Michigan Golf Journal August 2023

Editor’sLetter

It’s already August yet there is still so much golf season remaining, especially for those who look forward to the spectacular fall golf we get to experience in the Great Lakes State.

The Ally Challenge is coming later this month, and marks the final professional tour event to visit the state this year.

Also check out Fox Hills Golf Club in Plymouth. One year has passed since the Heritage Golf Group – a collection of more than 30 golf facilities across the country, purchased the club from the Dul family –who had run and invested in the property for nearly 50 years. It was the 2002 National Golf Course of the Year and Heritage is seeking to make sure they live up to that award.

In August we also cover:

Why Superintendents are Superheroes

Multiple state amateur tournaments for men, women and junior golfers

The new Cardinal golf course coming to Saint Johns, also in Plymouth GolfWeek’s ranking of the top 20 public courses in the state

The Native American heritage of Island Resort in the U.P.

40th anniversary of the Traverse City Junior Golf Assoc.

What's Inside:

We pride ourselves in bringing you the widest variety of Michigan-only golf news and travel, and we hope you feel we accomplish that each month.

TomLang EditorandPublisher

PHOTO: OCEANA GOLF CLUB HOLE 5

Supers Are Superheroes Supers Are Superheroes

ByTomLang

Imagine being new on the job, and in your first two weeks someone vandalizes your office. Then less than 90 days into your new job, a major storm rolls through and drops dozens of trees on your roof.

That’s the golf equivalent of what Sam Moynihan, the new head groundskeeper at Detroit Golf Club, faced this spring and early summer after moving to Michigan from Maryland. Plus, he had an audience of local golf fans and national TV viewers coming in at the same time for the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Fans onsite saw up close the aftermath of the Sunday evening storm that happened just as professional golfers were arriving on June 25-26

for practice rounds, the pro-am on the 28th and the June 29-July 2 PGA Tour event. But they only saw left over huge tree stumps uprooted because all the tree trunks and large branches that fell during the storm were cleaned up within 36 hours.

“Toward the end of the day we sent most everybody home and I stayed just to see what would happen,”

Moynihan told me about the Sunday evening storm that rolled in. “In my office we lost power and I heard a loud crack and a big tree fell on one of our South Course greens and as soon as that happened I knew there was more to come.”

He wasn’t kidding.

About 30 minutes of rain and lightning took place before Moynihan drove around assessing the damage – 12 trees totally lost and the additional dozens of tree tops and large branches that were ripped off other trees nearby.

A big tree fell at the front of the clubhouse and blocked access to the rear main parking lot. That one he and a couple of assistants worked on first. A tree also fell across the practice putting green at the rear of the clubhouse and a

main intersection for golfers and fans.

Everything was postponed then until Monday morning to avoid cutting trees in the rain and in the dark. Soon the general manager and director of food and beverage brought in some extra clubhouse staff. About 30 people, including servers and hostesses, and pro shop staff worked on the clubhouse grounds clean up.

Four different professional tree companies came in to assist, with six chippers, two boom trucks, a stump grinder, skid steer and log hauler.

“The whole tournament operations team, my team, my volunteers (grounds crews from other courses in Michigan), and the clubhouse staff. Everybody was all hands-on deck trying to get the property cleared as fast as possible, focusing inside the ropes first,” Moynihan said.

By Monday at 1:30 p.m. the course was opened for holes 11-18 for the pros to practice.

“We couldn’t open hole 10 because there was a large tree that fell behind the 11th tee, which was right in their landing area. In fact, Max Homa hit a ball over there (left side of 10th fairway) and he ended up hitting his ball over the stump that was still there because it was so big we couldn’t get it out.”

The full North course was open for practice by Tuesday morning and the Charity 313 celebrity scramble that afternoon.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I had a little bit of stress or anxiety that night before, and just looking at the sheer amount of work ahead of us,” Moynihan said about the start of tournament week. “But we put a good game

plan in place, starting Monday morning, dividing everyone up into different sections of the courses, assigning leaders and captains to each area. As things rolled on that Monday you could see we were making a big dent in the cleanup process.”

