Michigan Golfer, March / April 2014

2 M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 4 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E

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Publisher/EditorArt McCafferty

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Editor EmeritusTerry Moore

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WritersLinda AllenPeter AllenJeff Bairley

Susan BairleyPhyllis Barone

Jack BerryMike Duff

Greg JohnsonDoug JoyBrad KingTom Lang

Chris LewisBill Shelton

Brad Shelton

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3M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 4

In This Issue

4 The Haig – First in the Michigan Hall of Fame By Jack Berry

8 The Berry Patch: the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame and FerrisState University By Jack Berry

12 Top Ten Michigan Golf Stories for 2013 By Terry Moore

14 The Year That Was a Good One By Jack Berry

18 Collegiate Spotlight: Selflessness, Tenacity, andDedication: A Collegiate Senior Golfer Unlike Any Other By Chris Lewis

22 Cadillac Golf: Eldorado Golf Course By Peter and Linda Allen

23 McGuire’s: A Resort for All Seasons By Mike Duff

24 Pacific Northwest Redux – Circling Raven By Tom Lang

27 2013 Presidents Cup Needed More than a “Transfusion” By Bill Shelton

30 Slice of Life: Volunteerism in Golf By Terry Moore

V O L U M E 3 2 • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 4 • N U M B E R 1

About the cover:

Walter Hagen claimed U.S. Open titles in 1914 and1919, the latter in a playoff over Mike Brady at BraeBurn C.C. in West Newton, Mass.

Photo courtesy of USGA Museum.

Slice of Life: Volunteers carry signs at the 102nd MichiganAmateur Championship match in Muskegon.

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Put Arnold Palmer’s dash-ing game and enormouscrowd following with Ian

Poulter’s bulging, scary blackmatch play eyes, Graham DeLaet’s Jackson Pollock colordrenched wardrobe and MiguelAngel Jiminez’s majestic, confi-dent chest-out stride and youmight come up with WalterHagen.

Hagen, Sir Walter, the Haig,was all of those and much more.There’s been no one like him inthe world of golf and his was thefirst name mentioned when theMichigan Golf Hall of Fame wasborn in 1982.

Hagen’s playing creden-tials are solid gold – twoU.S. Opens, four BritishOpens (his finishes were 1-2-1 from 1922-24), fivePGA Championships andfive Western Opens whenthey were considered majorchampionships. TheWestern began in 1899,second only to the U.S.Open among majorAmerican championships.Hagen also collected theBelgian, French andCanadian Opens. He wasso smooth, so debonair, oneof the great mano a mano,match players of all time.

By Jack Berry

The Haig – First in the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame

Walter Hagen

A pensive Hagan is ready for the game at hand.

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The Masters didn’t start until 1934when Hagen was 42 and didn’t have a“a major” label. But the entrants werethe best of the time and, showing thecaliber of the men in the MichiganGolf Hall of Fame, four membersplayed in that Masters. Horton Smithwon it, Al Watrous tied for 11th,Hagen tied for 13th and Leo Diegeltied for 16th.

Hagen was born in Rochester,N.Y., caddied and learned the gameat Oak Hill Country Club. He latermoved to Detroit and becameOakland Hills professional when theclub opened in 1916. He played inthe Great Lakes Open at BelvedereGolf Club in Charlevoix from 1929-34 (as did Bobby Jones, TommyArmour, Horton Smith, Gene

Sarazen and Leo Diegel). He playedin the 1930 Western Open atIndianwood, won by Gene Sarazen,won the Michigan PGAChampionship twice and theMichigan Open once.

And when the Ryder Cup beganin 1927, Hagen was named captainand he captained every teamthrough 1941. No one matches thatrecord.

It wasn’t the statistics though thatHagen is remembered for. It was theHaig. Sir Walter. The way he did it.Palmer is known for popularizingthe game in the television age, goingfor broke. Never saw a shot hewouldn’t try. And make. The generalof Arnie’s Army, and no one has

signed more autographs, been moredown-to-earth, gracious with thefans, than Palmer.

A little aside – Palmer’s auto-graph is readable, as was Hagen’sand my No. 1 sports hero, GordieHowe’s. Today’s athletes scribble.Autographs didn’t make my trio. Itwas what they did for their compa-triots. Professional golfers at thetime weren’t regarded them asequals, were unworthy to enter theclubhouse, to change shoes there, toeat lunch there.

So the Haig rented a limousine,parked outside the clubhouse andchanged his shoes in comfort. Whenhe played golf he dressed in thefinest shirts, ties, knickers, stockings


Walter Hagen, winner 1924 PGA, Donald Ross Course, French Lick Resort

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and shoes, as good as or better thanthe members. First class.

Hagen broke down the barrierand Sarazen said “It was Walter whomade professional golf what it is.”

When the 1920 U.S. Open wasplayed at Inverness Club in Toledothe members welcomed the pros, thefirst to do so and when the Openreturned to Inverness in 1931Hagen had the players chip in tobuy a grandfather clock to showtheir appreciation.

The clock stands in the club-house with a plate that reads:

God measures men by what they areNot by what wealth possessThis vibrant message chimes afarThe voice of Inverness

That was typical of Hagen andhis voice resounds today: “Don’thurry, don’t worry, you’re only herefor a short visit, so be sure to smellthe flowers along the way.”

Tournament purses wereminiscule but the trophieswere the door to the flower

shop. The way to make money wasthrough exhibitions and clinics andin his autobiography, Hagen said“My game was my business and as abusiness it demanded constant play-ing in the championship bracket, fora current title was my selling com-modity.”

In the 1920s the two big nameswere Hagen and Bobby Jones. In1925 Hagen promoted “The Matchof the Century.” Jones was 23 andselling real estate in Florida at thetime. His wife was pregnant andThe sartorial splendor of The Haig

The Haig and the King

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Hagen, 32, talked him into a matchsure to draw big crowds and bigmoney. It was 36 holes one week-end, 36 the next.

After the four rounds the scorewas Hagen, 12 up with 11 to play.

Besides the exhibitions that heplayed across the country, Hagenendorsed Wilson clubs and theywere sold as Haig Ultra or Walter

Hagen. Near the end of World WarII, Wilson bought a factory inGrand Rapids figuring there wouldbe a demand for sports equipment,including golf. And so was born theWalter Hagen line of clubs.

