returns July 12-17 at Midland Count r y Club
Inside:
Read about some of the golfers • How to buy tickets • Where to park Complete schedule of events • And more
June 26, 2021 A special supplement to Midland Daily News
Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational Information and Schedule On the cover: Jasmine Suwannapura of Thailand, left, and her playing partner Cydney Clanton of Alabama, right, walk off the 18th green after winning the first ever Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational on Saturday, July 20, 2019 at Midland Country Club. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)
TICKETS • Daily tickets for the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational at the Midland Country Club may be purchased for Wednesday-Saturday, July 14-17, for $10 per day. • Weekly tickets, which are good for the entire four days, may be purchased for $25. • Ages 17 and younger are admitted free with a ticketed adult. • Purchase tickets at https://www. dowglbi.com/tickets-for-sale. • Admission is free to the Country Club course on Monday, for the practice rounds, and Tuesday, for the pro-am. • All current military personnel and veterans will receive one free daily admission ticket each day of the tournament. These tickets may only be redeemed at the main admissions gate with a valid military ID and
driver’s license. Each ticket includes a complimentary Veterans’ Garden ticket upgrade for a guest with a general admission ticket.
EAT GREAT TRAIL The Eat Great Trail features a variety of menu items and hospitality decks along the course. A selection of beer and wine will be available to guests 21 and over. * Tickets for the Eat Great Trail (which include general admission) are $45 and are valid for one day, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday only.
PARKING All fan parking will be at Dow Diamond. Shuttles will run back and forth to transport spectators between Midland Country Club and Dow Diamond.
Daily parking is $5 for one day, Wednesday-Saturday; weekly parking is $15. Parking at Dow Diamond is free on Monday and Tuesday. Fans are not permitted to park at Midland Country Club.
SCHEDULE
(subject to change) MONDAY, JULY 12 7 a.m. Professional practice rounds 8 a.m. Admission gates open (free admission) 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. -- First Tee Junior Clinic (Currie Golf Course) TUESDAY, JULY 13 Pink Pro-Am Day Benefitting the American Cancer Society 7-9:10 a.m. - Official Pro-Am Tournament (Morning Wave)
8 a.m. - Admissions Gates Open (Free Admission) 12:10-2:20 p.m. - Official Pro-Am Tournament (Afternoon Wave) WEDNESDAY, JULY 14 SCG Day Benefiting the Saginaw Bay Watershed 7:30 a.m. Admission Gates Open 8 a.m. Opening Ceremonies 8:22-9:50 a.m. First Round (Alternate Shot) 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Beer Garden Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Veterans Garden Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Hospitality Venues Open: Eat Great Trail and Diamond Club 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Fore our Future presented by Ally 12:34-2:02 p.m. First Round (Afternoon Wave) 3-6 p.m. Golf Channel Telecast (live)
Fans watch the closing ceremony of the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational on Saturday, July 20, 2019 at Midland Country Club. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)
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Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational
Fans watch the first round of play in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational on Wednesday, July 17, 2019 at Midland Country Club. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)
THURSDAY, JULY 15 Dow Red Out Day Benefiting Great Lakes Bay Pride 7 a.m. Admission Gates Open 7-8:44 a.m. Second Round (Four-Ball) 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Hospitality Venues Open: Eat Great Trail (sold out) and Diamond Club 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Beer Garden Open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Veterans Garden Open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Fore our Future presented by Ally
11:45 a.m.-1:29 p.m. - Second Round (Afternoon Wave) 8-10 p.m. - Golf Channel Telecast (Tape Delay) FRIDAY, JULY 16 Garber Chevrolet Day Benefitting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society 9 a.m. - Admission Gates Open 10:32 a.m.-1:50 p.m. - Third Round (Alternate Shot) 10 a.m.-7 p.m. - Hospitality Venues Open: Eat Great Trail and Diamond Club
