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By Greg Johnson
BEAT THE HEAT IN MICHIGAN’S GAYLORD GOLF MECCA Treetops Resort
The Gaylord Golf Mecca offers long getaway summer days with play until 9 p.m. or later, and in comfortable average temperatures in the mid-70s across the great green expanse of Northern Michigan. Combine that with 35 years of partnership, cooperation, vision, investment and hard work by the partners of this unique cooperative marketing model and you have the premier U.S. summer golf destination. It’s perfect beat-the-heat golf, and in this anniversary year 17 landmark golf courses, including some designed by legends of architecture, and 21 welcoming lodging partners Treetops Resort
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producing all price points and levels of luxury requested or required, are banded together again. “The real reason the Mecca works and continues to grow is a really great group of owners, managers and golf professionals who have vision and believe in working together in destination marketing,” said Paul Beachnau, executive director of the Mecca since its inception in 1987. “We keep getting better. Not only have we grown with the number of courses, but I feel like we get better at what we offer every year. You continue to see Mecca members improve their golf courses and properties with renovations, investment in additions and facilities, all the hard-work items that when you put it together make for a better experience for our visitors.” The Mecca’s current president, J.T. Aude, the head golf professional at Gaylord Golf Club, one of the original Mecca members, said the group has long realized that together they are stronger. “Together we all strive to offer quality and quantity and together we have unmatched price points, getaway golf, classic golf, resort golf, great country club style golf and some of the best-conditioned courses in the
country. While we are competitors, we know what’s best for all of us is to work together to be the best summer golf destination we can be.” The Mecca’s quality and quantity includes: • Black Lake Golf Club, with its award-winning Rees Jonesdesigned golf course. • Gaylord Golf Club that has been providing golf on classic pristine greens since 1924. • Garland Lodge & Golf Resort, which is home to four golf courses and is starting year 71 as a destination. • Indian River Golf Club, which bills itself accurately as the friendliest golf course in the north. • Lakes of the North Golf Club, a get-away-from-it-all spot that continues to improve its hidden-gem golf course. • The Pines Golf Course at Michaywe’, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary of providing classic and competitive golf this summer. Golf Central • Volume 22, Issue 12
