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MI GOLF JOURNAL
Editor’s Letter It’s the time of year for golf courses to aerate and shut down for the winter, but
What's Inside: PG. 10
we’re just ramping up on the course reviews that were done in season – yet without tournaments to report on there is more space now we can provide them for you to read and plan your list of destinations for 2024. Even more course reviews will come in December, January and February. Some special reviews include the 60th anniversary of Shanty Creek, a fun story about Shanty designer Tom Weiskopf being there as well, the soon-to-be-opening of The Cardinal in Plymouth – and Calderone Golf Club, my favorite of the “Freeways and Fairways’ series of reviews from the past 6
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years (I haven’t played them all yet). In November we also cover: Oceana Golf Club, not far off the trail of U.S. 31 north of Muskegon, is growing in new holes. Nearly a dozen Michiganders qualified for or are standby alternates for the USGA’s Fourball tournament to be contested in May, 2024. The girls high school state tournament was littered with many historic milestones, despite terrible cold and rainy weather across the entire state …and Lots of other Michigan news pieces Thank you for joining us. Tom Lang Editor and Publisher
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MICHIGAN NEWS AND NOTES
Michigan Section PGA Elects First Female President The Michigan Section PGA elected new officers for a two-year term and an honorary member at the Association’s Annual Meeting attended by over 140 Michigan PGA Members. The meeting was held October 23, at Eagle Eye Golf Club in East Lansing. Stephanie Jennings, Women's Golf Coach at Eastern Michigan University, takes over as the Association’s President, the first female in the history of the Michigan PGA. Jennings is only the 10th woman President elected of the 41 Sections of the PGA of America. Jennings, a member of The PGA of America since 2007, has been the Women's Golf Coach at Eastern Michigan University since 2018 and will succeed Dean Kolstad, of Gull Lake View Golf Club & Resort. Kolstad will begin his term as Honorary President. Dan Urban, of Gull Lake Country Club in Richland, Michigan, was elected Vice President. Urban, a member of The PGA of America since 2012, has been the Director of Golf since 2016 and will succeed Stephanie Jennings.
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MICHIGAN GOLF COURSE OF THE YEAR 2023
Sundance at A-Ga-Ming Named 2023 Michigan Golf Course of the Year By Greg Johnson The Sundance Course at A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort has been selected as the 2023 Michigan Golf Course of the Year by the Michigan Golf Course Association (MGCA). Sundance, designed by the late Jerry Matthews, is one of two courses at the main campus of A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort and sits atop glacier-carved bluffs between Torch Lake and Grand Traverse Bay in Northern Michigan. “Sundance has stood the test of time, and we feel it’s one of the top two or three courses Jerry Matthews designed in his great career,” said Mike Brown, co-owner and general manager. “When it opened in 2005 it was named the third best new course in the country and we still get great feedback every year.”
The MGCA Course of the Year Award honors a member course that meets four criteria: Unique characteristics of the course; exceptional quality of ownership and management; outstanding contribution to its community; and significant contribution to the game. “Getting nominated and winning this award from the MGCA is not something you expect, but I do think we are deserving especially with our involvement in First Tee, high school golf, collegiate golf and the various charity events and golf groups that play here and enjoy the experience,” Brown said. “It’s exciting to be considered, and being named course of the year in Michigan is tremendous.” Jada Paisley, executive director of the MGCA, said: “Sundance embodies all of the characteristics of the Course of the Year award.
WWW.MIGOLFJOURNAL.COM The golf course has fostered a vibrant community hub where people can come together for golfing, socializing and events while supporting charitable causes that benefit the broader community.” Part of the Sundance course rolls over links
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restaurant and lodging options. Learn more at a-ga-ming.com. Larry Lavely is the co-owner and PGA director of golf, and the superintendent for the Sundance course is Nick Michalek.
style ground and part of the course is cut through Northern Michigan hardwoods and is next to the resort’s original Torch course.
Brown said Sundance is a favorite among the visitors and golfers of all abilities who come to A-Ga-Ming.
With water views combined with wide, playable fairways, classic green design, 110 bunkers and natural sand areas as well as heather-clad mounding, the course is beautiful in appearance in all directions. It can be played at almost 7,000 yards and offers multiple tee options.
“We hear from people who play it for the first time telling us how much they love it, and we hear from our membership that has grown to about 350 members that rave about it,” he said.
A-Ga-Ming was built in the mid-1970s and what is now the Torch course was redesigned by Chick Harbert, the 1954 PGA champion and Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member. The Antrim Dells course and Charlevoix Country Club courses located nearby are also part of the current resort group, which include multiple
“It’s a playable course. It can be pushed back to 7,000 yards and that makes it quite a challenge. We’ve hosted the last two (Michigan Junior State Amateur) championships, and those kids can hit it a mile. “We have a college tournament on Labor Day weekend, collegiate women, and we get great feedback from them. We are going to host the Big East (Conference Tournament) next year. Larry’s son (Josh) plays at Villanova and we have a connection there. We are getting recognition from all directions, and that still includes the primary part of our business with buddy trips and the golf travel groups who visit the Traverse City area. Sundance is outstanding and versatile. I think that’s a good way to put it.”
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HIGH SCHOOL STATE FINALS
Girls High School Golf Titles Won and History Made
a lot of good par saves just to keep things going, but I got my birdies when I could.” Rochester Adams came back from 11 strokes down to win its second consecutive Division 1 girls’ golf state title, on a water-soaked late October weekend at Forest Akers West, by a single stroke over runner up Brighton, 669 to 670.