10 a.m.-7 p.m. - Beer Garden Open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. - Veterans Garden Open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. - Fore our Future presented by Ally 11 a.m. - Special Olympics 3-Hole Challenge 8-10 p.m. - Golf Channel Telecast (Tape Delay) SATURDAY, JULY 17 Mid-Michigan Day Benefiting the Family Wellness Park 8 a.m. - Admission Gates Open
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10 a.m.-5 p.m. - Final Round (Four-Ball) 10 a.m.-5 p.m. - Hospitality Venues Open: Eat Great Trail and Diamond Club 10 a.m.-5 p.m. - Beer Garden Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. - Veterans Garden Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. - Fore our Future presented by Ally 4-6 p.m. - CBS Telecast (Live) Following Play - 18th Green Awards Ceremony
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Michigan teen shares uplifting relationship with Korda sisters ‘It’s crazy to think ... I’m inspiring them as they’re inspiring me’ AUSTIN CHASTAIN austin.chastain@hearstnp.com
Sophia Howard idolizes Jessica and Nelly Korda -- the way they play and find success on the LPGA Tour. She just loves watching the sisters play. Howard, a native of Hudsonville, just west of Grand Rapids, remembers watching a tournament a couple years ago when the cameras showed Jessica chip in from about 100 yards out. Then, the coverage shifted to Nelly, who made a long bomb of a putt for a birdie. In that moment, Howard said to herself, “Holy cow, these girls are good.” After witnessing those two moments, Howard began following the Korda sisters by keeping tabs on their stats and watching interviews and highlights. She became a huge fan, to say the least. “I just fell in love with those girls’ personalities and the way they play the game of golf,” Howard said last week, just before the Korda sisters played in the Meijer LPGA Classic at Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids. Jessica and Nelly are also scheduled to play as a team in next month’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational at the Midland Country Club. Howard, 14, who plays golf and softball, was born without a right hand. However, her physical
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challenge does not stop her from doing what she loves. “My physical challenge doesn’t have anything to do with it,” Howard said. “I may look different, but I think I’m just another average person. I go out and do the game of golf (like) everybody else and I don’t let that stop me. Just go out and kill it.” Howard said she has been playing golf for about four years and has developed a love for the game that runs deep. That love for the game grew even deeper when she had the chance to not only meet, but play a round with, her two idols. In May, Howard and her family linked up with Dream on 3, a charitable organization that grants wishes to children with life-altering conditions, and flew down to Florida to meet the Korda sisters at their home course, Concession Golf Club in Bradenton. Howard said she remembered going to sleep the night before with tons of questions bouncing around in her head. She was excited to get some tidbits and tips on the game from her favorite players. “I (remember saying), ‘Oh, I’ll remember in the morning, I don’t need to go write them down,’” Howard said. “Then I met them and we were sitting at lunch and they asked, ‘Do you have any questions for us?’ And I was like, ‘You know what, I should have
LPGA pros Jessica Korda (right) and Nelly Korda (middle) share a laugh with 14-year-old Hudsonville resident Sophia Howard (left) after playing a round of golf together at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla. (Photo provided/ Emby Taylor Photography)
wrote those down because I forgot all of them.’” The trio played golf together and Howard did pick up a few tips and tricks to the game -- including a bunker lesson from Jessica. “(Her game is) good,” Jessica said of Howard. “I’m actually really impressed with her swing. It just shows that if you put your mind to whatever you want, you can do just about anything.” After the day together in Florida, Howard and the Korda sisters kept in touch through a group chat and reunited about three weeks later at Blythefield Country Club. While the Korda sisters were preparing for the tournament, they had their new friend by their side for their Tuesday practice round. Howard said she enjoyed the morning with the Korda sisters and said it felt awesome to be in on their conversations during the round. “It’s more surreal to me knowing that my idols take time out of their day to come chat with me,”
