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April 21, 2006 Vol. 6, No. 16
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BAY MILLS RESORT AND CASINO/WILD BLUFF GOLF COURSE
Video: 2005 Bay
Mills Open Players Tournament Preview
-with Rob Lussenhof
http:
//www.michigangolfer.tv/2005shows/baymillsopenpreview/
OTSEGO CLUB & RESORT-GAYLORD
Golf Packages http://otsegoclub.com/allpackages.php
SHANTY CREEK RESORT & CLUB
Golf Packages http://www.shantycreek.com/golf/package.html
DESIGN YOUR OWN IRELAND GOLFING GETAWAY
Click on - http://www.sullivangolf.ie/quoteform.html
Sullivan Golf & Travel The Ireland Golf Travel Specialist
IN GAYLORD, GOLF THE NATURAL: A JERRY MATTHEWS COURSE
Video: http://michigangolfer.tv/2005shows/natural/
Golf Packages http://golfthenatural.com
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__/ MGN ON THE ROAD
__/ INDIANWOOD POINTS TO HOSTING U.S. MEN'S SENIOR OPEN
__/ MG-TV
Hawk's Eye- A John Robinson Course
Gary Wiren and Jack Berry: The Hickory Open at The Kingsley Club
__/ BOOK REVIEW: ROUGH MEDITATIONS, by Bradley Klein
__/ TRAVERSE CITY GETS SERIOUS ABOUT ATTRACTING GOLFERS-GOT CONCIERGE?
__/ HORSEING AROUND AT CHRISTIANA CC
__/ TREETOPS ING PAR-3 SHOOTOUT HAS SOME PLAYING SLOTS-GOT MONEY?
__/ MICHIGAN GOLF NEWS ON CHOK RADIO 1070 ON YOUR DIAL-Scott Head
__/ SPRING EDITION OF THE MICHIGAN GOLFER MAGAZINE NOW ONLINE
__/ 2006 MICHIGAN GOLF CALENDAR
__/ ASSOCIATION LINKS
__/ MICHIGAN GOLFER ONLINE RESOURCES
Edited by Art McCafferty-Producer/Publisher, GLSP
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MGN ON THE ROAD
Belding-Candlestone Inn
Mike Husby has this resort humming of late. This is his second tenure
at the resort and he is making up for lost time. The food and beverage
numbers are off the chart and early bookings seem to point to a very
promising year. The course at Candlestone Inn was designed by Bruce
Matthews and Husby says it is a terrifc course. The Western Amateur will be
held there in May.
Bellaire-Shanty Creek Resort
There seems to be many more smiles at the resort since Apex purchased
Shanty Creek a couple of months ago. It has been a tough go for the
proud resort ever since they were taken over by the bank. The new owner,
Apex, based in St. Louis has some deep pockets and wants to bring this
resort back to the prominence it had prior to the economic downturn.
There have been no moves as yet, but the staff awaits their marching
orders.
Gaylord-The Otsego Club
The golf season is just starting to kick in here, but the big news is
that the morel mushroom season has begun and they are appearing
everywhere in the woods. We stayed at the Otsego Club last night and enjoyed
a great meal along with a cozy room.Their free Internet connectivity
allowed us to finish this missive and send it on this morning. Mark Hogan
is the head professional at Otsego and he is looking for another great
season on the Classic and The Tribute.
The Natural at Marsh Ridge
The Natural opens today and they have some great golf packages through
mid-May. Check out their website at http://golfthenatural.com for all
the details.
Thompsonville-Crystal Mountain Resort
Folks here are gearing up for their 50 year anniversary, now scheduled
to kick off during the start of their ski season this winter. We
chatted with Brad Dean who is very excited about the coming year and Crystal
Mountain Golf Schools. He indicated that the resort had a bumper year
for skiing and that the change over to golf is rapidly underway. Rodger
Jabara is also part of the great management team at Crystal.
Joan O'Neil, who is in charge of public relations with the resort indicated they will be adding a couple of running events to add to their arsenal of activities. O'Neil should know what she is doing as she has participated in a number of runs and triathlons the past few years.
