Michigan Golfer, Spring 2009

2 The Life and Times of Rick SmithBy Jack Berry

8 Inside the Golf ChannelBy Chris Lewis

12 Golf Channel’s Amateur Tour in MichiganBy Chris Lewis

17 Gaming and Golf–– What a Difference aDecade MakesBy Art McCafferty

20 “The Rock”, Gem of the North, CelebratesIt’s 20th BirthdayBy Mike Duff

23 At Grand Traverse Resort, Being “In theDog House” is a Good ThingBy Susan Bairley

25 Crystal Mountain–– A Year-RoundPleasureBy Susan Bairley

27 Slice of Life: Golfing SonBy Terry Moore

MICHIGAN GOLFER

Publisher/EditorArt McCafferty

[email protected]

Editor EmeritusTerry Moore

AssociatePublisher/ProducerJennie McCafferty

WritersJeff BairleySusan BairleyL’anse BannonMike BeckmanJack Berry

Jason DeeganTom DoakMike Duff

Rob FranciosiThad GutowskiMarty Henwood

Kelly HillGreg JohnsonVartan KupelianBrian Manning

Jim NeffNorm Sinclair

Michael Patrick ShielsRon WhittenGary Holaway

Janina Parrott Jacobs

Chris LewisHerschel NathanialBernice PhillipsDave RuthenbergScott SullivanMarc Van SoestJohn Wukovits

Photo/VideoMike BrownKevin FrischDave RichardsCarter SherlineClarence SorminJoe Yunkman

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In This IssueV O L U M E 27 • S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 • N U M B E R 1

Cover: Rick Smith photo courtesy of Treetops Resort

2 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R MA G A Z I N E

3M I C H I G A N G O L F E R MA G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

Rocco Mediate, Lee Janzen and Billy Andrade are but a few of the PGA professionals that have been taught byRick Smith.

Rick Smith was sitting down. It was a raremoment for the principal partner of TreetopsResort who is in more motion than the

Energizer Bunny.

The Life and Timesof Rick Smith

By Jack Berry

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Smith had just finished a morning clinic forclients of a major corporation and he was sitting on abench outside the players’ locker room at theAugusta National Golf Club, talking about golf ingeneral and Treetops in particular.It was a cool shady spot on a warm blue sky after-

noon, looking out at the valley where the MastersTournament was in full bloom as thousands of fanslined the fairways and surrounded the second andseventh greens, a scene that would exhaust everycolor on an artist’s palette.It looked as though all was right with the world of

golf and, several days earlier Augusta NationalChairman Billy Payne said the club had “not yetbeen affected” by the global economic downturn.But, like its tournament, the Masters and the club arenot like any other.

Golf is struggling everywhere and Smith’sTreetops is no different in a “Show me themoney” world.

He has golf academies at Tiburon Golf Club inNaples, Fla., and Treetops in Gaylord, and is rankedamong the top instructors in the game by the twomajor magazines, Golf Digest and GOLF Magazine.His PGA Tour clients have included U.S. Openchampions Lee Janzen and Phil Mickleson, RoccoMediate, Billy Andrade and many others. His appealand enthusiasm were underlined at the WestMichigan Golf Show in February where he drewrecord crowds to the DeVos Center in downtownGrand Rapids.Smith enjoyed it so much that he stayed on the

stage far longer than his scheduled time with RickSmith Academy Senior Instructor, Jason Guss, aFerris State alumnus.“I was pumped,” said Smith who likes nothing

better than fixing broken or, shall we say, inade-quate swings. If only golf business could be fixedwith a few lessons. He said corporate clinics havebeen reduced. Meetings at golf resorts and tophotels, like the Ritz-Carlton and its connection toTiburon, his winter headquarters, have been cutback.

Smith has designed a half dozen courses includ-ing Arcadia Bluffs, ranked the best publiccourse in Michigan; Turning Stone, a PGA

Tour stop in New York, the R&S Sharf course at

Oakland University and three courses at Treetops –Rick Smith Signature, Tradition and the uniqueThreetops course used on nine Par 3 Challenges onESPN. They featured golf’s top players, Lee Trevino,Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Fred Couples,Mickleson and more.

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S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R MA G A Z I N E4

Hole Number 6 of the Robert Trent Jones Masterpiece

“ESPN wants to do it again butwe need a sponsor,” Smith said.Smith also started the Big Break

TV series and hosted the first twoshows.

And, just as those have dried

up for Treetops, so has golf coursedesign and every top designer,Tom Fazio, Robert Trent Jones Jr.and Jim Engh, agree on that. Smithsaid he and Mickleson are lookingoverseas for design projects.

But as much as Smith enjoys allof the many facets of his career, themajor part of his job now is keepingTreetops and its four 18-hole coursesand 9-hole Threetops viable in thestruggling economy and the lack of

M I C H I G A N G O L F E R MA G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 5

money is the major factor.“I never knew banks wouldn’t

lend, even to strong partners. Ithink the rules have changed forev-er. I don’t think banks will ever beas lenient as they were and I thinkevery classroom for kids 17 andunder should be studying this,”Smith said.

