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JULY 2021

Grand Traverse Resort: The Golfer’s Up North Playground

Michigan Teen’s Relationship with the LPGA Tour’s

Korda Sisters      

MEIJER LPGA WRAP UP HIGH SCHOOL FINALS MICHIGAN AMATEUR WOMEN’S AMATEUR DOW LPGA TEAMMATES COLLEGE CORNER

100 YEARS: Klinger Lake CC

Plymouth Golf Course Hosting Top Classic Cars Show

INCREDIBLE UP NORTH DISCOVERY

Michigan Golf Journal Overcoming Challenges

Teenage Golfer Excels Despite Physical Challenge Sophia Howard gets inspiration from joining the LPGA Tour’s Korda Sisters By Tom Lang Sophia Howard is one of those motivated kids who show us all that a physical challenge doesn’t mean you can’t play this wonderful

game of golf – and also do it well. The 14-year-old from Hudsonville was born

without a right hand, yet she plays golf and softball competitively. She was treated in May to playing a round of golf at The Concession par 3 course in Florida with her golfing heroes Nelly and Jessica Korda from the LPGA Tour – via the Dream On 3 Foundation – and Howard also followed the pro pair around Blythefield Country Club during their practice round for the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give – which Nelly ended up winning with a record score of 25-under. The Korda’s said spending quality time with an energetic and motivated teenager like Howard was a treat they sometimes need reminded of since professional golf became their job.

Sophia Howard and Korda sisters goofing off

“She’s super nice, super spunky,” Nelly Korda said.

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“We had a lot of fun at Concession. And she also plays softball, so I feel like it’s little bit of a similar action. She’s very athletic. “I think you kind of realize… Oh, man, this is so cool we get to do this (golf) for the rest of our lives. That smile she has when she steps on the golf course kind of makes you appreciate (the sport) a little bit more.” Sister Jessica Korda had similar observations about spending time with Howard. “We see the joy in it and it kind of reminds you why you started doing what you do -- this is the reason why I love playing golf,” she said before the Meijer tournament. “We were her, you know, when we were little. Just seeing the love for the game, love for being out here and just seeing like these bright eyes and taking everything in. The longer you’re out here (on Tour) you kind of forget how cool it is. To see it from somebody else’s perspective is really special.” Howard is going into the 9th grade at Hudsonville High School in August and plans to try out for the girls’ golf

Sophia Howard and Kordas in trap

team. She grips the club with her left hand and videos show she keeps her lower right arm in contact with the club the entire swing to add some stability. She’s learned that a closed club face works best for her getting out of bunkers. Since the trio first meet at Concession, they have maintained a group chat by cell phone. “It’s more surreal to me knowing that my idols take time out of their day to come chat with me,” Howard said. “So, I think that’s very eye opening to me, saying that my idols are willing to take time out of their busy day and come and have a conversation, whether in person or on the phone. That’s very surreal to me.”

When a reporter mentioned that she is the inspiration to many others, Howard responded: “I think my physical challenge doesn’t have anything to do with it. I may look different, 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 out and kill it. “I think it takes a little push to get yourself out there right away, but I think once you do, you’ll find out that like it’s not a huge deal. You’re just like everybody else…Us people who have a different physical appearance will realize that it doesn’t matter we look this way or we play differently.” MGJ

Note: Photos courtesy of Emby Taylor Photography.

Michigan GolfMovies Journal Golf at the

What’s Inside: 10

Course review: Inn at St. Johns

You Won’t Believe Bahle Farm GC

Grand Times at Grand Traverse Resort

College Corner, U.S. Women’s Am

Klinger Lake CC Turns 100

High School Golf Finals Results

LPGA Teammates at Midland

PGA Michigan Open Recap

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Michigan Golf Journal Concours d’Elegance

Classic Car Show Takes Over a Plymouth Golf Course For over 40 years, the Concours of America at St. John’s has brought the most beautiful examples of the finest cars from around the country to Michigan. This year is no exception. The event is organized to showcase groups of astounding cars from similar eras or genres and always features special, curated displays that tell a story about a particular theme. This year the show is celebrating Detroit’s most prolific collectors with hand-picked examples from several local enthusiasts. Among

them are David Fischer, Larry Smith, Ken Lingenfelter, Tom Celani, and the Stahl Collection. Perhaps the piece de resistance of the Detroit Collections is Ted Stahl’s 1963 Chrysler Turbine, with its jet-age turbine engine. Chrysler built 55 turbine cars as an experiment in a new kind of propulsion. Of the 55 built, all but nine were destroyed. It is one of the rarest and most intriguing collectibles in America and was recently acquired at a cost exceeding one million dollars. Continues on page 8 >>

Michigan Golf Journal Concours d’Elegance

For decades, the circle of cars called European Post War has been a staple of the Concours d’Elegance of America. The circle has always represented the best of the best from Europe’s great carmakers and the most beautiful works of the Continent’s most talented designers and coachbuilders. The European car market of the post-war era market produced a wide range of body sizes, styling themes, and driving dynamics – which ranged from pure sports cars to chauffeur-driven limousines and everything in between. Furthermore, it was an era when cars truly reflected the cultures in which there were created. Today, new sedans from France, Germany, or England are virtually indistinguishable from each other in terms of design, performance, and overall execution. In the Post War era, European consumers were blessed with an endless variety of culture-rich offerings. Citroen’s innovative, yet playful DS could only have come from France – a country that viewed art and design as a cultural resource. Germany’s over-engineered, somber, and serious 600 could only have come from Germany’s engineering-oriented culture. Rolls-Royce’s grand and regally styled Silver Cloud, with its book-matched walnut, Connolly leather, and Wilton wool carpets represented the best that England had to offer.