They made balls too and at hislakeside retirement home inTraverse City, the Haig couldsmack Walter Hagen signature ballsinto the water. Unlike me, Hagen

was not an aquaphobe. But then,the balls were free for him. Nothingtoo good for the Haig.

Hagen died on Oct. 6, 1969 andrests in Holy Sepulchre Cemeteryin Southfield. Arnold Palmer was apall bearer.

Fitting.

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The marriage of the MichiganGolf Hall of Fame andFerris State University’s

Professional Golf Management pro-gram’s Center for Performance andLearning is a natural.

The Hall of Fame and its collec-tion of memorabilia, portraits andplaques of the 101 members, clubs,bags and trophies, was homeless andFerris was planning a 7,500 squarefoot expansion of the PGM’s head-quarters at Katke Golf Course.

Aaron Waltz, the PGA GolfManagement director, nailed itwhen he said “Our goals with beingthe home of the Michigan GolfHall of Fame are to make it a liv-ing, breathing part of the Ferriscampus, to continue to uphold the

rich history and values of theMichigan Golf Hall of Fame and toserve as a permanent place for stu-dents, faculty, staff and visitors toappreciate the achievements of theleaders of the golf industry inMichigan,” Waltz said.

“This is a wonderful opportunityfor both organizations,” MichiganGolf Foundation president FritzBalmer said. “What better place toexhibit the Hall of Fame plaques andmemorabilia in an interactive mannerthan at Ferris State University. Puttingthe PGM students in touch with golfhistory and the people who made thathistory is a perfect fit. We are extreme-ly fortunate.”

Ferris, which prides itself oncareer-oriented education, got into

golf in 1974with the open-ing of theKatke coursewhich wasintended forthe establish-ment of thePGM pro-gram. Youngmen andwomen learnevery level of the game, the businessside, merchandising, marketing,accounting, course maintenance,running tournaments and outingsand teaching how to play.

Giving credit where it is due,Marvin Katke, former VicePresident of Manu-facturing at Ford Motor Co., waschief donor for the golf course.

The 4-1/2 year PGM programincludes internships each year, halfthe year is spent on campus in classand half is working for a PGA pro-fessional at clubs and courses all overthe country. Upon graduation, stu-dents receive a Bachelor of Sciencedegree in Business and membershipin the PGA of America.

The PGM was the brainchild ofFerris president Robert Ewiglebenand PGA professional Don Perne.They were teammates on theMichigan State University golf

The Berry Patch

By Jack Berry

The Michigan Golf Hall of Fameand Ferris State University

Jack Berry

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Walter Hagen, one of a kind

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team and later got the idea of aprogram that has produced morethan 1,700 graduates, many nowhead professionals at some of themost prestigious clubs and resortsin the country.

Groundbreaking for the state-of-the-art learning center is projectedfor this summer and upon comple-tion, the Hall of Fame’s collectionwill move from storage to FerrisState, an hour north of GrandRapids off the US-131 freeway.

The Hall of Fame was born at aluncheon between StanAldridge and Ken Janke.

Aldridge was the new owner ofIndianwood Golf & Country Club inLake Orion. It had fallen into disre-pair and Aldridge was in the processof performing a miracle renovation ofthe half century old clubhouse andgrounds. He asked Janke, head of theNational Association of InvestmentClubs and a dedicated golfer, golf col-

lector and organizer of charitable pro-am tournaments, what he should doto publicize the “new” Indianwood.

Janke suggested starting aMichigan Golf Hall of Fame andhave local golf writers select playerswho lived and played in Michigan.Aldridge bought the idea and in1982 the Michigan Golf Hall ofFame was born. Walter Hagen, oneof the greatest players in the historyof the game, the first professional atOakland Hills Country Club and aMichigan resident, was the firstchoice. Al Watrous, longtime profes-sional at Oakland Hills and a topplayer in the 1920s and 1930s, wasnext and Chuck Kocsis, judged bymany as the state’s best lifetime play-er, completed the first class.

Over time Tommy Armour, LeoDiegel and Horton Smith joined Hagen in the Michigan Golf Hallof Fame. Accenting the quality ofMichigan Hall members, thatquartet also is in the World GolfHall of Fame.

Initially the yearly induction ofmembers was celebrated atIndianwood with a day of golf anddinner. Inductees were asked to donatesomething from their career, a club,bag, trophy or other memorabilia.

Red Run Golf Club member BobMcMasters, past president of theWestern Golf Association and theGolf Association of Michigan andthe greatest volunteer I’ve known inmore than the 50-plus years I’vebeen involved in golf, took charge ofthe collection.

McMasters was the foundingpresident of the Michigan GolfFoundation and when the Osprey

Corporation, offered space in oneof its office towers in Troy,McMasters came up with furnitureand muscles to get everythingmoved in and set up.

When the economy picked up sev-eral years ago the generous “free” spacewas needed for a paying customer andthe Michigan Golf Foundation publi-cized it needed a home.

“It is wonderful news that theMichigan Golf Hall of Fame hasfound a permanent home at FerrisState University,” McMasters said.“Ferris has the resources and con-tacts to ensure a sustainable and suc-cessful future of the Hall of Fame.”

A Bit About Ferris:The school was founded in 1884 asthe Big Rapids Industrial School. ItKen Janke, one of the founders of the

Michigan Golf Hall of Fame

Don Perne, co-founder of Ferris’sProfessional Golf Management School

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was private and started with five stu-dents, taught by Woodbridge N.Ferris and his wife, Helen.

Eventually the school becamepublic and currently has 14,560students.

Ferris was a very interesting man– born in a log cabin on a farm inTioga County, NY, he eventuallyworked his way west, stopping for ayear in Ann Arbor where he wrotein his autobiography that “At thattime the entrance requirement (forthe University of Michigan) wasindeed superficial. After being askeda few questions as to my educationalqualifications, I was admitted with-out having to submit a written test.”He listened to a lecture on evolutionthat was too hot a topic for a uni-versity building and “churches otherthan Unitarian condemned the newdoctrine.”

His goal was to start a publicschool and he chose Big Rapidsbecause there wasn’t a big school inthat part of the state and he eventu-ally drew students from upstate,north of Big Rapids. Ferris is theonly university in the state startedby one man and women were in itsfirst graduating class.