Astrong season would lifteveryone and the crowds atthe golf shows in Grand

Rapids and Novi showed the inter-est is there but will it translate intorounds and overnight stays?“We were down 10% last year

and, all things considered, thatwasn’t bad, with the economy andthe high gasoline prices,” Smithsaid. “But we’ve got to get peopleplaying golf. We’ve got to getMichigan people to stay and playin the state and we’ve got to drawfrom outside the state,” Smith said.That is the common theme of

virtually every golf operator in thestate. However, as manufacturingjobs disappeared, gone South oroverseas, Michigan’s populationhas declined and presumably someof those who left played golf.“I have very strong partners and

they’ve supported me the six yearsI’ve been in here,” said Smith, anative Michigander whose fatherwas a Stroh’s beer salesman. Smithwas working in Texas as an assis-tant professional when he washired by Sylvan Resort ownerHarry Melling of Jackson. Mellingbought Sylvan, a small ski resorton the east side of Gaylord that heand his family liked.Then he hired Robert Trent

Jones to design a golf course (andgive it the name Treetops) andSmith, hearing about the opportu-nity, telephoned Melling so often

that Melling laughed “I hired himjust to get him off the phone.”That was in 1986, the course

opened in 1987 and Smith hasbeen there ever since.“My intention is not to stay in

the status quo. We need to putmore money into everything to getit to the level of the golf,” Smithsaid. “You can go all over thecountry, Bandon (Oregon) haswater (Pacific Ocean) andPinehurst has history and traditionbut four months of the year, there’sno better place to play golf thanMichigan.”There is, though, the money

issue. Banks aren’t lending andSmith needs more investors. Hesaid he’s had conversations withBoyne, the Big Daddy of Michiganresorts, about a relationship butBoyne’s head, Stephen Kircher,said “It hasn’t gone anywhere sub-stantive. We’re not interested inbuying it.”

Smith would like to take advan-tage of 200 acres Treetopsowns north of the resort.

Contestants in the first Big Breakwere housed in cabins there. Smithsaid the Sturgeon River is a blue rib-bon trout stream and he’d like to seebird hunting on the property. Butthere isn’t money for it.He does have ideas for things

that are possible without moneyand might get more people playinggolf.“You can’t take so long to

play,” Smith said of five and sixhour drags. “There’s too muchwater in many designs and thatslows play. We need to play likeeveryone does in Europe, alternateshot, match play, not stroke play.When we built the par 3,(Threetops) we built it for the right

reason. People really have a goodtime playing it and it doesn’t takeall day.“People should have fun. They

aren’t tournament players or pro-fessionals. People are obsessedwith score. Get over stroke play.Play match play. You’re out of ahole, pick up and move to the nextone.“I don’t care if people use tees

in the fairway. So what? Have fun.I have nothing against the USGA(United States Golf Associationwhich sets the rules) but countingevery stroke and shooting 135 isn’tfun. Our culture doesn’t like that.Someone who is successful at busi-ness doesn’t want to shoot in the90s or over 100.“Why play 18 holes? Play six or

nine. Charge more to play from theback tee. Few people belong backthere. Move up.”It was suggested to Smith that

he reverse the tee colors atTreetops as some courses havedone – make the red tee the backtee and the forward tee the blacktee. Take away the onus of playing“the ladies tee.”Because of young players like

Camilo Villegas and Anthony Kimand now curly-haired 19-year-oldIrishman Rory McIlroy, who hasbeen introduced to the Americanpublic by his television appear-ances, Smith said “Kids now feelgolf is cool. I’d love to see a fami-ly rate.“We’ve got to be creative to get

people playing and cut down thetime it takes. Give the first sixgroups an incentive. If they play inless than four hours, give themback $10.”It appears that creating fast play

and fun golf will be a lot easier thancreating money to pay debt. MG


Since January 17, 1995, theGolf Channel has been cabletelevision’s home for golf, 24

hours a day, seven days a week.From its humble beginnings inBirmingham, Alabama to its pres-ent-day success with its availabilityto over 100 million householdsaround the world, the GolfChannel has continually enter-tained golf fans through its cover-age of European, LPGA,Nationwide, and PGA TOUR tour-naments, as well as its variety ofinstruction shows ranging from thecurrent-day The Haney Project toThe Golf Fix with PGA profession-al Michael Breed. Through itschoice of well-respected on-air tal-ent such as Vince Cellini, formerlyof CNN, and Ian Page, formerly ofESPN, the Golf Channel hasbecome one of the most well-known sports networks during thepast decade.

As an avid golfer with a passionfor writing and on-air reporting,the Golf Channel also seemed tobe an ideal company for me towork for. Ever since I was in mid-dle school, I always had four lifegoals in mind – to eventually workfor ESPN, PGA TOUR, GolfDigest, and the Golf Channel itself.After some consideration, I decid-ed to apply for a marketing andpromotions internship at the worldheadquarters and television studiosat the Golf Channel in January2008. I had my first interview withthe Promotions Manager twomonths later and then….waited

another two months before I heardback from the Golf Channel tolearn that I was chosen out of hun-dreds of students for the opportuni-ty of a lifetime – to work for onecompany that I loved more thanany other, the Golf Channel.

After learning I was acceptedfor the internship during mid-Mayof last year, I was able to findhousing in Kissimmee and thenprepare for the long drive toOrlando from Detroit. Within aweek of my acceptance for theinternship, I was on I-75, drivingtowards my dream, completelyunsure of what awaited me.Looking back, the entire experi-ence was a rather courageous one,to say the least. First off, I did notknow anyone in the state ofFlorida, besides my half-brotherwho lived a full two-and-a-halfhours from Orlando in West Palm

Beach. Secondly, I had not livedcompletely on my own for thatlong of a period of time in myentire life. However, I was nevernervous during the entire time Iwas in Florida. In fact, I honestlyhad the time of my life.

