m i c h i g a n g o l f e x p l o r e r. c o m
Bucks Run Golf Course Photo by Nile Young Photography
A Fade Into Autumn
Voted
“ Greatest Midwest Town� -Midwest Living Magazine
color tours | shopping | fantastic dining microbreweries | wine tasting four seasons of outdoor recreation Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
TraverseCity.com | 800-TRAVERSE
Hole 7, The Links Bay Harbor Golf Club Hole 4, Arthur Hills Boyne Highlands Resort
Hole 13, Donald Ross Memorial Boyne Highlands Resort
Hole 18, The Monument Boyne Mountain Resort
Hole 15, Crooked Tree Bay Harbor
3 Memorable Resorts 10 Award-winning Courses 153 Holes of Championship Golf
#1 Favorite U.S. Golf Resort for Value #2 Favorite U.S. Golf Resort #2 Favorite U.S. Golf Resort for Buddy Trips
866.358.5402 BOYNEGolf.com/GolfExplorer
michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
5
Welcome to 6
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
Lochenheath Traverse City Photography by Brian Walters Photography
michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
7
48
Volume 1, Issue 3
Contents
58
18
Burnished: leaves, harvest, and golf |
32
History refreshed |
38
places to play, stay, savor, and see in Michigan’s autumnal great outdoors
the cottages designed to reflect its community’s surrounding roots
HawksHead’s footprint begins to take wing |
while the golf course is the biggest draw, the Inn proves to be an attraction all on its own
42
Futures to watch: Lindsey McPherson |
a rising star on the ever-growing list of Michigan golfers
42
46
Northern golf in full flight |
48
The quick trip |
with recently added nonstop flight, Michigan is only a plane ticket away
a solution to the fast-paced American way of life
52 Cruising Cadillac |
the great destinations in the Cadillac area
8
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
54
Gaylord golfing getaway |
58
The True North experience |
66
Arrivals |
Gaylord Golf Mecca hits a milestone
a private golf club and residential community in norther Michigan is bringing rich design to the game
some of the airports providing convenient access to incredible golf in Michigan
GOLF SPA SHOP DINE CASINO
GET UP AND GO The paradise of golf in Northern Michigan is more than a manicured green, orchard-lined fairway or battling The Bear. More than award-winning course design, spacious Clubhouse or veteran instructors. It’s having all of those things at your fingertips. You won’t believe it if you haven’t seen it. Get up and go at GrandTraverseResort.com/Golf.
#gtresort Owned and Operated by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
GORGEOUS
GREENS FO R E FALL .
Enjoy the cool autumn air and spend the day on one of Crystal Mountain’s two championship golf courses. With beautiful views, unique challenges at every turn, and amenities like firstclass lodging, dining, scenic on-site adventures and more – you’re sure to make it your moment. Enjoy our 18 -hole package. Starting at $74 per person, per night.
Book your golf vacation now! Call 877.288.9775
MAKE IT YOUR MOMENT.
FROM THE EDITOR In this autumnal supplement to our annual golf lifestyle publication, we continue to offer a mix of features highlighting the game, the people, and the destinations in the Great Lakes State. With the playing season rounding the corner of its last few holes, The Golf Explorer: Michigan’s Journal to Incredible Golf provides one last look to the greens. As the golds and reds quickly roll across the state in a vibrant patchwork display, we highlight a few of the great routes to travel for those seeking a tour of fall’s bountiful harvest—including the many wineries and breweries inherent to the region. This issue also looks to the rich design found in the cottages and lodging at a number of golfing destinations, the young professional making waves on the growing list of Michigan golfers, and the quick trips and golfing meccas found in the state. We now welcome you to the second digital edition of The Golf Explorer: Michigan’s Journal to Incredible Golf. Even as the pulse of the playing season slows, we hope the stories you find within continue to light the competitive fire for the game. Rachel J. Weick Editor | SVK Multimedia and Publishing The Golf Explorer: Michigan’s Journal to Incredible Golf
12
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
PILGR M’S RUN G
O
L
F
C
L
U
B
NEW 2017 GOLF CARS FEATURING USB PORTS!
Encounter one of West Michigan’s finest upscale public golf facilities. This magnificent course was built on over 400 acres and bears the hallmark of premier design and construction, with bentgrass fairways, distinctive green complexes, and 6 different yardages to play from! Pilgrim’s Run is a “must play” for golfers who enjoy the combination of tranquility, beauty, and great golf!
“Top 10 Hidden Gems in the U.S.” 2014 The Golf Channel
“#1 Favorite Course to Play in West Michigan,”
Readers of Grand Rapids Press/Mlive.com
2007 U.S. Open Qualifier Course record 29-36= 65
PGA Tour Two-Time U.S. Open winner Lee Janzen
(888) 533-7742 | pilgrimsrun.com
Waterside We had undeveloped land to build on. While other architects I had spoken to were overwhelmed by the details that came along with the property — clearing trees, drilling a well, etc. — Wayne actually embraced them. He took our needs and vision and transformed it before our eyes to become a concrete plan we could get excited about. It ended up being exactly what we always wanted. You dream it. We’ll draw it.
visbeen.com/waterside - 616.285.9901 Grand Rapids - Chicago - Bluffton - Bay Harbor
One Golf Resort…
Three Award Winning Golf Courses
Torch #7
An tr im D el
ls #3 S und
ance
#11
Golf Packages From
Stay
$165 pp
2 NIGHTS
Play
1 to 4 Bedroom Condos Overlooking Torch Lake • Perfect for any size group!
ALL 3 COURSES
54 Holes of Championship Golf
•
800-678-0122
Contributors Writers Riley Collins and Greg Johnson Photographers Brian Walters Photography Nile Young Photography MichiganGolfExplorer.com Editor Rachel J. Weick Creative and Design Chris H. Pastotnik | H3 Designs
Circulation David Fant, Market Mapping Plus Printing and Mailing Walsworth Printing Holland Litho
Advertising Sales John C. Olsa johno@svkmp.com
Legal Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge Brian Pearson, Attorney Accounting Pennell CPA Fred Pennell, CPA, CGMA Brian Furness, CPA
Western Michigan Sales Kim Amesbury kamesbury@comcast.net
FINANCE Lake Michigan Credit Union
Publisher John C. Olsa
•
w w w. Ag a m i ng G o l f.c o m
The Golf Explorer is printed once per year, with 80,000 copies printed each issue and 73,000 via direct mail to our database. PO Box 586 Hudsonville, MI 49426 (616) 379-4001 michigangolfexplorer.com/contact-us/ ©2017 All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or reproduced without written consent of publisher. Advertising rates found at michigangolfexplorer.com SVK Media & Publishing is not responsible for unsolicited materials or contributions.
facebook.com/ michigangolfexplorer/
svkmp.com
michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
15
More Golf For Your Bucket List
The Loop — Red No. 6/Black No. 12
With the addition of Tom Doak’s reversible design,
e Loop, Forest Dunes now offers 54 holes of Bucket List Golf. Experience a no frills throwback to eras past with e Loop’s rm, fescue fairways, interesting green complexes and rugged bunkering. Imagine playing the walking-only course in one direction one day, then reversing the routing the next and experiencing a completely different course. e Loop’s minimalist design is the perfect complement to the Tom Weiskopf-designed Forest Dunes course that is annually ranked as one of the top 25 public courses in the United States. Guests stay as close as 35 yards from the rst tee in our well-appointed lodge, villas and cottages. 2016 National Golf Course of the Year — NGCOA 2016 Best New Public Course — Golf Digest 2016 Best New Course You Can Play — GOLF Magazine
Forest Dunes No. 18
The Loop — Black No. 4/Red No. 14
forestdunesgolf.com | (989) 275-0700 | info@forestdunesgolf.com Lake AuSable Lodge
Contributors
The True Up North
Nile Young | Photographer With a portfolio spanning more than 400 courses across the globe, Nile Young is among the foremost photographers in the industry. His library includes some of finest golf properties in the world, including: The Old Course at St Andrews, Michigan’s Arcadia Bluffs, Tucker’s Point in Bermuda, Florida’s StreamSong Resort, Wisconsin’s Whistling Straits, and Mexico’s Mayacoba. Nile’s expertise extends to lifestyle, portraiture and architectural imagery for many of the world’s top resort brands, including Wyndham, Walt Disney World Golf, Four Seasons, World Golf Village, Hilton and Waldorf Astoria, among others. His work has been published in such notable titles as Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, and Links Magazine, as well as the Sports Illustrated and Jack Nicklaus calendars.