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Double Down on Bucket-List Golf This year, our circle of cars represents that international diversity very well. Bob Boniface’s 1975 Alfa Romeo squares off perfectly against Gary Bartlett’s 1974 BMW 2002. On paper, these cars are nearly identical, yet in reality, they are completely different. The Alfa, with its great proportions and just a hint of styling flamboyance, represents the Italian passion for “design as art.” The BMW, with its nononsense styling and total lack of frivolity, perfectly captures Germany’s obsession with “engineering as art.” Another special class of cars at this year’s show is The Wedge. This class celebrates the beauty of wedge-shaped exotic automobiles from the 1970s and 1980s. The Concours will tell the story of The Wedge by showing the full diversity of the trend, from ultimate dream cars like Bill Papke’s 1970 Lancia Stratos Zero Concept and Dan McDavid’s 1988 Lamborghini Countach to entry-level cars like Tim Bednark’s 1986 Subaru XT and Paul Valente’s Fiat X1/9 and everything in between. The show takes place on Sunday, July 25th at The Inn at St. John’s, in Plymouth. Advance ticket packages start at $35.00. The event is family friendly, and admission is free for children 12 and under. MGJ

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MichiganReview Golf Journal Course

Inn at St. Johns:

27 Holes of Fun and Beauty By Tom Lang

There is a reason the property used to be a fulltime Catholic Seminary and chapel dating back to the 1940s – one could literally call the landscape God’s Country. The beautiful, rolling land surrounding the seminaryturned-high-end hotel and retreat center is the currentday setting for the 27 holes of the Inn at St. Johns Golf Course in Plymouth. Picturesque, tree-lined, and filled with wildlife not as often expected in a densely populated area.

I have played all three 9s over the years, but mostly recently took on the ‘Matthew’ course (holes 19-

27) that maxes out at 2,900 yards. ‘Mark’ (1-9) is a little bit longer, and the ‘Luke’ course (10-18) from the tips is still only 3,209 yards. In other words, manageable and not too long. In a nutshell, the three golf courses seem to be ideal for leagues and outings. Staff have always been professional and courteous, and with three separate nines, leagues can rotate each week and have a variety of experiences all at one location. And speaking of location, with

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its proximity to M-14 at the Sheldon Road exit and the numerous commercial and residential properties around, lots of golfers likely live or work close by. What I like about the three nines is that they each have their own personality but are also similar in shot-making requirements due to the type of land and water features. Luke and Mark have a few more open areas, with Matthew having a few tighter fairways. Trees are a main feature throughout, no doubt. My favorite stretch of holes on the Matthew course is 20-22. Hole 20 is a solid par 4 dogleg right. The fairway landing area is open and flat, with a valley to navigate on the second shot to an elevated green that is one of the more undulating putting surfaces. Hole 21 rolls and dips through two valleys that slope hard left to right, before reaching a green even more elevated than the previous par 4. Then the signature hole is the par 3 No. 22. It’s a picturesque downhill shot over a pond to a spacious

green with tons of pin options. All three nines come in contact with the halfway house, an area that’s very relaxing and serene and typically displays the great effort by the grounds crew with nice landscaping. Rates are very favorable to all budgets, and the value is worthwhile to the experience. Having Carl’s Golfland and its newly updated TrackMan Range next door is another bonus for golfers needing equipment or other game adjustments. The overall St. Johns property began with nine holes, added another

nine in the late 1970s when it became open to the public, and added yet another nine in the 1990s when the property was redeveloped and refurbished into the current Inn at St. Johns Conference Center. The restored property features inspirational Romanesque architecture throughout, including a grand ballroom space for up to 450 guests, an exquisite chapel available for weddings, two ballrooms with 25foot ceilings, a two-story atrium and 22 meeting rooms. More information: https:// www.theinnatstjohns. com/golf.htm MGJ

Michigan Golf Journal Cover story

Grand Traverse Resort & Spa A Golfers’ Up North Playground By Tom Lang It’s pretty common in golf circles to hear the name Grand Traverse Resort and Spa and automatically think ‘buddy’s trip.’

of Traverse City or the Turtle Creek Casino – and from outdoor recreation to indoor pools, spa and tennis.

And while that is certainly true, when I think of the Resort my thoughts quickly range from family reunions to the Detroit Red Wings training camp; from the historic PGA Michigan Open and charity golf outings – to the nightlife

In other words, the Resort can offer all those things and more. Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is a large property that can handle weddings, large business conferences and over 400 golfers all at one time – but for me I never

feel like the place is so big you lose the personal feeling of a home away from home. It’s been almost two decades since my extended family celebrated my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary at the Resort. It worked out great for each family to have their own room but also come together in a large suite to hang out, play games

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and eat, and then go in different directions if some wanted to play golf, take the kids to the pool, or take a shuttle to the casino at night. It was a great weekend adventure that pretty much encapsulates what any Resort guest can experience.

Three Championship Golf Courses: Of course, the main outdoor attraction is the golf – so much so that for nearly three decades the

Detroit Red Wings have made Grand Traverse Resort and Spa its summer hockey training camp to prepare for each new NHL season – and also hold a huge charity outing. The hotel accommodations and dining options easily handle the Wings’ weeklong stay. On the golf side, the Resort features a trio of championship courses, each unique to the other. There is Jack Nicklaus’ The Bear, Gary Player’s The

Wolverine and William Newcomb’s Spruce Run, the original 9-hole-turned18-hole layout on the property. Paul Galligan has worked at the Resort for 38 years and is the current Director of Golf Course and Grounds Maintenance. He predates The Bear, Nicklaus’ signature design up north that opened in 1985. “Over all these years, I think what I have noticed the most is that our Continues on next page >>