During the first two weeks Iwas at the Golf Channel I was justtrying to become comfortable with-in the organization as I continuallymet new people each day.Eventually, as time wore on, Igained the trust and respect of GolfChannel employees, as I wasassigned various projects, includ-ing Power points and Excel docu-ments. By the beginning of thethird week of my internship, Ibegan to do what I love most –write, as I was assigned theresponsibility of creating pressreleases featuring informationabout the various professional tour-

Inside the Golf ChannelBy: Chris Lewis

Chris Lewis

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naments that Golf Channel wascovering for the week, rangingfrom the European Tour to thePGA TOUR. What I loved mostabout writing those press releaseswas that I was able to actuallywrite about topics I was complete-ly passionate about, while alsohaving the responsibility to createdocuments that would be mailed tohundreds of sports journalistsaround the country. However, Iwas only just beginning to live outmy dream.

Perhaps the best reason to internwith the Golf Channel during thesummertime is because golf is inprime season at that time. FromJune through August, three ofgolf’s professional men’s majortournaments are played. In otherwords, from the beginning of Juneto the end of August, the GolfChannel is bustling with activity. Iwas able to witness this firsthand,as I was assigned to write a time-

line for the Open Championship inJuly after I met the editorial man-ager of GolfChannel.com. When Iwas asked to complete this article,I could not believe what I washearing. I, Chris Lewis, a student

at Hope College in the small-townof Holland, Michigan, was goingto have an article published onGolfChannel.com! Even now, I canstill remember how wonderful Ifelt when I saw my first article onGolf Channel’s website. As is thecase in many professions, oneassignment led to another, whichled to yet another. Before I knewit, I had written ten articles forGolfChannel.com in about threeweeks. I can only thank theProfessional Golfers Associationfor this since last year’s PGAChampionship was played at theworld-renowned Oakland HillsCountry Club in BloomfieldTownship, Michigan.

After I wrote the OpenChampionship timeline, Iremember reminding Golf

Channel’s New Media team that Iwas a Metro Detroit native and thatI knew a lot about Oakland HillsCountry Club and the surrounding

area. Once I told the New Mediateam this, it seemed that the proj-ects never stopped coming. First, Iwrote an opinion article in which Idescribed what I felt were the topfive best public courses in

Michigan. Secondly, I wrote anarticle featuring information aboutOakland Hills Country Club’s‘Fearsome Fivesome’, which iscomprised of holes 14 through 18.My knowledge of Michigan onlyled to more writing opportunities,as I was able to write an articlewhich featured information aboutsome of Detroit’s suburbs, includ-ing the best places to eat and to beentertained. Finally, I also wrote anarticle about the history of OaklandHills, as well as a timeline of note-worthy PGA Championships. All inall, I had around six articles pub-lished on GolfChannel.com at once.It seemed that the whole websitecontained only my articles for theweek of the PGA Championship -not bad for a college kid just tryingto find his way in life.

While it may be hard to believe,my time at the Golf Channel, aswell as my summer as a whole,only further improved. During the

last couple weeks of my internshipI was invited to attend the filmingof various shows, ranging from thenetwork’s famous Golf Central andGrey Goose 19th Hole to TheApproach with Callaway Golf and

By the beginning of the third weekof my internship, I began to dowhat I love most – write . . .


Live From the PGAChampionship. While watching theproduction of these shows, I metseveral Golf Channel employees,ranging from producers and cam-eramen to on-air personalities suchas Kraig Kann, Ian Page, PGATOUR winners Frank Nobilo andBrandel Chamblee, and VinceCellini. Along with the honor ofwatching the production of severalof my favorite Golf Channel showsand the publishing of my articlesof GolfChannel.com, I was alsoable to attend the PGAChampionship for the entire weekwithout paying a cent.

Since the PromotionsManager knew I wasborn and raised inMichigan, she was ableto provide a week-longpress pass for me to useat the tournament. Afterthe completion of mysummer-long internship,just days before the startof the 90th PGAChampionship, I droveall the way back up toMichigan in time for thefirst practice round of theweek. Perhaps the great-est experience of theentire week, besideswatching plenty of freegolf at one of the world’sgreatest golf courses, wasmy availability to attendthe press tent, which fea-tured numerous journal-ists from around theworld. During PGAChampionship week, Iwas able to network withmedia members from allsorts of organizations,ranging from ESPN to

the PGA TOUR. To this day, I stillremain in touch with some of thejournalists that I met last August, asI would love to pursue my dreamsof eventually working for ESPNand the PGA TOUR one day.

Overall, my experience with theGolf Channel was overwhelminglypositive. I was able to live complete-ly on my own in one of the largestand busiest cities in the countrywhile working for one of the mostwell-respected sports networks in theworld. When my articles were pub-lished on a world-renowned website,I was able to achieve goals beyondmy wildest expectations. Even

though I believe in my heart that Iwill one day work for another largegolf organization in the future, Iknow that no matter what happens inthe future I will always have that onespecial summer when I truly livedout my dream. I am especially grate-ful for that. Now, seven months afterthe end of my internship, I am striv-ing forward with the followingthoughts in mind for the future that Ibelieve everyone should live by –live out your dreams and alwaysbelieve in yourself. Never, ever giveup on yourself and never stop believ-ing in your abilities because younever know what opportunity youmay encounter in the future. MG


While you may not be ableto hit a drive as long asJohn Daly or stiff a flop

shot like Phil Mickelson, you canstill compete in the game of golf,thanks to Golf Channel’s AmateurTour, which provides amateurswith access to some of the nation’sfinest courses, including TPCSawgrass and PGA West. As amember of the nation’s largestamateur tour, you will have otherbenefits aside from playing world-renowned golf courses. AmateurTour members are able to networkwith golfers from across the coun-try for the entire year for only$199. With twelve flights, includ-ing six senior flights, golfers canbe assured of competing againstpeople with similar skill levels.The Detroit Tour provides golfers

with access to various coursesranging from Warwick Hills Golfand Country Club in Grand Blanc,home of the PGA TOUR’s BuickOpen, to Devil’s Ridge GolfCourse in Oxford. Thirteen ofMichigan’s premier golf courseshave been chosen to host tourna-ments for the Detroit tour. The fol-lowing article describes each golfcourse and provides the date inwhich the course will host anAmateur Tour event.