2 & 3 DAY ALL-INCLUSIVE GOLF ADVENTURES
Golf, Food Vouchers, Sleeve of Balls, Overnight Accommodations, Daily Breakfast & Use of the Range
2-DAY / 1-NIGHT 36 HOLE PACKAGE
$149 per golfer
3-DAY / 2-NIGHT
54 HOLE PACKAGE
Greg Johnson | writer Greg Johnson has written about Michigan golf for 34 years, and owns a media services business in Hudsonville. He serves as co-chair of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame Committee, and in 2012, the Michigan Golf Course Owners Association presented him with the Bruce Matthews Lifetime Achievement Award.
$249 per golfer
Newly renovated rooms Two on-site restaurants Indoor pool, jacuzzi, and sauna Several partner courses nearby
CALL TO BOOK! 231-775-9947 Mention “Golf Explorer” 36 hole or 54 hole package to get this special rate Prices are per golfer, based on double occupancy, and include all applicable taxes. Rates are not valid with current bookings, outings, or leagues. Subject to lodging and tee time availability. Valid throughout the 2017 season only.
EvergreenResortMI.com 7880 Mackinaw Trail, Cadillac, MI 49601 michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
17
Burnished: leaves, harvest, and golf
While summer—that glorious season of warm sunlight and beckoning freshwater waves— holds the hearts of many, autumn is a season for poets. As the leaves begin to turn and crispness settles in the late afternoon air, there is a subtle shift throughout the region as days shorten and evenings stretch toward a coming chill. 18
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
Brian Walters photography
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa: The Bear, Hole 1
michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
19
Shanty Creek: Schuss, Hole 7
Text: R.J. Weick
I
t is a season of reflection and celebration, when the harvest ripens into palate-sating culinary spreads, thirst-quenching cider and microbrew beer, and richly full wines. When the nearly 19 million acres of wooded land throughout Michigan unfurl into a brilliant tapestry of warm colors—crimson, orange, gold, pink, and yellow—the landscape alights with its annual display, and residents and visitors are drawn to the open road to catch a glimpse of the living artwork. In Michigan trails and routes are as abundant as its agricultural harvest, winding through autumnal patchworks and tree tunnels. The colorful backdrop can be found whether it is heading north on United States Route 31, cradled between Torch Lake and the Grand Traverse Bay, toward Charlevoix and Mackinaw City; driving east on Michigan Route 23 to Cheboygan, where the white pines, cedar, and birch of Bois Blanc Island are almost visible along the Straits of Mackinac; traveling the western shore of the West Arm Grand Traverse Bay on Michigan Route 22 to Michigan Route 204 and moving through Suttons Bay and Lake Leelanau; or
20
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
finding a fork in the road directing travelers either north to Leland or west to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. While at times it is indeed about the journey—especially among the burnished leaves—there are also numerous destinations holding an equal sway on travelers who are in need of a short respite. Wineries, microbreweries, restaurants, and resorts can be found marking the landscape with their signature, not unlike the scorecards of golfers seeking to hold onto the backswing for a moment longer. With the tempering weather, a breathtaking landscape, the invitation of a toast over locally harvested food, and the slight hardening of the turf letting the little white ball roll a little further, it is no wonder Michigan’s golfing season tends to push its way into early October. The reduced crowds and often lowered rates among many courses in the state are just a couple added bonuses. As the season in Michigan trades humidity for lingering traces of apples on the breeze, The Golf Explorer: Michigan’s Journal to Incredible Golf has outlined a few of the places to play, stay, and celebrate. By no means exhaustive, the list offers an eclectic dish for both the golf and culinary enthusiast. Courtesy The Grand Hotel Brian Walters photography
PLAY AND STAY Shanty Creek Resorts Summit | 5780 Shanty Creek Road, Bellaire Schuss | 1826 Schuss Mountain Lane, Mancelona Cedar River | 2400 Troon Drive S., Bellaire Courses: The Legend | Arnold Palmer Cedar River | Tom Weiskopf Schuss Mountain Summit Golf Course | William Diddel On-site lodging: Yes Packages: Golf, family, romantic, extended, group, spa, and more. Boyne Boyne Mountain Resort | 1 Boyne mountain Road, Boyne Falls Boyne Highlands Resort | 600 Highland Drive, Harbor Springs Inn at Bay Harbor | 3600 Village Harbor Drive, Bay Harbor Courses: Crooked Tee Golf Club | Arthur Hills The Links at Bay Harbor Golf Club | Arthur Hills The Quarry at Bay Harbor golf Club | Arthur Hills The Preserve at Bay Harbor Golf Club | Arthur Hills The Heather at Boyne Highlands | Robert Trent Jones The Moor at Boyne Highlands Arthur Hills at Boyne Highlands | Arthur Hills Donald Ross Memorial at Boyne Highlands The Alpine at Boyne Mountain The Monument at Boyne Mountain On-site lodging: Yes Packages: Boyne Mountain and Boyne Falls, Great Escape Golf Vacation, Inn at Bay Harbor and Bay Harbor Cottages
Lakewood Shores Golf Resort 7751 Cedar Lake Road, Oscoda Courses: The Gailes | Kevin Aldridge Blackshire | Kevin Aldridge The Serradella | Bruce Matthews On-site lodging: Yes Packages: Weekend, custom, weekday, family getaway, and more A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort 627 Agaming Drive, Kewadin Courses: Sundance Course Torch Course Antrim Dells | Jerry Matthews On-site lodging: Yes Packages: Unlimited, resort, off-season, and more
Crystal Mountain: Mountain Ridge, Hole 15
Grand Traverse Resort & Casinos 100 Grand Traverse Village Blvd., Acme Courses: The Bear | Jack Nicklaus The Wolverine | Gary Player Spruce Run On-site lodging: Yes Packages: Golf, spa, dinner, and more Crystal Mountain 12500 Crystal Mountain Drive, Thompsonville Courses: Mountain Ridge Course Betsie Valley Course On-site lodging: Yes Packages: Lodging, unlimited golf, and more
Courtesy Crystal Mountain
michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
21
Gull Lake View Golf Club & Resort 7417 North 38th Street, Augusta Courses: Gull Lake View West | Scott Family Gull Lake View East | Scott Family Stonehedge North | Scott Family Stonehedge South | Scott Family Bedford Valley | William Mitchell Stoatin Brae | Renaissance Golf Design On-site lodging: Yes Packages: Midweek, mid-season, early fall, fall color, group golf, and more Garland Lodge & Golf Resort 4700 North Red Oak Road, Lewiston Courses: Fountains Course Monarch Course Swampfire Course Reflections Course On-site lodging: Yes Packages: Holiday, lodging, Canadian, and more. Manistee National Golf & Resort 4797 U.S. 31 South Manistee Courses: Cutters’ Ridge | Jerry Matthews
Canthooke Valley | Gary Pulsipher On-site lodging: Yes Packages: Weekend, weekday, custom, and unlimited Bay Valley Golf Club & Resort 2470 Old Bridge Road, Bay City Courses: Bay Valley Course | Desmond Muirhead On-site lodging: Yes Packages: Fall, weekday, and weekend The Homestead 1 Wood Ridge Road, Glen Arbor Courses: Mountain Flowers Course Manitou Passage at Manitou Passage Golf Club | Arnold Palmer On-site lodging: Yes Packages: Stay, play, and dine Thunder Bay Resort 27800 M 32, Hillman Courses: Thunder Bay Resort Golf Course On-site lodging: Yes Packages: Twin Pines stay and play, discounted weekday rates, and more
Manitou Passage, Hole 17
22
||
Brian Walers Photography
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
You’ll remember the awesome lakeside settings, majestic hilltop vistas and pristine conditions long after you’ve forgotten your scores. To golfers of all abilities, this is a Michigan treasure.