The Wolverine Hole 13

Michigan Golf Journal Cover story

The Bear Hole 10

guests have fun,” Galligan said. “They enjoy being outside. Golf is recreation, and providing people with an enjoyable arena to recreate, I think is fantastic.” The Bear has been known from day one as one of the most difficult golf courses in Michigan. It was recently ranked as the 18th-toughest course in America, according to Golf Digest. Nicklaus designed the layout with Scottish terraced fairways, tiered greens, deep grassy roughs, moguls and mounds, and deep pot

bunkers. The Resort crews have made the course a little more playable than the original for all skill levels over the years, but it remains the regular home of the Michigan Open, our state’s premier championship for pros and amateurs alike. (see page 38) While covering the 104th Turtle Creek Casino Michigan Open, I played The Wolverine, where the back nine is my favorite, especially starting at supposedly “unlucky” hole 13. 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 bunker-protected 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-toback beauties. Hole 16 is a hard dogleg right after you climb a hill off the tee. The fairway then trickles downhill to a green that looks just as nice, or better, when you Continues on page 16 >>

Michigan Golf Journal Cover story

are finished putting and look back up the fairway. Hole 18 is a great finishing par 5 that goes downhill off the tee with unique bunkering on that first shot to test all your decisionmaking skills. As a solo I was paired up with three buddies from Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania who plan a northern Michigan 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 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.

Spruce Run Hole 7

“A good place for a buddy’s trip.” The three buddies played those two courses the same time the 104th Turtle Creek Casino Michigan Open was taking place on The Bear. It’s not uncommon for the Resort to be able to host such an important state championship while also keeping public golf open or host a charity event or two at the same time. One such charity event is the Heroes Cup, where Native American gaming partners come together to raise funds for local charities. Bob

We might not see each other each year in between so it’s nice to come back and connect again. You come back to check on your family.”

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Kewaygoshkum, founded the annual golf outing of Native American Tribes from across Michigan and the country. For him it has always been about family – but now it’s about supporting charities as well. What was before affectionately known as the Bob K Golf Classic the previous 29 consecutive years, in late 2020 became the Heroes Cup Golf Invitational, presented by Grand Traverse Resort & Casinos. Its mission is to honor and help raise funds for northern Michigan organizations that support military veterans, first responders, healthcare workers, and other community heroes. “I call this kind of a family reunion every year,” Kewaygoshkum said. “We might not see each other each year in between so it’s nice to come back and connect again. You come back to check on your family.” Steve Timmer, Chief Marketing Officer for Grand Traverse Resort & Casinos, said $5,000 was raised for the Munson Healthcare COVID-19 Response Fund last year. This year’s event is August 28, with proceeds to benefit Veterans in Crisis, a Traverse City nonprofit that supports veterans who have been honorably or medically discharged with financial, mental health, and job support programs. MGJ

All the Extras:

Additional highlights any GTR visitor should consider include: • Traverse City was recently named the Best Lake Beach Town in the U.S. by Wallethub. • Top-rated Golf Academy and Dave Pelz Scoring Game School on site. • The Resort has twice hosted the National Governors Association Conference, with the Governor’s Hall being the largest event space in northern Michigan. • Spa Grand Traverse is ranked in the top 100 in the country. • Aerie Restaurant & Lounge is located on the 16th floor of the Tower with 360-degree views of northern Michigan. • Turtle Creek Casino’s 56,000-square foot gaming floor includes more than 1,000 slot machines, dozens of table games, and Onyx Sports Book by William Hill. • Nearby Leelanau Sands Casino has games, slots and a 1,000-seat auditorium for concerts and events.

Michigan Golf Journal In Memory

Paying Homage with Annual Golf Outing FAMILY AND FRIENDS PLAY ON IN MEMORY OF GOLFER By Emily Doran The 18th hole of The Bear now carries a memorial to a longtime Grand Traverse Resort and Spa golfer, Conor Krause of Howell, Mich., who died unexpectedly in 2019 at the age of 40. His group of friends had been coming to GTR since 2014 and carried on in 2020, commemorating Krause by spreading his ashes near the tee box and placing a plaque on top in his honor. “When we go up and play, we’re always going to have that marker there,” says Jerry Ayers, a friend of Krause’s since the fifth grade. To celebrate Krause’s birthday about 20 years ago, his friend Mike Ruhl organized the first golf getaway at his cabin up north. The trip became an annual tradition the first weekend after Labor Day, and over the years, the outing

grew from a handful of guys to an assortment of almost 30 of Krause’s family and friends. “Conor was the glue, the planner; he was the ball of energy that made this outing so fun to be in,” Ayers says. The group bounced around different courses before choosing the Resort in 2014. “As soon as we went to Grand Traverse, Conor loved that place, so that’s where it was going to stay,” Ruhl says. The Resort appealed because it has multiple golf courses, plenty of dining options, and vibrant nightlife. The men regularly visit the casino, and some use the pool and spa as well. Every year, the group plays on the Resort’s three courses. They wrap it up with a scramble — usually on The Bear — for the “Conor Classic” trophy.

In 2020, the group coordinated with Grand Traverse Resort to host a small ceremony on the 18th hole at The Bear. Krause’s cousin David Ormsby gave a speech, Ruhl spread the ashes, and Ayers placed the plaque over them. “The course was very helpful in making all of that happen,” Ormsby says. “I was really honored and surprised that the Resort wanted to do this. It was really touching.” The group plans to return every year. Krause himself hoped the tradition would continue and that his own young kids would someday be involved. “That was always his wish — that everybody’s kids would start coming up eventually, too, so it would continue on,” Ormsby said. MGJ

Michigan Journal 100 YearGolf Celebration

At 100 Years Old, Klinger Lake to Host Women’s GAM Championship By Tom Lang Several miles west of the small town of Sturgis sits a historic site celebrating 100 years of golf this summer. Turning into the driveway at Klinger Lake Country Club recently, I wondered to myself why a group of golfers would want to develop a property in such a remote location of Michigan, almost on the Indiana border, in the first place. I quickly recalled that U.S. Highway 12 used to be the main drag between Detroit and Chicago, before the Interstate highway system was developed. In fact, the route begins as Michigan Ave. in Detroit, goes through Saline, the Irish Hills, Coldwater and Sturgis on the way to the Windy City.