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Howard said. “I think that’s very eye-opening to me that my idols are willing take time out of heir busy day and come have a conversation, whether in-person or on the phone. That’s very surreal to me.” Both Korda sisters said they see Howard as an inspiration: not only for overcoming her physical challenges, but also because her love of the game reminds them of when they were her age. “You kind of realize, ‘Oh, man, this is so cool we get to do this for the rest of our lives,’” said Nelly, who is 22. “Definitely kind of brings back the love and (you) see how much joy is in (her) eyes. That smile she has when she steps on the golf course kind of makes you appreciate it a little bit more.” “I think that’s what we’ve missed (during the pandemic), too, not having fans or kids week in, week out,” said Jessica, 28. “(We) kind of took that a bit for granted. But that was something that I always loved to see. I loved being able to interact with the kids and giving them the memory that
Nelly Korda holds the trophy after winning the Meijer LPA Classic golf tournament, Sunday, June 20, 2021, in Grand Rapids, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
they’ll either hold onto for a while or something that they will come back to the next year and you can see them after that.” Both Korda sisters recall when they were younger and grew up idolizing the likes of tennis greats Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn and, of course, golfing great Tiger Woods. Jessica said she had some friends who went pro -- Michael Campbell, Alex Cejka -- that she would play golf with when they were home from the PGA Tour. By building a new relationship with Howard, Jessica said she could see the joy in Howard’s eyes and it reminded her why she started playing golf.
“We were her,” Jessica said. “One, getting to play with your idols is always something really, really cool. Then two, just seeing the love for the game, love for being out here and just seeing these bright eyes and taking everything in. The longer you’re out here, you kind of forget how cool it is. To see it from somebody else’s perspective is really special.” Building the relationship with Howard that they have, the Kordas have taken it to heart and want to continue that friendship. It’s all about inspiring the next generation and leaving the LPGA Tour -- and the world -- a better place than how they found it, Jessica said. “They are the future,” Jessica
said of kids such as Howard. “You want to be able to inspire them to go for their for their dreams, whether it’s this or whatever their dream might be. That’s kind of our goal -- creating lasting memories, bringing people to the sport. I think that’s all really important; this is just one way we’re able to do it.” Howard said it’s surreal not only to meet her idols, but also to think she is an inspiration to them as well. “It’s kind of crazy to think in my head that I’m inspiring them as they’re inspiring me,” Howard said. Howard is going into her freshman year of high school and said she hopes to make the golf team
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this fall. She added that she plans to play in some national tournaments in the area as well as some adaptive tournaments that have a junior program. She doesn’t just think she can win tournaments -- she knows she can. “Eventually, if you keep pushing yourself out there, us people who have a different physical appearance will realize that it doesn’t matter we look this way or play differently. We can still be good or we can still be at this level and still be winning tournaments. “It takes a little push to get yourself out there right away,” Howard added. “Once you do, you’ll find out that it’s not a huge deal. You’re just like everybody else.”
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Brooke Henderson tees off on No. 14 in the Meijer LPGA Classic Pro-Am on June 16 at Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids. (Austin Chastain/austin. chastain@hearstnp.com)
Brooke Henderson excited to be back in Michigan
After playing at Meijer LPGA Classic, she’ll be in Midland in July AUSTIN CHASTAIN austin.chastain@hearstnp.com
Michigan is starting to feel like home in a way for Brooke Henderson. The LPGA Tour star from Canada said the climate of the state feels like that of her home country -- but the people make Michigan also feel like a true homecoming for her.