By Tom Lang
“These girls; championships breeds
EAST LANSING – Detroit has its Big Three; so does Division 1 girls high school golf. A trio of seniors, the only three to play under par, wrestled neck and neck for two days with Elise Fennell of East Kentwood taking home state medalist honors at 4-under par, 70-70-140. Jessica Jolly of Rockford and Byron Center’s Macie Elzinga, the state champ of Div. 2 last year, tied for runner up at 141. Fennell and Jolly are both headed to Illinois State. “I was refreshing (the online scoring app) all the time,” Fennel said about the final round. “It was motivation for me. I stayed steady. I made
championships,” Adams coach Jeff Kutschman said. “They have the pedigree, they’ve been working their tails off. We just stuck to it. The girls just played their game without trying to do too much at one time.” Elise Fennel
Kutschman gave a ton of praise to Katie Fodale (T-8) for earning four state titles; two in golf and two in downhill skiing – but also Cont. on Pg. 8>>
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HIGH SCHOOL STATE FINALS
was amazed by the fortitude of the injured Olivia Dance, “who was playing on one leg. We were not sure (mid week) if she was going to play because she sprained her ankle really bad. She gutted it out and played through it. She struggled Friday but came back (105-89) so impressive the second day.” Laura Liu led Adams with a two-day 150, good for a T-4 individually. Division 2: At Forest Akers East, Farmington Hills Mercy also won its second consecutive title, with a two-day total 636, ahead of Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood at 653. Mercy has four state championships overall with the program’s only coach, Vicki Kowalski, the first dating back to 1999. Mercy’s top player, junior Maeve Casey, who shot 73 and was second overall, jumped on an airplane after the first round to go play junior hockey at a tournament in Minnesota and skipped the final round. “For the girls to come through today, counting on a score that didn’t count (in first round), but she (senior Brinlee Nay) came through with the same score she shot yesterday, an 89,” Kowalski said.
Two golfers shot their career best: 70 by Abby Slankster after an 80 the first round – and Macy Morphew with an 81 for her best score ever, after an 85 in first round. Lauren Davis of Coopersville was medalist and the only player under par, shooting 70-70-140. She will play next at Central Michigan University. “My putting was super solid, so that was the biggest help for me,” Davis said. “There were sometimes we’d putt through puddles, then by the hole it would be dry. It was definitely tough.” Division 3: Grand Rapids Catholic Central shot a two round 673 at The Meadows at Grand Valley State to win the program’s first state championship, ahead of runner up Williamston and defending champion Macomb Lutheran North in third. North, however, got a third individual state championship from senior Lauren Timpf. She became the 7th golfer in MHSAA Lower Peninsula girls’ golf history to achieve the feat, scoring 5-under-par 67 to finish with a tworound 141. Division 4:
Lauren Davis
Mia Melendez, a junior at Ann Arbor Greenhills, set herself up to be the first girls golfer to potentially win four golf state titles by winning number three this year to become the 8th golfer to do so. She came back from a 4-shot deficit after round one by shooting a 69. Check back in December for a profile on Miss Golf Michigan.
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CALDERONE GOLF CLUB
Calderone Golf Club Tremendous Golf, Exceptional Value
By Tom Lang As much as I can tire of the phrase ‘hiddengem’, Calderone Golf Club could qualify as one – except for the stark reality it’s in plain sight to thousands of freeway drivers daily – along I-94 in Jackson County. There is nothing hidden about Calderone, with the exception of the back nine since it runs over the portion of hills and vales of the property
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on mid-Michigan farmland. There are no giant elevation drop-offs like land Up North, but there’s more than enough severely-rolling terrain, slippery side-hill holes and multitiered greens to entertain any golfer with a unique half day on the course – a track that lacks a single pancake flat hole.
that is well away from I-94, and much more tree-lined.
“I return to Calderone at least once each year because there really isn't anything like it in the area,” said John Ritzer, who is from Ypsilanti, a
No less than five holes on the front nine’s links layout have sections significantly visible to highway passers-by, yet Calderone does not reflect what you’d expect of a golf course built
walk. I love the look of the open front nine, with its holes routed over prairie grass covered hills. The back nine is more wooded but
school teacher known best as The Golf Blogger. “It is sprawling and brawny, and a challenging
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maintains the same epic feel of the front. Since I'm always on foot, every round played there feels like an adventure.” The general manager, Brian Roberts, has been in the golf industry most of his life. He graduated from Grand Valley State with a degree in business and marketing, before earning a turf degree at MSU. Roberts said that a good GM meshes well with the course superintendent and usually a former super has that advantage. “If we were located on Lake Michigan, it would be cool and we could charge $100 more, but we’re the course that’s not too far away from everyone,” Roberts said. “There are some unbelievable courses in Michigan, and I do think our course is unbelievable, but we’re different. “You can go to true destination courses, and we have a lot of great ones in Michigan, and they are worth the higher fee. But we are the kind of course you can come to 4-to-5 times a year where you can come in and spend about $50 and get a really good experience. We do get a ton of people saying that.” Roberts gives credit to the Grass Lake community for supporting the course, and it was the perfect move for him from a course closer to Jackson where he had worked for 15 years. Continues on next page>> Hole 16
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CALDERONE GOLF CLUB tee to help bring them back to health. Unfortunately, Arbogast unexpectedly passed away in the fall of 2021 but his efforts are not forgotten. Clayton Simmons then joined the team as Superintendent, and along with Southwell they have really brought the course to a new level. The improvements encompass my favorite 3hole stretch. No. 14 is a dogleg right par 4 that’s protected on the elbow by a couple “crater-shaped” catcher’s mitt grass bunkers – along the way to a green guarded by a sand trap in front.