Ferris was a gifted speaker, waselected governor in 1912 andUnited States Senator in 1922. Heserved until his death in 1928.

What’s to do in Big Rapids?The Muskegon River runsthrough Big Rapids and

while tubing isn’t a varsity sport, it’sbig recreationally. The White PineTrail, the state’s longest, stretches 92miles from Comstock Park in GrandRapids to Cadillac and is a favoriteof cyclists, joggers and runners. Anddon’t forget Katke Golf Course, it’s

at the high point of MecostaCounty and there’s a downhill feel.

Initially the course was plannedto be open, links-like with few treesbut over time many trees wereadded. As it often happens, some areremoved to improve playability.

Ian Ziska, PGA professional andKatke manager, said over the lasttwo years a half million dollars hasbeen spent reconstructing all thebunkers, improving turf and build-ing 15 new forward tees in keepingwith the PGA’s Tee It Forward pro-gram, a welcome move for seniors,women and juniors.

All that’s needed now is for theendless winter’s snow to melt intime for the induction of the 2014Hall of Fame class on June 8.

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Mark Wilson, elected to the MichiganGolf Hall of Fame in 2007.

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Top Ten Michigan Golf Stories for 2013

By Terry Moore

So what are the ten biggestMichigan golf stories of 2013?Funny you should ask. This is

what I’ve come up with, but not inany particular order. And remember,“to err is human; to forgive, divine.”

• Fourteen-year-old qualifies forU.S. Amateur. Battle Creek’s

Andrew Walker became the fifth-youngest golfer to ever play in theAmateur after qualifying at ForestAkers West with 71-69. Walker didn’t make match play at famedThe Country Club in Brookline,MA, but he endeared himself to thelocal golf gallery and the nationalmedia. He was also the GAM’s

Junior Player of the Year.

• Tom Werkmeister wins theMichigan Open. Kentwood’sWerkmeister became the first ama-teur since Bob Ackerman in 1975 towin the Michigan Open. It was anoutstanding year for Werkmeister,winning the GAM Mid-Am for a

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Tom Werkmeister

record fifth time while continuinghis dominance of West Michiganamateur golf by winning all four“majors” on the Grand Rapids golfcalendar.

• Brian Stuard finishes second onthe PGA Tour. Jackson’s Stuardearned the biggest check inMichigan golf history by takinghome $648,000 at the PGA Tour’sOHL Classic Mayakoba in Mexicoin November.

• The LPGA announces a return toMichigan in 2014. Fourteen yearsafter the final Oldsmobile Classic inEast Lansing, the LPGA in Novemberannounced in plans for the inauguralMeijer LPGA Classic to be heldAugust 7-10 at Blythefield CC outsideGrand Rapids.

• Tom Doak receives GolfArchitect of the Year honors. Afterbeing inducted into the MichiganGolf Hall of Fame in May, TraverseCity’s Doak capped the year bybeing named the top architect byboth Golf Digest and GolfMagazine. His new courses atDismal River in Nebraska andStreamsong in Florida have drawnwide acclaim. Hey, did I hearrumors of a new Doak course atForest Dunes?

• Michigan Golf Hall of Famefinds a new home. After vacatingdonated office space last fall in Troy,the MGHOF was back in storageuntil Ferris State University agreedin November to be the new perma-nent home and relocate it to KatkeGolf Course sometime in 2014 orearly 2015.

• You can never be too rich or toofat, when it comes to golf grips. The

Michigan-based SuperStroke compa-ny became industry leader in thewildly popular oversized puttergrips, most notably used by JasonDufner in winning the ’13 PGAChampionship.

• Brian Cairns wins his thirdMichigan PGA title. A closing 3-under-par 69 for 7-under-par 209earned Cairns the Gilbert A. CurrieTrophy for the third time in hiscareer (1996, 2000 and 2013) and a$6,000 first-place check. InNovember, Cairns came up short inhis bid to claim a card on the PGA’sChampions Tour.

• Sherrie Steinhauer claimsWendy’s Charity Classic in Jackson.In a LPGA Leg-ends event,Steinhauer takes home $16,000 aftershooting a 4-under-par 68 and win-ning in a playoff against ChristaJohnson. During her stint on theLPGA Tour, Steinhauer won eighttournaments, including the 1992 duMaurier Classic and the 2006Women's British Open.

• Duo garners national seniorrecognition. In the January issue ofGolf Digest out this month,Michigan’s Mary Jane AndersonHiestand and Bill Zylstra are listed

as top ten honorable mentions in itssenior amateur women and menU.S. rankings. Zylstra toppedGolfweek’s senior amateur rankingsin 2013 while Hiestand also com-peted in the prestigious SeniorWomen’s Invitation Match in Dal-las, rubbing elbows with honorarystarter George W. Bush.

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LPGA returns to Michigan

Tom Doak, Streamsong designer

Sherri Steinhauer won the Wendy’s Charity Challenge in a playoff.

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Other than the weather thatnearly blew the season-opening Tournament of

Champions right off the island ofMaui — they didn’t start untilSunday –- 2013 was a very goodyear on the bigtime scene in golf.

The four men’s majors won byAdam Scott, Justin Rose, PhilMickelson and Jason Dufner were acollective best and Inbee Park wonthree of the women’s majors.

Scott and Rose were two of the“best without a major” players andthey erased that nagging assessment.Scott was the first Australian to winthe Masters, doing what his mentor,Greg Norman failed to do. TheShark got some buttons off the jack-et but he never got the entire greenjacket.

Rose’s U.S. Open victory at

almost criminally rugged Merioneased the memory of his year oldBritish Open collapse and the longyears when he couldn’t make a cut.Life has been good for the popularEnglishman who beat Mickelson ina key singles match at Medinah inthe 2012 Ryder Cup and now has amajor.

Mickelson, so snakebit in ourOpen and seemingly convinced hecould play a British Open linkscourse, took care of that. He tunedup with a Scottish Open victory atCastle Stuart and then, with fourbirdies in the last six holes plus astayin’ alive par putt on the 16th, hewon on perhaps the finest course onthe Open rota, Muirfield, whereover the years Nicklaus, Player,Watson, Trevino, Faldo and Els won.