Klinger Lake CC hole 4

Now is the time for Klinger Lake to host a statewide tournament.

statement for the game of golf in this area,” said longtime member Don Fox, who also wrote a book about the club’s 100 years. “Golf courses around here are pretty unique. Most events are held around Detroit but it’s great to have something like this, local.

“People here have a lot of interest in the game of golf… and hosting a tournament like this gives us a great opportunity to make a

“I think people who come here will be amazed by the ‘little course’ we’ve got here, and how well it plays. Some low handicappers come in

here and think they’re going to tear the place up (at 6,200 yards from the tips). Usually, they walk away a little more humbled.” The first nine holes were designed by Maurice Wells who was the pro at Kalamazoo CC. Worldrenowned amateur Chick Evans of Chicago played the course a few months after it opened in 1921 because he was in Europe during the grand opening. In

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1930, the Klinger Lake club pro James Millar, who was from Carnoustie, Scotland, designed the back nine to the west of the clubhouse. It opened 90 years ago, in 1931. GAM Championship competitors will find a course with small greens, so iron accuracy and a good short game will be at a premium. A challenging, meandering creek, which feeds Klinger Lake to the north, runs through the property which goes up and down some steep grades, especially on the opening four holes. Several greens have rounded edges so mis-

Klinger Lake CC hole 1

reading greens could cause huge scoring issues.

fairway. You cannot just flail away at it.

One feature that brings value and an old-time charm to the property is an Artesian Well off the left side of the 8th fairway, with its fresh spring water gurgling forth since long before the property was a golf course.

“This course isn’t for the bombers and wedge players,” Hagerty added. “There is a wide base of golfers who can win (the GAM). Those who play smart around the greens and with the severe elevation changes, the type of lie you’ll have will make big differences.”

“It is what golf was,” said 23year head pro Pat Hagerty, who grew up in the region. “It’s about the lay of the land. Many (area courses) are land locked, but they still hold the character of the small greens, and they are still today the way they were built. We’re at 6,200 yards, but you’ve got to be in the

Public play is allowed prior to Memorial Day and after Labor Day, when the summer residents of the lake depart, mostly to Chicago. This writer believes the drive is worth it. MGJ

Michigan Golf Journal GAM Tournaments

Ann Arbor’s David Levan Birdies 18, Wins GAM Senior Match Play

Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll Wins GAM Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship for 11th Time CLARKSTON – Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll rallied from behind to win the GAM Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship for an unprecedented 11th time in early June. The 49-year-old Michigan State University women’s golf coach and Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member shot a 3-under 33 on the back nine in a closing 1-under 71 at Oakhurst Golf & Country Club to win by two shots over defending champion and first-round leader Kimberly Dinh of Midland, who went on to win the Michigan Women’s Amateur a couple weeks later. “I was thinking this morning actually about Coach D (Mark Dantonio, former MSU football coach) and one of his mottos – ‘why not me,’” Slobodnik-Stoll said. “I think you know when you’re two behind you always have a shot, and why not me? I’ve done it before.” Slobodnik-Stoll, a Haslett resident, has amassed a record 21 amateur individual and team titles over the years, including two Michigan Women’s Amateur wins, a GAM Championship and the 11 Mid-Amateur titles. Chelsea Collura of Riverview shot 79 for 153 and third place. University of Michigan women’s coach Jan Dowling, who shot 77 for 154, rounded out the top four.

AUGUSTA – Ann Arbor’s David Levan hit a 35yard flop shot from the right rough to just inches from the cup on the final hole for a birdie and won the 13th GAM Senior Match Play Championship played at Gull Lake Golf Club & Resort’s Stoatin Brae course. “I never expected to win something like this in my life,” said the 55-year-old owner of Endeavor Group who rallied from a twodown deficit to turn back Robert Matthiesen of Mason 1-up in a championship match. Levan landed in the 31 seed slot in the 32-golfer championship bracket after stroke play, then beat defending champion Mitch Wilson of Portage in his first match (5 and 3), and then in the semifinals took down Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Steve Maddalena of Jackson (3 and 2). MGJ

Michigan Golf Tournament Journal LPGA Team

Maria Fassi

Stacy Lewis

Friendly Rivals?

LPGA Tour’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational team format a highlight for players and a retreat from the normal grind By Tom Lang If there’s such a thing as friendly competition – where pro golfers’ livelihoods are dependent on their scoring results compared to other players – it well could be the LPGA Tour’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, set for July 1417 at Midland Country Club. The team format at Midland is the only such chance outside of the bi-annual

Solheim Cup for pro golfers like the Korda sisters, Nelly and Jessica, can play together in an officialmoney team competition. The format toggles each round between best ball and alternate shot. The eventual winners will each get credit for an LPGA Tour victory and each player will get credit for their team results in season long points.

On media day in midJune, LPGA player Pernilla Lindberg of Sweden told me that choosing to play with pro Sarah Jane Smith was more about friendship and making the most out of a unique team opportunity mid-season. “For me, I’m thinking more about wanting to play with a close friend,” Lindberg said. “It’s an opportunity

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to share this kind of week together. You see a few (other) pairings and it does surprise you a little bit, so maybe they’re thinking more about rankings – but I tend to go more the friend route. “All year long you’re out there grinding,” she continued. “Even on practice weeks, you’re out there on your own grinding away. So, when you get the opportunity for a week like this, why not try to make it as fun as possible.” The Dow tournament will be delayed tape broadcast on The Golf Channel the first three rounds, but Saturday’s final round – yes, Saturday – will be aired live on CBS. “People pay attention because it’s something different and you really don’t know what to expect,” Lindberg added. “That’s why it’s fun for people to tune in. And for us, anytime you play for someone else and together with someone else, it almost means a little bit more. You get ‘extra switched on’ because you don’t want to let a teammate down. That’s what makes it different.”