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“I always loved playing this golf course, and yet I always thought it was a better course than they presented it as,” he said about playing at Calderone before the job change. “The front nine is unique in that it’s a true links, and when I came out, I felt if they really worked at it this place could be amazing. And when this situation came up (just before Covid hit), I thought I’d like to give it a shot. It also meant not moving to another course far away. Our kids have friends here and it was good for our family to stay in the Jackson area.” His first hire was James Southwell, who Roberts called, “the best mechanic ever.” They were joined by Lee Arbogast, who poured a ton of effort particularly into improving the 14th green and 15th tee, a corner of the property tough to keep the grass healthy. Arbogast personally hand-walk mowed that green and
No. 15 is a par 3 that goes slightly downhill to an attractive green complex of traps and greenside run offs. No. 16, my vote for signature hole, is a shorter par 4 that heads straight, then turns sharply to the right and downhill to a green built against the hill that backs up the 5th green. Two huge, mature trees block the right elbow yet still keenly tempt many long hitters to try going over them to the green found at 281 yards from the white tee box. The course opened in 2001 as a design from William Newcomb, who transformed the Calderone family farm. The original owner lives down the road and still stops by now and then to see the progress, but Roberts works for a group of co-owners who constantly pour profits back into improving the course. They are currently halfway through a four-year plan to renovate every sand bunker on the course. When there taking photos, I found two ladies after their round together who had wonderful
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things to say about Calderone. Ann Ziolkowski, from Chelsea, split the drive with her friend, Susan Day of Portage, by meeting in the middle. “I would say this course is very female friendly, and for my level of golfing, there’s definitely some challenging holes,” Ziolkowski said. “We like the layout and the landscape. We had a good pace today. I think it’s a very beautiful golf course. “It’s convenient, the price is right and it’s in great shape. They do a wonderful job keeping it up.” Day, a 20 handicap, said: “The more times I play it the better I like it, this year especially. What I like the most about it, if you’re going to play here a lot, I always look at a course that you could play the reds, or we could play the Hole 18 green from 9 fairway
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CALDERONE GOLF CLUB
golds, and there are times we could play a tee
3s you’ll ever play.”
box back. So, as we play, you get to the point you can alter the course and make it a greater challenge.”
Assumptions of what the golf experience might be, based on rates, is normal.
Roberts said ‘fun’ is the operative word he hears most about Calderone.
“We like to say we will exceed your expectations,” Roberts said. “And we get
“They always say it’s a really fun course to play. And I totally agree. You’ve got links for the front nine and the back has more trees and is a little wooded. But it’s two different nines for most people. But the No. 1 thing I hear is people have fun playing the golf course. I always remembered it that way too. “There’s always chances to makes birdies,” he added. “There’s a couple chances to make eagles. And you’ll play one of the hardest par
responses that golfers have played other courses this year that were $50 but not this nice. Or some have said, ‘how can you do this for just $40?’” The next time any golfers travel west from the Detroit-Ann Arbor area, they need to arrive 4 hours late to the final destination. And with its great rates your wallet will still be full. More information: https://www.calderonegolfclub.com/
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SHANTY CREEK with pricing specials and fun events.
Shanty Creek 60 Years and Going Strong
On my visit late this summer, I played the Cedar River course – the late Tom Weiskopf’s beauty of a design – for the first time in several years. (See a secondary story coming up on page 18 about Cedar River’s opening day 1999 with Weiskopf onsite, from a very personal perspective.)
By Tom Lang Hole 13
As the popular saying goes, ‘you’re not getting older, you’re getting better.’ The same could be said for Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire. Here in 2023, Shanty Creek has been celebrating 60 years. The party began Memorial Day weekend – commemorating the opening of the main lodge on May 30, 1963 – and continues all through this fall, winter and spring of 2024
Weiskopf added his gem on a piece of Shanty Creek land not as hilly as Arnold Palmer’s The Legend, but still with enough dramatic rolling features it will maintain any golfers interest all 18 holes. Speaking of which, the 18th
is very striking and one of my favorites. It’s a long par 5 that stays level for the most part (with a danger zone left and long off the tee) but then the entire fairway drops off dramatically the last 150 yards to a large green guarded on the right half with water, one of only three ponds on the entire layout. The 13th hole starts my favorite stretch on the course. It’s a shorter par 4 with a split fairway going around a huge tree, with the Cedar River
WWW.MIGOLFJOURNAL.COM babbling in the background. The 14th hole could be one of the toughest par 3s in northern Michigan. It’s all drop off from tee to green; so golfers must land the tee shot on the green as there is no fairway fronting the hole, but rather, deep bunkers going down the hill and deep woods right at the back edge of the bean-shaped green. The tee shot also must proceed between ‘goalpost’ trees on both sides to reach the dance floor. No. 15 is a long but fair par 5 that accentuates Cedar River’s overall setting of wide fairways in which many are shaped with mounding along the way that potentially kick off-line shots back toward the short grass. The Summit Course was the first green grass entertainment added to the resort originally known best for wintertime skiing. The Summit, at the time called the ‘Deskin’ after founder Roy Deskin, came on the scene in 1968. Palmer’s The Legend was added in 1985. “The Legend was a huge deal back in its day and was part of helping bring northern Michigan golf to the forefront and made the area a destination,” said Lindsey Southwell, director of marketing and an avid golfer who played high school golf at Greenville. “With Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer and their courses up north here, it really made a name for northern Michigan golf. And that made for a natural rivalry even for the golf courses.”