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Coming back to defend her title at last week's Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give at Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids, Henderson said she was excited to return to a course where she had scored two of her 10 victories on the LPGA Tour. Whether it is interacting with the fans, meeting members or driving up "Brooke Henderson Drive" -- the honorary name of the front driveway at the course -- Henderson said she was happy to be back in Michigan. "I definitely love it here ... it reminds me of home up in Canada," said Henderson, who is from eastern Ontario. "And just the friends that we've made here, it's just a wonderful place to be." Why wouldn't Henderson love it in Michigan? She has won the Meijer
LPGA Classic twice -- including the last time it was played, in 2019 -- and had a fifth-place finish in the 2019 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, firing a 19-under-par score of 261 with her partner, and fellow Canadian, Alena Sharp. When Henderson makes her way to Midland Country Club next month for the second Dow GLBI, she will pair up with In Gee Chun. Henderson said Chun has a great game, while different from her own, and they are both excited to bring their friendship to the course. "We can use it to our advantage and plot our way around that course there," Henderson said of the Dow GLBI, which features alternating rounds of alternate shot and better ball. "Maybe I'll hit on some of the
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longer holes, and the holes where you have to hit it a little bit straighter, maybe she'll take over there." Typically, Canadian fans -- including Henderson's family -- make the trip to see Henderson play, but with pandemic-related restrictions still in place that keep the U.S.-Canada border closed to most people, Henderson's family will not be able to be on-site for this year's tournament in Midland. That includes Henderson's sister, Brittany, who is usually her caddy. Brittany is a Canadian citizen and married Zach Sepanik, who works in LPGA Communications and grew up in Grand Rapids. Brittany applied for a work visa as the wife of an American, but the process has not yet been completed,
Brooke Henderson of Canada, right, fist bumps her playing partner, Alena Sharp of Canada, left, as they play in the third round of the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational on Friday, July 19, 2019 at Midland Country Club. (Katy Kildee/ kkildee@mdn.net)
due in large part to COVID-19, Henderson said. In the meantime, Henderson will have veteran caddy Everette Nini until Brittany has her work visa worked out, which could take days or weeks. Having an experienced caddy is a major help, Henderson said, but she also said it is certainly different than having her sister by her side. "It will definitely be a big change," Henderson said. "Everette is a good friend and he's lots of fun to be around, so I think he will definitely make the change a little bit easier." Another challenge for Henderson is trying to win multiple tournaments in a season, which she did each year from 2016-19. She played a limited, 10-tournament schedule in 2020 and was not able to notch a win. This season, she is aiming to get back to winning at least once, if not twice. Regardless, she wants to make sure to have fun. "I think if we just continue to put in the work and be patient and enjoy the process, that's one thing I'm really trying to do this year, just try to enjoy everything a little bit more," Henderson said. "It's a journey and just a wonderful one that I've been blessed to live and play on the LPGA Tour, so hopefully I can just enjoy the highs and persevere through the
lows." While Henderson is working to find personal and professional growth, she also noted the growth of popularity with the tournaments in Michigan. The tournament in Grand Rapids, which has been played every year since 2014 except for the canceled tournament in 2020, has grown exponentially in both size and popularity. The Grand Taste attraction of local food and beverage vendors usually draws massive crowds. However, that event was scrapped this year due to pandemic-related restrictions. Regardless, the stop in Grand Rapids is one of the most popular on tour. The Dow GLBI is working its way to becoming a favorite on tour as well. The dynamic of the team event is a draw for players, and the welcoming arms of fans in Midland made for a special inaugural event. "(The Meijer LPGA Classic) in particular seems to get bigger and better every year with the fan engagement and then for Simply Give," Henderson said. "They've been able to give back so much money and food and help a lot of people. So it's always really special to be a part of that. "Dow (GLBI) is continuing to grow as well, and I'm excited to see where it goes."