Doug Ware is the head superintendent for the three municipal golf courses in Livonia, and a past president of the Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Assoc. He was one of the 4-5 dozen helpers on site, outfitted with the Detroit Carhart brand.

“It’s definitely a cool part of our profession, whether it’s a superintendent like myself, or others who send assistants and interns, everyone is willing to pitch in,” he said. “And

PhotoCourtesyofRocketMortgageClassic

this year it just happened to be a little extra work.”

Ware said about 10 minutes after he left the club Sunday night he was driving down 8 Mile to Livonia and started getting texts and photos about trees being down, so he knew what they were walking into Monday morning. He added that without the full-time tree services that Rocket Mortgage brought in, their grounds crew could not have cleared out the tree that fell in front of the clubhouse and blocked the access to the rear main parking lot.

“I’ve always wanted to be part of a PGA Tour event and so I’ve done this all five years at Detroit Golf Club,” Ware said. “Now I’ve become good friends with the guys who come to help out, and I like meeting new people coming up in the business. When courses send their assistants, I get to meet the new crop of guys coming up from all over the country. People come from quite a distance (as far as Texas) to

help. It’s quite the fraternity, especially here in Detroit with lots of courses close together. People are just a phone call away to help.”

In his second week on the job in April, Moynihan had to deal with the herbicide damage someone (an assumed outside vandal) did to the 11th and 12th greens. He said he got a call from a co-worker that some weird lines were showing up on those two greens. With the colder temperatures it took a few days to show the full damage.

“Over the course of the next several days you could begin to see some sort of non-selective herbicide was killing the grass,” Moynihan said. “We tried a couple different recovery strategies and extra fertility, some seeding, and we covered them just to try to retain as much heat on those greens as possible.

“After about 12 days we weren’t seeing the progress that we were hoping for. So, we made

the decision to re-grass the surfaces. We had both greens stripped and prepared on May 15, and on the 16th we had them sodded,” with grass from a special short grass turf company that grows a bent grass poa mix used for courses with older greens with the same type of grass mix.

Sam: we wish you a long and less stressful career than what you started with. Welcome to Michigan.

GolfWeek Names Michigan’s GolfWeek Names Michigan’s

Top 20 Public Courses in 2023 Top 20 Public Courses in 2023

Here is the list of GolfWeek’s ratings for public golf courses in Michigan. GolfWeek raters look at specific categories, including a variety and playability of par 5s, par 4s and par 3s (but not price), ease of pathways to the next hole, plus an overall rating based on how a course compares for a fun outdoor experience, like a walk in the park.

1.ArcadiaBluffs(Bluffs),Arcadia

2.MarquetteGC(Greywalls),Marquette

3.ForestDunes(TheLoopRed&Black), Roscommon

4.ForestDunes(Weiskopf),Roscommon

5.ArcadiaBluffs(South),Arcadia

6.Belvedere,Charlevoix

7.BoyneBayHarbor(Links/Quarry), BayHarbor

8.GullLakeViewResort(StoatinBrae), Augusta

9.EagleEye,Bath

T10.Pilgrim’sRun,Pierson

GolfWeek’s list provides a top 20 for Michigan, whereas most states only get a top 10 (like New York), still others just a top 5. We have so much wonderful golf that Michigan gets the same space as North and South Carolina. Only California and Florida get more with a top 30. In a geographic comparison, Ohio and Indiana only get 10 each.

T10.IslandResortandCasino(Sweetgrass), Harris

12.HarborShores,BentonHarbor

13.AmericanDunes,GrandHaven

14.UniversityofMichiganGC,AnnArbor

15.HiddenRiverGolf&CastingClub,Brutus

16.BoyneHighlands(ArthurHills),Harbor Springs

17.Treetops(Signature),Gaylord

18.DiamondSprings,Hamilton

19.SageRun,BarkRiver

20.PineMountainResort(TimberStone),Iron Mountain

Fox Hills Golf Club & Fox Hills Golf Club & Banquet Center Making Banquet Center Making IImprovements mprovements

ByTomLang

Change is not always needed, but oftentimes change reveals very positive results when fresh eyes get involved.