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I am unaware of any other northern Michigan resort that emulates what Shanty Creek does to ensures ‘rest’ for their courses. Every golf course is closed a minimum of one day per week, most for two days. “It really works well for our golf portfolio (of five courses and 90 holes) because we’re able to let the courses have the rest that they really need and fit in that maintenance that you wouldn’t normally get in during the summer,” Southwell said. “It really ‘ups the game’ on the golf maintenance side of things.” Give yourself some rest and relaxation by giving Shanty Creek a try – any season of the year. Find more information at: https://www.shantycreek.com/golf/ Hole 14
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SHANTY CREEK
‘Terrible’ Tom Isn’t
other item: he wanted ALL golfers to enjoy his courses, not just the men. The Cedar River course at Shanty Creek was womanfriendly right out of the box. In a little
By Janina Parrott Jacobs Cedar River designer, the late Tom Weiskopf, was not known as a nice guy. Ruthless as a competitor with a quick temper, his people skills weren’t exactly optimal. However, after winding down a long career as a PGA touring professional, his work as a course architect changed everything and he actually enjoyed the camaraderie and collaboration in designing some of the best golf courses around the world. “At some golf and ski complexes, I’d see people flying down the ski hills laughing and joking as they ended their runs. It was pure joy. I asked myself why I didn’t have that when stepping off the 18th hole?” Weiskopf once said. Tom did find the joy, but only after switching gears toward course design. And there was one
known tale, designer Tom Weiskopf wanted to showcase how the course played for women. I met Tom during the evening cocktail party prior to the course’s Grand Opening media events in June of 1999, and he immediately quipped, “You look like a golfer….what’s your handicap?” I had just come from Hidden River Golf and Casting Club after conducting a Golf Digest Best New Course rating and hadn’t bothered to change for the outdoor festivities on an uncharacteristically hot, humid 90+ degree evening. I was competing nationally then and told him it was 2. He answered, “Well then, you should be playing golf with me!” At the time, Tom was designing the original Forest Dunes course and I jokingly suggested we play golf somewhere when he was in the area. “I have a better idea,” he replied. “Why don’t you play the Opening Exhibition with me
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tomorrow morning? That way, the women
interesting twist: on every Red forward tee, you’ll note
can see how the course plays for them, from the forward locations….and the men can see me play from the back and regular tees.
a set of Gold tees on the same box, about five to ten yards behind the Red tees. There seems to be a mysterious stigma about senior or shorter-hitting men hitting from Red tees, even though they might be the ideal yardage. But here, the gents will gladly play from
“If I ask you to hit a drive over there, or to putt at some point on the green to show architectural items of note, you can do that, right? We don’t need to keep score and if we hit a bad shot we can drop another ball. Does that sound good? Will you do it?” Flabbergasted, I accepted. He said he’d set it up and walked away. One of my editors heard this exchange and asked, “WHAT just happened here?” I replied, “Well, whatever it was, I couldn’t have orchestrated this if I’d tried.” The next day was magical. Tom and I played 18 holes with caddies, in front of about 400 people. We walked and talked, hit good shots and some not-so good ones, but traversed a well-designed and fun course that today, is probably the most popular choice at Shanty Creek. It is in fabulous shape and the greens putt like smooth tabletops with challenging contours. Playing there recently in August, I noted the red Forward Tees are still a good test, and yes, a little longer than I recall from 24 years ago!! The course is scenic and pastoral, with a good mix of uphill and downhill shots, and not too many forced carries anywhere. It is still playable for women but here’s an
the Golds, simply because they are not the Reds. We lost Tom this year but my memories of him will remain as one moment in time when a top touring professional and course designer truly cared about his women’s course set up….and wanted to show it off.
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USGA FOUR BALL QUALIFIERS Rochester Hills won the qualifier at Warwick Hills with a 65, followed by Jimmy Chestnut and Casey Lubahn, who shot 66 and eventually won a three-team playoff. In the process they knocked out Michael Coriasso of Royal Oak/Jason Kalo of Grand Rapids, and Ryan Klopcic of Grand Rapids with his partner Ryan Alger of Denver, CO. All four of the latter became Alternates.
Multiple Michiganders Qualify for USGA National Fourball in Spring By Tom Lang It’s always fun when golf fans can root for the ‘home team.’ Michiganders will have their own version coming in May, 2024 as no less than eight golfers from the Great Lakes State recently qualified for next year’s USGA Fourball Championship. Another six golfers are Alternates and could fill in for the Michigan contingent if necessary. In early October, Bradley Bastion of Shelby Twsp and partner Anthony Sorentino of
Also winning a qualifier, this one played in Port Clinton, Ohio, were teammates Ricky Shilts of Byron Center/ Chester Vandenberg of Martin. They finished with 63, over runners up and also qualifiers Jerred Barley of Tecumseh/ Alex Willnow of East Lansing, who shot 65. But the list is not complete. Alternates from Port Clinton are Nicholas Hodge of Kalkaska/ Ben Liggett of Kalamazoo.
“USGA events have players from all over the world, so it’s nice to see so many Michiganders get through,” Chestnut said. “The unique thing about these qualifiers now, compared to many years ago, there’s live scoring. We were 4-under after 14 holes, and I told Casey I think two more birdies will do it. So, we birdied 15 and 16 to get us to 6-under, and then I saw Brad and Anthony were going crazy and got it to 7-under at that point. So, I told Casey we need one more.”
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Two pars on 17 and 18 put the pairing into the playoff, which they won with a birdie on the second hole. Chestnut and Lubahn played together at MSU, on teams that also included Matt Harmon and Ryan Brehm, both who played professionally with Brehm currently having one more year remaining on his PGA Tour card. Chestnut (age 41), Bastion (age 38) and Sorentino (age 46) have each qualified for more than eight USGA events apiece, mostly U.S. Mid-Ams but also in Fourball. Bastion’s best Michigan Amateur finish was reaching the semifinals, and Sorentino was the runner up in the 2018 Michigan Am. But, he has won three Michigan Mid Ams and the 2015 GAM Tournament of Champions. After finishing runner up in the inaugural Golf Channel “Big Break” show at Treetops, Sorentino turned pro for about six months but eventually returned to amateur status. “From a strategic standpoint we usually function pretty well,” Bastion said. “Not much differing on how we should play holes. And we did that extremely well when we played at Warwick. We have a good strategic mix in our
months away because that’s different than all the other USGA events,” he added. “But it’s a really nice thing to win in the fall when the end of the season is coming, it’s nice to know that when the spring comes around you’ve got a really good event and a really good venue that you have to look forward to. It motivates you through the winter.” Shilts is a Railside Golf Club member in Byron Center, and is a strong West Michigan area player who plays on the West Michigan Golf Association circuit. His partner, VandenBerg, is a former Cornerstone University golfer and top Kalamazoo area player. He is a past GAM Tournament of Champions winner.