Carlos Rivas enjoys a cigar in the shade during the third round of the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational on Friday, July 19, 2019 at Midland Country Club. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)
LPGA professional and Dow ambassador Suzann Pettersen, far right, is pictured with local participants during the Special Olympics 3-Hole Challenge during the 2019 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational at the Midland Country Club. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)
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Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational
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Karen S. Carter, Dow’s chief inclusion officer and chief human resources officer, speaks during a Media Day event for the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational Monday, June 14, 2021 at the Midland Country Club. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)
SOAR inclusion and leadership summit an off-the-course highlight of Dow GLBI DAN CHALK chalk@mdn.net
Karen S. Carter, Dow's chief inclusion officer and chief human resources officer, is equally excited about what's happening off the course as she is about what's taking place on the course during next month's Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational at the Midland Country Club. At the Dow GLBI media day last week, Carter mentioned her anticipation of the SOAR Inclusion and Leadership Summit that will be held July 13 at the H Hotel and July 14 at the Midland Country Club. "The purpose of SOAR is to create a safe space to talk about diversity, equity and inclusion, and to take concrete actions," Carter said. The summit will begin on Tuesday, July 13, with a fireside chat at the H Hotel, and will continue with a discussion in the Midland Country Club ballroom on Wednesday, July 14, the first
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day of the four-day Dow GLBI, a $2.3 million event on the LPGA Tour. Carter said the summit will include leaders from Dow and from other companies from across the state, as well as from the sports industry, including new LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. "(The summit) is about collaboration. We can't go forward by going it alone," Carter noted. "We have to be all in on this. We have to do this together." Carter said the Dow GLBI is a natural host for the summit because "the core tenets of SOAR are the same as those of the LPGA." She noted the LPGA has made some strides in terms of diversity internationally but is still striving for diversity among its membership in the United States. Carter also noted that, in addition to being a form of recreation, golf is a common venue for discussing business. And that being the case, it is Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational
to society's benefit for a diverse spectrum of the population to learn the game. "A lot of business takes place on the course," Carter said. Carter herself took up golf later in life, on the occasion of the inaugural Dow GLBI two years ago. She has treasured the experience of learning the game. "It's good to not be great at something. It makes you vulnerable and it makes you keep trying," said Carter, who has taken lessons from Midland Country Club head golf professional Jim Deiters, whom she calls the "golf whisperer." "It's a game of discipline," she continued. "It's a mental game as well. For example, hole 18 (on the Midland Country Club course, which has an island green) is my nemesis. I keep working on being able to clear the water and land my shot on the green. I look forward to clearing the water consistently."
Midland Country Club excited to see Dow GLBI return General manager: ‘We’re un-benched now’ DAN CHALK chalk@mdn.net
Midland Country Club General Manager Todd Beals aptly used a sports analogy to describe how it felt for the club's members and staff to miss out on hosting the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational last year — and how it feels to have the event return this year. "We feel like a pro athlete that's been on the sidelines," Beals said, adding with a smile, "We're unbenched now." The Dow GLBI, the only team event on the LPGA Tour, made its debut at the Midland Country Club in 2019, but was canceled last summer, along with many other professional sporting events, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is back on for this summer, taking place the third week of July, just like two years ago. It begins with practice rounds on Monday, July 12, and a pro-am on Tuesday, July 13, followed by the tournament itself from July 14-17. Beals noted about half of the people who volunteered in the inaugural Dow GLBI were members of the Midland Country Club, and many of them look forward to doing so again this summer. "That's been a blessing as far as being something to look forward to," he said. Beals said the club learned a few things from the inaugural tournament, one of which was that there
is no need to close the outdoor pool to club members during the week of the event. "We'll have our aquatic center open. People swimming at the pool can't make any more noise than the fans at the 18th hole," Beals said with a smile. "It's not your typical LPGA event. There's walk-up music for the 18th green." Hosting the Dow GLBI is a big source of pride for the Midland Country Club, Beals said. Hosting the event was part of the reason that the club became classified as a "Distinguished Club" by Boardroom magazine in 2019. The Midland Country Club's golf course will be open to members right up through Sunday, July 11. There will be a shotgun start that day and everyone will have to clear the course by Sunday evening. The following Sunday, July 18, the day after the end of the Dow GLBI, club members will have the opportunity to "play it like a pro," Beals said. "The grandstands will still be up," he said. "(The members) love to come out and play it like that." During the week of the tournament, golf course superintendent Kevin Welp and his staff will be out before sunrise each day, around 5 a.m., Beals said, to mow the course. The rough, though, has to stay more than two inches long. "Superintendents from across the Mel Reid of England plays in the first round of the Dow Great Lakes Bay state volunteer to work with us (that Invitational on Wednesday, July 17, 2019 at Midland Country Club. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net) week)," Beals said. Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational
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Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational Course Descriptions 1
HOLE 1 Hole No. 1 at the Midland Country Club is par-4 and 420 yards. “It will be a challenge for (the LPGA pros) right off the get-go,” MCC head golf professional Jim Deiters said. “If they hit their average drive, it’s going to leave them about 185 yards from the green on
average. “The green is very small — 5,000 square feet. It’s really made for wedges. With 185 yards in, it makes it very difficult to hit the green in regulation. “A lot of (the pros) are going to hit a driver off the tee, which would leave them (using) a long-iron or a hybrid into that green. Anything over the green is difficult to get up and down. “Four for a team is a great score. If they make a 4 on that first hole, they’re doing good.”