Warwick Hills Golf andCountry ClubGrand Blanc, MichiganDate: April 20th

Since its opening in 1957,Warwick Hills Golf and Country

Club has been providing its mem-bers with a true test for decades.Originally designed by JamesGilmore Harrison, and remodeledby Joe Lee, known for layoutssuch as Cog Hill No. 4, in 1968,the course challenges golfers of alldistances, as it measures 7,127yards from the back tees. Since1978, Warwick Hills has consis-tently been home to the PGATOUR’s Buick Open, a tourna-ment full of past champions thatare among the greatest golfers ofall time, including Tiger Woods,Vijay Singh, Ben Crenshaw, andBilly Casper. Renowned for itscrowds at the 197 yard par-three17th, known by many as WarwickHills’ signature hole, the BuickOpen is one of the most excitingevents on the PGA TOUR.Warwick Hills is certainly an ideallocation for the start of the Detroittour.

Eagle Eye Golf CourseBath, MichiganDate: April 26th

Eagle Eye, a links-style coursedesigned by Chris Lutzke, in col-laboration with Pete Dye, wasrated as the fifth-best new coursein America by Golf Digest in2005. Known primarily for its sig-nature 17th hole, which is a replicaof TPC Sawgrass’s island green,Eagle Eye is measured at a full

Golf Channel’sAmateur Tour in Michigan

By Chris Lewis

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7,318 yards from the back tees inorder to provide a challenge forgolfers of all skill levels. Thecourse is an attraction in Michiganfor its fair prices, as the cost of 18holes with a cart ranges from $33to $89, depending on the day andseason. The course also offers a36-hole special - 18 holes at EagleEye and 18 holes at Hawk’sHollow, the course next to EagleEye.

Chemung HillsHowell, MichiganDate: May 3rd

Since 1921, Chemung Hills hasbeen providing a challenging golfexperience for its visitors. Whilethe course is rather short in today’sday and age of long drivers at only6,438 yards from the back tees,Chemung Hills requires precisionfrom tee to green. Chemung Hillsis also rather affordable as 18 holeswith a cart only cost $20 on week-days and $27 on weekends beforenoon. After noon, 18 holes with acart only cost $20 on weekends aswell during spring time. The golfclub is also well-known for its ban-quet center which accommodatesup to 300 guests.

Timber Ridge GolfCourseEast Lansing, MichiganDate: May 9th

Rated five stars by Golf Digest,Timber Ridge is a course you mustplay when you are in the Lansingarea. Designed by Jerry Matthews,also known for his design of cours-es such as the highly-respectedTimberStone in Iron Mountain,Timber Ridge is not overwhelm-

ingly long at only 6,585 yardsfrom the back tee. However,the course has been providingchallenges to golfers since itsopening in 1989 through itshilly terrain and small greens.Shot makers are rewarded onthis aesthetically-pleasing golfcourse.

Devil’s Ridge GolfCourseOxford, MichiganDate: May 17th

Since 1995, Devil’s Ridge GolfCourse has been one of the topdestinations for golf in southeastMichigan. The 6,754 yard layout isknown for its scenic terrain thatprovides golfers with an opportuni-ty to play a course that is reminis-cent of one located in NorthernMichigan, but is actually only min-utes from Metro Detroit. With fourdifferent sets of tees, Devil’s Ridgeaccommodates golfers of all skilllevels. Through its elevationchanges, narrow fairways, numer-ous bunkers, and wetlands, Devil’sRidge provides golfers with anadventure every time. Finally, itsawe-inspiring views attract golfersto return, time after time again.

Hawk HollowBath, MichiganDate: May 31st

Another masterpiece from JerryMatthews, Hawk Hollow has beenrated four-and-a-half stars out offive by Golf Digest. With its twen-ty seven holes of championshipgolf, it is easy to understand whythe course has earned so muchrespect from its visitors over thepast decade. Hawk Hollow is

known primarily for its immaculategreens and fair prices. With week-day rates of 27 holes with a cartfor $50 during the spring time,Hawk Hollow provides one of thebest values for Michigan golferswho are seeking quality while alsohoping to save money during thenation’s current recession. Visitorsof Hawk Hollow will surely leavethe course satisfied with the condi-tion and value of the course, aswell as the service of its profes-sional staff.

Dunham Hills GolfCourseHartland, MichiganDate: June 13th

Designed by August Kranites,Dunham Hills opened in 1967.

Since its opening, Dunham Hillshas been regarded as one of thebest public courses in the state andhas been well-respected for itscourse conditions, as well as itschallenging layout. Accurate driv-ing is a must for this narrow coursewhich measures 6,731 yards fromthe back tees. With a course ratingof 72.5 and a slope rating of 128,Dunham Hills will certainly chal-lenge golfers of all handicaps.Finally, the course’s fast, undulat-ing greens require short game mas-tery from all visitors.