That has happened at Fox Hills in Plymouth over the past year, after the Dul family managed and greatly expanded the property for nearly 50 years. The family created a wonderful legacy, taking the original Fox Hills Country Club founded in the 1920s, to the current day 63-hole mega golf site, which was purchased in mid-2022 by Heritage Golf Group.

Regulars who play at Fox Hills might not notice a lot of change – it’s the subtle things I noticed

on a recent visit to play the Golden Fox. My first impression pulling through the gate off of North Territorial Road was seeing Strategic Fox to the left filled with adults and children playing the 18-hole short course, and seeing how the playing conditions seemed noticeably improved.

I then ventured deeper and found the parking lots full on a Wednesday morning, and wondered if the pace of play would be stifling. Not every golfer will agree, but for me, it was so cool to see the three Fox Classic 9-hole layouts bustling with a ladies’ league, a bunch of kids walking and playing, and lots of senior men enjoying themselves. While the course and clubhouse areas were packed with people,

OneyearafterthesaletoHeritageGolfGroup, upgradesareaddingtothegolfexperience

Golden FoxHole11

never once did I see slow play or golfers waiting – everything was properly spaced and moved well. Later that day I played Golden Fox and had the same good pace for the entire round.

PlayingGolfatFoxHills:

TheStrategic has always been a fun course that is great for beginners and intermediate players, but if experienced players join them there is plenty of challenge from the back tees. It’s a great course to practice the short game or introduce others to golf – a perfect family venue. What is distinctive is almost every short course I see developed is 9 holes – this one is a full 18 with yardages ranging from 195 yards (holes 13 and 18) down to 50 yards from the front tees on hole 8.

An extra bonus is that Strategic Fox was one of the first courses in Michigan to offer FootGolf, and it remains strong today. The two forms of play are intertwined on this course.

FoxClassicis rooted in the original course going back to 1927 when it was the Fox Hills Country Club. After the Dul’s built the final 9 holes in the early 1980s, the Classic offers 27 holes of solid golf across rolling hills, between trees lining some fairways, and with ponds and lakes upon the property.

The three courses are the Lakes, the Woods and the Hills. All three have what are called ‘friendly’ tees designed for beginners and older folks, that start play in the fairway.

When writing about golf courses, I like looking

at and assessing them by seeking the best grouping of 3 consecutive holes, while using no particular set of standards to make that distinction.

On the Lakes course, I like the first three holes. No. 1 is a stout par 4 with three huge, signature willow trees and a pond on the right when approaching the green downhill. No. 2 is an uphill, well-guarded par 3, followed by a long par 4 that bends a little to the right. Overall, it’s a challenging start to any day.

The Woods course has three nice holes in the middle of the round, holes 3-5, all with trees coming into play (hence the Woods). Hole 3 is

an uphill par 3 with a key bunker to clear. Hole 4 drifts down hill on this par four that turns left with trouble awaiting if going long. No. 5 is another par 3 to a slightly elevated green.

On the Hills course, I like the closing three holes, Nos. 7-9. Each are parallel-running doglegs, with rollercoaster fairways on 7 and 8. Overall, Hole 7 goes downhill turning to the right, with a big valley on the green approach. Hole 8 goes back uphill and turns left but is shorter, measuring just 309 yards from the tips. Hole 9 is a sturdy closing hole at 400 yards, going a little downhill and turning back to the right.

TheGoldenFox is the bedrock course that most people want to play and it handles many of the charity outings that want to give the guests a top-notch experience. Designed by Arthur Hills across three pieces of land that used to be farms filled with rolling hills, a few water features and a line of trees woven into a wonderful links format – this championship level course eventually became the 2002 National Golf Course of the Year named by the National Golf Course Owners Assoc. Holes 7-9 also make an enjoyable series of

connected holes. Hole 7 is a long par 4 that turns slightly left, followed by the par five 8th hole (front cover image) that has water guarding the front of the green requiring the age-old question of ‘should you lay up?’ Hole 9 is a short par four with a tree in front of the green set slightly right, forcing chip shots to stay low and accurate to make up for the shorter overall length of the hole.