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HOLE 2 Hole No. 2 is a par-4 and 395 yards. “It will be a lengthy par-4 for (the LPGA pros, just like Hole No. 1),” Deiters said. “We’ll probably see a lot of 5-, 6- and 7-irons for their second shot into that green. “That green slopes heavily from left to right. With that heavy slope, ball position on the green is really important. It’s one of our most challenging greens on the golf course.”
HOLE 3 Hole No. 3 is a par-5 and 508 yards. “Just two well-positioned shots (can) get you into a wedge distance — a good drive and good second shot,” Deiters said. “Then, your approach shot, which these (pros) are so good at, will be be3 tween 60 and 100 yards, probably.
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“The green slopes (downward) from back to front, so leaving your ball short of the flag is important, to have a good putt for birdie.” HOLE 4 Deiters noted that Hole No. 4, which is par-3 and 183 yards, will cap off a challenging first four holes for the pros at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in July. “The first four holes are going to be challenging for the teams, especially for (the two days of) alternate-shot (format),” Deiters said. One particular challenge of the fourth hole, he said, is the ridge that runs from back to front in the middle of the green. “That makes the two portions of the 4 green about 3,000 square feet each, which isn’t very big,” Deiters said. “So it’s really important to make sure your ball is on the right level (on your tee shot to the green).” The pros will want to use something between a 5-iron and a hybrid for the tee shot, Deiters said. And no one in the tournament should be ashamed of parring this hole -- or any of the first four holes, for that matter, Deiters said. “Three is a great score (for the fourth hole),” he said. “Make your par and move on. The first four holes, if you make pars all the way through, you’re not going to lose strokes on the field.”
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HOLE 5 After running the gauntlet of the first four holes of the Midland Country Club course, the pros can breathe a little easier when they get to the par-4, 324-yard fifth hole, according to Deiters. “You could see a lot of birdies on this hole,” Deiters said. The competitors will have to watch out for a pond that’s about 215 yards from the tee. But aside from that, the fifth hole should be pretty smooth sailing for the pros,
Deiters predicts. “It’s one of our newer greens and it’s about 5,500 square feet,” he said. “There’s not a lot of slope on the hole. As good as these (pros) are with their wedges, I would expect a lot of birdies on this hole.” That’s a trend that should continue on holes 6 and 7 as well, Deiters said. Spectators should start to see red numbers on the scoreboard, indicating scores under par, as opposed to black numbers, which indicate scores of par or above. “You’ll start to see some red numbers starting on number 5,” Deiters said. HOLE 6 The 380-yard, par-4 sixth, like the fifth hole, is another good chance for birdies, said Deiters. The tee shot is slightly downhill with a slight dogleg to the left, he said. “With good drives, it’s going to leave them (using) a lot of 8-irons or 9-irons (on the second shot),” Deiters said. The green does present challenges, though. “The green is 6,000 to 6,500 square feet, but 6 there is a severe ridge right in the middle of the green,” Deiters said. “Getting the ball on the right level (of the green) is really important.” But in the end, a lot of the pros should have red scores on the sixth hole. HOLE 7 “I would (expect to) see a lot of birdies again on this hole,” Deiters said. At 150 yards, hole No. 7 is the shortest par-3 hole on the Midland Country Club course, Deiters 7 said. “This is one of our bigger greens,” Deiters noted, adding that the green for No. 7 connects with the green for No. 9. “The green is about 8,000 square feet.”