***
INDIANWOOD POINTS TO HOSTING U.S. MEN'S SENIOR OPEN
By Jack Berry
Indianwood Golf & Country Club in Lake Orion, which hosted two of the most successful United States Womenıs Opens in 1989 and 1994, is shooting for a United States Menıs Senior Open, probably in 2011.
A delegation from USGA headquarters in Far Hills, NJ, spent all day Wednesday (April 19) meeting with Indianwood owner Stan Aldridge and touring the golf course and clubhouse.
Aldridge said no decision has been made but he feels ³We have a better than even chance. I told them our objective would be to have the greatest Senior Open ever.²
Indianwood took the 1994 Womenıs Open on short notice. It was scheduled for Merion Golf Club in suburban Philadelphia but the club didnıt permit women to hold membership. After taking the championship, which was won by Patty Sheehan (Betsy King won in 1989), Aldridge wanted a menıs championship.
Oakland Hills has the franchise on hosting the Open and PGA championships and with the PGA Tour established at the Tournament Players Club of Michigan with the Ford Senior Players Championship, there wasnıt an opening for Indianwood. That changed when Ford, fighting for its life on the car front, declined to continue sponsoring the Senior Players. The July 13-16 event this summer concludes that contract.
The Senior Players never caught the publicıs fancy, like Opens and PGAs at Oakland Hills, or the two Senior Opens at Oakland Hills won by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. The Senior Open has been visiting classic courses like Inverness in Toledo, Olympia Fields in Chicago and, this summer, Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, KS. It has become a popular event and Whistling Straits, the Broadmoor and Crooked Stick will host it from 2007-2009.
Indianwood probably wouldnıt need any major work. Aldridge said he already planned to rework the bunkering on some holes, including the sixth and 15th, and added ³Weıre going to take the roof off the menıs grill and add a second story with windows looking over the course. This gives me impetus to start ripping and tearing.²
Indianwood, founded in 1925, was a shambles when Aldridge bought it in 1981. He rebuilt and expanded the clubhouse and added a second course but the original course, the Old Course, designed by English professional Wilfrid Reid, is the championship layout, and was a favorite of Walter Hagen, Tommy Armour and Al Watrous in the 1930s when theyıd often spend weekends playing golf and cards at the Lake Orion club
***
MGTV
Gary Wiren and Jack Berry: The Hickory Open at The Kingsley Club
Gary Wiren, neatly attired in his knickers, is interviewed by Jack
Berry during the last year's Hickory Open at The Kingsley Club. Wiren
has one of the largest collections of hickory clubs in American. Wiren
chats about hickory club golf, the Kingsley Club and golfing with
Donald Trump in this Jack Berry interview.
http://thekingsleyclub.com
http://michigangolfer.tv/2006shows/wiren/
A Tour of Hawk's Eye
John Robinson is one of Canada's great golf architects. Of late, he
has been doing some work in the states, with three of his courses in
Michigan. He designed The Chief and Hawk's Eye in Bellaire and has
just completed a new course in Hillman. Our Tour of Hawk's Eye show is
hosted by John Robinson, who informs the viewer of his thoughts about
designing this terrific course.
http://michigangolfer.tv/2005shows/hawkseye/
***
BOOK REVIEW: ROUGH MEDITATIONS, Review by Art McCafferty
Bradley Klein was one of the keynoters of the first Michigan Golf
Summits held at the Eagle Crest Resort back in the late 80's. He was a
professor of political science at a New England university at the time, and
remained so until he could make enough money writing about golf.
He was a great keynoter and his match up with our own Tom Doak on a panel, was priceless. His eventual rise to stardom in the world of golf journalism certainly would not have been a surprise to anyone who attended the Summit.
His latest book,"Rough Meditations" he did a definitive work on Donald Ross, "Discovering Donald Ross: The Architect and His Golf Courses, is an absolutely terrific read.
"Rough Meditations", is a visit through some of his former columns, articles and observations he has made as educator, caddy, journalist and volunteer. His writing is always fresh and revealing.