The famous Fox Hills Performance Learning Center offers top PGA and LPGA certified teachers for kids’ programs, adults and even

wounded military Veterans. The Performance Center building, at 6,900 square feet, offers six indoor bays for teaching that are equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Programs include V1 Analysis software, TrackMan, FlightScope, SAM Putting Studio, and BodiTrak Performance Pad. It’s open yearround. There is a huge double-ended outdoor range and chipping greens as well.

The 2021 U.S. Amateur champion James Piot was raised at the Learning Center, and every year many local and regional high school players going after their college dreams can be found on site.

“That’s one of the best legacies the Dul sisters left us, what they built in supporting junior golf and general golf instruction,” said general manager Bill Durham. “We have an opportunity to add to that and take it to another level.”

GoldenFox Hole4

The famous Fox Hills Performance Learning Center offers top PGA and LPGA certified teachers for kids’ programs, adults and even wounded military Veterans. The Performance Center building, at 6,900 square feet, offers six indoor bays for teaching that are equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Programs include V1 Analysis software, TrackMan, FlightScope, SAM Putting Studio, and BodiTrak Performance Pad. It’s open year-round. There is a huge double-ended outdoor range and chipping greens as well.

The 2021 U.S. Amateur champion James Piot was raised at the Learning Center, and every year many local and regional high school players going after their college dreams can be found on site.

“That’s one of the best legacies the Dul sisters left us, what they built in supporting junior golf and general golf instruction,” said general manager Bill Durham. “We have an opportunity to add to that and take it to another level.”

AShiftingFocus:

Durham said the focus the past year has been putting golfers first, in part because they host 750-900 golfers per day. Changes have been made by adding sleek new carts with GPS to the Golden Fox, plus replacing seven HVAC systems to keep everyone comfortable inside the expansive clubhouse. He added that Heritage Golf has invested a great deal of capital for facility improvements needed for the kitchens, building mechanicals, resurfaced parking lots and such.

“Those little things are boring, but they sure can make a difference in comfort for people,” Durham added.

“I hear people are very supportive of our changes. We had many leagues the last couple years where players were not sticking around after golf and socializing here, but now we are keeping the lights on for them and they are staying later, which is great to see; people enjoying the facility and the service.”

Michigan Women’s Golf Association Michigan Women’s Golf Association State Championship State Championship

ByTomLang

It’s pretty rare to have a bonified state tournament that also features fun awards like closest to the pin and skins – especially in multiple competition flights. But that’s the unique combination of competitive fun that drives the Michigan Women’s Golf Association, a 501 C 3 charitable group since its inception in 1986.

The Medalist near Marshall hosted the 39th annual tournament in early July, won overall by Chelsea Collura, age 29, of Wyandotte. The former Madonna University player shot 2-over in 36 holes to best the 2021 Michigan Women's Amateur champion Kimberly Dinh of Midland. Terry Delcamp of Grand Blanc was third, ahead of Darci Stocker of Davison, Isabella Gimenez

de Garcia of Portage and Michigan Golf Hall of Famer and 30-time USGA qualifier Joan Garety of Grand Rapids.

Yet, the overall tournament had 5 flights and woman as old as 76 playing and competing, which Collura praised.

“It’s one of the great things about golf, right? I think the MWGA is great, at any level, any age can play,” Collura said. “And that’s what I really enjoy about golf, you can play it your whole life. No matter what your handicap, you can get out there and compete.

“This is a good two-day stroke play event,” she added. “It wasn’t pretty (in the final round) but I got the job done. For a working person,

weekend events are great. I knew there would be some good competition … so it was also a good chance to get some player of the year points through GAM.”

Lowell Weaver, managing partner of The Medalist, answered the call when approached by the MWGA to hold the event in southern mid-Michigan – even providing lunch for the players on both days.

“We feel we have a very nice tournament golf course here,” he said. “So, especially when statewide organizations have an interest in holding a state championship, we feel we have a facility that can handle it. They enjoy themselves and it’s a good test of golf, and hopefully the cream rises to the top.”

Collura added: “This is a good course; narrow off the tees and good, solid par threes.”

Delcamp was closest to the pin of all the various eligible holes over two days – at 3 feet, 6 inches.