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All that, along with a relatively flat green, adds up to another good opportunity for birdies, just like with holes 5 and 6. “The (pros) need to get their birdies on the front nine on holes 5, 6 and 7,” Deiters said. “I think you’ll see 8-irons and 9-irons there on the approach shot (to the green).” Deiters also noted that Snake Creek lies to the right of Hole 7, but that the pros should have no trouble avoiding it. HOLE 8 Deiters considers the par-4, 427-yard hole No. 8 to be possibly the most difficult par-4 hole on the front nine of the MCC course. “It has a severe dogleg left through the trees and an uphill tee shot,” Deiters explained. This hole should provide a great test for the pros during the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, he said. “We’ll probably see a lot of drivers or fairway woods 8 or maybe hybrids (for the approach shot) into this green,” Deiters said. The green itself is about 5,500 square feet and slopes from back to front. “So any balls that go to the back of the green lead to a very difficult two-putt,” Deiters said. “A 4 is a great score (on hole No. 8).” HOLE 9 Deiters expects to see “a lot of birdies” on hole No. 9 during the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. But it will still take some smart maneuvering to accomplish that. The par-4, 342-yard hole has a slight dogleg to the right with trees guarding the right side of the fairway. “So, positioning your golf ball on the left side of the fairway is ideal,” Deiters said. The green is between 8,000 and 9,000 square feet. “Approach shots are going to be (with) some 9-irons and wedges into the green,” 9 Deiters said. “I would expect to see a lot of birdies.” This hole wraps up the front nine, which has a total par of 35 -- including one par-5, two par-3s and six par-4s.
Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational Course Descriptions HOLE 10 The LPGA pros competing at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational will face their toughest two holes back to back on No. 10 and No. 11, according to Deiters. “(Holes) 10 and 11 are our two toughest holes in a row,” Deiters said. No. 10 is a par-4, 409-yard hole with a green between 5,500 and 6,000 square feet that slopes down from back to front. “They’re going to have to use a hybrid into the green, and it’s much tougher to control your distances,” Deiters said. “A lot of (approach 10 shots) end up rolling to the middle or back of the green. Missing the green makes it a difficult up-and-down,” he added of the term that refers to needing only two shots to get to the hole when a ball is resting near the green. HOLE 11 At par-5 and 559 yards, hole No. 11 is the second of the two toughest holes back to back, Deiters said. “This is an extremely long hole for the (LPGA pros),” Deiters said of No. 11, which was raised and flattened during a course renova11 tion in 2010. The approximately 7,000-square-foot green is mostly flat, Deiters said. But the lack of trees behind it will present a significant challenge. “Behind it there’s no trees, so depth perception is very difficult,” he said. “You don’t see the green surface when you’re in the fairway.” The two-person teams will want to aim to make par on both the 10th and 11th holes, in Deiters’s opinion. “If you play those two at even par, you’re not going to lose any ground (on the rest of the field),” Deiters said. “If you do make a bogey, it’s pretty discouraging for a team.”