Klein as spent considerable time in Michigan and has quite a bit to say about our courses, both good and bad. Here are a few excepts as they pertain to Michigan courses:
"GOLF COURSE WHOSE STOCK HAS RISEN THE MOST IN TWO DECADES
Crystal Downs, Frankfort, Michigan. This purest of all MacKenzie
designs, wasn't even on the list of top-five in Michigan 20 years ago. Now
its highly ranked among the finest 20 in the world.
ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW AWARD
Dunmaglas, Petoskey, Michigan. This stone-age wonder designed by Larry
Mancour looks like a collaborative effort of Old Tom Morris and the
Acid Queen. Love those incredible disappearing fairways, wildly
undulating 2,500 sq. ft. greens, and large boulders scientifically placed in the
middle of landing areas--for artistic effect. So weird it deserves a
cult following.
*Note:The above review was written before the extensive changes at the course about seven years ago.
DANNY DEVITO SHORT BUT SWEET AWARD:
Detroit Golf Club-South Course. The much-renovated 6,837 yard Nothe
Course (134 slope/73.3 rating) is regarded for its length and challenge,
but the real gem at this 36-hole Donald Ross Motown facility is the
virtually untouched par-68 5,967 yard South Course (117 slope/68.7
rating). It's a shotmaker's delight, with diverse green settings and fairway
contours that will test good modern players."
The book is published by Wiley and you can get it online at http://wiley.com or most any good bookstore. Cost $18.95. A steal.
***
TRAVERSE CITY GETS SERIOUS ABOUT ATTRACTING GOLFERS-GOT CONCIERGE?
The Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau has initiated a new golf
packaging initiative that enables players to customize a golf
experience tailored to their individual preferences, budgets and playing levels.
By calling a single toll-free number, 1-800-TRAVERSE (872-8377), they
can connect with a trained destination concierge who'll help them choose
among 15 participating golf courses and 12 hotels, motels and resorts.
The Bureau has negotiated with local lodging and golf properties to
make the new packages an extremely attractive value. In addition, the Leelanau Sands and Turtle Creek casinos are offering a special "Player's Passbook" of vouchers good for $25 in coins, plus soft drink coupons and meal discounts at either casino,to golfers who book a package by June 1.
***
TREETOPS ING PAR-3 SHOOTOUT HAS SOME PLAYING SLOTS-GOT MONEY?
Treetops Resortís annual ING Par-3 Shootout is for the first time,
making its popular Pro-Am event available to individual amateurs along
with corporate foursomes.
Pro-Am participants are guaranteed to play with one of the four shootout contestants: Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples, Craig Stadler, or Andy North, and a second round with Rick Smith, or a former PGA Tour or Nationwide Tour player. The Pro-Am will be held June 26 and 27 on the Threetops Par-3 course, just before each dayís professional shootout competition.
This is a very unique opportunity that we are very excited to present to amateur golfers everywhere ñ a guaranteed opportunity to play with a major championship winner,î said Scott Head, Director of Golf Operations at Treetops Resort. ìUnlike any other Pro-Am event youíll find, our participants get to compete with the professionals in the morning and then watch the guys shoot it out in the afternoon!îŬ
The individual package ($6,500.00) includes participation in the Pro-Am on Monday and Tuesday, lodging Sunday and Monday evenings, meals, an invitation for two people to the reception and pairings party Sunday evening, an invitation for two people to Monday nightís dinner with the professionals, two VIP tickets to the two-day Par-3 Shootout, access for two to the ìShootout Hospitality Tentî, preferred viewing areas at each tee and green, VIP Parking, a Pro-Am gift, and a commemorative photo. In addition, the package includes unlimited golf on Sunday afternoon, Monday, and Tuesday on any one of the four 18-hole courses at Treetops Resort.
The corporate package ($25,000.00) includes a foursome spot in the pro-am and all of the above amenities, plus the company logo on the Par-3 Shootout brochure, a sponsor banner in the hospitality tent, and a corporate web link on the Par-3 Shootout website.
