – July 1.

The Jerry Matthews-designed 27-hole facility will host the 110-year-old state championship for the first time.

The family-owned business also hosted the 105th Michigan Amateur in 2016 at Eagle Eye Golf Club across the road.

Ken Hartmann, senior director of competitions for GAM, said the golfers will find a challenge that is different from playing Eagle Eye in 2016.

“You can swing it some at Hawk Hollow, but there are things to think about with trees, bunkers and penalty areas,” he said. “Like Eagle Eye, it’s always in great shape, and holes 15 through 18 are great finishing holes. You really have to play well on those holes to finish a round, and that will add some excitement to match play, too.”

The traditional parkland-style course was built in 1996 and cuts through 500 acres of tree stands, wetlands areas and ponds. The defending champion is Patrick Sullivan of Grosse Pointe, and the U-M golf team.

The William Newcomb original design was founded in 1971, and $3.5 million master plan renovation work has been performed by McCumber & Associates since 2006.

The course is a parkland style design that rolls over natural hills and a meandering stream runs through the property and has been utilized in the strategic design. Four sets of tee areas help make the course playable for players of all ages. and abilities. “

The bunkers are well-placed and the hills and elevation changes make it

important to hit the ball to the right spots,” Ken Hartmann said. “The winner will have to play a complete game.”

Mark Maras, the head pro at Great Oaks, said the club is honored to be hosting the 106th Michigan Women’s Amateur. “Great Oaks will provide a superb test for some of the best women golfers in the state,” he said. “The 5day event will be filled with competitive golf, exceptional food displays and memories to last a lifetime.”

The defending champ is Kimberly Dinh of Midland.

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GOLF MOVIE FUNDRAISER FOR KIDS

Attend Unique Film, Support Junior Golf in Michigan A fun and funny golf movie is coming to Michigan and will help raise funding for Junior golf in the Mitten.

Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) Governor and golf writer Terry Moore helped bring to light in Michigan a quirky golf tale many years ago and now the story has been made into a movie; The Phantom of the Open.

Its Michigan debut will be June 15 at 7 p.m., at Celebration Cinema North in Grand Rapids.

Proceeds will benefit the GAM Foundation for Youth on Course across the state and the First Tee of West Michigan.

“It’s been amazing to relive the story of Maurice Flitcroft and how I not only got to know him but play golf with him,” Moore said. “It’s a feel good movie that hits all the right notes. People will

earning him the media tags of the world’s worst golfer and the Walter Mitty of golf.

The then 46-year-old shipyard crane operator in Barrow-in-Furness became a hoaxer and regularly attempted to enter the Open and other golf tournaments. He went as far as wearing disguises and using pseudonyms.

Terry’s brother, Tim, a member at Blythefield Country Club, paid homage to the 121 score by naming the annual member-guest tournament after Flitcroft. Terry 10 years later invited the real Flitcroft to play in the tournament named for him. Flitcroft died in 2007 at the age of 77, but the story has lived on.

The movie brings his story and the love story with his wife Jean to light, and Moore is portrayed by actor Michael Capozzola for the

like it including non-golfers.”

coming to Michigan part.

The movie includes a back-story involving Moore, and is the surreal story of Flitcroft, who

By Greg Johnson

became famous or notorious – your pick – after entering a 1976 British Open qualifier and shooting a 121, the highest score recorded in any round associated with the Open and

Get tickets Here! Phantom of the Open Film Benefit Event :: About This Event (golfgenius.com)

36

GAM NEWS

Private Team Distinguished Service: Lee Juett of Dominates Singles, Wins Atlas Trophy Bloomfield Hills Receives GAM Honor Matches Lee Juett of Bloomfield Hills, who has served the Golf Association of Michigan in various volunteer roles including president over the last three decades, was named the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Service Award.

“I was surprised when I received the call and honored for sure,” Juett said. “It’s not something that was part of a plan. I’ve lived long enough and volunteered long enough that it seems these kind of things happen, and I’m very pleased.”

Ken Hartmann, senior director of competitions and USGA services for the GAM, said, “He’s been a great ambassador for Michigan golf and for us at Oakland Hills. He’s always supported the Evans Scholars, he likes working with the turfgrass guys and realizes how important they are to golf. You can also count on him to always have a great perspective on things, be levelheaded and see both sides.”

Juett stepped up to manage the U.S. Amateur when it was played at Oakland Hills in 2016 and was masterful in the role.

At Marshal Country Club in May, the Private Team turned back the Public Team 16-8 to win the Women's Atlas Trophy Matches for a second consecutive year.

Winners for the Private Team on the day included Olivia Stoll of Country Club of Lansing, Natalie Samdal of StoneWater in Caledonia, Darci Stocker of Davison Country Club, Kimberly Dinh of Midland Country Club, Mia Melendez of Polo Fields in Ann Arbor, Elise Fennell of Railside in Byron Center, teenager Sophie Stevens of Prestwick Village in Highland and Cindy Troyanovich of Country Club of Detroit.

The Women’s Atlas Trophy matches were first played in 1989. Women GAM members who belong to any private club, and GAM members who do not belong to a private club, go head-to-head. The matches are unique in that teams are made up of golfers of all ages, including seniors and juniors.

Host site Marshall Country Club is celebrating its centennial in 2022.

30th Women's Atlas Trophy Matches Event :: Tournament Results (golfgenius.com)

By Greg Johnson

EVANS SCHOLARS OPPORTUNITIES

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Expanded Career Service Partnership for Evans Scholars networking sessions and mentoring. Among the current Plante Moran leaders are Evans Scholars Alumni Jason Drake (MSU ’00), group managing partner, and Ted Morgan (MSU ’99), management consulting partner.

Each year roughly 25 Michigan caddies become Evans Scholars with full ride, fouryear scholarships to their choice of Michigan or Michigan State.

Now they and all other Evans Scholars across the U.S. can get extra networking and mentorships from accounting firm Plante Moran. The Western Golf Association’s (WGA) Evans Scholars Foundation (ESF) and Plante Moran has established a formal partnership as part of the continued efforts to support Evans Scholars through the Career Services Program.

Both are working together to provide personalized career counsel and a continuum of support to Evans Scholars along their journey from caddie, to college, to career.

The partnership that was formalized in January of 2022 includes the opportunity for Evans Scholars to engage with Plante Moran leaders through virtual and in-person workshops as well as career training,

“Plante Moran and the Evans Scholars Foundation have a long history of making a positive impact on the lives of young people with a mutual commitment to providing opportunities for professional development,” Drake said. “As Ted and I learned in the caddie yard and through the Scholarship House, the power of the Evans Scholars community is second to none.”

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SR. PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

New Sr. PGA Champion Crowned Memorial Day Weekend

By Tom Lang New Zealander Steve Alker tore up Harbor Shores along the sandy beach of Lake Michigan on the final day with an 8-under 63 despite very high winds, to snatch away the Sr. PGA Championship trophy from his over-age-50 competitors.

It was Alker’s 3rd win in his rookie season on the PGA Tour Champions, following an average pro career prior spread out in more than 550 tournaments over three decades across the globe. The $630,000 payday raised his season winnings to nearly $2 million.

Alker began the day making birdie on three of the first five holes while many other players went backwards. There was a three-way tie with Bernhard Langer and 54-leader Stephen Ames on the back nine before Alker made birdie at the 508-yard, par-5 15th along the Paw Paw River. A final birdie at 16 and two par saves coming in secured the title.

We hope you enjoy these images from the day, provided by MI Golf Journal photographer David Lee of Lansing.

WWW.MIGOLFJOURNAL.COM

39 Miguel Angel Jimenez

Scott McCarron