800.845.2828 Free Golf Guide Petoskey
u
Harbor Springs
u
Bay Harbor
u
Boyne City
FALL HARVEST Aurora Cellars 7788 East Horn Road, Lake Leelanau Northern Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail. Bel Lago Vineyard & Winery 6530 South Lake Shore Drive, Cedar Sleeping Bear Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Black Star Farms The Inn at Black Star Farms | 10844 E. Revold Road, Suttons Bay Suttons Bay Tasting Room | 10844 E. Revold Road, Suttons Bay Old Mission Tasting Room | 360 McKinley Road E., Traverse City The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trails Blustone Vineyards 780 N. Sylt Road, Lake Leelanau Northern Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Boathouse Vineyards 115 St. Mary’s Street, Lake Leelanau Northern Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Brengman Brothers at Crain Hill Vineyards 9720 S. Center Highway, Traverse City Grand Traverse Bay Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail 24
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
Chateau de Leelanau 5048 S. West Bay Shore Drive, Suttons Bay Grand Traverse Bay Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Chateau Fontaine 2290 South French Road, Lake Leelanau Sleeping Bear Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Cherry Republic The Winery in Glen Arbor | 6026 South Lake St., Glen Arbor Sleeping Bear Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Ciccone Vineyard & Winery 10343 Hilltop Road, Suttons Bay Grand Traverse Bay Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail 45 North Vineyard & Winery 8580 E. Horn Road, Lake Leelanau Northern Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail French Valley Vineyards Vineyard Inn, 1338 N. Pebble Beach Drive, Suttons Bay Northern Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Good Harbor Vineyards 34 South Manitou Trail, Lake Leelanau Sleeping Bear Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Green Bird Cellars and Farms 9825 E. Engles Road, Northport Northern Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail courtesy Travcerse City Tourism
L. Mawby 4519 S. Elm Valley Road, Suttons Bay Grand Traverse Bay Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Laurentide Winery 56 S. French Road, Lake Leelanau Sleeping Bear Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Leelanau Wine Cellars 5019 North West Bay Shore Drive, Omena Northern Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Rove Estate 7007 E. Traverse Highway, Traverse City Sleeping Bear Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Shady Lane Cellars 9580 E. Shady Lane, Suttons Bay Grand Traverse Bay Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Silver Leaf Vineyard & Winery 11087 E. Silver Leaf Farm Road, Suttons Bay Northern Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Tandem Ciders 2055 N. Setterbo Road, Suttons Bay Northern Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Verterra Winery 103 River Street, Leland Northern Loop, Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail
Beards Brewery 215 E. Lake Street, Petoskey Biere De Mac Brew Works 14277 Mackinaw Highway, Wawatam Right Brain Brewery 225 E. Sixteenth Street, Traverse City Cheboygan Brewing Co. 101 N. Main Street, Cheboygan Clam Lake Beer Company 106 S. Mitchell Street, Cadillac Earthen Ales 1371 Gray Drive #200, Traverse City Hop Lot Brewery 658 S.W. Bay Shore Drive, Suttons Bay Jolly Pumpkin Restaurant, Brewery, Distillery 13512 Peninsula Drive, Traverse City Lake Charlevoix Brewing Co. 111 Bridge Park Drive, Charlevoix Petoskey Brewing Co. 1844 M 119 Harbor-Petoskey Road, Petoskey Short’s Brewing Co. 121 N. Bridge Street, Bellaire
2 Lads Winery 16985 Smokey Hollow Road, Traverse City The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula Bowers Harbor Vineyards 2896 Bowers Harbor Road, Traverse City The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery 3309 Blue Water Road, Traverse City The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula Chateau Chantal 15900 Rue Devin, Traverse City The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula Chateau Grand Traverse 12239 Center Road, Traverse City The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula Hawthorne Vineyards 1000 Camino Maria Drive, Traverse City The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula Mari Vineyards 8175 Center Road, Traverse City The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula Peninsula Cellars 11480 Center Road, Traverse City The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula
26
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
Thinkstock.com
THE
BEST
DAYS.
With W ith 24/7 slots, table games and dining, here’s one more thing to love about West Michigan. GRAND RAPIDS
96
196
66
131
HASTINGS ALLEGAN 43 89
GUNLAKECASINO.COM 269.792.7777 • US 131 | EXIT 61 Must be 21 or older. © 2017 Gun Lake Tribal Gaming Authority.
40
KALAMAZOO 94
A Mike DeVries Design
Minutes From Downtown Grand Rapids
Newly Designed Clubhouse
Special Events and Outings
Ranked #20 in Michigan’s Best Public Access Courses, Golfweek 2013 America’s Best New Courses 2006, Golf Digest Visit minesgolfcourse.com to learn more and to book your tee time.
minesgolfcourse.com | 616.791.7544
Short drive. Long fairways.
1929-2016
The legendary Arnold Palmer Signature course in Saugatuck. A Golf Digest “must play!”
Come play Grand Rapid’s finest course, meticulously groomed for even the most demanding player. Plus, groups of 8-16 players always get special Group Rates when they pre-book. Call (616) 676.2000 or visit us at QuailRidgeGC.com 2 Hours North of Chicago
Grand Rapids
196
Located in Ada, Michigan.
Ravines
94
Chicago
90
Call (888) 709.4427 R AV I N E S G O L F C L U B . C O M
Book 18 and we’ll give you 9 holes FREE! MyEmergency9.com
Book 18 and we’ll give you 9 holes FREE! MyEmergency9.com
Weddings • Dining • Outings
The only way to fly and drive.
Up Nort h Golf Wit hout The Drive
LO C AT E D I N T H E S C E N I C K A L A M A ZO O R I V E R VA L L E Y
269- 694-5969 — lynxgc.com
FlyFord.org Lynx_Qtr_GEV1.indd 1
2/15/17 10:18 AM
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN
25 golf courses • 30+ breweries • 100s of dining & entertainment options
ntact
om or
Meijer LPGA Classic LPGA’s ”Best Tournament” Two Years Running June 13-18, 2017
ExperienceGR.com/Golf michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
31
History refreshed: The Crooked Tree Cottages are designed to reflect the community’s roots.
Text: R.J. Weick
“W
e knew we needed a product that was a true golfer niche—a transient product that would still have good views of Lake Michigan, but be golfer-centric,” said Stephen Kircher, president of eastern operations at Boyne Resorts, in reference to the Crooked Tree Golf Cottages at Crooked Tree Golf Club. “They really create a sense of place. It is an architecture historically connecting them to what was built here in the early 1900s and late 1800s,” Kircher added. Crooked Tree Golf Club is carved along the hardwood-lined bluffs above Bay Harbor near Petoskey and Charlevoix in northern Michigan. The golf club was initially developed in the early 1990s by Steven Matthews and when the nearby Inn at Bay Harbor and 27-hole Bay Harbor golf course was developed in the mid-1990s, Boyne Resorts became a partner in the golfing destination. “The involvement started when the Bay Harbor project kicked off in the mid-90s and
32
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
[Matthews] was already under development of single family lots at that time,” Kircher said. “We then expanded into the product that is now the Crooked Tree Golf Cottages once the hotel and golf course across the street was under development.” The Cottages, which were designed by Gary Nance of Nance Design in Carmel, Indiana, are more traditional in their architectural style and reflect a vernacular reminiscent of the surrounding area and community’s history. Overlooking Lake Michigan on the bluff, the cottages are nestled along the 18-hole championship golf course designed by architect Arthur Hills. “[Nance] has a real feel for architecture. He is a designer, but he works on residential projects like that and captured the essence of a small footprint, shingle-style Victorian cottage,” Kircher said. “They are not 120 years old like many of the cottages of the era with the same architecture, so they are a fresh interpretation. It allows people to have a real sense of place and be in a location where they are surrounded by greenery, golf, and all the Brian Walters Photography
michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
33
amenities of a four-star hotel.” With its white exterior, covered front porch and series of white columns lining the front façade, and its charming interiors, the two-and three-bedroom cottages have a traditional aesthetic capturing the history of its surrounding area. At nearly 1,024 square-feet, the two-bedroom cottages offer two full-baths, a queen-andtwin bed configuration, and the ability to accommodate up to eight guests; while the three-bedroom cottages have a footprint of about 1,600 square-feet, which features three full-baths, and a king-, queen-, and twin-bed configuration for up to eight guests. Kircher noted based on the partnership with Crooked Tree and Boyne Resorts, the golf club is considered part of the entire Bay Harbor experience from a resort perspective. The Crooked Tree Cottages, fully furnished and available for rent, was a great complement designed specifically with golfers in mind to the Inn at Bay Harbor accommodations and 34
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
nearby waterfront Lakeside Cottages. “We look at it as all one cohesive experience and you have access to 45 holes [of golf], the spa, the beach club, the pool, the amenities, the bike rentals, and the trail systems at the resort,” Kircher said. “You have more space, have the greenery of the golf course surrounding you, and you have that vista of the lake and bay in a less hectic setting.” Considered under of the BOYNE Golf umbrella—10 championship courses totaling 153 holes of golf among three resorts—Crooked Tree Golf Club and Bay Harbor Golf Club are separated by only 2.5 miles and a complimentary shuttle service can transport golfers to each golfing destination. The 18-hole course at Crooked Tree Golf Club was recently redesigned by Arthur Hills and the team at Hills & Forrest-International Golf Course Architects. The project comprised remodeling the 16th, 17th, and 18th hole; greens-work, decreasing the slope on the 16th hole, and reshaping the
17th, and 18th hole; and bunker work on the 18th hole. “There were a couple of holes that were a little less than friendly for high-handicappers and anybody who can’t carry the ball very far. There were some forced areas we needed to take care of,” Kircher said. “We massaged several of the holes and really improved the experience at Crooked Tree. The response has been fantastic to those changes, and we have a couple more in the works.” Boyne Resorts, headquartered in Boyne Falls, Michigan, has become of the largest owners and operators of ski and golf resorts in the United States since its establishment in 1947. Its collection of resorts has grown to comprise resort destinations across North America, featuring year-round sport and leisure activities and high-end amenities, such as those found at the well-known Michigan brands: Boyne Mountain, Boyne Highlands, and the Inn at Bay Harbor.