Now that Mickelson has provedhe can win on a links, will he finally

prove he can win the U.S. Open?He’s been crushed six times startingin 1999 when Payne Stewart’s 18thhole lengthy par putt beat him by astroke. Fifteen years without thetitle he most wants. He will be 44on June 16, the day after Father’sDay, the day after the final round ofthe Open on the course where thedisappointments began, PinehurstNo. 2.

There are hundreds more ‘didn’twins’ in golf than wins but winningone you’d lost before has a way ofsweetening the lost one and it wasthat way with Jason Dufner in thePGA Championship at Oak Hill.Two years ago he out-bogeyedKeegan Bradley in the stretch andlost the PGA at Atlanta. This timeDufner knocked down pins, won bytwo and his buddy Bradley was nineshots back.


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The Year That Was a Good OneBy Jack Berry

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With Scott and Rose trashing the“best without a major” label, it nowgoes to Jason Day and HenrikStenson.

I first saw Day when he playedthe first two rounds of the 2011Masters with Rory McIlroy andRickie Fowler. That was the bigshow debut of three of the bestyoung players to come along togeth-er in more years than I can remem-ber. McIlroy’s fourth round disaster(80) is behind him thanks to twomajors but neither Day nor Fowlerhas scored. Fowler gets too manydouble bogeys but Day is solid, con-sistently contends in majors and isvery capable of winning a major.

Stenson had a blistering summer.The 37-year-old Swede was beatenback by Mickelson in the Scottishand British Opens, was second toTiger at Akron, third behind PGA

champion Dufner, won in Bostonand then nailed an $11.5 millionpayday at East Lake in Atlanta, win-ning the Tour Championship andFedex Cup. He can smell a major.

The best new face is JordanSpieth, the young Dallasite whoditched the University of Texas aftera year (unlike Tom Kite and BenCrenshaw). Spieth’s rookie year fea-tured a playoff victory after he holedout what the PGA Tour features asthe best of the season. Not expectingto go to Scotland, he hopped on thecharter from his John Deere Classicvictory to the British Open withouta full bag of clothes. He finished44th at Muirfield with an emer-gency package of clothes and woundup the season on the Presidents Cupteam and 10th on the money listwith $3,879,820. You could say heran like a deer. John Deere.

Eighty-two players won $1 mil-lion or more on the PGA Tourtopped by Tiger Woods’ $8,553,439thanks to five victories although hedidn’t win what he wants the most,a major, and at 38, which he reacheson December 30, time’s a wastin’.

How many million dollar win-ners on the LPGA side? Eight. TwoYanks, Stacy Lewis, $1,938,868, and18-year-old Lexi Thompson, whowon twice, $1,206,109.

Rory McIlroy stumbled with aswitch to new clubs, balls, clothingand agent and walked off a course indespair but by the end of the seasonhis game and attitude turned. So didSergio Garcia’s. A victory does thatand they each got one.

Michael Whan earns the FeelGood Commissioner award. TheLPGA boss scheduled 32 tourna-

Matt Fitzpatrick, U.S. Amateur Champion

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ments for 2014, jumping from 28.And thanks to sponsor Meijer, theLPGA will play at BlythefieldCountry Club in suburban GrandRapids, Aug. 7-10. It will be thefirst bigtime pro tournament theresince Arnold Palmer won theWestern Open in 1961. Sam Sneadwas runnerup. Go to it Blythefield!

Additionally, there will be achance for the Asian women whohave dominated the LPGA butaren’t eligible to play in the SolheimCup between Europe and theUnited States, to play for a worldtitle. The inaugural InternationalCrown with four player teams fromeight countries will tee off at CavesValley, Md. July 24-27.

The countries are Australia,Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Spain,Sweden, Thailand and the UnitedStates. Players will be based on theRolex ranking. The young Asianwomen who dominate both theAmericans and Europeans finallywill get a shot in team play.

Ironically Suzann Pettersen and17-year-old Charley Hull who ledEurope’s rout of America in theSolheim Cup aren’t eligible.

Pettersen is Norwegian and Hull isfrom England and their countriesdidn’t make the cut.

On the men’s side, PGA TourCommissioner Tim Finchem didn’twin any Commish of the Year votesin Europe. For a decade or betterwhile the U.S. stayed in the U.S. theEuropean Tour teed it up in theMiddle East and Asia, playing inDubai, Qatar, the UAE, Shanghai,Hong Kong, Malaysia, India,Australia, Morocco and recentlyTurkey.

So where is the PGA Tour going?Dipping, with a big spoon, into Asia,especially Korea, Japan and China.

The Tour didn’t fare as well withthe rulesmakers, however. TheUnited States Golf Association andthe Royal & Ancient of St. Andrewsstood firm with the ban on puttersthat touch the body that takes effectin 2016. So Adam Scott, Ernie Els,Tim Clark and other devotees havejust two more years to use the longsticks they tuck into their belly,chest or chin.

The American pros won the teamtournament they own – the Presidents

Cup for the eighth time – and youngAmericans won the Walker Cup,donated by George Walker Bush’sgrandfather. And the 43rd presidentwas there to witness it.

No Americans made it to thefinal of the U.S. Amateur, however.Two collegians made it, no surprise,but the winner was England’s MattFitzpatrick, a NorthwesternUniversity freshman. The Wildcats’new version of Luke Donald beatOliver Goss of Australia, a 6-foot-2University of Tennessee sophomore.The 5-foot-8 Fitzpatrick is an inchshorter than Donald who won theNCAA championship while he wasat Northwestern. Fitzpatrick alsohad a 3-1 record for the EuropeanWalker Cup team.

From the Maui winds the weath-er continued right through the yearwith fog, rain, drought and evensnow in the desert. Unlike the domesports, pro football and baseball,golf is an outdoor game and thepros bravely carried on in theirwaterproof suits and waterproofshoes and caddies carrying clubs,towels and holding umbrellas.

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President’s Cup Winning Team

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When you first meet MartyPredmesky, he appears tobe like most other colle-

giate senior golfers. He is focused onimproving his swing and minimizinghis mistakes on the putting green.He enjoys the camaraderie he haswith each of his teammates, as theytravel throughout Michigan andacross the Midwest, competing in

golf tournaments. And he is anx-iously awaiting his upcoming gradu-ation ceremony.