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NEW DAYS AHEAD AT OCEANA GOLF CLUB
New Holes Growing in at Oceana
used his financial skills knowledge to create several investment companies, bought a majority stake in the golf course to keep it alive. This was a true service to the town that raised him, but it’s also become a beacon for new golfing opportunities for the locals and others who stop in on their way north along US 31. Now the course is growing – again. In 2022, with extra land on the southern edge of the 18-hole layout, Wenk, long-time staff PGA pro Marc
By Tom Lang Oceana Golf Club is one of my favorite ‘feel good’ golf stories in all the years I have covered this industry in the Mitten State. On the brink of extinction just a few short years ago, this truly American icon small town type golf course got new life when Shelby native and former high school golfer, Jason Wenk, who
Hole 5
Inglis, head superintendent Corey Parmalee
(since 2009) and crew added a new downhill par 3 to provide a fresh look and an Up North feel. That hole 5 has since grown in beautifully and is a wonderful addition to the front nine that also allowed for a former short par 4 and a par 3 to be merged into a nice dogleg left par 4. Now it’s the back 9 getting some redesign ‘love.’
WWW.MIGOLFJOURNAL.COM Wenk scouted out and purchased some land on the northern edge of the property, making room for a new par 4, a second downhill par 3 (the future 14th and 15th holes), and the ability to elevate the soon-to-be 16th tee off to the side, turning that hole from a straight-ahead par 5 (currently the 14th hole) to a slight turn dogleg right. Inglis told me on a visit this fall that a main reason for the expansion was to incorporate some of the natural terrain in the area that wasn’t being utilized – and eliminate some of the back-and-forth layout of the original back nine that was designed and laid out by the townspeople in the 1960s using more primitive means. “This gives us a little bit more of the northern Michigan feel, like we added last year by putting in the downhill par 3 fifth hole,” Inglis said. “We still hear a lot of great responses for doing that.” In both cases, Oceana acquired neighboring land that wasn’t available to the original creators of the small-town course. From my golfer perspective, it adds a burst of excitement in the middle of the back nine. “They didn’t have the equipment back then to do what we did, nor could they have done it economically,” Inglis added. “We don’t want to change the feeling of Oceana, we just want to improve the experience of Oceana.”
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That it will. And so will the new future driving range, operable ideally by early 2025. In nearly 60 years of local golf, patrons had just a net to hit into for warming up. Inglis said being landlocked all those decades was something that Wenk knew needed addressing. Oceana is using local people and the grounds crew staff for creating the new holes. Staff – many of whom are Shelby natives – have been doing most of the soil work, connecting Continues on next page>>
Hole 14 BEFORE
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NEW DAYS AHEAD AT OCEANA GOLF CLUB
irrigation lines to the current system, and smoothing of the finer surfaces like tees and
The new driving range and short game practice area will be where the current 15th and 16th
green complexes. Heavy equipment work and tree removal was done by local Van Denzande Excavating.
holes are, before the layout crosses back over the public road to finish at the clubhouse.
“Jason is a visionary in everything he does,” Inglis said. “Just look at his track record for his (financial) companies that he’s started up. “Corey is a designer by trade in the other (side) work he does. He can see things laid out, and even could see the holes here when the trees were still standing – where all I see is hunting property,” he said with a chuckle.
Expanding Youth Golf: Inglis’ vision includes adding a small building at the range, a teaching pro giving many lessons and storage for the West Michigan First Tee, which has expanded into Oceana County. His daughter, McKenna, is the program director for the region.
Hole 14 AFTER
“My dream is that they can have a permanent home here, to build a facility that can house their needs,” Inglis said of the First Tee. “A place to store their equipment besides my car and my daughter’s car, which is full of golf clubs every week. “One of the things we want to do is increase our junior golf participation, and the best way is from the ground up. We’ve got a market for that here.” Just like they did when Wenk and others were growing up in the rural, fruit producing landscape. What could be more hometown All-American than that? FOR BREAKING NEWS AND MORE, FOLLOW MI GOLF JOURNAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
GOLF TRIPS FOR 2024
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As one of the Midwest’s largest golf,
Sage Run Hole 8
casino, and entertainment resort destinations with its 36-holes (Sweetgrass and Sage Run), Island Resort The resort’s original golf course is the exceptional Sweetgrass Golf Club, which was named the 2022 National Golf Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA). It also celebrated its 15th anniversary this year.
Your Perfect Golfing Foursome in 2024 Sweetgrass, Sage Run, Greywalls and Timberstone shine together as a must-play golf destination in the U.P. Your next golf buddies’ trip in 2024 should take you and your pals or family to a destination that’s nothing short of astounding. To accomplish that, you might just need to elevate your search and take your plans a little higher – as in farther north. Much farther north into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This golf adventure takes you over the scenic Mackinac Bridge to the magical land that runs above the mitten along Lake Superior. Then a beautiful drive across US-2, one of the most visually sureal in Michigan, will bring you to the far western edge of the U.P. near Escanaba to Island Resort & Casino in Harris, MI.
Ranked among the top-20 public courses in Michigan, the course boasts an island green, waterfall and classic green complexes like a Biarritz and a Redan in its compelling design The resort’s newest course, Sage Run, also designed by Paul Albanese, opened in 2018. The course was named to Golf Digest’s prestigious list of “Best New Courses, 2019.”
Greywalls Golf Club is part of the popular Marquette Country Club and combines views of Lake Superior with several natural rock outcroppings. Located west of Escanaba, Timberstone is located in Iron Mountain and meanders up and down a mountain side showcasing scenic vistas, wetlands, and tall pines. The Island Resort & Casino also features a new 138 hotel tower that includes golfer suites, a top floor restaurant and the luxurious spa. The casino also offers a sportsbook, poker room, table games, bingo, numerous dining options and exciting live entertainment offerings! Fully customizable packages offer three-, four-, and five-night lodging options. Visit https://islandresortgolf.com or call 877-4754733 to book your next golf package. Don’t wait or 2024 could fill up.