Maria Fassi, the 2019 NCAA Individual Champion from the University of Arkansas by way of Mexico, who finished runner up at the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur that same year, told me that she misses the team feeling of playing college golf. “I do like college, we had a great time,” Fassi said. “We had a great team. It was a big family, so I definitely do miss that. It’s part of what makes this tournament so special because I get to experience some of that, in a small way.”

anything I could need. I have always looked up to her, so it was an easy decision to play with her (in this format).” When asked if after all her collegiate success, has playing on the LPGA Tour turned out to be what she envisioned. “The only thing that’s common is that I’m still playing golf,” Fassi answered. “Everything else is completely different. The amount of travel and the fact that I went from traveling with 5 teammates and a couple coaches, to being by myself, practicing by myself. Of course, now it’s my job and I depend on results to make a living, so that pressure is also different that I didn’t experience before.”

That ‘small way’ will happen because Fassi will be the teammate of non-other than former University of Arkansas golfer Stacy Lewis. Other committed players include: “She’s one of my best friends on Tour,” Fassi said. “She’s been helping me, mentoring me. When I was still in school, she was already on the LPGA and would help me back then, with

• Defending champions – Cydney Clanton & Jasmine Suwannapura • Brooke Henderson & In Gee Chun • Lexi Thompson & Nasa Hataoka • Sophia Popov & Anne van Dam • Danielle Kang & Lydia Ko • So Yeon Ryu & Inbee Park MGJ

Michigan Golf Journal Michigan News & Notes

GOLF DAY AT THE CAPITOL: Legislators Learn Golf’s Community Impact By Greg Johnson Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist proclaimed June as Michigan Golf Month, and Rep. Stephanie Young, D-Detroit, came because the state legislators were all invited to Michigan Golf Day at the Capitol Thursday. Members of the Michigan Golf Alliance, a cooperative body of five state golf associations, shared its message of economic, environmental and human impact of the game with face-to-face talks over lunch and a program that included presentations by Renee Fluker, the founder

and president of the Midnight Golf Program in Detroit, Gilda Johnson, the owner of Lake Forest Golf Club and the Michigan Golf Course Association president, and a video featuring Dr. Brian Horgan of the MSU College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. More than 200 legislators and staffers who attended learned more about golf’s impact on the state as each year the golf governing bodies keep up education programs to make sure the sport is supported in business, agriculture and recreation. MGJ

Bay Harbor Golf Club Debuts New Scenic Cart Experience the new Cliffview Cart Cruise, offered on 12 dates this summer.

Golfers and non-golfers alike can for the first time, experience the aweinspiring masterpiece of Bay Harbor Golf Club with

The Cruise takes event goers on a scenic route navigating The Links and The Quarry courses with six stops along the way to soak in views and capture photos, including the glorious Lake Michigan shoreline. The experience is guided with participants driving their own carts in a caravan to each stop, where historical insights and course knowledge are also shared.

The Cliffview Cart Cruise’s remaining dates this summer are July 21 and 22; August 12, 13, 25, and 26; and September 1, 2, 9, and 10, and each cruise lasts about one hour. Cost is $49 per person, and includes a beverage of choice that can be enjoyed during the Cruise, or post-tour at The Links Grille featuring a patio that overlooks Lake Michigan’s Little Traverse Bay. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit bayharborgolf.com. MGJ

July 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

Oakland Hills South Reconstruction is Completed Oakland Hills Country Club’s renowned South Course, which has been the site of 17 championships since 1922 – including 11 USGA championships (six U.S. Opens), will reopen in early July after a comprehensive restoration conducted by golf course architect Gil Hanse. Hanse and his staff reviewed original plans and photographs as well

as a printed program from the 1929 U.S. Women’s Amateur to guide their planning for the scope of the project. It began in October of 2019 with a cost of approximately $12 million. “Restoring the South Course at Oakland Hills was a master class in scale from architect Donald Ross,” said Hanse. “By returning the proportions of the features to the large

scale of the property, we learned so much about how to create interest, strategy, and beauty. This was a truly thrilling project...” It’s no secret that Oakland Hills would like to bring a U.S. Open or other similar event back to Southeast Michigan. Michigan Golf Journal will continue following this story and have another report in August. MGJ

Michigan Golf Journal Bahle Farms Golf Course

Bahle Farms Golf Course: Simply Stunning By Tom Lang I am always hesitant when someone in marketing or in the media – including myself at times – uses words like ‘breathtaking views’ or ‘incredible vistas’ to describe any golf course destination. With that fair warning I can honestly say a course I’ve never heard of before, fits those exact descriptions – the 20-year-old Bahle Farms Golf Course – nestled on high

July 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

ridges of central Leelanau County, just minutes northwest of Traverse City. I can say with no doubt, of the courses I have played in Michigan, this little-known familyowned course is easily in Michigan’s top 5 courses laid out across so many drastic elevation changes and rolling hills. The tee boxes at No. 10 and 11 are easily 100 feet above the fairways below. They are the most severe drop offs on this course but

literally every hole except No. 13 (which cuts through the heart of a cherry orchard) is built on land that goes uphill or downhill or crosses sharp valleys – while many have slanted fairways along the way. To call it naturally rolling countryside is an understatement. The dominant photo here of No. 10 is a great example. I took the image while standing at the front of the tee box – and it looks like I am a drone. The layout is a par 71 with three par 3s on the front nine. The forward tees are

set at 4,600 yards and the tips stretch out to 6,650. The course was opened by the Bahle family 20 years ago on family farm property, but in mid-June was purchased by another family – the Duckmann’s – who have spent their summers in Leelanau for decades. We will share the Duckmann’s story in a future magazine, with more about the actual golf. For now, these photos should peak golfers’ curiosity. More information can be found here. MGJ

MIch Women’s Amateur

Kimberly Dinh Wins 105th Michigan Women’s Amateur By Greg Johnson SAGINAW – The Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship has been on the bucket list of Midland’s Kimberly Dinh since her undergraduate days as a golfer at the University of Wisconsin. The 28-year-old Senior Research Specialist for Dow Chemical checked it off in June, winning a tense 1-up title match against U-M golfer Mikaela Schulz of West Bloomfield at Saginaw Country Club. “It feels amazing,” Dinh said following the 105th edition of the state championship. “This was always one of my goals and I never quite got it done when I was in high school and college and playing all the time. I didn’t think I would play in it after that just because of everything else, but here I am and it’s amazing.”