But, as you begin to learn aboutMarty’s background, you soon real-ize that he is actually anything but atypical college senior.

Currently 30-years-old, he has

been married to the love of his life,Aki, for six years. In fact, last fall,the couple celebrated the birth oftheir first child, a boy namedMartin. When he is not golfing,attending classes, or studying forexams, Marty can usually be foundat home, relishing his responsibili-ties as a husband and a father, orworking full-time at Mobile

Selflessness, Tenacity, andDedication: A Collegiate Senior

Golfer Unlike Any OtherBy Chris Lewis

Collegiate Spotlight

Marty Predmesky (left), Camp Fuji, 2005

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Medical Response, a medical trans-portation company, so that he cansupport his family.

Even his journey towards colle-giate golf was atypical. Accidentlydiscovered by the owner of MountPleasant Golf Center as he was hit-ting balls, his golf skills immediatelyattracted the attention of AlmaCollege’s former men’s golf coach,Ryan Duckworth, after Martyapproached him.

“I had a few friends and familymembers encourage me to ask if Iwas eligible to play collegiate golf,”Predmesky says. “I figured I would-n’t be able to play because of myage, but, when I spoke with CoachDuckworth, he said the NCAA hadjust made an adjustment to the rulesfor eligibility.”

At the time, Marty was 28-years-old, six years older than the team’soldest senior.

“He really just parachuted ontothe scene,” states Charles Goffnett,Alma’s current men’s golf coach. “Iam sure Coach Duckworth was sur-prised when he watched Marty hitballs for the first time.”

“I had always wanted to play col-legiate golf, but I thought mychances were long gone, so I waspretty excited to have a ‘secondchance,’ especially at my age,”Predmesky says.

The Few, the Proud

Like many collegiate golfers,Marty’s passion for the game was

instilled as a child. He grew upwatching his father, a PGA profes-sional, play golf, mimicking hisswing and learning various funda-mentals such as posture, grip pres-sure, and stance.

But on September 11, 2001, hislife changed forever. After witnessingthe terrorist attacks in New YorkCity, Washington, D.C., andPennsylvania, he decided to jointhousands of other Americans andenlist in the Marines, believing thesafety and future of his country wasfar more important than his desireto play collegiate golf.

For the next four years, he wasstationed at Japan’s Camp Fiji, locat-ed near Gotemba, as well asOkinawa. After he was deployed, hemoved to Georgia and pursued hispassion for golf once again, whileworking at the Atlanta AthleticClub. A couple years later, he trav-eled back to Japan with Aki, whomhe was dating at the time and hadmet while he was stationed at CampFiji. Soon after, the couple decidedto move to Michigan, where heaccepted a job offer at MobileMedical Response, serving Isabella,Gratiot, and Clare counties as anemergency medical technician.

As he became reacquainted withlife in the United States, he fullyembraced the life lessons he hadacquired in the Marines.

“The Marines increased my self-confidence and improved my workethic – in all aspects of my life,”says Predmesky. “I have learned tonot let others’ expectations become

my limitations.”

So, even when other peoplebelieved he was too old to play col-legiate golf, or too busy with workto attend classes on a full-time basisand earn a Bachelor of Sciencedegree in Integrative Physiology andHealth Science, he overlooked theskepticism, believing that no taskwas too challenging – and no goalwas impossible to achieve.

Although he was a walk-on forthe men’s team, Marty has enjoyed asuccessful collegiate golfing careersince the fall semester of 2011. Twoyears ago, he was honored as theMost Valuable Player of the MIAA,as well as a member of the GreatLakes All-Region Third Team andthe All-America Third Team, a rareachievement. Of equal importance,he has even been ranked amongstthe top ten golfers in the NCAA’sDivision III. And, as a sign of con-sistency, he was also named a FirstTeam All-MIAA member for threeconsecutive years.

“Marty is a quiet competitor whoholds himself to a high standard,”says Goffnett. “He really has noweaknesses and is one of the mostconsistent college golfers I have everseen in the MIAA.”

Despite Coach Goffnett’s viewregarding the present state ofMarty’s golf game, he is still notcontent, realizing that he can furtherimprove upon his short game andball striking skills.

“I focused on improving my put-ting the past few months, so that I

could develop a style I’m comfort-able with. For most of the year, Ihave had less than 30 putts perround, a general goal I have when Itee it up,” says Predmesky.

He continues, “This year I willtry to improve my ball striking byhitting a variety of shaped shots to atarget so that I can remain consis-tent throughout the spring season.”

This relentless work ethic hasalso had a dramatic impact onMarty’s teammates.

“It’s always a coach’s dream tohave your best player also be yourhardest worker,” Goffnett states.“Marty leads by example and is sogiving of his time to help his team-mates improve their games.”

For example, after practices,Marty often met with senior ChrisWilliamson, the team’s number two

golfer, to offer him advice, as heobserved his ball striking, putting,and chipping. With assistance fromMarty, Williamson lowered his sea-sonal stroke average last fall by sixshots, as he minimized his errors offthe tee and on the putting green.

“Along with being honored as anAll-American, my greatest achieve-ment at Alma was working withChris and watching him win his firstcollegiate event last fall, with thegreatest clutch finish I have ever wit-nessed.”

Enduring Challenges,Preparing for the Future

In late April, Marty will walkacross the podium and receive hisdiploma during Alma College’s128th annual Commencement cere-mony, which, aside from his mar-riage and the birth of his son, he

considers to be his greatest achieve-ment. After all, back in high school,he had the second lowest GPA of hisgraduating class.

But, by improving his work ethicand dedicating himself to his stud-ies, as well as a career he is truly pas-sionate about, he has improved hisresults in the classroom considerablythe last three years, all while balanc-ing five separate roles: golfer, hus-band, father, wage earner, and stu-dent.

“It hasn’t been easy playing golf,supporting a family, and going toschool full-time,” says Predmesky. “Ihonestly don’t believe I could havesucceeded at Alma without the les-sons and experiences I gained in theMarines.”

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Marty Predmesky

Photo right: Marty Predmesky (frontrow, left) and the Alma College men’sgolf team, Fall, 2013.

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Each of the challenges that Martyhas successfully overcome have beeninvaluable for him, his career, andhis future though.

“I believe the education I havereceived at Alma will benefit me forthe rest of my life. No one can evertake away the education that youacquire in college,” Predmeskystates.