For more information please visit http://www.treetops.com Taken and edited from a Resort and Golf Marketing release
***
HORSEING AROUND AT CHRISTIANA CC
by Art McCafferty
In 1894, some pioneering Michigan golfers teed it up at Roaring Brook
Course in Harbor Springs. Roaring Brook Course is gone now, but area
courses Wequetonsing Golf Club and Harbor Point Golf Course still remain.
According to Nancy Duray of Harbor Point and "Red" Wilson of
Wequetonsing, both of these Harbor Springs courses came on board in 1896. Thus
began the saga of golf course construction in Michigan.
At the time a golf course was built using horses and the tools of the day, scrappers, plows, discs and plows. These were the tools of Tom Bendelow. Dave Foulis, Donald Ross, Willie Park Jr. and other architects during the pre automotive years.
We had the opportunity to revisit those construction times, when we were invited to Elkhart, Indiana's Christiana Creek CC. The golf course was in the process of restoring somet bunker restoration on this William Langford 1917 course. Paul Albanese, of Albanese & Lutzke, was intrigued by the idea that construction boss, Daniel Grassi, had. Grassi, thought it would be interesting to bring in a couple of Belgium horses to scrape out the old bunkers and reshape the new ones.
Albanese, a Harvard educated golf architect, had always wondered how the older golf courses were built, now he had the opportunity to find out first hand. Throughout the course of the morning he worked with the horses scrapping out the old bunkers and then reforming them. The day went surprising well and all, including members of the club, enjoyed the show.
The Michigan Golfer Television Show was on hand to do the taping, and we can show you what we saw. Just click on to http://michigangolfer.tv/2005shows/christiana/
***
MICHIGAN GOLF NEWS ON CHOK 1070 ON YOUR DIAL- Scott Head
Speaking of Treetops, Scott Head, the Director of Golf for Treetops,
will be our guest this morning on the Michigan Golf News segment of the CHOK Golf Show, 1070 on your radio dial. Host Tom Gibson will be chatting with
Scott about the ING Par-3 Shootout and the continuation of the
Mickelson/Couples ovefest. Also joining this dynamic duo this year is Craig
Stadler and Andy North.
Upcoming Shows
April 28- Shanty Creek
May 05- Otsego Club
May 12- The Natural at Marsh Ridge
May 19- Bucks Run-Jim Zeh
***
SPRING EDITION OF THE MICHIGAN GOLFER MAGAZINE-ONLINE
Spring Issue 2006 Vol. 24, No.1
http://www.webgolfer.com/
The Heather at Boyne Highlands: Robert Trent Jones and Everett Kircher
Shared a Dream
by Jack Berry
Villegas: The PGA Tourıs Colorful Colombian
by Kelly Hill
Michiganıs Island Golf Courses
by Art McCafferty
Tournament Action to Take Few Breaks This Summer
by Kelly Hill
Book Review-Match Made in Heaven
by Bernice Phillips
Book Review: King of Swings-Book Jacket
by Lanse Bannon
Slice of Life: Masters Memories
by Terry Moore
Readership of the Michigan Golfer Ezine averaged 9,789 per issue in 2005.
***
MICHIGAN TOURNAMENTS
http://michigangolfer.
com/tournaments.html
***
2006 MICHIGAN GOLF CALENDAR
http://michigangolfer.com/calendar.html"
ASSOCIATION LINKS
American Association of Golf Course Architects
http://asgca.org
Golf Association of
Michigan
http://www.gam.org/
Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
http://www.gcsaa.org
Michigan Section PGA
http://www.Michigan.PGA.com
Michigan Golf Course Owners Association
http://mgcoa.org
Michigan High School
Athletic Association
http://www.mhsaa.com/
Michigan
Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association
http://migca.com
Michigan Publinx Seniors
Golf Association
http://mpsga.net
National Golf Course Owners
Association
http://ngcoa.org
National Golf Foundation
http://ngf.org
National High School Golf
Coaches Association
http://www.nhsgca.org
***
MICHIGAN GOLFER ONLINE RESOURCES
Website: http://glsp.com
Ezine http://michigangolfer.com
News: http://www.webgolfer.com/news.html
Video: http://michigangolfer.tv
Podcast: http://glsp.com/podcasts.html
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