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SAINT JOHN’S THE CARDINAL
Coming in Spring: The Cardinal
The new course at Saint John’s Resort will marvel many
By Tom Lang There is growing anticipation for the grand opening of The Cardinal, a new 18-hole championship course at the formidable Saint John’s Resort in Plymouth. There is a reason the property used to be a full-time Catholic Seminary – turned luxury resort with a stunning wedding chapel dating back to the 1940s – as one could literally call the landscape ‘God’s Country.’ The beautiful, rolling land surrounding the seminary-turned-high-end hotel and conference center is the current-day setting for the new golf-centric development. Picturesque, tree-lined, and filled with wildlife is not an often expectation in such a densely populated surrounding area very close to I-275 and I-96/M-14. After playing there in early October, what went through my mind was: A nature preserve with tee boxes and flag sticks. The massive remodel in Plymouth – turning the former quaint 27-hole Inn at St. John’s Golf Course property into a championship level 18hole course, with a bonus 7-hole par 3 short
Hole 9
course and a 1.5 acre 18-hole putting course – has transformed the property at Five Mile and Sheldon Roads. And in the process, resort golf has become a reality in metro Detroit. The Cardinal is slated to open in the spring. It is a public golf course with a country club atmosphere and experience. Award-winning designer Ray Hearn headed up the project and believes all the elements are there to attract golfers of all skill levels – people who are just getting into the game, as well as families and friends of wedding parties or corporate outings who just want to have a little fun on the large putting course while they visit the resort for socializing or business. “The growth of par 3 short courses and putting
WWW.MIGOLFJOURNAL.COM courses nationwide make great sense, especially with a hotel on property,” Hearn said. “You’ve got a lot of new people entering the game of golf. People want to have some quick fun, and then there’s Carl’s Golfland right there with a driving range and all the equipment. “With a set up of 5-tees (on The Cardinal) you can do what you want based on your skill level. Pick the right tees and you’ll have a good time. You’ve got it all there with the longer 18, to play nine – or go to the 7-hole short course or 1.5 acre putting course. “It’s Southeast Michigan,” he added. “This site is surrounded by buildings and residential and commercial sites to the north and west, yet this property is a beautiful oasis.” All the investments have been made by the Pulte Family Foundation. After expenses are paid, all revenues will go into the Foundation for distribution to worthy charities. Golfers will literally golf for a good cause. Typically in course reviews I pick my favorite 3-hole stretch. This course is so good I have expanded it to six – holes 13 through 18 – an excellent culmination to the end of a half day on the course. The 13th is a par 4 with a sharply left-to-right slopping fairway to try holding, before the approach to the elevated green.
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The 14th goes over a pond to the large par 3 green. Then 15 goes over the same water (from the back tees) to a fairway highly protected with a huge bunker on the right. Hole 16 is a gorgeous par 3 with the tee and green level to each other, but with a huge natural valley splitting the gap. No. 17 is a shorter par 4 slight dogleg right, followed by the closing 18th hole. What used to be a short closing hole has been changed to a longer par 4 with an uphill blind tee shot (aim for the brick tower) to a wide fairway and green complex guarded by a large pond on the left that wraps behind the green. Come back to MI Golf Journal in April for a longer review, and visit: https://www.saintjohnsresort.com/plymouthmichigan-golf-course-st-johns
Hole 14 Par 3
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WOMEN IN GOLF
Breaking the ‘Grass’ Ceiling We All Win When More Women Golf By Dr. Deborah M. Gray Professor of Marketing at Central Michigan University There has never been more woman playing golf than right now. According to the National Golf Foundation, from 2020-2023 golf has seen an increase in 1.29 million new golfers. The key driver? Women. Women and girls accounted for 63% of that increase resulting in 800,000-plus new players. Interestingly, girls represent about 35% of all golfers under age 18. The National Golf Foundation reports there are now almost the same number of female golfers under the age of 30 as over the age of 50. Yet, according to Bloomberg, women only represent 25% of all
golfers. Ten years ago, women only represented about 19% of all golfers and so the last 3 years of growth has contributed to making golf more of an equal opportunity sport, but the industry can do better. Getting more women of all age groups to golf is important for the future of building golf into a welcoming sport. At least some of the growth in the sport should be credited to the LPGA which has been a prominent leader in bringing more awareness of golf to both women and girls. For example
WWW.MIGOLFJOURNAL.COM they have made significant investments in three marketing campaigns: #InviteHer for women, #DriveOn for girls and most recently their One Million More Girls campaign. Women’s Golf Day has also helped get more women golfing and now includes golf events in 84 countries across 1300 locations.
Breaking the ‘Grass Ceiling’ in Business Golf is widely accepted as the ‘language of business,’ yet research shows that women are often excluded from male dominated networks or from networks in male dominated industries, including golf (Biggerstaff et al, 2023). Women’s success in the sales industry is directly tied to their ability to network and build relationships (McGinnis and Gentry, 2006) and women who golf say that the sport has significantly helped their career (Gray, Hicks, and Rundels, 2020).
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For those women who choose to participate in golf for business, a recent study from the Journal of Management suggests that golf is directly tied to women’s success in climbing the corporate ladder (Biggerstaff et al, 2023). The same study suggests that male executives should be mindful that golf can result in exclusionary office behaviors that hinders nongolfing women’s ability to climb the corporate ladder. For women who do choose to get in the game for business, most fortune 500 companies have business resource groups that are dedicated to activity-based networking, including golf. In a 2016 study, Sports & Leisure Research group reported that woman are more apt then men, to attribute golf to their business success. In fact, women who have successfully broken through the ‘grass ceiling’ close a median of 5 deals a year on the golf course, about the same as men. There are several non-profit groups like Continues on next page>>
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WOMEN IN GOLF
HerClub who help women learn to leverage golf for their careers and to help them understand how to break through the “grass ceiling.” Why Aren’t More Women Getting in the Game? Women don’t have as much time to golf but those who do say it has helped them build lasting friendships and wider networks. According to the Wall Street Journal, married men spend about 3.5 hours more per week on leisure then women. And, gender imbalances persist in both caregiving and household responsibilities, in fact, 61% of the caregivers are women. Some women just do not have 4-5 hours to spend on a round of golf. Yet, some of the growth of on-course golfers is attributed to off-course experiences like Top Golf and indoor golf simulators where there is less of a time commitment. More than a third of non-golfing women in the U.S. report they are “very interested” in taking up the sport. Introducing women to golf by using off-course experiences could be a great low-risk way to reach time-poor women. Unwelcome to the club. The golf industry is making strides toward making golf courses themselves more inclusive and welcoming to women. Most golf courses have color-based tees but golfers often refer to tees by gender and it will take time to change player’s vernacular such that women feel less singled out. It is still common to hear players and golf staff say ‘women’s tee’ instead of ‘forward tee.’ Yet the opposite is not true as most people do not refer to back tees as ‘men’s tees.’ It is also common to hear the men’s forward tees referred to as the ‘senior tee’ drawing attention to age.