Dinh, who started playing again after graduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and won the GAM Women’s MidAmateur in 2020, made a six-foot birdie putt on the par 4 No. 16 hole off a 54-degree wedge shot to take the final lead in the match. “The match could have gone either way,” Dinh said. “We were pretty much trading shot for shot and ultimately it was going to come down to who was going to make the shot at the right moment.” Neither golfer had a bigger lead than 1-up through the match. They each won a single hole on the front nine to make the turn tied in the match. Dinh earned her spot in the final match with a 3 and 1 morning semifinal win over

Ariel Chang of Macomb Township, last summer’s Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur Champion who is headed to the University of Detroit Mercy to play golf. Schulz, age 19, in the other semifinal fought off defending champion Anna Kramer of Spring Lake and the University of Indianapolis in another tense 1-up match. “I felt intensity and pressure in every match for sure, and it was a string of great matches, great competition,” Schulz said. “It was an honor to be competing in this championship.” Dinh said golf is different at 28, especially because she had to take vacation days to play this week. “So I took a third of them up,” she said and laughed. “It was worth it.” MGJ

College Corner

Two MSU Golfers Heading to U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship By Tom Lang Michigan State rising sophomore Valentina Rossi has qualified for the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. Rossi did so by shooting a 2-under-par 69 in a qualifier on June 21 at Sunningdale Country Club in Scarsdale, N.Y. She finished tied for third in the event where the top five players all earned a spot in this year’s tournament, which will take place August 2-8 at Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y. Rossi ended her freshman year for the Spartans with a 74.87 scoring average. She played a major role in the Spartans winning the 2021 Big Ten Championship when she tied for 14th overall with a 1-over-par 217. Rossi is the second Spartan to punch her ticket to the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur, joining Valery Plata, who received an automatic bid by way of her reaching the semifinal round of the same tournament last year – where she ended up getting knocked off by 2019 U.S. Amateur champ Gabriella Ruffels, 2&1, at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland. At the Amateur, Plata was the No. 2 seed in match play by virtue of finishing at 2-under par in stroke play. Plata, who has two years of college eligibility remaining, was the 2019-20 Big Ten Player of

Valery Plata, MSU

the Year and received a sponsor’s exemption into the Meijer LPGA Classic in mid-June in Grand Rapids, where, as the only amateur in the field, she made the cut and finished T70. To provide some perspective, Plata placed 2-strokes ahead of playing partner Jeongeun Lee6, who previously finished T12 in the U.S. Women’s Open. Plata also played in the final group in on Sunday with World No. 1 Jin Young Ko, who finished with 5-under the last day to tie for T57.

2021 Big Ten Women’s Golf Awards: Big Ten Freshman of the Year: Monet Chun, Michigan All-Big Ten Teams First Team Monet Chun, Michigan Ashley Lau, Michigan Valery Plata, Michigan State Second Team Hailey Borja, Michigan Paz Marfa Sans, Michigan State Yurika Tanida, Michigan State Big Ten Sportsmanship Honorees: Ashley Lau, Michigan Paz Marfa Sans, Michigan State MGJ

Michigan Golf Journal Michigan Amateur

Patrick Sullivan – and the Rain – Dominates 110th Michigan Amateur Championship By Greg Johnson and Tom Lang GRAND RAPIDS – The match-play field of the Michigan Amateur endured rain delays and bad weather of epic proportions, with 6 inches of rain in two days alone, causing the 110th version to be finished Monday, June 28, instead of the traditional Saturday. In the end, Patrick Sullivan of Grosse Pointe endured the longest to capture the Michigan Amateur title after finishing runner up two years ago. Sullivan won the Michigan Amateur Championship, turning back Eastern Michigan University golfer Tyler Rayman of Otsego 2 and 1 in the championship match at Cascade Hills Country Club – two years after he lost in the championship match to Ben Smith of Novi. “Getting to the finals is an accomplishment in itself, and you don’t really know if you’re going to be back

in that situation,” Sullivan said. “I was lucky enough two years later and I knew I wasn’t going to make the same mistakes I did then.” Rayman, who got past the Sweet 16 for the first time,

led 1-up early in the match and also through nine holes, but Sullivan birdied No. 10 to tie the score and then made consecutive birdies at Nos. 14 and 15 to move in front to stay.

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“Tyler was very tough,” Sullivan said. “I just kept making birdies the guys told me. To be completely honest I had no idea. I was just playing to what he was doing. Yeah, luckily some putts fell, and they needed to fall. For a while I was trailing, and it was just one of those matches where if you get to three down, you’re probably not going to get back in it because we were both playing so well.” Rayman called it a great match. “I played solid on the front and on the back really,” he said. “Patrick just got hot.

He’s an amazing player. There were a lot of birdies, and he deserves to come out on top because he played a great round of golf.”

in a brief time frame of allowable play, and 11 golfers remained involved in match play at that point to determine a champion.

Sullivan said the Amateur title was a goal of his since winning the Michigan Junior Boys State Amateur.

“We’re working closely and tirelessly with Cascade Hills to complete the championship but Mother Nature (was) not cooperating,” said Ken Hartmann, senior director of competitions for the Golf Association of Michigan. “The staff of the club has bent over backwards to help in every way possible.”