Brian Walters Photography
Traverse City Golf
gift from the glaciers Here in Traverse City, we love to brag about our beautiful golf courses. But the real credit should go to the glaciers.
Shanty Creek Courtesy Brian Walters Photography
michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
35
T
owering dunes and moraines left behind some 8,000 years ago by those retreating ice sheets give the Traverse City area its distinctive landscape of long hills, narrow valleys and iridescent lakes. It wasn’t until the 1980s that this perfect terrain began to attract the attention of America’s most talented golf architects, and they put the finishing touches on the natural setting that was already here. Golfers who play Traverse City will quickly discover how those designers used our unique terrain to create a scenic “Up North” experience that’s particularly satisfying. Make sure you bring every club in your bag – you’ll need them all to play Traverse City golf – but pack a camera for shots of those steep forested hillsides, verdant orchards and unbelievable vistas of sky and water. Even our off-the-beaten-path Up North location is a bonus. You’ll find our courses much less crowded than the links you’re used to. And in summer, when most of America’s better-known golf destinations are sweltering in heat and hu-
36
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
midity, the coastal hills around Grand Traverse Bay are cool and comfortable all day long. Over the years, Traverse City has gradually grown to be a charming little city, but it hasn’t lost any of the natural beauty and small-town atmosphere that make it so much fun to visit. We produce some of the best wines in the country, our craft brew scene is getting rave reviews, and we’re widely hailed as one of America’s up and coming “foodie” towns. (Bon Appetit magazine lists us among the top five in the nation.) Shoppers love our shady, pedestrian-friendly downtown with its many boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops and galleries, and the Grand Traverse Commons -- a former mental asylum -- offers some shopping and dining adventures of its own. And when that summer sun finally goes down, there’s still plenty to do. Nightlife in Traverse City can be an evening of cool jazz in a downtown restaurant, some cutting-edge rock in a Union Street bistro, or some gaming fun in a local casino.
Above Courtesy Tony Demin; left Courtesy Shanty Creek
And, strange as it may sound, summer days are actually longer here. Traverse City is at the western edge of the eastern time zone, so far north that the light of a midsummer day can last until nearly 10 p.m. – which means it’s easy to get in a full 18 holes, visit a winery, spend an hour at the beach, enjoy a great dinner, and still have time for a second round.
Sound like paradise? Well, yeah. But don’t thank us. Thank the glaciers. Top/Middle Courtesy Tony Demin; Bottom Courtesy Andy Wakeman Photography
michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
37
HawksHead’s footprint begins to take wing
38
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
Brian Walters Photography
Text: R.J. Weick
T
o the east of Interstate Route 196 north of South Haven, Michigan, a wide-open, rolling terrain unfurls in traditional links-style splendor. HawksHead Links Golf Course, a par-72, 18-hole championship course marked by the signature handiwork of well-known architect Arthur Hills, features native high grasses, fescue mounding, and bunkers interspersed throughout on the naturally sandbased landscape. “I think the golf course is probably our biggest draw,” said Theressa Ruppert, event coordinator and manager of HawksHead Inn and Golf. “People love our course: it has very wide fairways and it is a links-style course. People gravitate towards that and we have a huge practice area.” While the course itself is enough to beckon golfers to the HawksHead grounds, the Inn at HawksHead proves an attraction all its own as a classic example of rich architecture nestled along the links. Built in the 1930s, the building reflects the modest characteristics that often defined the Tudor Revival architectural movement between the late 1800s and early 1900s: steeply pitched-roofs, half-timbering, high chimneys, and pillared porches draped with overhanging first floors.
Courtesy Hawkshead
“We bought it from a couple out of Chicago who had an asparagus farm and used what was here as the footprint for what we needed,” Ruppert said. “The only thing we really needed to add on was in the attic: we changed it into four bedrooms, so we have a total of nine bedrooms.” While the mansion’s function has adapted over the years and has been renovated—walls have been painted and a guest-inspired collection has accrued over the years in the den—Ruppert indicated the look and feel of the Inn has remained true to its original aesthetic, including the original oak hardwood. “We kept the place quaint; it still looks like the Tudor mansion,” Ruppert said. “There is a lot of really great wood in this house; it is original and it is in great shape. We didn’t want to mess with any of that and it is beautiful.” As a bed and breakfast, the Inn at HawksHead features traditional old world-inspired touches, modern amenities, complimentary continental breakfast served in the room, and a casual, albeit fine dining restaurant. Known as the HawksHead Restaurant, it features a main dining room blending comfort and elegance, a pub area with rich woodwork and deeply hued walls, and a diversified menu: lamb, duck, filet mignon, Delmonico steak, salmmichiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
39
on, and blackened chicken, to salads, chorizo flatbread, bacon tater tots, and gouda macaroni. Recently, the golf course has expanded its event space offerings for wedding receptions and rehearsals, dinner parties,
40
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
and bridal showers with the investment in a pad that can accommodate up to 300 people outside. HawksHead also finalized construction of two new cottages, which have four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a capacity for up to roughly eight individuals. “It originally started with more and more people wanting to build here, and the first subdivision for HawksHead was already pretty much saturated,” Ruppert said. “We had the idea for cottages, because we knew we needed more room since golfers would come stay and play, and then we wouldn’t have any more room for people.” Dubbed GoldenHawk, the two cottages are located on a cul-de-sac on the property along the back nine holes of the golf course. The interiors comprise exposed beams in the ceiling, board-and-batteninspired walls, wooden floors, and sliding barn doors that bring to mind a sense of the agricultural history and origins of the property. “We are finding that HawksHead is becoming a destination place, because you can come stay and you can play golf. We are only three minutes from the beach and we have shopping about 10 minutes from us,” Ruppert said. “We want people to come here and have an overall great experience, because we know that is what keeps them coming back.” Top: Brian Walters Photography Bottom Courtesy Hawkshead
Join the design conversation and subscribe now!
Go to greatlakesbydesign.com/shop to sign up for your copy of the bi-monthly design publication highlighting the world of design throughout the Great Lakes.