After graduating, Marty will con-tinue to work at Mobile MedicalResponse, while also applying forother jobs within the healthcareindustry, particularly at medicaltechnology companies. He is alsointerested in returning to the mili-tary and serving as an officer.Whatever he decides to do, he willalways be focused on other people,first and foremost, striving to posi-

tively influence their lives, while alsoserving his community.

However, before he pursues hiscareer interests, he will compete asan Alma College Scot for one finalspring season. Even though he hasn’thad time to practice as often he’dlike in recent months, he is still con-fident about the upcoming season,as well as his future golf career.

“I haven’t had the opportunity toplay much since my son’s birth, butI’m still optimistic about playing asa father this year. And I’m lookingforward to playing as many amateurevents as I can,” says Predmesky.

He continues, “I see myself play-ing competitively for as long as Ican. I probably won’t be running tothe PGA TOUR’s Q-School on my

budget, but I always joke that, if Iwon the lottery, I would buy an RVrather than a mansion, so that Icould travel and play.”

“No matter what happens thisspring, Marty will be remembered asthe best male golfer in Alma’s histo-ry,” says Goffnett. “I have learned somuch from him and his work ethic,as well as his dedication to improve-ment, and selflessness. I just hope heplays competitively at some levelafter his graduation, because Ibelieve he will continue to succeed.”

For further information aboutAlma College’s Men’s Golf program,please visit http://goalmascots.com/sports/mgolf/.

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Cadillac Golf: Eldorado Golf Course

By Peter and Linda Allen

Eldorado Golf Club’s storied 9th and 18th greens by the clubhouse

The Michigan Golfer found aunique course in Cadillac,appropriately named Eldorado

Golf Course after the two vintageCadillac Eldorado cars parked in theclubhouse entrance. Inside you willfind the beautiful Cadillac Grill –good food, good choices of beer and agreat view of the golf course.Downstairs is the well stocked proshop managed by Director of Sales,Denise Dow.

The first tee introduces the playerto five tee boxes and an immediategreat vista. The course itself ismarked by wide bent grass fairways,large greens and many wetlands. Itwas in great shape and the bent grassgreens were fast (even in the rain).The fairways are well framed withtrees but the ball can still be foundand is usually playable.

As a senior golfer I soon learnedto value Jack Nicklaus’ motto,“MOVE UP”. The five tee boxesprovide a place from where anyonecan play. There are many waterand wetland carries, so “moving up”made our rounds more enjoyableand reduced our lost ball count. Thecourse motto is “firm fairways andfast greens” and we found that to beaccurate and enjoyable. We alwaysenjoy large greens. They have con-siderably sized undulations but thegreens are readable.

There are many special aspects tothe course. One tee is elevated andbacked up by a stone wall. Holesnine and eighteen share a hugegreen but it is so large you don’tneed to worry a shot from thewrong fairway interfering with play.The eighteenth hole has a 160 yard

water carry to the green. This ischallenging for anyone who can’t flythe ball that distance.

The owner and designer is BobMeyer who opened the course in1996. It is evident that a great dealof study went into its development.A young local man, GregWinkelmann, is the Director of Golfand truly seems to be enjoying hiswork. The course is easily accessibleas it is situated at the southwest cor-ner of US 131 and M 115.

Add Eldorado to next year’smust-go-to list and get ready for agreat golf adventure. The scenery isgreat, the course is as challenging asyou want it to be and the amenitiesare all there. ENJOY!

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By Mike Duff

For thoseof youwho

have neverplayed thecourses atMcGuiresResort inCadillac orspent a nightin the resort’ssuperbaccommoda-

tions, then you’re missing out on aspecial experience. First of all, it is selfcontained: you need go nowhere elsein the area to get good golf, good foodand exceptional service.

Cadillac is noted as a venue ofseasonal sport activities. A promo-tional flyer states that there’s no “offseason” in Cadillac. Snowmobiling,skiing and golf would be at the topof the list. For many years Caberfaeski area has been the mid-state skidestination in Michigan.

What else could compete withthis fantastic winter Mecca? GOLF.The third piece to this destinationarea is golf. From April throughOctober golf is the sport. There iscertainly a market for getting thebest of all three. The golfing here isfantastic. Start with the Eldoradogolf course off of 131, one of thestate’s golf gems– a spectacular track!But don’t forget the Rose, anotheroutstanding course.

Are you looking for a destination

which offers excellent golf, lodgingand restaurants that appeal to allappetites? Then consider McGuires.And, if you are looking for a great19th hole then check out Curly’s fora little libation and a good burger orspecial sandwich.

The history of McGuiresdates back to the late 1940’swith founders Curly andVelma McGuire. Since thenthe resort has been passeddown to their son Jim andnext to his son Michael whorecently sold the businessto a golf managementcompany.

However, McGuires stillmaintains the integrity thatit has had for nearly 65 yearsunder the McGuire familyownership.

So the golf enthusiastshould pay attention. This isa Bruce Matthews design–no lightweight in course archi-tects by any means. Matthewstook advantage of the natural terrainand one of the highest elevations inthe area to design a course that isplayable and visually impressive.

Spruce trees complement the nat-ural surroundings. The resort offers27 holes. The 18 hole championshipSpruce course sits on rolling hillsidesoverlooking Lake Cadillac. It is acourse that is challenging yet forgiv-ing for the average golfer. In other

words, it doesn’t beat you up. Butdon’t forget to bring your A game.

The Norway course plays between2,792-2,358 yards. This is a muchshorter course but offers an option,perhaps for concluding your golf trip

before you head home. Golf packagesare reasonable and worth looking into.If you want a great golf experience anda resort that can meet all your comfortneeds, this is it?

Contact McGuires athttp://McGuiresResort.com,[email protected] or call800-622-7302.

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McGuire’s: A Resort for All Seasons

McGuire’s Spruce Golf Course

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Pacific Northwest Redeux –Circling Raven

Circling Raven Hole Number 8

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Pacific Northwest Redeux –Circling Raven

By Tom Lang

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In a Pacific Northwest review weran in MG late last year, we pro-vided photos of the gorgeous

golf courses reviewed in the state ofWashington, but errored by notincluding photos from neighboringIdaho. So for those readers whomissed out on part of the awesomenatural beauty our country’s top leftcorner provides, here are two exam-ples from Idaho’s Circling Ravencourse, holes No. 1 and No. 8.

The unique Idaho “panhandle”region is found east of the Cascadesand nestled into the foothills justwest of the massive Rocky Mountainrange. According to locals, after agood springtime soaking, the area

on average receives only about oneinch of rainfall during the entiresummer and into the early fall.

Golfers can additionally experi-ence unique Pacific NW foodchoices, deep fresh-water lakes,rolling plains covered by wavingwheat fields set against mountain-ous backdrops – all enjoyed in tem-peratures similar to northernMichigan summers.

The Circling Raven course hasbeen a consistent top-15 rankedcasino-owned course onGolfWeek’s national list, and issteadily voted in the top 3 coursesoverall in Idaho. It’s common to

see moose or elk tracking the prop-erty, which is a gorgeous mix ofrolling plains, wetlands and sometree-lined holes on the predomi-nantly open-range design. No twoholes are alike and the overalldesign features a good variety ofelevation changes, long and shortpar fours and varying par 3s.

If you close your eyes it would beeasy to imagine an old west cattledrive or caravan of horse-drawn cov-ered wagons strolling across thegolden plains. But open wide whenyou strike the first tee shot andenjoy the views the rest of the way.

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Circling Raven Hole Number 8

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Elevenof the24 par-

ticipants inthe 2013PresidentsCup enteredas “newblood” in thetenth editionof the inter-national

competition. The InternationalTeam Captain, Nick Price, also wasmaking his rookie coaching debut(much to the chagrin of 2011Captain Greg Norman who wanted

to serve for the third consecutivetime). For US Team Captain FreddieCouples, he lead the American teamfor the third time.

Ages of the Presidents Cup rook-ies ranged from the youngest, JordanSpeith at 20, to the oldest, JasonDufner at 36. Interestingly, the aver-age age of both teams’ rookies was29. Three of the four US rookies—Keegan Bradley, Brant Snedeker, andDufner—had competed in RyderCups, similar with a few exceptionsto the Presidents Cup. Only Speithwas a true US rookie to this event,although he had played in amateur

team competition in the WalkerCup. Of the seven rookies on theInternational Team—BrendonDeJonge, Graham Delaet, BrandenGrace, Marc Leishman, RichardSterne, Louis Oosthuizen andHideki Matsuyama—several hadcompeted in the two-man WorldCup but none had experience in thisformat. Clearly there was a signifi-cant gap between the experiences ofthe International rookies and theAmerican first-timers.

In an interview before the match-es began, International TeamCaptain Price openly acknowledged

2013 Presidents Cup NeededMore than a “Transfusion”

By Bill Shelton

Jordan Speith lets loose a drive at the Presidents Cup

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the urgency of improved results byhis players. In the previous 9 compe-titions, the US Team has dominatedwith a record of 7-1-1, often withthe Internationals experiencing asound trouncing. A huge responsi-bility was riding on Price’s shouldersand his “veterans” Ernie Els, AngelCaberra, and Adam Scott to providestability to the team. CharlSchwartzel, playing in his secondPresidents Cup however suggestedthe seven International rookies maybe an advantage. “You know, theguys they don’t have really bad feel-ings. They haven’t been on the los-ing side. For them it’s all fresh andnew. You know, maybe a little bitmore hungry.”

Though not predicting a win bythe International was imperative forthe future of this competition, Pricedid say “I wouldn’t say it’s a must-win.But this one needs to be competitive.I think more important than anythingelse, this Presidents Cup needs to be

very competitive.” Midway throughthe first day’s Four-ball matches, theUS Team led in all six matches, a farcry from Captain Price’s admonitionto his players to get off to a fast start.Following one of many rain delays,the International team did rally toclose the gap to 3 ½ to 2 ½ US lead.The International team fared even bet-ter in the Day 2’s Foursome matcheswith a 3-3 tie before the US team ral-lied to a 4-1 victory in the SaturdayFour-ball matches and 3 ½ to 1 ½ inFoursomes. The finest hour for theInternationals came in the SundaySingles matches, winning 7 ½ to 4 ½ ,to end the 10th Presidents Cup with aUS victory 18 ½ to 15 ½. Closer thanin the previous Cups but the outcomewas pretty much decided before theSunday singles.

Is there a solution to the continu-ing imbalance between the twosquads? Clearly recent outcomes ofthe Ryder Cup and Solheim Cupindicate that the US does not have a

lock on international compe-tition. So, what could be theexplanation for the dominanceof the US team in thePresidents Cup? Perhaps con-sideration should be given tothe fact that this is a veryyoung competition with onlyten meetings. More balancemay come with maturity. Themost frequently cited explana-tion is that the format—fourdays and 34 points—makes itmore difficult for the interna-tional squads to be competi-tive. While it is confusing whythe format would favor oneteam over the other, the com-mon solution suggested is toadopt the three-day format ofthe Ryder Cup. The Sundaysingle matches would clearly

be more of an impact on the outcoming. Davis Love noted that thecurrent format often has the win-ning team decided by Saturdayevening. Captain Price and competi-tor Adam Scott again called for for-mat changes following the 2013competition. Ernie Els has advocat-ed a shortened format for severalyears.

Another explanation for the com-petitive imbalance is that the lan-guage and cultural differences makeit difficult to create cohesion withinthe International squad. There is nota shared sense of pride that is evi-dent in the European Ryder andSolheim teams. This “identity crisis”rationale seems to gain credence bythe scores of the singles matcheswhere individual performancereplaces team participation.

Even though the Presidents Cupis hemorrhaging, attendance and tel-evision audiences continue to be at

From left: Phil Mickelson, Keegan Bradley, Charl Schwartzel, and Louie Oosthuizen

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acceptable levels. If that changes, thePC will be in real jeopardy in itscurrent format. Would adopting theRyder Cup format solve the prob-lem? Probably not. Would makingthe Presidents Cup squads coed offeran intriguing option? Initially itcould cause a renewed interestbecause of the intrigue (and current-ly the international women profes-sionals are ahead of the US pros) ofthe format. Would creating moreinternational divisions (Asian, SouthAfrican, etc) increase the level ofcompetition? Would not allowing

US players who had participated inthe most recent Ryder Cup play inthe following Presidents Cup createmore balance?

But, perhaps the best option isprobably to discontinue thePresidents Cup since the Olympicswill now include golf. While thegames occur only ever four years, itwill be a very acceptable substitutefor the biennial Presidents Cup anda much better arena for representingnational pride. Although theOlympic competition will be limited

to 60 players for the men and 60players for the women, and theselection process using world rank-ings needs tweaking, national pride(especially for nations other than theUS) could well be demonstrated atthe highest level witnessed in mod-ern golf.

A “transfusion” at the 2013 Cupbrought temporary relief but majorsurgery is needed if the patient is tosurvive.

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Just once I wish someone wouldcome up to me at a cocktailparty and ask, “Hey, what’s it

like being a GAM (Golf Associationof Michigan) tournament volun-teer?” The query would make mesmile and then prompt me to reply,“Gee, thanks for asking. Let’s grabanother drink and sit down for achat.” Comfortably seated, I wouldthen share a few insights and experi-ences while being ever watchful forthat tell-tale vacant stare. Here’ssome of what I’d say.

About being a starter: It’s actu-ally my favorite role although on thesurface it doesn’t appear too compli-cated. But it has its nuances.Essentially, a starter makes surecompetitors at either the first or

10th tee are fully informed aboutthe day ahead and gets them teed offon time. As someone who has com-peted in formal golf events since Iwas ten years old, I try to be extrafriendly and relaxed with players soto lessen their inevitable first tee jit-ters. And yes, I’ve seen some shakyhands teeing up that maiden, ever-hopeful shot. But before that pivotalmoment, players are asked to intro-duce themselves, look over the holelocation and local rules sheets, andlisten politely to a few reminders.

To its credit, the GAM and otherstate organizations have done a com-mendable job in speeding up tour-nament play by installing a Pace ofPlay policy. Basically, it makes theplayer responsible for maintaining a

proper pace of play—which is set at15 minutes per hole. With atomicclocks located at the 5th, 9th, 14thand 18th greens, players are asked tomonitor their pace and at minimumkeep up with the group in front ofthem. I remind players that a hole isconsidered completed when the flag-stick is returned to the hole. So, if aflagstick is replaced in 15 minutesand 45 seconds, then the group is atrisk of incurring a penalty althoughthere are contingencies.

At this point in our little discus-sion, I offer up a tried and truespeed of play tip that’s been usefulsince I was a high school golf coachobserving and scoring matches.(Those matches can be longer than aRussian novel!) Anyway, I suggestwhen they’re on the green to followthis mantra: “First one in (the hole)grabs the pin.” It saves valuable timefrom players looking for and pickingup the pin, especially since the 15minutes clock is ticking.

Most competitors seem to likethe time-saving gambit and see itsvalue. However, one time after I toldthe group about the flagstick tip, aplayer chirped up, “Well, since weall have caddies, it shouldn’t be anissue.” Sheepishly, I hurried on toexchanging scorecards and askingthem to display and identify theirgolf balls. And thinking to myself:please don’t identify me as a dolt.

Slice of Life

By Terry Moore

Volunteerism in Golf

Terry Moore on the job

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One of a starter’s dreadedmoments is when a player doesn’tshow up for his designated tee-time.It can make for a hairy situationespecially if the absent player neverinformed tournament officialsbeforehand. Obviously, stuff andemergencies happen and sometimesa no-show can’t be avoided. But forthose players who simply “blow itoff ” and rudely not inform officialsand their playing partners of theirabsence, I say the medieval tortureof being drawn and quartered (seeBraveheart) does have its merits.Meanwhile, it helps to have a cooland seasoned tournament official—say the GAM’s Ken Hartmann—toteach a perplexed starter to merelyreshuffle a few groups and to keepthe proceedings on schedule.

About being a spotter on atrouble hole: Although not associally engaging or dignified as astarter, I’ve enjoyed the often soli-tary posting of a spotter. With awalkie-talkie radio and earpiece,binoculars, stopwatch (to time lostballs searches), and safely seatedinside or standing next to one’s cart,I’ve quietly observed and studied theaction, without firing a single shot.Think of a pacifist sniper or a bird-watcher. The most gratifyingencounters occur when a spotterlocates a wild and errant drive, sav-ing a player from a stroke and dis-tance penalty. The happy, relievedlook on a player’s face when youfind his or her ball after a franticsearch is something to behold. I’veseen the same beatific face on moth-ers looking at their newborns.

One time I was spotting at thedifficult 18th hole at DiamondSprings GC during a Junior StateAmateur qualifier. I was perched

high on a mound in the gnarlyrough with a terrific vantage pointto watch wayward shots. Well, onejunior player pulled his drive infront of me but I quickly found itand waited for him as he walked upthe hole, his final one of the tourna-ment. Nearing me and realizing thatI had found his ball, he quickly said,“Thank you, sir.” From a terriblelie, he hit his next shot no morethan 30 yards ahead and again inthick rough. It took me several min-utes but I found that ball as well.“Thanks again, sir!” he exclaimed.

Faced with another tough lie, hechoked down on a wedge and blast-ed down at the ball. It came out hotand low, dodging a water hazard butdisappearing in deep thicket justshort of the green. Yep, anothersearch immediately ensued.Fortunately for the young lad, thethree-strikes law for habitual offend-ers was not invoked. Instead, after afew anxious minutes I again foundhis never-say-die “Titleist #1 withtwo black dots”—you see, I was on afirst-name basis with it.

Echoing a limping Tiny Tim in AChristmas Carol, he whispered,“Thank you, kind sir.” If it werepossible, I would have adopted thewell-mannered lad on the spot.

As it turned out, the player man-aged to get his fourth shot onto thegreen where he safely two-putted fora six, finishing with a final score thatqualified by a single shot. Althoughthe intrepid competitor and I neverspoke afterwards at the scoreboard,I’m certain he was most thankfuland eternally appreciative about hav-ing a volunteer spotter on that fate-ful final 18th hole.

And me? I just felt relieved hedidn’t ask me to find his car or bikein the parking lot.

Editor Emeritus of Michigan Golfer,Terry Moore also volunteers as a

Governor for the Golf Association ofMichigan, founded in 1919 to serve

amateur golfers in the state.

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Volunteers help out at the match.

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