“I kind of wanted this to top it off,” he said. “If I end up playing professionally, which I hope to do, this is one of those that you want to have with your name on the trophy.” On the day the tournament would have normally ended, Saturday, June 26, just two matches were completed

FOR MATCH PLAY BRACKET RESULTS: Visit GAM.org MGJ

Michigan Golf Journal High School Finals

Boys’ Golf State Finals Results By Tom Lang EAST LANSING – Ann Arbor Skyline was ranked No. 1 all season, which brought along high expectations into the Division 1 golf state finals at Michigan State’s

Forest Akers West, as the prohibitive favorite. And even with a lineup that boasted two freshmen, the Eagles delivered.

Skyline recorded a twoday total 594, placing ahead of runner up Detroit Catholic Central (603), plus Traverse City West and Forest Hills Northern (each at 613). Skyline had four players in the top 25 to help outpace the field: freshman Ieuan Jones was part of a threeway tie for runner up to medalist Davis Codd (73-67) of Brighton, followed by Skyline brothers Vibhav and Vimal Alokam at T13 and T23, respectively, plus Mitchell Strickland at T23.

Senior Davis Codd

Head coach Ashley Mantha pointed out how the win was truly a team victory as they counted a normally fifth-man score in the first round.

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“Luke Richard, my junior, shot his best season score (in the first round) in the five spot,” she said. Normally he’s in the high 70s but he got a 74 for us, which counted because my No. 1 shot his worst score (in first round). You can talk about how we should play, but he really played to the moment.” Brighton senior Davis Codd was individual medalist with a huge 5-under par in the final round – and Forest Akers West played in conditions set up for Big Ten play, so most golfers scored higher than their averages. In the two-week window of regionals and the state finals, Codd was at an NHL prospects hockey camp in Erie, Penn. – yet that didn’t stop the high school golfer from returning to Michigan in between to finish the spring golf season with comedalist honors at regionals and the Div. 1 state finals. “Going into the second round I had a game plan to go out there and make as many birdies as I could,” Codd said. “The entire day I didn’t look at the leaderboard once. After I

walked off that green (No. 13, his final hole) I kind of figured it out. But I had the same game plan all day, to go and attack the hole.” Codd birdied his first four holes (Nos. 14-17), and after some up and down play midway through the round, he stepped up to the last hole, the par 5, 13th, and ripped a drive down the long, skinny fairway to within wedge length and made a twoputt birdie to top-off his final round as a high school player, who happens to double as a professional hockey player for the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit. Three others tied for Div. 1 state runners up at 143 – Murphy Kehoe of Traverse City West, first-round leader Jack Zubkus of Forest Hills Northern and freshman Ieuan Jones of Ann Arbor Skyline. Division 2: Birmingham Brother Rice shot back-to-back 290s to finish the state finals at 580 for 36-holes and a commanding state championship win, played at Bedford Valley. Flint Powers Catholic was runner

up at 608. Senior Brockton English of Pontiac Notre Dame won medalist at 6767-134 followed by Lorenzo Pinili of Brother Rice with 71-68-139. Division 3: Grand Rapids Catholic Central (623) won the state title over two schools that tied for runner up at 640 – Big Rapids and Hanover Horton. For Big Rapids it was the program’s fourth consecutive runner up finish (not including last season’s cancelation due to Covid). Hanover Horton won the 2018 state title. Sophomore PJ Maybank of Cheboygan ran away with medalist at 66-69-135. Division 4: Defending champ (from 2019) Kalamazoo Hackett won the team title again, with a 640 score to finish ahead of Lansing Christian at 646. Sophomore Remy Stalcup of Everest Collegiate was medalist and the only player under par at 70-72-142. MGJ

Michigan Golf Journal High School Awards

Mr. Golf:

P.J. Maybank of Cheboygan Plus All-State Players Named in all Divisions By Tom Lang

P.J. Maybank has spent all his Junior golfing life on the road and playing solo in tournaments from Michigan to Florida and a few others elsewhere – including one national win in three trips to compete at Augusta National in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Championship. Despite all the accolades, ‘solo’ was the key phrase he wanted to adjust. Maybank never played any type of team golf before, so it has been a goal for a while. The 16-year-old (recent) sophomore would have joined the Cheboygan High team in 2020 if not for Covid-19 canceling all spring sports. “It’s been a blast; it’s my first team experience and I hope to do it two more years so when I go to college it won’t be brand new,” Maybank said. “It was a great time. I knew a lot of

my teammates, just not as well since many are juniors and seniors. But we got to spend a lot of time together for a couple months, so it was great to get to know them better as teammates and friends.” Playing high school golf put Maybank in position to potentially be named Mr. Golf in Michigan – but rarely has a sophomore earned the honor. “My goals were to win regionals, state finals and Mr. Golf so that was

very gratifying to make all those goals,” he said. “There’s a bunch of great people and great players from the past that have received Mr. Golf and I just wanted to be in that elite company; and when I heard I received Mr. Golf, it was amazing.” Here are some additional Maybank highlights: • Div. 3 regional medalist – and won the state title by 10 strokes. • 2018 Drive Chip and Putt National winner, 12-13 age group.

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• Won USGA Junior Amateur qualifier at TPC Michigan in June – now heading to national Junior this month. • Last summer won all three GAM Junior tournaments, including state Junior Amateur.