42
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
Futures to watch:
Lindsey McPherson Text: R.Collins
W
ith the recent boom of young golfers making waves on professional tours around the world continuing to unfold, so has the ever-growing list of notable Michigan golfers. It is a list comprising well-known names such as: Bob Ackerman, PGA Master Professional; Donna Caponi, 24-time winner and Ladies Professional Golf Association tour player; and Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, Michigan State University’s women’s golf coach and 2017 Michigan Golf Hall of Fame elect. As of 2016 Lindsey McPherson, recent Symetra Tour participant, Michigan State University Alum, and Flushing, Michigan-native, is making a name for herself within this group of professional athletes. Deemed a 2017 Symetra Tour rookie with an impressive history, McPherson will begin her personal road to the LGPA with high hopes and a growing group of supporters. Known for her work ethic onand-off the course, McPherson has cultivated an impressive talent for the sport since placing third at the 2009 Michigan High School Athletic Association, or MHSAA, Division Four Finals, at the age of 15-years-old, which earned her team an
all-state honor. During her collegiate career on the MSU women’s golf team, under coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, McPherson developed her game exponentially, allowing her to move from high school stand-out to a college athlete with an impressive list of statistics—such as placing in second at the Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship in 2014 and shooting a career low of 69 in her senior year. For many, it was clear even throughout her college career exciting opportunities awaited McPherson after graduation. After receiving the MSU Big Ten Sportsmanship award as a junior and receiving a sponsor exemption giving her clearance to compete in the Meijer LGPA Classic at the Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids, Mich. as a senior, it seemed that McPherson had the makings of a successful professional with some rare qualities; and so the LGPA came knocking. With the tour now in full swing, McPherson is proving that she can hold her own in a tough crowd, finishing fiveunder-par, with an average score of 74.667 at the Symetra Classic and coming in fourunder-par at the Tullymore Classic. With a series of short and sweet birdies at the 2017 Michigan Women’s Open resulting
michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
43
McPherson wen she won the 2017 Women’s Open Champion, at Crystal Mountain Resort
in McPherson’s Champion status—the result of a 12-foot putt on her favorite hole at the Crystal Mountain Resort—some would consider it the sweetest moment in her career thus far, with the win taking place on home-soil adding a bonus. The Symetra Tour’s upcoming Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge—often considered the official development tour of the LGPA—could potentially be as satisfying a sequel. The tournament began on August 31 at the Willow Run Golf Club in South Dakota, a par-71 course layout known for its picturesque fairways rolling through South Dakota’s countryside. Between tournaments, The Golf Explorer had a chance to speak with McPherson about her past before she continues to move down the fairway into a future with the LPGA.
44
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
When and why did golf become your sport? McPherson: I made golf my sport when I was 15 and I loved the fact that golf was “all on me.” You can’t blame your mistakes on anyone else; you just focus on your own weaknesses and try to make them your strengths. What would you say has been the proudest moment of your career so far? McPherson: Definitely winning the Michigan Open this summer! My whole family was there to watch and it was an event that I’ve always wanted to win— one that holds a special place in my heart. What makes Michigan golf special for you? McPherson: I’m very biased toward Michigan golf. The tall pines lining the fairways, the bentgrass down the fairways, and all of the beautiful trees changing colors during the fall: nothing compares to the beauty that it Michigan golf.
How was it being a student and athlete simultaneously? McPherson: It was very busy, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I learned a lot of lessons as a student athlete a lot of other college students miss out on. I also made some lifelong friends in the sport and was able to visit some incredible places. How did you progress after starting late in the game? How did you get to where you are now? McPherson: A lot of hard work. I’ve spent so much time working on my game. It’s how I have been able to improve so quickly. I also wouldn’t be in this situation without going to MSU and having great coaches throughout my years there too. What’s up next for you? McPherson: Next up is working really hard to finish out a strong first season on the Symetra Tour; our last tournament is the second week in October.
Grand Rapids’ premier public golf facility
Golf Outing Specialists GPS live scoring for events Banquets • Pavilion seating up to 250
Multiple Membership Options Internet Golf Specials Daily thornapplepointe.com
616.554.4747 7211 48th St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512
Northern golf in full flight With the recent addition of a nonstop flight from Texas, Michigan golfing destinations are only a plane ticket away. Text: Greg Johnson
W
hile Dallas continues to rank as one of the top golf markets in the country, it is stifled by high temperatures in the summer months. There is now a remedy for Texas golfers looking for a place to play where the summer months are perfect for golf: northern Michigan. Traverse City’s Cherry Capital Airport, or TVC, announced as of June 2, American Airlines would offer daily direct inbound and outbound service between Dallas Ft. Worth Airport, or DFW, and Traverse City. The summer service from between DFW and TVC added approximately 12,000 seats for travelers, expanding accessibility for those interested in the nonstop flights with early morning departures from DFW and an arrival at TVC by mid-afternoon. The ERJ-175 aircraft, which is operated by Envoy Air, then returns to DFW from TVC by evening the same day, given time change.
46
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
thinkstock.com
Treetops
Golfers from the southwest region of the United States have been taking advantage of the opportunity and arriving in Michigan to beat the heat, while visiting places like Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, or the Gaylord Golf Mecca— featuring a collection of 15 golf courses and 11 lodging partners. Paul Beachnau, executive director of the Gaylord Golf Mecca, said they welcomed the first flight in June with balloons, information, and excitement. “The Gaylord Golf Mecca can be enjoyed easier, because travel became easier to this region and from that region of the country,” Beachnau said. “The reaction Brian Walters photography
we are getting from the golfers is they are amazed at what they find here, especially the number of great courses to choose from in the Mecca.” Tim Norman, general manager at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, said people from Dallas and the southwest are greatly surprised there is Caribbean-clear-like water in Michigan, and that they can enjoy the resort experience with summer days lasting until nearly 10:00 p.m. The new services between Dallas and Traverse City are supported through the United States Department of Transportation’s Small Community Air Service De-
velopment Program. The grant is valued at $750,000 from the USDOT, and supplemented by nearly $305,000 in funding from community partners. The golfing industry in northern Michigan will also benefit from the anticipated addition of a daily service toand-from New York and Newark from TVC, which is expected to begin this summer as well. American Airlines also offers customers convenient direct service to TVC from its hub in Chicago, or ORD.
michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
47
The Mines
48
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
H3 designs
The quick trip Quail Ridge Golf Course
Text: Greg Johnson
C
onsider it an adaption for the modern, fast-paced lifestyle Americans have come to accept as routine: quick golfing trips. While the definition can depend upon the person—and even the circumstances of the week—a quick golfing trip could be 36 holes of golf in one day at two courses, or even 54 holes throughout a two-day excursion at three different courses. To accomplish this feat, however, it takes a formula. It is a solution in which one must plan worth-the-trip courses within a few miles apart, have access to an airport for those traveling a greater distance, and be aware of comfortable lodging and multiple options for dining. While the possibilities are endless, there are three quick trips that fit the formula for fast-paced golfers determined to have one more round of golf: Grand Rapids, the Lakeshore, and Lansing.
Courtesy Boyne Courtesy Quail Ridge Golf Course
In the Grand Rapids area, Pilgrim’s Run Golf Club, The Golf Club at Thornapple Pointe, Mines Golf Course, and Boulder Creek Golf Club promote quality trips with great pricing—such as a twoday, one-night, 36-hole, two-golf-course route—with easy, quick planning. The lodging point for the promoted package is the Country Inn & Suites Hotel, located at the junction of Interstate Route 96, Interstate Route 196, and the East Beltline. It promises comfort, a breakfast buffet, and is in close proximity to The Gravity Taphouse Grille, which is a sports bar featuring an industrial-inspired ambiance amid strong, wooden elements. Of course the Country Inn & Suites doesn’t have to be the only hotel option. Every major chain of lodging is seemingly represented within 10 miles of the eastern edge of the Grand Rapids area near Interstate 96 crossing 28th Street. In addition, a bevy of restaurant options are also available for any and all meals. As for the golf, add Quail Ridge Golf Club to the mix. It’s not part of the promoted options above, but as a person-
alized addition, the fun, playable, and interesting course—designed by Ray Hearn—provides a similar golf quality as the others. Hearn has studied the masters of architecture, and his double-green is great stuff. Pilgrim’s Run is the only real “drive” in the group, and yet it is worth all 25-rather-easy-going-northern-miles on United States Route 131 to Pierson. The green complexes were designed by Mike DeVries of Traverse City, and they are the most difficult part of the course that will both challenge and please at the same time. The flowing course, always in great shape and always welcoming, transports golfers away from it all in a relaxing, rich setting. DeVries also played a role in the design at the Mines Golf Course as well. The location of the golf course is an interesting story in-and-of-itself: it was built on the top of an old gypsum mine. As a destination, it provides a great public access option with competitive pricing, outstanding design elements, and proximity to downtown Grand Rapids.
michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
49
Thornapple Pointe
To the southeast, the 18-hole course at Thornapple Pointe curls up along the banks of the Thornapple River near Interstate 96 and Michigan Route 6 with its 7,000 feet of winding river frontage. It’s as nice as it looks with great conditioning, a fun design by Bill Newcomb and there is more room than you think on the great holes along the Thornapple River. Across town to the north, Boulder Creek provides visitors with the edge of the city feel with a great mix of sweeping golf hills over rolling terrain. It has been a local favorite for several years. Departing from the busier metropolis and heading west, the suggested Lakeshore quick trip destinations comprise: Grand Haven Golf Club, Grand Haven; Macatawa Legends Golf Club, Holland; and Ravines Golf Club, Saugatuck. While the trip requires some travel 50
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
time behind the wheel from Grand Rapids, it is less than an hour to the lakeshore. By lodging near any of the three towns, travel becomes equidistant between the courses heading north from Grand Haven to Holland, and Holland to Saugatuck. Look for a great bed-and-breakfast in Saugatuck, or check out the new Marriott Courtyard in downtown Holland with the nice sports bar—Big E’s Sports Grill—on the main floor of the building. Grand Haven, known as Coast Guard City U.S.A., is known for its multiple lodging options as its resort town status indicates. Tourism is a critical economic business for all three communities, and visitors are more than welcome. All three courses partner with local lodging options. Great dining is all along the cozy main streets of each community. Centrally located among the three,
Macatawa Legends is another Hearn design, though the difference lies in the creation of the variety of holes on a rather flat piece of land that has a growing community around it. Consider it Michigan’s version of a Florida course. To the north, the Grand Haven Golf Club is the work of the late Bruce Matthews Sr. It is cut through the rich woodlands just a few miles from Lake Michigan with great natural sand areas. It’s a course that truly fits the land. Its southern neighbor the Ravines in Saugatuck is the work of Arnold Palmer’s design company, and it does not disappoint. Chicago golfers visit routinely on the trip down around the southern part of Lake Michigan and find top-notch conditions for better-than-Chicago prices. courtesy thornapple pointe
If Mid-Michigan near Lansing is the intended destination, then head to the 18hole Eagle Eye Golf Course and 27-hole championship Hawk Hollow course, which are located across the road from one another and under the same property ownership. Eagle Eye is the course built by Pete Dye protégé Chris Lutzke, and it includes the replica of the great No. 17 Dye hole at TPC Sawgrass. It’s also No. 17 at Eagle Eye, but is just one of many great holes on what can be a very challenging golf course. Hawk Hollow is also a Jerry Matthews design, and friendlier than Eagle Eye, though be wary of the doglegs and shots that require forced carries. It’s a parkland style and more typical of Michigan courses than the flowing, expansive modern Eagle Eye. Lodging is in large supply nearby. A call to Eagle Eye will get you connected with play at Hawk Hollow, and they partner with local lodging options. Both places have great dining on site, but there are many more options just a few miles away in East Lansing. Nearby is Timber Ridge, a rolling testament to Michigan’s great topography that was the work of Jerry Matthews, another
of the Matthews lineage of architects. Timber Ridge remains a great value and getaway close the city. Golfers keeping their shots out of the trees and wetlands will have great fun. Ruby’s Bar & Grill on site has been renovated and works well as an easy dining option for a Lansing quick trip.
Despite the challenge of finding time to spend an extended period of time escaping the busyness of today’s lifestyle, strategic planning and quick trips are providing an viable solution to integrate as many holes and destinations as possible in a single weekend.
michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
51
Cruising Cadillac Text: Greg Johnson Golfers don’t have to travel in a boldlined Cadillac vehicle to Cadillac, Mich. to have an enjoyable experience in the area. Something that fits up to four individuals and their golf clubs and luggage will work equally well on an easy trip up United States Route 131 on the western side of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Once there, however, the Cadillac becomes part of the theme at one popular destination, even if golf is the primary reason for the trip, and it starts with Eldorado Golf Course. This is the golf course inspired by the Cadillac—specifically Eldorado—and features automobile names on different holes, such as Straight Pipe and Tailfin, as well as tee boxes dubbed Steel, Power, Chrome, Ride, and Comfort. It also has a Cadillac Grill restaurant nestled on a hill overlooking the course; and a 1959 and
52
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
1960 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz on display in the showroom. It’s cool, it’s classy; which can also be said of the golf, as well as unique. Bob Meyer, a businessman, was the owner with a plan and he did the design work, too. Note, the 27-hole course requires some shots over water, and good shots to maintain a good score. Visually the course is stunning—even as visitors roll by on U.S. 131—and it is well-maintained like the vintage cars on display. Meyer was going for the northern Michigan golf look often found at the resorts farther north of Cadillac—as well as better playing rates—and he succeeded. At Eldorado, there are multiple options available for golfers to select their nines and tees. The suggestion is to play 27—red, white, and blue nines—from the middle tees for men, and forward tees for the women. The forced carries are not as daunting from those tees, and yet there
is more than 6,000 yards of golf to be played for men and 5,500 yards for women on any of the 18-hole combinations. Of course longer and shorter options are available as each hole has seven tee options. From Eldorado, it is only a short three miles to Evergreen Resort, which offers golfing and lodging in combination. Formerly known as McGuire’s, Evergreen Resort features an 18-hole Spruce course, and a nine-hole Norway course. Recent improvements have been made across the board, both in terms of the greens and the lodging, and have transformed the destination into a popular family resort. The Spruce is on a hillside overlooking Lake Cadillac and winds through a pine forest with challenging smaller greens from the classic era of golf architecture. The Norway course is played most often by casual golfers or beginners. Various packages are available through the golf courtesy A-Ga-ming Todd Pierson
Championship Golf Course Restaurant • Inn New golf course cottages
269-639-2121 | hawksheadlinks.com 523 Hawks Nest Drive | South Haven, MI
GOLF WEEK’S
BEST
We take pride in providing a truly memorable experience to every guest, everytime.
Hawkshead_13_GEv1.indd 1
BLACK LAKE
2/22/17 7:07 AM
Golf Week 2016 #9 “Best State-by-State Courses You Can Play”
season. Dining at the resort provides guests with two great options: the imaginative regional cuisine in Passage North—The Grill, or the more casual tavern known as Curly’s Bar. The bar was named in honor of the McGuire’s co-founder Curly, who along with his wife Velma, began the resort in 1949 after purchasing a roadside restaurant. Eldorado and Evergreen don’t have to be the only stops for the weekend. The area has other courses located within 20 miles including Lakewood on the Green, west side of Cadillac; Missaukee Golf Club; Emerald Vale, a Bruce Matthews design; historic Cadillac Country Club; and Caberfae Peaks Golf Course. The Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau describes Cadillac as a playground for the taking, and golf is a great part of it.
GOLF CLUB
Public Welcome! • Rees Jones Award Winning Design • Golf Digest 2013 — #69 on “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.” • Golf Week 2013 — #6 “Best Courses to play in Michigan.” • Golf Digest 2013 — #39 on “America’s Top 50 Courses for Women.”
• Golf for Women — Top 100 Women — Friendly Courses in 2001. • Golf Week 2014 — #5 “Best Courses to play in Michigan.” • Certified by Audubon International, Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System and the Michigan State Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program.
www.blacklakegolf.com 2800 Maxon Road, Onaway, Michigan • 989-733-GOLF (4653)
michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
53
Treetops, Hole 7
54
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
Brian walters photography
Gaylord golfing getaway Text: Greg Johnson
F
or years Gaylord has been a great weekend getaway for golfers willing to make the trip to the middle of the state in search of great places to drive golf balls up the middle of fairways. It was 30 years ago when the Gaylord Golf Mecca was started as a cooperative marketing effort for the collection of golf in the area. It marched onto the destination golf scene with classic courses, new modern masterpieces, and more. Three decades later, it stands 15 great golf courses and 11 lodging partners strong. The milestone also marks the anniversary of the grand opening for Robert Trent Jones Sr.’s Masterpiece at Treetops Resort, which is located off of Wilkinson Road in Gaylord. The course unfurls along the Pigeon River, etched into the landscape of natural valleys, ravines, and plains. Masterpiece was the first course designed at Treetops, and has since been joined by the Treetops North collec-
tion: Premier, designed by Tom Fazio; Signature and Tradition, designed by Rick Smith; and the par-3 Threetops course, designed by Smith. It’s a collection few resorts can match, and fit for a weekend all by itself. With the establishment of the golfing mecca, however, golfers are not limited to choosing a single destination. For the stay-and-play golfer, consider The Loon Golf Resort: there is great golf, dining, and comfortable four-bedroom, four-bath townhome lodging. The resort has three courses known as The Loon, The Lakes, and The Ridge; which are all within a short ride on a luxury bus provided by the resort. The townhomes are also located a sand wedge away from the clubhouse and dining options. The Loon was recently redesigned by noted golf teacher Butch Harmon. It offers room for the average golfer to enjoy great Northern Michigan scenery. The Lakes Course is a Jerry Matthews design offering six holes in a pine forest, six holes on alpine terrain, and
michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
55
six holes featuring a river, ponds, and little lakes in the area. The Ridge, designed by Mike Husby, is a trip through classic north woodland areas. To the north of Gaylord about 18 miles, Black Lake Golf Club in Onaway beckons. It’s part of the Gaylord Golf Mecca group, and a stellar part. The Rees Jones-designed golf course, which features classic elements with imaginative bunkering, was built for the United Auto Workers Black Lake Conference Center that opened in 2000. The once private UAW Conference Center—with its great lodging options— has been open to the public for the last few years and recently remodeled to include new beds, flat screen televisions, and more. Black Lake offers a number of packages, and its most popular one is tied to Gaylord Country Club and The Pines at Michaywe’ over a three-day-period. The first day includes arrival to the Mecca, a round of golf at either Gaylord Country Club or The Pines at Michaywe’, and the scenic finish of the drive to Onaway and the Conference Center. The night is spent in remodeled lodging and the following day is at the great Black Lake, which this year has added a new fleet of golf carts with GPS systems. There are also opportunities to work on the short game and play a par-3, nine-hole walking course where each hole is between 33- and 117- yards. Returning to the comfortable accommodations, golfers can experience a third day of play at either Gaylord CC or the Pines upon departure. It becomes apparent multiple trips may be in order to experience all of the golfing options available, such as those offered at Beaver Creek Resort. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this summer, the Natural at Benjamin’s Beaver Creek Resort is the handiwork of Jerry Matthews and a 6,300-yard course design with the visiting golfer of varying abilities in mind. The 18-hole championship course is set among the hardwoods and wetlands to the west of Otsego Lake. Combined with Beaver Creek Resort’s well-appointed cabins, complete with fire pits for outdoor relaxation, the resort lives up to its mantra of “play all day, relax all night.” Tracy Allen, golf packages coordinator for The Natural, indicated in her package fliers: “You tell me when you want to come, how long you want to stay and what you want to play, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
56
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
Top: courtesy Black Lake, Bottom: courtesy A-Ga-ming courtesy The Loon Golf Resort
Black Lake, Hole 5
Benzie County is… Northern Michigan Preserved® 5 unique and challenging courses featuring scenic fairways and breath-taking views. Great golf, not a great distance.
Benzie County Bureau V Visitors
www.visitbenzie.com 800-882-5801
Northern Michigan Preserved® /benziecounty.cvb #PureBenzieMI
Package includes 2 for 1 Golf! See our website for details!
The Loon Golf Resort
CadillacCVB_13H_GEv1i2.indd 1
||
michiganGOLFexlorer. com 6/21/17 2:41 PM
57
The True North experience In northern Michigan, a private golf club and residential community brings rich design to the game.
58
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
Text: R.J. Weick
G
olf, more often than not, is about the experience. It is about those moments spent in camaraderie with friends, family, and opponents; it is about the competitive fire against the par and the perseverance to wait for a good break; and it is about how the natural and built environments come together in an intentional design, leaving a lasting impression on the player. In Emmet County about five miles north of the sheltered bay city of Harbor Springs, verdant swathes of meticulous fairways and greens are etched into the northern landscape at the nearly 320acre private golf and residential community known as True North Golf Club. The gentle meandering terrain, open meadows, and proud pines and hardwoods set a dramatic backdrop for the 18-hole course designed by award-winning architect Jim Engh of Jim Engh Design.
COURTESY TRUE NORTH GOLF CLUB
The golf course design firm has an international portfolio of projects traversing the globe, such as: Belmullet, Co. Mayo, Ireland; The Golf Club at Redlands Mesa, Grand Junction, Colorado; Jangsu Golf Resort in North Jeolla Province, South Korea; Golf de la Foret de Montpensier, Vichy, France; and Gongguan Hillview Golf Club in Guandong Province, China. When Jim Engh Design completed the True North Golf Club course in 2004, it quickly debuted as one of the best new private courses by Travel and Leisure Golf, and one of the best in Michigan by Golf Digest in 2007 and 2009. “It is a very dramatic design, but dramatic meaning the holes are memorable, the views are fantastic, and there are several tees so regardless of ability, you can experience the golf course and have a good time playing it,” said Michael Kernicki, PGA Professional and general manager at True North.
While the approximately 7,040-yard, par-72 course can stand on its own, it is the combination of the rich architecture of the clubhouse, cottages, and cabins, and the northern hospitality shown to its members and guests that embellish the game—and by extension, the experience. Featuring an architectural style blending the warmth of timber frames and northern Michigan ambiance, with a New England seaside vernacular, True North Golf Club’s built environment provides a stunning complement to its beautifully designed course. “It is a great looking design,” Kernicki said. “People who like to come here say the clubhouse looks like a home. It is a lot of timber and stacked stone, so it has a very appealing comfort to it. It is the same on the inside: timber beams and a real northern Michigan feel. It’s intimate.” The nearly 6,000 square-foot clubhouse was conceptualized by Dan Hen-
michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
59
rickson of Grand Rapids-based Henrickson Architecture + Planning. The firm provided master planning services for the golf club and developed the design for the clubhouse and a spec home—currently owned by one of the members. At a distance, the clubhouse is a grand picture of splendor, timber, and engaging roof forms as it overlooks the 18th hole. It is upon closer and a more intimate encounter of the space, the residential influence can be felt throughout the clubhouse. “The design makes it feel like an extension of [the members’] home and the cottages are pretty much the same way,” Kernicki said. “You can drive up to one of the cottages and it feels like you are driving up to a home. Then when you go inside, it is that same feel again: timber beams, stacked stone, and of course appointed with very upscale furniture as well as the latest and greatest technology.” Currently, True North has six cottages—modeled after Augusta National—onsite and the ability to increase its portfolio to 12 buildings if member ownership demand increases. Several of the cottages are 60
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
Top: Dan Stewart Photography; Bottom: Courtesy Shanty Creek Resorts COURTESY TRUE NORTH GOLF CLUB
BECOME AN EXPLORER Visit michigangolfexplorer.com to purchase your onetime subscription. Your subscription includes The Golf Explorer magazine print issue each spring and two digital issues released each year in June and August.
54
Spectacular Holes in The Gaylord Golf Mecca
20
$
Exclusive Deals Special Offers Fresh Content Links To Our CVB Partners Book Your Tee Time Plan Your Stay
Dining | Lodging | Special Events loongolfresor t.com | 989 -732- 4454
michigangolfexplorer.com
TheLoon_Qtr_GEv1.indd 1
2/13/17 3:26 PM
michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
61
designed as single story structures with a classic golf-quad arrangement, comprising four bedroom suites. There are also a few bi-level buildings with two suites and gathering spaces on both floors. Each cottage was built and designed in the same aesthetic vein as the larger clubhouse, and provide renters and owners within the pool a number of high-end amenities, kitchens, fireplaces, and screened porches. “It is very high-quality in the way the whole thing was built,” Kernicki said. “The people who stay here in the cottages feel like they have an opportunity to do what they want to do. If they want to take a wedge back there at the end of the night or a golf bag, walk out of their cottage to chip and putt for any number of hours, they can do that.” Kernicki also noted the owners of True North decided last year to transform a portion of the property into Camp True North featuring approximately 15 lots for upscale cabins. The project is being led by John Sather of Swaback Partners, which is a Phoenix-based award-winning, architectural design firm with experience designing Martis Camp in Lake Tahoe
62
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
and Promontory in Park City, Utah. With its location near trout swimming ponds, recreational amenities, ramadas, hiking and cross-country skiing trails, and the golf course, Camp True North envisions a long-standing tradition of family camps built in the early 19th century. “We are trying to have this as an opportunity for members to eventually use the club year-round,” Kernicki said. From the moment of initial arrival, there is an intentional hospitality, or catering, to member guests in order to deliver an unmatched golfing experience in a northern Michigan idyllic retreat. Cottages are a short golf cart drive away from chipping, short game, and practice areas, as well as the Compass Room within the clubhouse were palates are sated with the culinary arts. Although the private golf club is exclusive to members—a demographic of avid golfers hailing from across the country—True North can accommodate up to 200 and currently is at about 110 members. “Our membership is unique, because Harbor Springs is a pretty cool place. If you are from Houston, Dallas, Newport
Beach, Naples, or Cincinnati and you come to harbor Springs for the first time… you see the bay and then you play at a course like True North….therein lies the hook for them considering joining True North,” Kernicki said. “It is a beautiful course.” With its non-existent tee-times, low volume, idyllic setting, and rich design, True North delivers a distinctive experience for member golfers. “My favorite part of the game is probably not unlike most other individuals. I’ve been a PGA member for more than 40 years and teeing it up with members or best friends and getting out to play golf and just enjoying places like True North, Scotland, Ireland, or some of the great places in the United States: the opportunity to do that—to me is the best part,” Kernicki said. “My best friend is a golf professional… and this father’s day he and my son and I played nine holes and you know, it was spectacular from an emotional standpoint. It is what the game is all about. It is about having those moments,” Kernicki added.