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Pheasant Run Golf ClubCanton, MichiganDate: June 28th

Designed by Arthur Hills andopened to the public in 1995,Pheasant Run Golf Club’s pristineconditions have captured theattention of thousands of golfersduring the past decade. With itswide fairways, the course isplayable for all golfers; however,the course still features areas oftrouble to provide a challenginground of golf. This 27-hole layoutfeatures moderately sized greensthat are always well-manicured.Pheasant Run is yet another well-respected design of Arthur Hills,who is known primarily for hisdesign of the Country Club atMirasol in Palm Beach Gardens,Florida, as well as the 27-holeBay Harbor Golf Club inMichigan’s northern LowerPeninsular.

Salem Hills Golf ClubNorthville, MIDate: July 11th

Since its opening in 1963,Salem Hills Golf Club has con-sistently been ranked as one ofAmerica’s top public golf cours-es. In spring 2005, the DetroitFree Press ranked Salem Hills asthe number two best publiccourse in Metro Detroit. At 6,992yards from the back tees, SalemHills is one of the longest courseson the Detroit Tour. The courseis also fairly priced, with week-day rates of $40 for 18 holes witha cart. With a course rating of73.0 and a slope of 124, SalemHills is yet another challenginggolf course in southeasternMichigan.

The Links ofNoviNovi, MichiganDate: July 19th

Yet anotherdesign from JerryMatthews, TheLinks of Novioffers 27 well-maintained andchallenging holesat a fair price. Thecourse’s springrates include 18 holes with a cartfor only $25. The nine-hole EastCourse is known for its tight fair-ways that challenge even the bestshot makers, while the WestCourse has water that comes intoplay on eight of the nine holes.Finally, the South Course is shortand tight, but, unlike the WestCourse, it does not have waterhazards. Yet another gem inMetro Detroit, The Links of Noviwill challenge golfers to play pre-cisely.

The Glaciers Golf ClubWashington, MichiganDate: July 25th

Arthur Hills has created anothermasterpiece in the state ofMichigan with his design of the18-hole The Glaciers Golf Club.At 7,190 yards from the back tees,The Glaciers requires a combina-tion of length and accuracy formaximum success. Upgraded in2006, 13 years after its opening,The Glaciers received new fair-ways, moundings, and tee grass.Well-regarded for its five differentsets of tees, small greens, andnumerous bunkers, The Glaciers isanother shot maker’s course on theDetroit Amateur Tour circuit.

Coyote Preserve GolfClubFenton, MichiganDate: August 8th

An Arnold Palmer signaturecourse, Coyote Preserve Golf Cluboffers a Northern Michigan feelmuch like Devil’s Ridge GolfCourse; however, it is only a shortdrive from the suburbs of Detroit.At 6,912 yards from the back tees,Coyote Preserve will certainlychallenge golfers of all drivingabilities. Nevertheless, the course’sfive separate tee boxes offersgolfers of all skill levels a chanceto enjoy the course’s natural set-tings. With its close location toDetroit and five tee boxes, thecourse is sure to attract both begin-ning and advanced golfers foryears to come.

The Orchards Golf ClubWashington, MichiganDate: August 22nd

Designed by Robert Trent JonesJr., internationally known for hisnumerous popular course designs,The Orchards measures 7,036 yardsfrom the back tees and has a courserating of 74.5 and a slope of 136.

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The Orchards is well-regarded for its pristine condi-tions, numerous sand bunkers, and Victorian-styleclubhouse. The Orchards has been rated as the num-ber one public course in the state by The DetroitNews. Since its opening in 1993, The Orchards hascontinually pleased guests through its well-manicuredcourse conditions, as well as its challenging layout.

The Golf Channel’s Amateur Tour in Michiganprovides residents with an opportunity to playsome of the state’s finest courses against some ofthe state’s best amateur golfers. With its network-ing opportunities, cheap registration fee, and accessto numerous, top-tier golf courses, the GolfChannel’s Amateur Tour will not disappoint eventhe most-avid golfer. MG

Coyote Preserve

Golf Channel’sAmateur Tour

Flight Information((CCoouurrtteessyy ooff tthhee GGoollff CChhaannnneell))

Open FlightFLIGHT INDEXChampionship 0-3.9Palmer 4.0-7.9Hogan 8.0-11.9Sarazen 12.0-15.9Jones 16.0-19.9Snead 20.0 +

Senior Flight (50+)FLIGHT INDEXSenior Championship 0-3.9Senior Palmer 4.0-7.9Senior Hogan 8.0-11.9Senior Sarazen 12.0-15.9Senior Jones 16.0-19.9Senior Snead 20.0 +

Gaylord Country Club “The Video”

Coming May 2009

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Ten years ago the MG visited every Native Americancasino that had been built in Michigan, as well as

those in the planning stages. The article, “Gaming andGolf”, benchmarked that moment in time.

Gaming and Golf––What a Difference a Decade Makes

By Art McCafferty

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M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 17

At that time, there were only ahandful of casinos that had golf asone of their amenities, now thatnumber has increased. We inviteyou to revisit our original arti-cle (http://webgolfer.com/july99/index.html) if your curiosity ispiqued.

We start this journalistic jour-ney, where we left off last time, inthe Upper Peninsula.

Brimley

Jeff Parker, chairman of the BayMills Tribe, not only can lay claimto the first casino in the UnitedStates, but can also claim the firstgolf course built on an Indian

reservation. The course, designedby Mike Husby, opened in 1998and was an immediate success. Itsfame quickly spread when it hostedfour years of the Bay MillsCanadian Open

Past champions include JeffQuinney, Michael Harris, ChrisWisler and Rodney Butcher.While the tournament offeredgreat exposure for both the courseand the casinos, the cost was pro-hibitive and was shelved after thefourth year.