WWW.MIGOLFJOURNAL.COM Instead, golf courses should structure tees so they are based on the player’s handicap or the average length of their drives – not gender or age.
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phenomenon. Actively correcting this stereotype can help the sport grow. Getting More Women Golfing is Good for Everyone
Play faster please. There is no evidence that women play slower than men, yet the stereotype persists that women aren’t great golfers and they aren’t fast golfers. The reality is that most people who play golf are not close to being scratch golfers. According to the USGA the average men’s handicap is 14 and the average women’s handicap is 27.7 (about one more stroke a hole). However, only about 8% of women report a handicap compared to 36% of men so it is very difficult to determine if the majority of male golfers are any better than the majority of female golfers. Slow play is not a gender-based
Unlike other sports, golf is conducive to socializing while playing the sport. It also accommodates all ages and skill levels. In the U.S. walking, instead of using a golf cart, is becoming more common and certainly increases the health benefits of the sport. It is time to get more women in the game so they too can enjoy all of these benefits. So, the next time you plan to play a round of golf, ask women to join in. All golfers start as new golfers and even if the invitation is turned down, just by asking you have helped the sport to become more welcoming.
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FEATURED PHOTO: GRAND TRAVERSE RESORT, THE WOLVERINE
GAM TOURNAMENT RESULTS IN FALL
Tom Gieselman, Scott Strickland Win Third Senior/Mid-Am Team Title
All stories by: Greg Jonson
GAM NET TEAM WINNERS: Yvette Johnson and Sean Gouda
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Yvette Johnson of Farmington Hills and Sean Gouda of West Bloomfield have worked together at DTE for several years and have been golf partners for a long time, too. They team up often and this time they teamed up to win the 33rd GAM Net Team Championship Finals at Meadowbrook Country Club.
Tom Gieselman of Commerce Township and Scott Strickland of Bloomfield Hills executed an alternate shot birdie to perfection on the final hole and won the 14th GAM Senior/Mid-Amateur Team Championship at Barton Hills Country Club.
“It feels great,” said Johnson, who is 61. “We kind of ham and egged it. When I needed to make a putt I made it and when we needed him to make one, he made it. It was really a really good day for us.”
The closing birdie earned the longtime friends a third victory in the finals of the popular championship that features a Senior golfer (age 55-and-over) teamed up with a Mid-Amateur
Gouda, 41, made a final tap-in par for a net birdie on the 18th hole to give the duo their winning margin and a closing four-ball net 7under 65. Mike Coles of Sterling Heights and
Six teams that won or finished second in the trio
Brian Maltese of Shelby Township shot a net 66 for second, and brothers Rix and Anthony Naimi of West Bloomfield finished third with a 68. Eight Teams played in the finals, including a team featuring sponsor Bill Hobson of Michigan Golf Live. The eight duos emerged from 80 teams that played for a coveted spot in the finals earlier this year at Flint Golf Club.
golfer (25-and-over).
of first-day sectional competitions hosted earlier in the season competed for a final 18 holes. They played four-ball, also known as best-ball, for nine holes and foursomes, also known as alternate shot, for nine holes. A field of 124 teams, or 248 of Michigan’s top golfers, played in the opening segment. The final birdie by Gieselman and Strickland gave them a 5-under 65, which was just enough to clip the runner-up team of David LeVan of Ann Arbor and Andrew Tindall of Chelsea. LeVan and Tindall also birdied 18 for a final 66.
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GAM TOURNAMENT RESULTS IN FALL
GAM TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
GAM SENIOR TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS Tom Gieselman of Oakland University Golf & Learning Center and Donna Tepper of the Country Club of Detroit, very good Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) players for several years, finally went home with championship trophies. They each won their first GAM titles by topping the field in the GAM Senior Tournament of Champions presented by BOYNE Golf at Oakhurst Golf & Country Club.
Peter Farner of Twin Beach Country Club in Commerce Township and Chelsea Collura of West Shore Golf & Country Club in Grosse Ile closed out the tournament season with wins in the GAM Tournament of Champions presented by BOYNE Golf, at Oakhurst Golf & Country Club.
Gieselman, 61 and a national regional manager for Adrian Steel, birdied the last five holes, Nos. 14 through 18, and shot a 5-under 67 to win by three shots.
Champions, male and female, eligible for having won a GAM member club championship or a GAM
“It feels great to finally get a GAM trophy,” he said. “I’ve made the final four twice in the Michigan Amateur,
title this season, played a final 18-hole stroke play tournament. Farner, 37 and the owner of On Track Garage Door Services in Commerce Township, shot a 2-under 70 to take the men’s title by one shot and win his first GAM tournament. Collura, 30 and owner of Nuggett Leasing in Flat Rock, won the Tournament of Champions for the second time in the last three years. She shot 2-under 70 and won by three shots. Collura qualified for and then played in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship earlier in the year.
I’ve qualified for 13 USGA championships … so I’ve won some things and been close a lot of times.” Tepper, 52 and the Chief of Plastic Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital, shot a 3-over 75 to top the women’s field. Julie Massa was runner up, and defending champion Joan Garety of Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada was third. Tepper overcame a doublebogey followed by a bogey on holes 1011 with the help of three birdies.
WARM WEATHER GOLF
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Puerto Rico: An American Gem By Janina Parrott Jacobs
Championship Golf Course at Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve
Caribbean…without ever leaving the country.
Ironically, New World explorer Christopher Columbus didn’t think much of the land mass when he first ‘discovered’ it, long after the Taino tribe had already been there. He quickly claimed the colony for Spain, only to be lost after the Spanish-American War.
"La Isla del Encanto", or Puerto Rico, is waiting,
What’s not to like? With average year-round
Unless you’re a snow-buff, there’s nothing better than a planned escape from Michigan in the throes of winter, even if only for a week. Florida can be iffy, weather-wise, so consider traveling a bit farther south into the
with its legendary ‘Boricua’ spirit of kindness and hospitality, multiple seaside golf facilities, outstanding beaches, cultural attractions, appealing traditional cuisine, and balmy climate. Surrounded by 300 miles of coastline filled with nature’s treasures, about 3.2 million call Puerto Rico home. Many Americans forget about this U.S. territory, a literal ‘Spanglish’ paradise in their own backyard, but in 2022, 5.2 million visitors propelled this gorgeous Caribbean island into a Top-10 tourist destination.
temperatures between 70-80 degrees to enjoy, there are natural wonders like 28,000-acre El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System, dozens of waterfalls, rivers, hundreds of animal species, coqui tree frogs - which do ‘rain’ from the sky when hunted – ancient ruins, the western hemisphere’s largest cave network with hundreds of passages yet to be uncovered, ‘bio bay’ tours or a visit to Vieques, the east coast’s small island which was once used for U.S. Navy training but is now a National Wildlife Refuge. Kayaking these sapphire bays at night, under
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WARM WEATHER GOLF
the new moon, will reveal unique bioluminescent underwater sea life. Old San Juan once headquartered the infamous Spanish Inquisition, where two of those oldest churches remain. Art galleries, culture, and fine dining flourish alongside the Boricuas, Taino, and an African state of mind which is also reflected in cuisines that are as familiar, flavorful and simple as they are diverse and complex. Don’t forget the island’s coffee: it is a favorite of the Vatican. Posh seaside resorts are everywhere, unsurprising considering hundreds of beaches circle the 30-mile-long island. For the value conscious, B&Bs, street food staples like pinones and several variations of mofongo can be found at pop-ups or chinchorros, or food stands. Hop on a ‘publico’ bus for a mystery ride to a pre-planned destination….or wherever? Pina Coladas were invented here and remain the national drink along with mojitos and other
Consider playing in one of two Wednesday ProAms to tee it up with current and future tour stars. PGA Tour and Champions Tour star Tom Kite used stunning vistas to create The Championship and The International on the northeast end of the island with El Yunque serving as backdrop. This 200-acre familyfriendly resort has oceanfront suites, a lagoon pool, on-site spa, and other amenities. In 2022, Michigan native Ryan Brehm was about to lose his tour card unless he placed solo second or won, which he did, miraculously running away with the title and full exemption on Tour through the end of 2024. For up-to-date information, contact www.puertoricoopen.golf. For mere mortals, an outstanding collection of 16 other scenic courses crafted by several noted architects dot the landscape and more are currently under construction for this golfenthusiastic island. Here’s a quick tour for the budget-conscious: short but sweet Rio
rum-based cocktails. Take a mixology class or simply tour Casa Bacardi, the largest rum distillery in the world. And then, there’s golf. For 15 years, PGA Tour players have looked forward to the popular Puerto Rico Open, with next year’s tournament scheduled March 7-10, 2024 at the Hyatt Regency’s Grand Reserve Championship course.
The St. Regis Bahia Beach and Golf Resort Hole 18
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WWW.MIGOLFJOURNAL.COM El Conquistador Resort Golf Course
37 presents: you can’t wait to see what surprise is next. Full of dramatic elevation changes, rolling fairways and views of both the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, the course is surprisingly uncrowded with only a glimpse of
Bayamon GC provides new airport arrivals with a nearby and action-packed course plus driving range. On the northwestern coast, Punta Borinquen GC plays along a coastal promontory and was built on a former Air Force base. Heading southeast, legendary PGA Tour professional and local ‘swashbuckler’ Chi Chi Rodriguez crafted El Legado on 285 acres of the central Cordillera mountains on the southeast, or Caribbean, side of the island. In the eastern interior, Caguas Golf & CC sports a challenging back nine after parkland-style front nine. These courses all range from $30-$65. https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/article/ most-budget-friendly-golf-courses-puerto-rico. For a splurge, the gorgeously expansive El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo perches high above the Atlantic Ocean and combines modern comforts with stunning views. Stay at the newly renovated marina casitas and watch the sun rise over Palomino, their private island where the ferry transports guests on the hour. Playing the award-winning Arthur Hills design is much like opening several Christmas
other foursomes. Contact: www.conquistadorresort .com. Or, visit the lush St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort and Golf Club designed by Robert TrentJones Jr. in Rio Grande for a truly ethereal experience where both the golf course and 400+ acres of surrounding paradise are Audubon Sanctuaries. Tip: order the Pina Colada….truly heavenly. There’s more good news for the budgetconscious: major airlines and no-frills air carriers like Spirit and Frontier now offer Nonstop service and reasonable fares from some major cities. The dollar works just fine and best of all, no passport or visa is needed, save for necessary TSA identification. Hotels range from the exquisitely plush waterfront Condado Vanderbilt, www.condadovanderbilt.com to mid-range brand hotels and Airbnbs. Or, opt for the hostel at Luquillo Beach, complete with morning rooster wake-up service….at no extra charge. For anything and everything about Puerto Rico, there’s one-stop shopping: www.discoverpuertorico.com.