Laurence Lambrecht
GLBD REAL ESTATE
Drop by the neighborhood.
Whether you are buying or just looking, Great Lakes By Design’s sister website offers unique features and content from partnering real estate agencies and information on different locations in the region. Go to glbdrealestate.com to learn more.
Quail Ridge | West | Kent County
Ada | 18 Public | quailridgegc.com | 616-676-2000 Nile Young photography
A-Ga-Ming Resort | Sundance | North | Antrim county Kewadin | 54 Public | a-ga-ming.com | 800-678-0122
Lynx Golf Course | West | Allegan County
courtesy A-Ga-Ming Resort
Otsego | 18 Public | lynxgolfcourse.com | 269-694-5969 Lynx golf course
Pilgrims Run | West | Newaygo County
Pierson | 18 Public | pilgrimsrun.com | 888-533-7742 Nile Young photography
The Mines | West | Kent County
Grand Rapids | 18 Public | minesgolfcourse.com | 616-791-7544 h3 designs
Crystal Mountain Resort | North | Benzie county Thompsonville | 36 Public | crystalmountain.com | 231-378-2000
Brian Walters photography
Thornapple Pointe | West | Kent County
64
Grand Rapids | 18 Public | thornapplepointe.com | 616-554-4747
Williamsburg | 18 Private/limited Public | lochenheath.com | 231-938-9800
LochenHeath | North | Grand Traverse county
HawksHead | West | Allegan county
courtesy thornapple pointe
Brian Walters photography
Brian Walters photgraphy
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
South Haven | 18 Public | hawksheadlinks.com | 269-639-2121
Evergreen Resort | North | Wexford county
Cadillac | 27 Public | evergreenresortmi.com | 866-291-8136
Bucks Run | west | Isabella County
Mt. Pleasant | 18 Public | bucksrun.com | 989-773-6830 Nile Young photography
Courtesy Evergreen Resort
Shanty Creek Resort | North | Antrim County Bellaire | 72 Public | shantycreek.com | 231-533-8321
Boyne Highlands Resort | North | Charlevoix/emmet Harbor Springs | 72 Public | boyne.com | 800-GO-BOYNE courtesy Boyne
Forest Dunes | North | Crawford County
Roscommon | 18 Public | forestdunesgolf.com | 989-275-0700 Brian Walters photography
courtesy shanty creek resort
Grand Traverse Resort | the Wolverine North | Grand Traverse county Acme | 54 Public | grandtraverseresort.com | 800-236-1577 courtesy Grand Traverse Resort & SPA
Lakewood Shores Resort | North | Iosco
Black Lake | NORTH | Cheboygan county
The Loon/The Lakes/the ridge | North | Otsego
Courtesy Lakewood shores
Courtesy Black lake
courtesy The Loon golf resort
Oscoda | 54 Public | lakewoodshores.com | 800-882-2493
Onaway | 18 Public | blacklakegolf.com | 989-733-4653
Gaylord | 36 Public | loongolfresort.com | 877-732-4455
michiganGOLFexlorer.com
||
65
ARRIVALS The moment the rubber touches the tarmac and the plane begins to slow, there is an inevitable pull causing passengers to sit at the edge of their seat. A slight anticipation often fills the cabin, and for those headed to the green it may be piqued by a curiosity of stepping onto a new course or excitement of returning to a cherished fairway. Regardless of the destination, there are a number of options for out-of-state travelers to choose from as they book their flight to the Great Lakes State. Take a look at some of the airports providing convenient access to incredible golf in Michigan. Alpena County Regional Airport (APN)
Pellston Regional Airport (PLN)
Lakewood Shores. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 min. Black Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 min. Forest Dunes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 hr. 40 min.
Boyne Highlands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bay Harbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boyne Mountain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Black Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Loon Golf Resort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Alpena
Boyne Mountain Airport (BFA) Boyne Falls
Boyne Mountain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 min. Bay Harbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 min. Boyne Highlands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 min. Charlevoix Municipal Airport (CVX) Charlevoix
Bay Harbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 min. Boyne Mountain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 min. Boyne Highlands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 min. Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) Traverse City
Grand Traverse Resort & Spa. . . . . . . . . . 10 min. LochenHeath. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 min. Turtle Creek Casino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 min. A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 min. Shanty Creek. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 min. Crystal Mountain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 min. Boyne Mountain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 min. Evergreen Resort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 min. Bay Harbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1hr. 15 min. The Loon Golf Resort. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1hr. 15 min. Forest Dunes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1hr. 20 min. Boyne Highlands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1hr. 30 min.
66
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
Pellston
20 min. 30 min. 55 min. 60 min. 60 min.
Harbor Springs Airport (MGN) Harbor Springs
Boyne Highlands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 min. Bay Harbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 min. Boyne Mountain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 min. Wexford County Airoport (CAD) Cadillac
Evergreen Resort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 min. Crystal Mountain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 min. Forest Dunes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 hr. 20 min.
crystal mountain
Boyne Hiighlands Bay Harbor Charlevoix Municipal Airport (CVX)
Harbor Springs Airport (MGN)
Black Lake
Boyne Mountain Airport (BFA)
Boyne Mountain
A-Ga-ming
shanty creek
The Loon
Turtle creek casino Grand Traverse Resort
Lochenheath
Forest Dunes wexford county airport
Lakewood shores
t
) SB
<M BS Int er
na tio na
lA
ir
po
r
evergreen
(M
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
||
67
Lakewoo d sh
ore s>
ARRIVALS Mt. Pleasant Municipal Airport (MOP)
bucks run MBS International Airport (MSB) Pilgrims run
quail ridge
the mines
thornapple pointe
The Ravines
Gun Lake casino
The Lynx
Hawkshead
68
||
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
Gull Lake View
Gerald R Ford International Airport Grand Rapids
Thornapple Pointe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 min. Quail Ridge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 min. The Knickerbocker Brewpub & Distillery, New Holland Brewing Co.. . . . . . . . . 18 Min. The Mines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Min. Gun Lake Casino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 min. Pilgrims Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Min. Lynx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 min. Ravines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Min. Gull Lake View Golf Club and Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1hr. 5 min. Hawkshead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1hr. 22 min. Bucks Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1hr. 50 min. Kalamazoo/battle creek international airport (AZO) Kalamazoo
Gull Lake View Golf Club and Resort. . . Lynx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gun Lake Casino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ravines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hawkshead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25 min. 29 min. 30 min. 60 min. 60 min.
Mt. Pleasant Municipal Airport (MOP) Mt. Pleasant
Bucks Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 min. MBS International Airport (MSB)
Saginaw
Lakewood Shores. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1hr 45 min. Bucks Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 min.
michiganGOLFexplorer.com
||
69
IAL
MIDW
EE
EC
& PLAY Y A SP ST K
STARTING AT
$269
*
WIDE OPEN Be among the first to play Michiganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest course, Stoatin Brae, in Augusta.
Call us at (844) 399-9370
more info at www.gulllakeview.com * Package includes: Two 18-hole rounds at Stoatin
Brae with cart and one nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lodging. Subject to availability Sunday-Thursday & holiday weekends
"One of nine most eagerly awaited new * golf courses of 2017" -- Forbes Magazine Per Person
Stay & Play Packages Starting at:
$269