Harris

Chip In’s Island Casino andResort is the latest casino to builda golf course on property. Theyopened the Sweetgrass GolfCourse last year, a Paul Albanesedesign, and already it is receivingawards. Golfweek Magazine’s2009 Best Places to play rankedSweetgrass 20th in the state. Notonly do they have a new course,they have also expanded their casi-no and hotel facilities. Sweetgrasshas partnered with Greywalls andTimberstone to form a troika offine destination golf courses forthose that find themselves in theUpper Peninsula.

Wild Bluff

Bay Mills Open

http://baymillsopen.com/video05.html

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Watersmeet

The Lac Vieux Desert GolfCourse is a full 18 holes now withits new nine opening this year. Thecourse was designed by theWisconsin team of Mattingly-Keuhn. Golfers will find an attrac-tive casino with modern lodgingfacilities in their luxurious 132-room Dancing Eagles Hotel .

Lac Vieux Desert Band of LakeSuperior Chippewa have built aterrific complex for gamers andgolfers in this part of our state.

Lower Peninsula

At the time of our last story, theGrand Traverse Resort & Spa wasnot owned by the Grand TraverseBand of Ottawa and ChippewaIndians . The tribe now owns a num-ber high end properties in the GrandTraverse region. The Grand TraverseResort and The Bear designed byJack Nicklaus, has been a major golfdestination since it was built. TheBear joined the original Sprucecourse designed by Bill Newcomband was later joined by theWolverine designed by Gary Player.

The resort did quite well in the90’s, but tremendous competitionfrom other courses and a softeninggolf economy, forced the owners toput it up for sale. The tribe boughtit and made some substantialchanges in the resort and put addi-tional money into the courses.

The Michigan Open was held atthe resort for over two decades, butdecided for a variety of reasons, tomove the tournament in 2009 toOrchard Lake CC.

The first two years of theNative American Cup, held at theresort, had the early markings of atournament that had some poten-tial. However, the tournament didnot generate the type of revenueneeded to keep it going and it wascancelled.

Of late, the tribe has builtanother hotel near their casino andlike other facilities in the North isholding on for better economictimes.

As with our past observance, theglitter of the casinos that most see,blind people to the seriousness ofpurpose and responsibility that isexhibited by the leadership that con-trol the Indian’s newly foundwealth. The tribes care deeply aboutthe welfare of their people andmany have translated that care intobuilding new health facilities ontheir reservations. In addition, thetribes provide assistance for theirmembers in obtaining appropriateeducational experiences. MG

Grand Traverse Resort and Spa

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Popular folklore poet, Merlin T. Kelley said itbest… “Those who really feel DrummondIsland in their hearts, know it for its true

name…God’s Country”.

“The Rock”, Gem of theNorth, celebrates its

20th BirthdayBy Mike Duff

The Rock has many signature holes on its course.

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Some 150 years ago whenDrummond was first inhabited whowould have thought that nowadaysone of the most popular attractionsto this sparsely populated islandwould be a golf course that canonly be described as a true “UpNorth” experience.

About twelve miles from wherethe ferry drops you off and nearlyin the center of the island lies TheRock, designed by Harry Bowers.Formally owned by Domino’spizza king Tom Monaghan andbuilt on a bed of limestone, itdoesn’t come without some majordraw backs such as how to keepthe watering system functioning asthe limestone shifts and the sprin-kler heads move. To the averageeye this is not a problem, but whenI asked about the condition of acouple of holes Keli Higgins,

Director of Golf for the resort gaveme the lowdown.

I played the course this pastAugust with my brother-in-law andsister-in-law, Richard and KarenBlacklaw. All three of us foundthe course to be challenging yetplayable and fair for the averagegolfer. Karen, a good golfer in herown right, said she thought playingfrom the forward tees tested herskills on nearly every hole. Thecourse plays to 6837 yards fromthe tips and depending on how youhit the ball could make it a majorchallenge to your course manage-ment skills. The middle tees (6190)can also put you in a position tolay up or go for it on most of theholes since traps come in to playespecially on # 1, 10, 13 and 17tees. The next set of tees play to5679 and would probably keep

most golfers in play and satisfiedwith a good score.

Adding to the beauty of TheRock is the wild life, especially thedeer, which are abundant. We sawthree or four families with fawnsgrazing on the tees and in the near-by woods.

Golfing here is peaceful,tranquil and quiet. Yourarely hear anything, other

than an occasional bird, your heartbeating or someone rummaging inthe woods for a lost ball.

One of the significant featuresof The Rock is the beautifullyframed greens seen on most holesbecause Harry Bowers took carefulprecision crafting their look toblend nature with the golfing expe-rience. You walk away saying

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Wow, did you notice how beautifulthat hole was.

The first two holes gave me someconcern. Both needed some workand the greens still had some roughparts. Needless to say, my firstimpression led me to doubt theRock’s reputation. But, I got over itfast, because the rest of the coursemet every expectation I had.

Most of the holes, depending onthe tees you used gave you a chal-lenging shot. The middle tees leftyou in position to make a secondshot that didn’t punish you, but becareful, other hazards could interfere,like traps and marshes.The Rock’s signature hole, number15 (94, 119, 131, 166) is a par threesurrounded by cattails and marsh-land from tee to green. The rest ofthe course is designed to make youthink about your next shot becauseeach hole is shaped differentlydepending on the tee you use.

According to Merlin Kelley’sfolklore, “God set the pebble nearthe tip of a peninsula in His GreatLakes” and that becameDrummond Island. In 1950 it wasknown as the “Gem of the North”and in 1960 the island becameknown as The Rock.