• 9-hole low: 29 • 18-hole low: 62, earned in May at Detroit Golf Club’s (in former Horton Smith Invitational) where he finished runner up to MSU golfer James Piot. MGJ

2021 High School All-State Note: all award winners are listed in alphabetical order

Super Team: Davis Codd, sr., Brighton Brockton English, sr., Pontiac Notre Dame Ieuan Jones, fr., Ann Arbor Skyline Thomas Keyte, sr., Kalamazoo Hackett CC P.J. Maybank, soph., Cheboygan Lorenzo Pinili, soph., Birmingham Brother Rice Cannon Risner, sr., Leslie Jack Zubkus, jr. Forest Hills Northern

Division 1 All-State: Vibhav Alokam, fr., Ann Arbor Skyline Vimal Alokam, sr., Ann Arbor Skyline Justin Bunch, sr., Jackson Adam Burghardt, sr., Warren DeLaSalle Branden Falk, sr., Portage Northern Tyler Gillespie, sr., Forest Hills Northern Oliver Haeberle, sr., Rockford Murphy Kehoe, sr., Traverse City West Brayden Niemiec, jr., Plymouth Ryan O’Rourke, soph, Walled Lake Northern Craig Stephan, sr., Rockford Mitchell Strickland, soph, Ann Arbor Skyline Ethan Tran, sr., Warren DeLaSalle Neil Zhu, jr., Novi Detroit Catholic Central

Division 2 All-State: Matt Baer, jr., Brother Rice Caleb Bond, jr., Williamston Robert Burns. Soph., Flint Powers Catholic Harrison Chapman, jr., Marshall Steven Cullen, sr., Whitehall

Scott Hanna, sr., Detroit Country Day Sam Havey, jr., Williamston Peter Hofley, sr., Detroit Country Day Will Jensen, sr., Hastings Angelo Luciani, soph., East Grand Rapids Evan McDermott, jr., Spring Lake Colin O’Rourke, sr., Brother Rice Wyatt Vogel, sr., Williamston Bryce Wheeler, jr., Gull Lake

Division 3 All-State: Mason Anderson, jr., Belding Brogan Brockie, sr., Hanover-Horton Evan Brzyski, sr., Napoleon Ashton DiBlasi, soph., Saginaw Swan Valley Zach Koerner, sr., Laingsburg Josh Lavely, jr., Elk Rapids Anthony Naso, jr., Grosse Ile Cale Piedmont-Lang, jr., Ann Arbor Greenhills Will Preston, fr., GR Catholic Central Luke Welch, jr., Big Rapids

Division 4 All-State: Jeffrey Andrus, jr., Royal Oak Shrine Jake Beaudoin, sr., Charlevoix Ben Bridenstine, sr., Kalamazoo Hackett CC Ryan Chafty, sr., Kalamazoo Hackett CC William Combs, jr., Lansing Christian Davis Garrett, jr., Lansing Christian Ben Maino, jr., East Jackson Sam Pletcher, soph., Charlevoix Remy Stalcup, soph, Everest Collegiate Michael Zanoni, sr. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart

Meijer LPGA Classic

MSU Players Shine at Meijer LPGA Classic By Tom Lang

GRAND RAPIDS – Nelly Korda won the Meijer LPGA Classic – which raised $1.1 million for local food pantries – with a dazzling 25-under par four-day total to set a new tournament record to par at Blythefield Country Club. Her 5-under 67 final round came on the heels of her career low 62 in the third round. Korda is the first player with multiple wins on the LPGA Tour this 2021 season and earned her fifth career win. Making local MSU Spartans proud were two golfers: recent graduate Sarah Burnham, and current player Valery Plata. Burnham finished at 9-under par, but the field was so strong in scoring she ended up at T57. “I had some great shots today,” Burnham said after round four. “Overall, my game is right where it needs to be. Maybe a few more putts could have dropped but overall, I was happy with the round.” The Meijer LPGA Classic was the first LPGA event

Sarah Burnham

Burnham played in a few years ago, near the end of her MSU career as a twotime Big Ten Player of the Year.

played in the final group with World No. 1 Jin Young Ko, who finished with 5-under the last day to tie Burnham at T57.

“I know a lot of people from Michigan, so it still has a good family vibe for me here. It was great being back out here, playing in a familiar place.”

“I don’t think it’s really quite sunk in yet, that might take a while,” Plata said soon after signing her Sunday scorecard. “It was great to play with people who have won many times here (on the Tour). It was fun. It was really good to watch a lot of good shots, and some not really good shots but to watch how they recovered from those.”

Plata finished in Grand Rapids with a birdie on the final hole to close at 4-under par, T70. To provide some perspective, she placed 2-strokes ahead of playing partner Jeongeun Lee6, who finished T12 in the U.S. Open. Plata also

More details here. MGJ

Michigan Golf Journal 104th Michigan Open

Amateur Bradley Smithson of MSU Wins 104th Michigan Open By Tom Lang

ACME – Amateur Bradley Smithson of Grand Rapids made the biggest shot of his life to help secure the biggest win of his life – the Turtle Creek Casino MICHIGAN OPEN. And it came in a two-hole playoff against pro Patrick Wilkes-Krier of Ann Arbor, an instructor at the Kendall Golf Academy. Smithson’s ‘biggest shot’ was a chip-in birdie from about 15 yards off the green on the first playoff hole, the middle of three consecutive finishing birdies, to extend the match where he birdied again, on hole 16, to take the crown. He is only the fifth amateur to win this professional open event in its 104-

Bradley Smithson

year history, but he is the second left-handed golfer in a row to win the title. Lefty pro Brett White, also of Grand Rapids, won the 2020 tournament on The Bear at Grand Traverse Resort. “Wow, and I’m really tired and I’m really hungry,” Smithson said were his first thoughts as it all began sinking in. “It’s an awesome feeling to get it done; very emotional. “For sure, this is definitely the biggest win of my life, and definitely the best. But this win doesn’t change my plans; it strengthens my goals. Playing like this the whole week was good to see.” Smithson, a golfer at Michigan State University,

found himself down two strokes on the tee of the 72nd hole. But he dialed in on his approach shot into the 18th green in regulation to make a 14-foot birdie, while Wilkes-Krier, the former U-M assistant golf coach, made a bogey from off the green. The pair were tied at 13-under after regulation and each birdied the first playoff hole. “I pretty much knew I had to make birdie and for him to make bogey to get in a playoff and try to get it done there,” Smithson said. Then on the first playoff hole from off the green at 18: “I tried to pick a line that was an aggressive line, and I knew if it had a little top spin, it could roll in, and that’s what it did.” More details here. MGJ

Photo: No. 10, Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort