Issuu

Michigan Golf Journal American Dunes

American Dunes is Taking Shape Latest Jack Nicklaus design in Michigan By Tom Lang

The Bear is on the prowl again, along the shores of Lake Michigan. Not Sleeping Bear Dunes in northwest Michigan, but another Dunes that could become just as popular among golfers nationwide. The Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus, is busy designing the new American Dunes Golf Club along with his associate Chris Cochran by

totally revamping the former Grand Haven Golf Club, birthplace of the Folds of Honor Foundation that was started at the site by Maj. Dan Rooney in 2006. “The theme is developed off the name, which is American Dunes,” Nicklaus said at a mid-August site visit regarding the fact the course near the edge of Lake Michigan used to be smothered by trees tightly

enclosing every fairway. “We’re trying to create a golf course that utilizes the dunes as part of the strategy, part of the aesthetics, and make it fit around its name – American Dunes.” Topsoil from off site was brought in when Grand Haven Golf Club was first built in the 1960s by the Matthews family, covering all the rolling, sandy terrain cut through the trees; a common

September 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

Hole 12 before tree removal; all holes looked this way New retention pond in front of clubhouse

practice at the time. Both Rooney and Nicklaus wanted to make a dramatic shift in design style and playability by returning the land to its natural state. For that to happen, all the topsoil has been scraped off the surface and pure shoreline sand (not a single rock has been found) was mined from underneath and brought to the surface to be seeded for grass tees, fairways and greens while leaving all the areas in between as sand dunes. Most of the trees between holes have been removed to open Lake Michigan breezes and golfer sightlines across the entire property. The new design contrast between bright green grasses

and white sand dunes should provide a gorgeous layout to look at, and challenging golf course to navigate. The tree-lined fairways had simply gotten out of control, literally making the course claustrophobic. There will be no visual comparison to the end result Nicklaus is going after. “It turned out to be a beautiful piece of property,” Nicklaus said in reference to what he saw once the trees were removed and the rolling terrain was more exposed. “And I think a lot of people are going

to really, really enjoy coming here and seeing the golf course and see what Dan has done to honor our fallen soldiers and their families.” American Dunes is led by Rooney, who developed and launched the charity at Grand Haven to provide education scholarships for the children and spouses of military personnel killed Continues on next page >>

Jack Nicklaus and crew look over plans with Dan Rooney

American Dunes or wounded in action. American Dunes will provide a public golfing experience that includes learning more about the Folds of Honor through an onsite education center and be a bastion for veterans to enjoy the game. “It’s really special that Jack would come in here and believe in saving the birthplace of the Folds of Honor,” Rooney said about the property that’s been in his family for two decades. “To turn it from what it was into American Dunes that will be reverent to God and Country, and Jack and Barbara’s legacy. We’re just humbled that everyone believed. “American Dunes is an unprecedented site, I think,” Rooney added. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Straight sand, adjacent to the shores of Lake Michigan. And watching the greatest golfer of all time uncover what will be American Dunes – it’s going to be as good as anything in the state and in this part of the country when we’re done.” Patriot Golf Day is the main fundraiser for Folds of Honor at locations nationwide, and just took place over the Labor Day weekend. In 2018 the campaign collected over $7 million. “You will come here to play golf, but leave here saying, ‘wow, that was more than just golf,’” said American Dunes GM Doug Bell. “It will be a subtle educational experience that comes along with your round of golf so that you might pick up the phone when you get home and call your buddy who is a veteran and say, ‘thank you,’ – and you hadn’t thought of that in a while. It’s going to be an emotional round of golf.” More info: www.americandunesgolfclub.com

Maximize Your Play Time

The best golf destinations cover a lot of ground beyond the 18th green. French Lick Resort is the golf getaway with more to love. We have 45 holes of golf, including championship courses by legendary designers Pete Dye and Donald Ross. Add in hundreds of ways to win at the casino, casual and fine dining plus other amenities, and the numbers are on your side for an epic golf trip. French Lick Resort brings it all together with golf, food, fun and gaming at one unforgettable destination. For groups of 8 or more, give our golf group sales manager Alex Whiteman a call at 812-936-9300 (ext. 7227) to get the ball rolling.

Must be 21 years or older to enter the casino. Gambling Problem? Call 1.800.9.WITH.IT!

Michigan Golf Journal

Welcome Back, Jack

There have been a bunch of Golden Bear sightings in Michigan this season. There could be more, but we know Jack Nicklaus has made no less that two visits to Grand Haven to the new American Dunes Golf Club he’s designing with his associate Chris Cochran – which hopefully you just read on the previous 3 pages.

Then there was the visit to Oakland Hills the week of the Michigan Amateur to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the GAM and help raise well over $100,000 for the GAM Foundation’s mission of

funding Youth on Course (see a full review of Jack’s comments in July’s Michigan Golf Journal). And upcoming is at least one more opportunity for fans to see the Golden Bear, and the highest bidder in a charity auction can even be Nicklaus’ caddie for a day, at the Ally Challenge Celebrity Shootout at Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc in mid-September (see story details on page 12).

great honor. I have enjoyed tremendously bringing these stories to you – and I hope you’ve enjoyed them just as much.

Tom Lang Publisher/Editor

Having the Greatest of All Time spend so much time in the state he loves to tease the most (he’s an Ohio State Buckeye) has been a

What’s Inside: 08

Destination: Arcadia Bluffs

Boyne’s Jeff Roth Wins 2 Majors

Ally Challenge / Nicklaus Auction

College Golf Season Previews

GAM 100 years: the 60s, 70s, 80s

Road Trip: Wisconsin Golf

Michigan Journal Fall GolfGolf in the U.P.

Experience Michigan’s Fall Golf Season Earlier in the U.P. at Island Resort and Casino One of the greatest gifts Michigan golfers get to experience annually is the magnificent fall colors scattered across the Great Lakes State. Those looking for a head start on the fall golf season can head to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The fall golf season in the U.P. comes a few weeks earlier than downstate when sunny crisp days become a feast for the senses with hardwoods changing colors and turning their hues to scarlet, rust, gold and orange. A really nice location with the diversity of trees perfect for complimentary color displays is the Island Resort and Casino, located 13 miles west of Escanaba. Its new Sage Run course is a great contrasting golf experience to the original open-prairie Sweetgrass. Sage Run meanders through the beautiful Upper Peninsula hardwoods and around a tall, natural ridge offering some of the most

Sweetgrass closing par 5s

spectacular color views in the region from several elevated locations. Golf holes like No. 8 and No. 16 were routed up and around the ridge offering a scenic variety of shots creating a fun thrill ride for golfers. The most spectacular views should be found from the elevated tees at No. 15, the long downhill par 4 and finishing hole No. 18, a downhill boomerang style par 5 where the fall colors stretch for 30-40 miles. Don’t forget to bring the camera! Ranked among Golfweek’s Best Courses, as well as recognized by GOLF Magazine

and Golf Digest as Best in State, Sweetgrass features an open layout with strategic holes framed by the beautiful color season. Scenic holes like the famous island green No. 15 and the fun par 3 12th hole, which borders the same lake, as well as a pair of spectacular finishing par 5 holes on each 9 that share a huge, expansive green offer a fun challenge for golfers of all levels. Finish off any round with gaming, food and entertainment options at one of the top casino resorts in the Midwest. For more information about planning a fall golf escape, visit www. islandresortgolf.com.

TEN COURSES. THREE RESORTS. ONE DESTINATION. Bay Harbor Golf Club The Links • Hole #1

Boyne Highlands Resort Arthur Hills • Hole #13

NORTHERN MICHIGAN

Bay Harbor Golf Club The Quarry • Hole #6

Boyne Mountain Resort The Monument • Hole #13

BOYNEgolf.com

833.355.1050

Michigan Bluffs Golf Journal Arcadis is Growing

Destination: Arcadia Bluffs

South Course Expands with Luxurious New Clubhouse By Tom Lang

M-22, Arcadia doubled its efforts for destination distinction, aided by the fact in August its new clubhouse opened just behind the 18th green.

Arcadia Bluffs 12th Hole

Visually deceptive. Visually stunning. Two images that at first seem to contradict each other, yet properly describe what golfers will find at Arcadia Bluffs – as well as its new sister property, the South Course. Now in its 20th year, Arcadia Bluffs along the Lake Michigan shoreline has been tagged by many local and national media as the No. 1 public course in Michigan – especially for its 18 links-style holes that resemble

an Ireland experience – making it a destination course. With the new South Course one-mile down

Arcadia Bluffs clubhouse view

Arcadia Bluffs in particular is, without doubt, visually stunning on its elevated perch along the shore of Lake Michigan. For the same reason it can be considered visually deceptive because at first glance, the deep, sodfaced bunkers and severely mounded landscape with its windswept golden heather can make any golfer take a big gulp even before teeing it up. However, most holes have plenty of room off the tee, especially the front nine, and golfers have a real shot at playing well if they pay attention and don’t allow the gorgeous and unique landscape to infiltrate their minds. Well, okay, good luck with that.

September 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

sage old advice of place your ball in the middle of the green and putt to the edges is best put to use on the South Course. Hint: with the firm and fast surface at the South Course, try to land your ball short of the green. Don’t worry, it will run up. Arcadia South Course

The new South Course is a Dana Fry and Warren Henderson creation, designed with features to honor the styles of legend C.B. MacDonald, whose masterpieces include the famed Chicago Golf Club (1893), and his protégé Seth Raynor. It’s truly a links course with the wind always a factor, and made

South Course step bunkers on 17

to play the ball low and bump and run in the short game area. Its ‘deceptive’ features include huge greens – which average 9,400 square feet each – that are designed with tapered off edges that run balls off into low-lying areas, or worse yet, sand bunkers. The

Also deceptive is how the overall design incorporates the use of angles and depth of field for illusion – and geometric shaping to make it stand alone – and make it stunning. Scoring well is always about picking the best angles of attack. Every green complex on the South – except for 13 – has at least one squarecut corner, but most have 2-to-4. That’s part of the

Continues on next page >>

Michigan Bluffs Golf Journal Arcadis is Growing

South Course new clubhouse

appeal with the course; greens in all kinds of various geometric shapes. Some are square, one is shaped like a baseball homeplate, one shaped like what I’d say is a chef’s hat or loaf of bread. No. 12 is a horseshoe green, with the tips of the horseshoe pointing back toward the tee and a bunker placed in the middle. Bunkers are also unique. Most are long and skinny, rectangular (there’s that word again) and run parallel and perpendicular to fairways. Most lay flat and often wrap around the corners of the square cut green edges, with 90-degree turns.

My favorite stretch of holes is 15-17. No. 15 is a short par 4 that also goes downhill but is littered with strategically placed bunkers to add to the riskreward factors. Hole 16 is a par 3 that appears easy (except its length) and looks flat at first glance.

But the left half of the area in front of the green dips deep to a point you cannot see the flag for a chip if your tee shot lands short of the putting surface. Play to the right if you cannot reach the green. Hole 17 is a par 4 with three ominous step

September 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

sunporch with elevated views across the course. Food choices are also more casual at the South, with items like Fish & Chips, fried chicken, pasties, steak sandwiches and the like.

All lodging choices at Arcadia are exquisite

bunkers covering the left side of the fairway. Stay to the right to attack the twotiered green. The green also has a feature where the right side is mown down to and level with the back of the 18th tee box. “We knew when we built it, it was going to be different,” GM Bill Shriver said. “There’s pretty much an entire generation of golfers that haven’t seen a course like this. Now (courses are designed) with big gouged-out bunkers and dramatic sloping. “The golf course itself has matured just exponentially faster than we thought it would. It’s softer than it was last fall (it opened August, 2018)… but we’re

looking at another 3-to-5 years before the fescue grasses are full. But tee to green it’s really come a long way and we’re really happy with it. “It’s a great compliment to the Bluffs and things couldn’t have gone better (the first year). It’s worked out really well.”

New South Clubhouse Now Open: The original clubhouse at the Bluffs location is more formal, with seating for over 300 and white walls, and white linins on the table, for example. But the new South clubhouse seats about 125, has almost a dozen TVs, and is highlighted by an all-glass

“It provides a more relaxed, bistro-type feel,” Shriver added. “We’ll do fish fries on Friday night, those types of things. We want to appeal to the lodge guests, but also the local community as well.” The South Course clubhouse is designed to be open all winter long, providing dining options for people who live nearby and for the public taking part in winter sports. Arcadia also wanted an opportunity to provide local jobs year-round. “Up here in the winter it’s more casual; people are in blue jeans and bundled in winter coats,” Shriver said. “People come over from skiing at Crystal Mountain or maybe snowshoeing nearby. The new building sets us up better that way.” Whenever you visit Arcadia, it’ll be well worth the trip.

Michigan Golf Journal Ally Challenge in Grand Blanc

Become Caddie for a Day for Jack Nicklaus Or for Kid Rock, Dierks Bentley or Henrik Zetterberg By Tom Lang

tournament-info/celebrityshootout-auction. The auction closes at 9:00 pm on Sept. 10. If you don’t want to carry a bag for one of the four celebrities, you can still bid to walk inside the ropes for this special event. All the money raised goes to two community charities. The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren has an auction challenge for golf lovers who want to carry the bag of Jack Nicklaus, or his playing partners in the Celebrity Shootout, which will take place on Saturday, September 14 following the last tournament pairing of round two, beginning on Hole No. 10 at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club. Not often in anyone’s life does a chance like this come along, so don’t hesitate to bid at: https:// theallychallenge.com/

“We’ve really taken this tournament to the next level in year two and can’t wait to welcome everyone to Warwick Hills,” said Andrea Brimmer, chief marketing and public relations officer, Ally. “Adding Red Wings legend Henrik Zetterberg to the Celebrity Foursome was the final piece of what will be an amazing day on tournament Saturday.”

The pairings for this marquee competition will feature Nicklaus and Kid Rock (the pair are friends; Kid Rock is a member at one of Jack’s clubs in south Florida) verses Bentley and Zetterberg in a nine-hole team scramble, matchplay format. The teams will compete for a $25,000 purse to benefit the tournament’s primary charitable partners, Genesee County Habitat for Humanity and United Way of Genesee County. Bentley will headline the Community Concert that same evening, after the second round of play in the 54-hole pro tournament. Access to The Ally Challenge Community Concert is only offered via the purchase of a valid tournament ticket. For a complete listing of ticket options now available for the 2019 Ally Challenge click here.

Michigan Golf Journal #GAM100

#GAM100: the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s The Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) is celebrating its Centennial Anniversary this year after being founded in metro Detroit in 1919. These short pieces are just a glimpse of the middle years, from 1960 through the 1980s (content provided by Greg Johnson): 1960-1969: Oakland Hills Country Club is Michigan’s Most Famous By 1960 Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, a charter member of the Golf Association of Michigan, had

become Michigan’s most famous club for having hosted multiple major championships, including three of its six U.S. Open Championships, and having top international players as head golf professionals, most notably Walter Hagen and Al Watrous. The club reached its 50th birthday in 1966. The North Course, like the South, is a Donald Ross original design. It opened for play in May of 1924, three weeks before the South Course hosted the club’s first U.S. Open.

On the heels of the Great Depression in 1933 the club opted to operate the North Course as a daily fee public course under the name North Hills Golf Course. It operated that way until the membership voted in 1967 to open it after renovation as the club’s second private course. That work was completed in 1969. 1970-1979: Pete Green, GAM’s Chairman of the Scoreboard Franklin’s Pete Green is one of Michigan’s most accomplished golfers,

September 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

and the father of Suzy Green-Roebuck, another of Michigan Golf Hall of Famer. They are the only father-daughter duo in the Hall. “I’m proud of my golf, but proud that I played golf with my father, and played with my kids and now grandkids, and really proud of all of them, what they do and who they are,” Green said. He gets most animated when he talks about having

into the Michigan Hall of Fame with him.

won the GAM FatherSon Championship with his father Edward, then winning it twice with his son Michael, and watching Suzy as she made her way through the amateur ranks, the LPGA Tour and

Pete, who first shot his age at 66 and still maintains a single-digit handicap, was among the state’s best players over four decades, as evidenced by his four Michigan Amateur Championships being claimed in 1969, ’79, ’86 and ’95 (at age 55). He first qualified for the Michigan Amateur at age 15, in 1955. Nine times he was named GAM Player Continues on next page >>

#GAM100 of the Year, and also took his game to the national stage. He qualified for and played in 15 U.S. Amateur Championships and three U.S. Open Championships and won the 1967 Middle Atlantic Amateur Championship. 1980-1989: Michigan Native Jeff Rivard Guides Changing Association Jeff Rivard came to the GAM as its third executive director in 1984, served through 1992 and was on

the scene for the most significant change in the association’s history. In 1985 the GAM changed its bylaws to include public golf facilities in the GAM family and services. Previously, and for 66 years, it has been an organization of private golf clubs only. Another significant change during Rivard’s Michigan tenure involved the Michigan Amateur Championship. Rivard

thought it needed site changes and a format change to maximize it as the flagship tournament. In terms of format for the Michigan Amateur, Rivard lobbied for a change to the qualifying. Fast forward to 2012, a record 1,034 golfers entered the Michigan Amateur. It was hosted that year by Oakland Hills on the North Course and won by Drew Preston.

Amateur Championships

GAM Championship: Mitchell White at Home This was the summer in which Muskegon’s Mitchell White didn’t play a lot of golf due to college internship duties, finishing up at Grand Valley State University and spending more time with family. But a fifth-consecutive summer also working as bag-room staff at Muskegon Country Club, host of the GAM Championship, paid off. “I didn’t plan on winning this,” he said after shooting a closing 5-under 67 to win his second GAM Championship (first in 2015). “It was surreal how everything lined up for me. I had only played in two tournaments. I didn’t think it could happen, but I played my practice round and it was like – I have some things going here.” This time White dominated. His 15-under 201 total was six better than runner-up and defending champion James Piot of Canton and MSU, who closed with a 68.

Michigan Women’s Amateur: Elayna Bowser From Michigan Women’s Amateur runner up last year, to 2019 champion, to LPGA Tour Q-School coming this month, Dearborn’s Elayna Bowser is trending up. Bowser, a 22-year-old Loyola University grad who is turning professional, defeated Michigan Golf Hall of Famer and MSU coach, Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, 4 and 3 in the championship match at Spring Lake Country Club. “It means a lot,” Bowser said of giving her a boost heading off to Q-School. “It is the top women’s amateur tournament in Michigan and to win it feels like I reached the ultimate goal for a Michigan amateur golfer… knowing this was going to be my last amateur tournament, I wanted to finish strong.” At age 47, the MSU coach almost grabbed her third Michigan Amateur title. Slobodnik-Stoll is the winningest golfer in GAM history with 18 titles, including two amateurs in 1996 and ’98.

Junior State Amateur: Patrick Deardorff Patrick Deardorff of Clarkston knew it was his last Michigan Junior State Amateur, so he gave it everything he had. The 18-year-old lefty turned back Tommy Sullivan of Grosse Pointe 3 and 2 in the final match to win the 41st edition of the championship, played at Bedford Valley Golf Course near Battle Creek. “I’m extremely happy about this win,” he said. “It was a lot of fun and it’s the biggest win I’ve ever had without a doubt.” Deardorff, who’s undecided about his college or golf plans, got the lead in the middle of the back nine in the final match and then made clutch putts. The GAM presented a 15-and-under competition for the first time and Ryan O’Rourke of West Bloomfield took the title with a 2 and 1 win over Joe Murdock of Ada in the final match.

Michigan Golf Michigan PGAJournal Section Awards

Michigan Section PGA 2019 Awards

Doug Kreis

Doug Kreis, Head Golf Professional at Battle Creek Country Club, captured the 2019 Michigan Section PGA Golf Professional of the Year award. This prestigious honor is awarded to the professional that has demonstrated outstanding qualities of leadership and strong moral character. Kreis was chosen by his peers for the award based on his overall performance as a Golf Professional, service to the Section and the Association, leadership ability, image and ability to inspire others and his promotion and growth of the game. Teacher of the Year: David VanLoozen, a PGA Teaching Professional at Oakland Hills Country Club. Assistant Golf Professional of the Year: Emily Rohdy,

Head Golf Professional at Bucks Run Golf Club. Bill Strausbaugh Award: Bernie Friedrich, Senior Vice President, Golf Operations and Resort Sales at Boyne Resorts (for outstanding integrity, character, and leadership through a commitment to mentoring and making significant impacts on the careers of PGA Professionals).

Kolstad, Director of Golf at Gull Lake View Golf Course – for personifying patriotism through the game of golf and demonstrating unwavering commitment and dedication to the men and women who have valiantly served. Player Development Award: Michael Fay, Director of Instruction at BOYNE Golf Academy

Horton Smith Award: Kevin McKinley, Director of Golf at Treetops Resort (for outstanding contributions to professional education). Doug Brody, Head Golf Professional at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, has been named the Merchandiser of the Year for Private Golf Facilities; John Paul Westbrook, Head Golf Professional at Indian River Golf Club, won Merchandiser of the Year for Public Golf Facilities, and Elliott Oscar, Head Golf Professional at Forest Dunes Golf Club, has been named the Merchandiser of the Year for Resort Golf Facilities. Patriot Award: Dean

Scott Wilson

Youth Player Development Award: Scott Wilson, a PGA Teaching Professional at Bay Meadows Family Golf Course. Wilson won this same award at the PGA National level. He has built an impressive Golf in Schools program at more than a dozen elementary schools in the Traverse City area and has nearly 100 kids participating in PGA Jr. League.

AMERICA’S 100 BEST CLUBFITTERS

PRECISION CLUB AND BALL FLIGHT ANALYSIS

GET FIT - MAPLEHILLGOLF.COM

GOLF

FEATURED EXCLUSIVELY AT

MAPLE HILL GOLF 5555 Ivanrest Ave. Grandville, MI 49418 │ 616.538.0290 │ MAPLEHILLGOLF.COM

Michigan PGA Wrap Up

Boyne’s Jeff Roth Wins Back-to-Back Majors Tournament of Champions and Michigan PGA titles

Roth, who earned the $7,000 first-place check, was four shots better than Ben Cook of Yankee Springs Golf Course in Wayland. Cook, age 25 and the first-place money winner a year ago, finished four shots behind Roth.

It appears that Jeff Roth cannot stop making Michigan golf history. It also didn’t hurt that his two back-to-back majors in August were hosted at golf properties where he has, and still does, work. The 61-year-old Boyne Golf Academy instructor shot a 17-under 199 in the 54-hole Michigan PGA Professional Championship at Flint Golf Club, August 19-21. It was the 5th Michigan PGA Professional title for the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member who lived in the Flint area and worked at Flint Golf Club as head golf professional through the 1990s. It also was Roth’s second major Michigan section win in the month, after victory at the Tournament of Champions just a few weeks before at Boyne Mountain Resort. Roth has now moved out of a tie with Scott Hebert (head pro at Traverse City Golf & Country Club) for the most

major Michigan wins in PGA Section history. The latest, major number 17, came at the same golf club where he claimed his first in the now-defunct Michigan PGA Yamaha Classic 32 years ago. “This is just a wonderful accomplishment to be able to come back after working here so many years, being the head pro and living in the Genesee County area for over 20 years and getting my first Michigan major here,” Roth said. “Coming back 32 years later to win number 17 is pretty special for sure. You never know when it will be the last. I will just keep competing as hard as I can.”

Roth’s earlier win on Boyne’s Alpine Course topped Barrett Kelpin of Kalamazoo by one stroke for his record 6th Tournament of Champions title. The unique tournament invites male, female, senior, junior, professional and amateur golf champions of significant Michigan events to compete for one title. At Boyne, Hebert tied for third with Mike Nagy of Manistique, the 2017 TOC champ. Henry Do of Auburn Hills, the low amateur in the tournament, placed 5th and Suzy Green-Roebuck of Ann Arbor was the low female in the field, 7th overall. Content by Greg Johnson

College Corner, Season Previews

Michigan State Women:

Allyson Geer-Park

Haylen Harris

The Spartans return all six players from last year’s team that were regulars in the lineup, including All-Big Ten performers Allyson GeerPark (Sr.), Paz Marfa Sans (Sr.) and Yurika Tanida (Jr.). The team took 5th in the Big Ten but by only five strokes difference (575-580) behind winner Ohio State. Paz Marfa finished 4th individually with a 3-under par and made the All-Big Ten Championship team.

the year last season. She also played in her third consecutive Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give in June, after earning entry into the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April. Geer-Park’s 72.9 career average entering 2019-20 – her final season – is the best of any player in Spartan history. She and Harris were exempted into the Firekeepers Hotel LPGA Symetra Tour event in Battle Creek recently.

MSU won the Big Ten Championship in 2017 and 2018 and has finished in the top-five 19 times in the last 20 years. Three key sophomores return for the new 2019-20 season as well: Haylin Harris, who along with Geer-Park qualified for the NCAA Championships this past spring – plus Valery Plata and Sydney Naro. This summer, Plata, Harris and Tanida qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur – with Harris making it to match play and getting one win before bowing out in the round of 32. Geer-Park was named co-winner of the George Alderton MSU Female Athlete of

Head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll enters her 23rd season as head coach. MSU won the Briar’s Creek Invitational last season, which was the 38th tournament the Spartans have won during her tenure. SlobodnikStoll continues to play competitively herself, finishing runner up in the Michigan Women’s Amateur this summer. The Spartans host the 36th annual Mary Fossum Invitational, Sept. 22-23, at Forest Akers West. Content by Tom Lang

MichiganCorner, Golf Journal College Season Previews

Michigan State Men:

James Piot

Troy Taylor

The Spartans come off 2018-19 as one of the program’s best seasons of the last decade, earning a tournament win (Colleton River Collegiate); taking third at the Big Ten Championships; and getting a programrecord fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. The Spartans also put up the lowest 18hole (272) and 54-hole (828) team scores in program history at the NCAA Pullman Regional. Big losses include graduated senior Donnie Trosper (of Canton), who recently went to the U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst, and Kaleb Johnson, who turned pro after his junior campaign.

Spartans’ active leader in rounds played at 74. He came to MSU as a 3-time Michigan Mr. Golf Award recipient in high school while playing at Battle Creek Lakeview, where he won the Division 1 state championships in 2015 and 2016. He also has the distinction of, at age 14, being the youngest African American golfer to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship.

Leading the way this season is the lone returning senior, Andrew Walker, and junior James Piot, who recorded the second-lowest single-season scoring average in program history at 71.49. Piot was also an All-Big Ten first team selection as well as a PING AllMidwest region honoree, and is a former Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Walker, who needs to finish his college career strong, enters 2019-20 as the

MSU sophomore Troy Taylor II played every round of every tournament as a rookie and posted a 73.57 average – third best on the team. This will be head coach and MSU alum Casey Lubahn’s 9th season directing the Spartans. He was captain of the team as a senior in 2004. Potentially the biggest team news and a great opportunity for mid-Michigan is that MSU will host the NCAA East Lansing Regional, May 18-20, 2020 at Eagle Eye Golf Club in East Lansing. Content by Tom Lang

MichiganCorner, Golf Journal College Season Previews

University of Michigan Women:

Ashley Kim

Ashley Lau

Women’s golf coach Jan Dowling announced her team’s 10-tournament regular-season schedule for the Wolverines’ upcoming 201920 season.

Chris Tar Heel Invitational (Oct. 11-13) at the Finley Golf Course. The first half of the season will end in Wilmington with a third straight trip to UNC Wilmington’s Landfall Tradition (Oct. 25-27) at the Country Club of Landfall.

“We take a lot of pride in scheduling a nationally-competitive schedule,” said Dowling. “Our goal is to play the most competitive tournaments possible on great golf courses that test our ability to adapt to different conditions and grasses. The end goal is to help our team prepare for the postseason, and we are thrilled about these opportunities. This coming year certainly meets our expectations, and we are excited to test our mettle all season long.” Dowling’s seventh season with U-M begins with a local trip down US-23 to Toledo, Ohio, and the Inverness Club for the Inverness Women’s Intercollege (Sept. 16-17) before the Maize and Blue head to Chicago for Northwestern’s Windy City Classic (Sept. 30Oct. 1) at the Westmoreland Country Club. The fall term will close with back-to-back events in North Carolina. First, it’s U-M’s fourth straight visit to North Carolina’s Ruth’s

Come February, the Wolverines will open their spring season with a trip to Jalisco, Mexico, to play in host Virginia’s Guadalajara International Invitational (Feb. 16-18) at Guadalajara Country Club. U-M then will bookend its spring-break training trip with Miami’s Hurricane Invitational (March 2-3) at the Biltmore and will close it at Florida’s Gator Invitational (March 7-8) at the Mark Bostick Golf Course. Michigan finishes with three more events in March and April, before the Big Ten Championships. A pair of Ashley’s lead from last year as the only two who played in all 11 regular season tournaments: sophomore Ashley Lau (U-M freshman scoring record holder at 74.16) and junior Ashley Kim (2 top 10s). Content provided by U-M’s Tom Wywrot

September 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

University of Michigan Men:

Brent Ito

Patrick Sullivan

New men’s golf coach Zach Barlow, who arrived this summer from Big Ten powerhouse Illinois, announced a 10-tournament regular-season schedule for the Wolverines.

7-8) at the Warren Golf Club before it plays in Indiana’s Crooked Stick Invitational (Oct. 14-15) at the Crooked Stick Golf Club. The fall will close with a sixth straight visit to Baylor’s Royal Oaks Intercollegiate (Oct. 21-22) at the Royal Oaks Country Club.

“It’s always important to find the right balance of challenging courses and quality competition to help you build towards the postseason,” said Barlow. “We feel we have been able to do that. We are looking forward to getting started and testing ourselves in the fall.” The Wolverines will open when they head to Northwestern’s Windon Memorial Classic (Sept. 16-17) at Conway Farms. In U-M’s last five visits to the Wildcats’ event, the Wolverines have finished among the top five as a team and claimed two individual titles. Then the Maize and Blue head to Toledo, Ohio, for the Inverness Intercollegiate (Sept. 23-24) at the Inverness Club, which was the host site for U-M’s dramatic semifinal run at the 2009 NCAA Finals. With three events in October, U-M starts with Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish Classic (Oct.

U-M’s spring season will open with the Big Ten Match Play Championship (Feb. 7-8) and follow with four more events. This is truly an international team, with just two players from Michigan – sophomore Patrick Sullivan of Grosse Pointe, and incoming freshman Kevin Healy of Rockford. Sullivan was the 2018 Div. 1 state champ and Mr. Golf in Michigan and was runner up this summer at the Michigan Amateur at Oakland Hills. The roster includes senior Brent Ito of Ardsley, NY; senior Taisei Negishi of San Diego, CA; junior Charlie Pilon of New South Wales, Australia; junior Henry Spring of Whakatane, New Zealand; sophomore Ben Dunne of Cedar Park, TX; and freshman Pier Francesco De Col of Torino, Italy. Content provided by U-M’s Tom Wywrot

MichiganCorner, Golf Journal College Season Previews

Oakland University Men:

Oakland University Women:

Chris Handy, credit Jose Juarez

Veronica Haque, credit Jose Juarez

Head coach Nick Pumford enters his fourth season at the helm of the Oakland men’s golf program and looks to continue to set new standards for 2019-20. The Golden Grizzlies return All-Horizon League First Team selection Chris Handy for his senior campaign. A season ago, the England native led the team in scoring average, was the No. 1 ranked player in the Horizon League, and registered a team-best four top-10 finishes on the season.

Fifth-year head coach Alyssa Gaudio will field many new faces for the 2019-20 Golden Grizzlies squad with just one starting lineup returner coming back.

Junior Thomas Giroux looks to build off an impressive sophomore season that saw him earn All-Horizon League Second Team honors. Be on the lookout for sophomore Colin Sikkenga, who was named to the Horizon League All-Tournament team a season ago after finishing tied for fourth with a score of 221 (+5) at the league championship. Highly touted incoming freshman Freddy D’Angelo and transfer Reinhardt Saunderson will also look to make an immediate impact.

With the help of lone senior Karsen Johnston, the Golden Grizzlies will be led by two-time all-league selection Veronica Haque as she returns for her junior campaign. Oakland added four newcomers in transfer Amalia Shahzan (Cincinnati) and true freshman Emily Fleming, Mariella Simoncini and Kay Zubkus. Sydney Martens and Keilani Doss return for their junior and sophomore seasons respectively for Oakland, who has finished runner-up at the conference championship in back-to-back seasons. Content provided by Max King

September 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

Eastern Michigan Women:

Eastern Michigan Men:

Still a young team compared to its league foes, the Eagles are coming off a nice 4th-place finish at the 2019 MAC Championship in April. EMU jumped five places on the final day with the program’s fourth-lowest round in history, at 291. Now junior Preaw Sripatrprasite of Thailand and senior Maria Connelly (Waterville, Ohio) both finished T19 in the tournament.

A big loss for the Eagles was the graduation of Beau Breault (Hartland) who won the 2018 Michigan Amateur Championship and 2019 MAC Men’s Golfer of the Year, leading EMU to a first-place tie with Kent State. His 18-hole average of 71.76 is the EMU all-time season average record; he has since turned pro.

Eastern finished last season with the 13th lowest four-player team scoring average in program history at 312.0. Overall, EMU finished in the top-five at four different tournaments. Sripatrprasite played in all 10 tournaments and posted an average of 77.2, with two top-10s. Connelly played in nine tournaments and recorded an average of 78.6, including three rounds at even-par. Senior Julia Stevenson of Milford recorded an average of 79.86 with 22 rounds played, including the first top-10 showing of her career at the Perry Park Spring Fling.

Senior Zach Sudinsky returns for a final season, after collecting All-Tournament honors at the MAC Championship, taking fifth with a 145 (74-71). He took second place with a 10-under par at the Oglethorpe Invitational at The Landings in Savannah, GA in August. Cougar Collins took 10th at the Canadian Amateur this summer, and won the U.S. Amateur qualifier in Ontario, but missed cut at Pinehurst after also competing at Pebble Beach in 2018, too. Last season he averaged 73.1 and was a T6 finisher at the MAC Championship. Ty Celone was first team All-MAC last year with a conference second best ranking of 71.93 stroke average. Celone was twice named MAC’s Golfer of the Week. Content by Tom Lang

MichiganCorner, Golf Journal College Season Previews

Western Michigan Women:

Central Michigan Women:

By Adam Bodnar

By Andy Sneddon

Jasmine Chee, credit GS Photo/WMU Athletics

Jami Laude

Western Michigan begins its fourth season under alum and head coach Elise SwartoutMosher. The 2019-20 team is led by senior Jasmine Chee. The Hong Kong native has averaged 76.94 per round through her 28 career tournaments. Chee has two career tournament wins to her name, including the 2019 Low Country Invitational.

Central Michigan enjoyed the best year in its relatively short women’s golf history in 201819, posting five top-5 finishes in 11 stroke-play events, and setting team and individual scoring marks seemingly every time it teed it up.

Chee is joined by junior Cameryn Lucia and sophomores Fiona Wang and Brooke Gibbons. Freshman Alissa Bish joins the team after a stellar high school career that saw her win back-to-back Division 4 State Championships in Michigan (Columbia Central High School). Bish was also a two-time All-State selection and named to the 2018 All-State Super Team. England international Imogen Courtney joins the team as a sophomore after playing one season at Wayne State University. WMU also continues its tradition of hosting the annual Rio Verde Invitational at the Rio Verde Country Club in Arizona. This season will mark the 18th edition of the tournament, all hosted by the Broncos.

Second-year coach Jim Earle faces the challenge of replacing two program mainstays, Bria Colosky and Danielle Sawyer, both of whom were part of the core that has “grown up” as the program, which was resurrected in 2014-15 after a 30-year hiatus, has matured. Juniors Jami Laude of Ann Arbor and Meghan Deardorff of Clarkston are the top returning veterans, and give Earle a pair of veterans to lean on as a standout incoming freshman class finds its way. Laude is CMU’s career scoring leader, averaging 78.14. The incoming class has an international flavor including Austrian Zoe Varytan and Spaniard Claudia Salvador. That duo joins Clarkston natives Danielle Staskowski and Ashley Liles along with Padgett Chitty of Valdosta, Ga., in forming the program’s recent and best recruiting class.

September 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

University of Detroit Mercy Men:

University of Detroit Mercy Women:

Anthony Occhiuto

Alexa Hatz

The U-D Mercy men have its top three scorers returning from last season – sophomore Anthony Occhiuto (Guelph, ONT), plus seniors Scott Sparks (Macomb Lutheran North), and Zack Tenerowicz (Liberty Twsp., Ohio). Occhiuto was named Freshman of the Year in the Horizon League and led the Titans in scoring at 75.38. He was the team’s top finisher in four tournaments (including a top-10) and was second highest Titan in two more. He led the team and placed in the top 20 in his college debut at Valparaiso.

The Lady Titans have five returning golfers, all juniors, paced by Novi native Alexa Hatz (Novi High) and Farmington Hills native Julia Shaw (Mercy High). Hatz led the team last year with an 81.0 stroke average and was the team’s top finisher in three tournaments and was second in three more. In six of 15 rounds played she scored in the 70s, including her last four consecutive rounds to end the season. Hatz won the Mastodon Spring Invitational with a career-low 76-76-152.

Tenerowicz played in all 10 tournaments and tied his career best average at 76.2, second best on the team. He scored in the 70s in 24 of his 29 rounds of play, with two top-20 finishes.

Shaw was second on the team in stroke average, at 81.4. Shaw led the Titans in three tournaments and was second in two more, this following the season prior which she red-shirted due to injury.

Sparks returns as the third leading scorer at 76.48. He shot in the 70s in 21 of his 26 competitive rounds, with two rounds at or below par. He led the team in three tournaments and was 3rd in another three events.

Three additional juniors return – Elle Greenlee (Farmington), Shana Murphy (Walled Lake) and Kendall Payne (Livonia). Two incoming freshmen are Sydney Bradford (Hartland High) and Shae Zydeck (Plymouth).

Erik Taurence was announced as the new head golf coach in July.

Coach Larry Hamilton started leading the program in February, just before the spring season. Content by Tom Lang

Wisconsin Road Trip

Wisconsin Road Trip A visit to the eastern region By Tom Lang

A recent trip to Wisconsin showed the variety of options golfers could try if they decided to head west for a spell. From PGA Tour sites, to beautiful landscapes resembling northern Michigan, four courses I tried gave me a nice first impression of the Badger State.

Erin Hills: Scenic. Stunning. Serene. Erin Hills – just west of Milwaukee – is all that and more. The home of the 2017 U.S. Open was the first stop on my brief Wisconsin tour this summer. Not too smart to begin a golfing expedition

Erin Hills 12th hole

on the hardest course of four stops, but despite earning a bad score, everyone had a great time – and I think most golfers will too. How can one not be thrilled golfing on the rolling plains of midWisconsin, in an area the initial Irish settlers felt was just like home – and which looks more like an artist’s painting when the setting sun makes the golden heather glint? Developed on land once used for cattle grazing – the landscape has too many hills and valleys for farming – Erin Hills was

pure delight; despite the fact it is a challenging track to handle – as attested by five USGA Championships scheduled between 2008 and 2025 (the latter the U.S. Women’s Open). Besides the sometimesaggressive rolling topography, the other main feature of Erin Hills is its bunkering. While it’s clear the bunkers were cut and shaped by man, many look more like natural erosion was the designer. Case in point, as TV pundits pointed out before the U.S. Open two years ago, many ‘dribble down’ points in some bunkers could leave a ball confined Continues on next page >>

Michigan GolfRoad Journal Wisconsin Trip

in the trap with edges both behind and in front of the ball. Just hit good shots and avoid the sand folks. Due to some fairways sliding through valleys between a series of small hills, a handful of forecaddies are stationed atop the larger mounds to help indicate if a ball lands safely or not around the corner. The turf plays fast and firm, so enjoy the longer-than-normal drives off the tee and take less club into greens.

Brown Deer Park, Milwaukee:

Spectacular. Soulful. Special.

The long-time PGA Tour stop for the Greater

Erin Hills 9th green

Brown Deer Park

Erin Hills.

Milwaukee Open, and Tiger Woods’ debut on the Tour, Brown Deer Park is a Wisconsin staple located just on the northern edge of the city limits. Classic

September 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

parkland style is the quickest way to describe the course that is part of the county park system – tree-lined, gently turning dog legs and a good variety of long and short par 4s – with a monster par 5 closing hole at 577 yards from the tips. My favorite part of the course is its commitment to youth. Not just youth golf programs, but a caddie program that offers golfers a caddie for free on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays – just tip the kids. The goal is training youth to work and develop good character in the safe and noble environment of public golf. Back to the layout. Maxed out at 6,759 yards, there’s no way the course could host the PGA Tour again, but it does host the LPGA Symetra Tour, so clearly the professional organizations appreciate the classic design. The greens do not have severe undulations, but very subtle breaks can baffle even the best putters. When visiting, consider a walk through the HarleyDavidson Museum in

downtown Milwaukee and soak in the history of The Hog.

Door County: Moving north out of the city, we took a 3-day tour of Door County, the peninsula that jets up the east side of Wisconsin like a pinky finger with Lake Michigan on the right and Green Bay on the left. A beautiful peninsula it is. Door County is to Badgers as the Traverse City/Petoskey region is to Michiganders. Lots of quaint harbor towns, cherry trees everywhere, and summer vacation spots dripping with multi-generational family memories. One difference was that due to Door

County’s more compact land mass, the travel time between towns is generally shorter than the more spread out northern Michigan landscape – and you can catch both sunrises and sunsets over a large body of water without leaving the county. The Door County Visitors Bureau is incredibly helpful and knowledgeable – whether you’re searching for U-pick cherries, watersports, boat tours, shipwreck exploration, or wineries and breweries. Visit: www.DoorCounty. com. Peninsula State Park: Love this golf course, pure and simple. It has features found in northern Michigan courses also Continues on next page >>

Peninsula State Park 10th green

Michigan GolfRoad Journal Wisconsin Trip

Orchards at Egg Harbor 17th par 3

found along large bodies of water – elevated views of the region including beautiful holes cut through the trees, a majority of which are pushed back and do not crowd the fairways. The front nine is more open than the back, and also plays on the flattest – but not boring – piece of the property. Loved every hole on the back, for both variety and the water views of Green Bay. The 12th green is perhaps the most stunning position to take it all in. It tops off a gorgeous dog leg left turning par 4, but also acts as an elevated porch to observe the downhill view across several holes with Green Bay as the backdrop.

A more recently added feature is its well-designed Golf Learning Short Course across the street. With just six par-3 holes, it’s a great place for beginners to ease into the game and the family to hang out and play between a variety of outdoor activities in the region.

The Orchards’ front nine is more tree-lined than the open back nine, but it never feels tight. The back has a large pond that intersects with the closing three holes, 16-18. I consider them as good of three closing holes as you’ll find anywhere.

Hole 16 is a stout par 5 at 577 yards from the tips but plays slightly downhill before approach shots As the name implies, the need to clear the water to land was a former orchard an elevated green complex. but many cherry trees and such are still adorning some Hole 17 is a gorgeous downhill par 3, followed fairways and open spaces. The greens are much more by the par 5 18th hole that has a wide fairway area off undulating than Brown the tee but narrows in the Deer Park or Peninsula landing area of the second State Park, and are also shot, which is also 30 feet excellently maintained for above the lower fairway. very true putting surfaces.

The Orchards at Egg Harbor:

September 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

Getting There, Staying There:

Half the fun of going to Wisconsin from Michigan was taking the two car ferries that crisscross Lake Michigan. The high-speed Lake Express that connects Muskegon with Milwaukee provides the shortest ride at just under 2.5 hours. It is a newer boat with very nice amenities and a premier cabin with work desks for those who want to spend their time on a laptop. On the return trip we took the much larger S.S. Badger, a historic freighter dating to 1953 that is the last coal-fired passenger steamship operating in the United States. It’s large enough to take train cars and semi-trucks. It takes four hours to go between Manistee and Manitowoc, WS, but the slower speed offers a slightly smoother ride. Both ferries offer food and drink options, and the Badger has cabins with a bed for rent.

Any of these three lodging locations come highly recommended, for comfort, style and getting a variety of lodging experiences: Erin Hills: Stay right on site and take in the full Erin Hills experience. Great dining, rustic decor, and an Irish bar right inside the lodge housing 12-guest rooms. Cottages for groups are also available and, in the evening, they open the upper-level lounge in the Caddie Barn with pool tables and other recreation amenities to enjoy. New this summer

Erin Hills

is a putting course (day or night) that’s lit up to enjoy after watching the sunset around the fire pits. Potawatomi Casino Hotel: For a sophisticated and elegant urban hotel experience, try this Casino location found near Marquette University downtown, in between the Harley-Davidson Museum to the east and the Milwaukee Brewers’ Miller Park just a few blocks to the west. Egg Harbor Lodge: Perched on a bluff overlooking the waters of Green Bay on the east side of the peninsula, the Egg Harbor Lodge has a comfortable pool, hot tub, and perfect sunset views – all packed into a comfortable setting complete with the northern woods feel.

Boy neRe s or t s , Ba yHa r borGol fCl ub

M i c h i g a n G o l f J o u r n a l

A l l R i g h t s R e s e r v e d ; C o p y r i g h t 2 0 1 9 Web:www. mi c hi g a ng olour na l . c om E ma i l :mi c hi g a ng olour na l @g ma i l . c om T wier :@MI g olour na l