You can get to Drummond Islandby taking the ferry from DeTourVillage on M134, the eastern-mosttown in the Upper Peninsula.Drummond Island is approximately56 miles from the bridge. The costfor the ferry is $12 ($7 for seniors)per car/ driver plus $2 ($1) per pas-senger. A round of golf with cart is$59. Call 800-999-6343 to reserveyour tee time or make arrangementsfor lodging. MG

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Golfing The Rock is peaceful, tranquil and quiet.

One of the significant features of The Rock is the beautifully framed greens

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Dog owners ready for a guilt-free northern Michigan golfholiday – which includes

Rover or ‘Toto, too,’ – will want tocheck-in, and check out The DogHouse – The Ultimate Dog Retreat atGrand Traverse Resort for their four-

legged family members.

GTR’s Dog House, which openedlast July, is a dog boarding facilitywhere social pooches can have fun ontheir own, while their owners enjoyGrand Traverse Resort’s champi-

onship golf courses, resort amenitiesand nearby area attractions.

Located on the GTR campus, a lit-tle out of the way of most resort activ-ity, The Dog House offers overnightboarding and doggie daycare in a ren-

At Grand Traverse Resort,Being ‘In the Dog House’

is a Good Thing!By Susan Bairley

The Grand Traverse Resort and Spa’s Dog House has a fenced yard with a semi-covered, con-crete patio area and lots of grassy runaround room and trees.

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ovated house, with fenced yard.Inside, The Dog House reception areaopens into a good-sized kitchen andcolorfully painted play and sleepspaces. Outside, the fenced yard has asemi-covered, concrete patio area, lotsof grassy runaround room and trees.

GTR guests have priority place-ment for their pets, but space-avail-able services also are offered to areavisitors and residents. Susan andJohn Merner, who were checking intheir two dogs – a puggle, namedBonnie, and lab, named Mosel –

couldn’t say enough about their satis-faction with The Dog House.Longtime vacationers in nearbyBeulah, it was their pets’ second day-care visit. “It’s nice, and they arewell taken care of while they’re here,”they said, noting that their dog-freeday would also be free of worries andtime constraints.

Dog House Manager Erin Harrisonis a veterinary clinic-trained techni-cian who loves dogs – and the newfacility. She said The Dog House isstaffed 24/7, which gives ownersaccess to their pets anytime they wantthem. Eventually Web cams also willbe installed to allow GTR guests tocheck-in on their pets from their hotelaccommodations.

Like all boarding facilities, dogschecking-in must have their shots andBordetella vaccines up-to-date, andbecause it is a cage-free facility, nogigolos, ‘babies,’ or bullies areallowed. In other words, all dogsmust be spayed or neutered, older thansix months, be non-aggressive andgenerally social.

J. Mike DeAgostino, GTR publicrelations manager, said the Dog Housewas the brainchild of GeneralManager Grant Channing, who severalyears ago, started to consider it inGTR’s plans. “It was just a matter oftiming and location,” DeAgostinosaid. “And this location, which isaway from the main traffic areas,gives pets a relaxed, fresh-air environ-ment, and gives pet owners, piece ofmind.”

Overnight rates at the Dog Houseare $35/night, and because capacity islimited, advance registration isrequired.

For more information and daycarerates, call 231-534-6765 or visitwww.grandtraverseresort.com MGMichael DeAgostino reminds everyone to wipe their paws.

Dog House Manager Erin Harrison is a veterinary clinic-trained techni-cian who loves dogs.

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Iused to think Crystal Mountainin Thompsonville, Mich., ‘hadit all,’ when it came to family

summer golf and winter skiing.However, now I know it reallydoes have it all.

Owners and executive officers,Jim and Chris MacInnes, whorespectively serve as Crystal’s

president and general manager, andsenior vice president, continue toreinvent their mountain resort com-munity by carefully executing eachstep of their multi-phased masterplan for the property. And whileeach improvement signals ‘better’as well as ‘more, when you’restarting at ‘great,’ the results arepretty spectacular.

The new Crystal Spa and PeakPool & Fitness Center are two ofthose ‘incremental’ improvements,which amid Michigan’s ailingeconomy, are also a remarkablefeat. The MacInnes’ $5.5 millionspa and fitness center addition is atestament to their sound businessplanning, as well as a vote of con-fidence that Crystal’s legacy will

Crystal Mountain – A Year-Round Pleasure

New Spa and Fitness Center is Crystal Recreational Centerpiece

By Susan Bairley

Crystal Spa’s Meditation Lounge

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be firmly planted among futuregenerations of northern Michiganvacationers and residents.

The simple frosted glass door ofthe new Crystal Spa is all thatstands between the resort’s activerecreation and ulti-mate relaxation.Browns, earthtones,granite and a gentlecascade of fallingwater create awarm welcomingambiance in thespacious receptionarea. The colorsand textures, alongwith muted hues ofsage and slate,complement thecontemporarydesign that reignsthroughout. Theresult is an 18,500-square-foot spacethat blends itsnorthern environ-ment with high-end luxury.

While the Crystal Spa designcould easily be lifted to Manhattan,Chris has worked hard to ensurethe spa is not too urban chic byadding local art, including photosby northern Michigan photogra-pher, Brian Confer, and littletouches that are characteristic ofCrystal Mountain, its natural beau-ty and guest-first hospitality.

The men’s and women’s spalocker rooms have clean modernlines and each has its own steamroom and sauna. Both lead to thespa’s Meditation Lounge, whereguests will await their treatmentspecialist and can enjoy a cup oftea. Furnished with cushioned

wicker chairs and chaises, theroom has a full brick-wall with along narrow fireplace and a fullwall of windows that looks out intothe spa’s Meditation Garden andhot tub. A contemporary chande-lier, made of a long cascade of

Swarovski crystals, leads guestsdown the stairs to 12 lower-level,treatment rooms. There, the mutedcolors and ‘pin-drop quiet’ promisea retreat where the focus is simplyyou.