HOLE 12 The pros should anticipate some low scores on the 12th hole, said Deiters. No. 12 will play from both 293 yards and 261 yards -- each distance for two of the four days of the tournament. Regardless of the distance, it will be conducive to birdies and perhaps even eagles, Deiters said. “Even at 293, your big hitters are going to try to drive the green (on their tee shots),” he said. “This one plays a little shorter than what the yardage says. You might see a couple eagles during the week.” Competitors must keep in mind, though, that 12 two bunkers lie 45 yards short of the green, which slopes from left to right. “A birdie is a must to make on this hole,” Deiters said. “Eighty percent of them are going to be able to drive in on that green (on their tee shots).”
HOLE 14 Hole No. 14 should yield birdies for at least half of the teams in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, Deiters predicts. But that doesn’t mean it will be easy. The par-4, 392-yard hole has a green that slopes down at a 6 percent grade from back to front. “This is definitely our (steepest) green of the course,” Deiters said. “Any 14 of the modern-day golf courses that you see, (the greens slope) at no more than a 3 or 4 percent grade. This one is 6 percent. “(Your appoach shot) has got to be below the hole. If (the pros) happen to get past the hole, they’re going to have a challenge.” Nevertheless, a birdie should be the expectation for the pros at the Dow GLBI, Deiters said. “If they’re going to compete (in the tournament), they need to make birdie,” Deiters said.
HOLE 13 While it’s only a 181-yard, par-3 hole and the fairway slopes downhill, hole No. 13 could still give the pros some fits at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, Deiters said. “It’s a skinny green, but it’s a long green from back to front,” Deiters said of the 13th hole’s 6,000-square-foot green, which is still there from the original construction of the course. 13 “It’s our most difficult green to read as far as (whether the ball is going to break from) left to right or right to left. It’s baffling. You can ask any longtime member and they’ll say No. 13 is the hardest to read. If I were a caddy helping a tour player, I would get fired reading the greens on that putt, because I would be wrong all the time,” Deiters joked in conclusion.
HOLE 15 The best hitters in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational might go right for the green on the tee shot on hole 15, 15 but after that the challenge really begins, Deiters said. Hole 15 is 340 yards and a par-4. “Especially in better-ball, your longer hitters might even go for the green,” Deiters said. “It says 340 (yards), but it usually plays a little shorter than that.” But the approximately 6,000-square-foot green -- one of nine greens on the Midland Country Club course that were redone in 2010 -- is “very difficult to read,” Deiters said. “It’s probably our toughest green because the green is propped up,” he explained. “It has very subtle undulations and it’s very difficult to read. Sometimes it’s hard to hold a ball on the green if we get dry conditions (because the ball tends to roll).” HOLE 16 If you plan to come to the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, one hole that should be
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particularly exciting to watch is the challenging par-4, 436yard 16th hole, according to Deiters.
HOLE 17 A challenging fairway on hole 17 will test the pros at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. Nevertheless, a birdie should be the standard for the par-4, 377-yard hole, according to Deiters. “There’s a bunker off to the right about 230 yards off the tee. And the trees on the left cut in (to the fairway),” Deiters explained. “So, positioning your ball in the center of the 17 fairway is really important. These (pros) do that so well. “You’ve got to make a birdie on this hole,” Deiters continued. “If they hit a good drive, ... they’ll knock it pretty close (to the green).” HOLE 18 According to Deiters, the 18th hole should provide an entertaining finale each day for the fans. It’s a par-3, 145-yard hole, and the the 7,500-square-foot green is on a 15,000-square-foot island. But Deiters said that the LPGA pros should have no trouble avoiding the water. “I don’t think you’ll see any balls in the water here,” he said. “ ... The (tournament) leaders have got to play this hole 3-under-par for the week. So, playing it four times, 18 they’ve got to make three birdies. And I wouldn’t even be surprised to see a hole-in-one.” In fact, LPGA golfer Jenny Shin did just that in May 2018, when the Dow GLBI was first announced to the public. “Five or six (pros) were all hitting it at the same time, and (Shin) flew it right in the hole,” Deiters recalled.
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