The treatment rooms areequipped for a myriad of massageand skin treatment options, includ-ing a couple’s room with privatewhirlpool bath, and a Vichy show-er room, where pulsating waterwill work its magic from head totoe.

Chris said the new Crystal Spaand Peak Pool & Fitness Centerare designed to be a “destinationexperience.” Citing Crystal’s“Healthy Lifestyles Wheel,” a cor-

porate graphic that lists all ofCrystal’s leisure and recreationalofferings emanating from the spaand fitness center ‘hub,’ she saidthe Crystal Spa and Peak Pool&Fitness Center are at the centerof the wheel, tying together all that

the resort has to offerits guests.

“The spa and fitnesscenter are inspired bythe natural beauty ofnorthern Michigan,”she said. “And whetheryou’re here to golf orski, or just relax with abook amid nature, thespa and fitness centercomplements it all.”

The new CrystalSpa is one of only sixin the United States tobe LEED – ‘green-building’— certifiedand is the only LEED-certified spa in the

Midwest.

During its first full day of oper-ation, which coincided withCrystal’s Women’s WinterWeekend, the spa had 57 appoint-ments booked – giving it a healthyrunning start.

Services range from manicuresand pedicures to facial and skintreatments and a variety of mas-sage styles and packages. Pricesrange from $15 for a simple polishrefresh or lip waxing to $350 percouple for two side-by-side,restorative 80-minute massages.

For more information, visitwww.crystalmountain.com or call1.800.YOUR.MTN. MG

Crystal Spa’s reception area

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At the recent PGAChampionship at OaklandHills while sitting in the

shady grandstand behind the greenat the par-five 12th hole, I had apleasant flashback of sorts.Marveling at the skill of thegame’s best players I was saying tomyself how lucky I was just to bethere. Then I remembered it was in1960 that my infatuation for golftook on a new dimension when myparents took my brother and me tothe PGA Championship atFirestone CC in Akron. That wasthe first professional golf tourna-ment I’d ever attended and it madea lasting impression on me. Iremembered watching the colorful-ly clad Doug Sanders with hisshort backswing that could fitinside a telephone booth. (Did mybrother copy it?) I rememberedwatching muscular Mike Souchak(who died recently) drive the ballout of sight. I remembered thesweet swings and tempos of GeneLittler and Julius Boros. I remem-bered watching Slammin’ SammySnead hit practice balls to within a

few feet of his caddie’s shag bag.But best of all, I rememberedwatching my hero at the time,Arnold Palmer. As a lowly buckprivate in his Army, I would havefollowed Arnie all 18 holes if myparents had allowed me. The expe-rience was more than just attendinga tournament; it was as if a wholenew world had opened up to me.These were special men doingextraordinary things and I couldn’t

get enough of it.

Thinking back on that PGA whileat Oakland Hills made me realizehow a little policy such as allowingjunior golfers to be admitted free to atournament with an adult is such apowerful initiative. So kudos to thePGA for following up on the exam-ple first set by the Masters for thisjunior golf measure that really costspeanuts if anything. “Growing the

Mary and Henry Moore passed on their love of the game tosons Terry and Tim.

S L I C E O F L I F E

By Terry Moore

Golfing Son

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Terry Moore is pictured here with Greg Johnson of the Grand Rapids Press and award winning writer, Jack Berry

game” is a mantra but if we don’tget youngsters excited and enthralledabout the game at this basic level,then the more lofty measures willfall flat.

I’m thankful I had parents wholoved golf and passed that passionon to me. At a very early age butsans diapers, my mom used to takeme to her nine-hole golf outingsand had me ride on her pull cart.Amazingly, she managed me andher game at the same time. Later,my Dad allowed me to pull hiscart for him on weekends andwatch him play the game with hisfriends and relatives. They boughtclubs for my brother and me andencouraged us to play at everyopportunity. Best of all, they builta house that was only a bike rideaway from a municipal 36-holegolf course that even boasted acaddie program. At ten, I remem-bered following in my older broth-

er’s footsteps and becoming a cad-die while also sharpening myfledgling golf skills. Caddyingreally was a major boost to mygame. It fully exposed me to allaspects of golf and how people ofall ages handled themselves on thecourse. It was learning by osmosisand observation and there’s no bet-ter methodology.

The week before last, I traveledto the Fort Custer NationalCemetery in Augusta (MI) for amemorial service and burial for myparents. My dad served in WWIIas a B-25 bomber pilot andremarkably flew and survived 61missions. He earned severalmedals including the prestigiousDistinguished Flying Cross. Afteran equally heroic battle with can-cer, my mom passed away 14 yearsago but her cremains had awaitedinternment until my dad passedaway last month. Fort Custer

National Cemetery is a beautifuland peaceful place (our ownArlington Cemetery), one thatmakes you proud of how our coun-try venerates its fallen veterans andtheir spouses. Led by a close friendwho’s a priest, my parents werehonored with a fitting memorialservice that included a six-gunsalute and a presentation of a flagto my brother and me. Their cre-mains were laid to rest in theground wetted by tears and soft-ened by final goodbyes.

Growing up, I had a series of golfheroes formed by impressions andexploits seen on television or occa-sionally at tournaments like thatPGA Championship at Firestone.But in truth, the two greatest golfheroes of my life are Henry andMary Moore who grew the game inmy heart. It’s comforting to knowthey’re now at rest and in God’sarms in Augusta. MG

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Michigan Golfer, Spring 2009

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