“If you’re in an event you don’t think you’re going to win you’re not grinding over every shot, but in an event like this and you have closest to the pin and skins, it’s good to pay a little more attention,” said Delcamp, a 3-time GAM Women’s Senior champion as well.

“Generally speaking, this organization is about having fun in golf,” she said. “And I look forward to this tournament because, yes, it’s competitive… but I think the organization itself is more about having fun in golf. I think the USGA goes crazy overboard making everything so darn hard, that they take all the fun out of it. But this organization is more about women enjoying the game.”

Background:

The MWGA’s goal is to foster and support amateur golf by providing a forum to educate, mentor and develop amateur female golfers, including the children in its ‘Girls Golf Program,’ on the rules and values of the game. This is done by conducting and supporting competitions, educational clinics, fitness and nutrition seminars and other events that benefit members. The MWGA has partnered with women’s golf associations across the state, region d i l di h LPGA USGA d GAM

relocations, personal challenges and tragedies, due in part to the friendships and support they have found. MWGA is not just a golf organization, it’s a women’s organization.

ChelseaCollura

Saint John’s Resort and The Cardinal to Saint John’s Resort and The Cardinal to Launch in Spring 2024 Launch in

Spring 2024

The long-anticipated rebuilding of the 27-hole golf property at Sheldon and Beck Roads in Plymouth – being transformed into an 18-hole championship course, 7-hole short course and two acre putting course – is set to open in the spring of 2024.

The project is the region’s first high-end public golf development of its kind in more than 20 years and is part of a $50-million-dollar resort transformation that began in 2021 under the property’s new ownership group, the nonprofit Pulte Family Charitable Foundation. The property dates back to a 1940s Catholic monastery.

“It's hard to believe that a golf rich state like Michigan and the Metro-Detroit area has not

had a new high-end public golf facility in so long,” said Paul Wegert, CEO of Boutique Hotel Professionals and managing director of Saint John’s Resort. “We believe the area is prime for a new high-end golf product, and we are very happy that we have elevated the golf experience to match our resort transformation. Our golfers and guests, who visit from all over the country, will be excited when they see it.”

Designed by Michigan-based architect Raymond Hearn, the new golf course, named “The Cardinal,” has undergone a complete transformation, resulting in a new 18-hole championship golf course, seven-hole Par 3 course with famous template greens and a twoacre putting course to entertain all ages and skill levels. This multi-purpose golf

entertainment venue will wrap around the resort’s driving range and Carl’s Golfland, one of the highly-ranked golf retailers in the country.

“The layout of our property, with the proximity of Carl’s Golfland and the range, was a perfect location to create a pure golf entertainment venue,” Wegert said in a statement. “We have also added a new food and beverage venue near the putting course, which will be a great gathering place for golfers, corporate groups, wedding parties, families, and kids.”

Golf course construction was completed by LaBar Golf Renovations, known for its renovation work at revered private golf clubs like Merion Golf Club, Muirfield Village Golf Club, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Winged Foot Country Club and Oakland Hills Country Club (South Course).

The Cardinal at Saint John’s Resort sits on 200 acres of rolling land. The golf course presents an original experience being routed in all directions factoring in elevation, wind, terrain, and natural beauty. The course also takes full advantage of the flow of the land and the majestic 100-year-old trees that were saved during the project and now frame many of the holes, providing a classic design aesthetic from the golden age of golf course architecture.

“The land, with its natural glacier forms and beautiful hundred-year-old trees, was a great foundation to work with,” Hearn said. “We were able to save many of the old mature trees and create a routing that kept them in play around green sites and along fairways, which is a bit unique in today’s golf course architecture

that focuses more on tree removal.

“This also allowed me to draw on my inspiration from previous Donald Ross, Tom Bendelow, and Willie Park Jr. Our goal was to create a fun golf experience and I believe we have achieved that and then some with this project.”

Uniquely under the foundation’s ownership, 100 percent of the net profits from the resort are donated to educational and humanitarian initiatives in metro Detroit and around the globe. Visit www.saintjohnsresort.com.

Sweetgrass Has Something For Everyone Sweetgrass Has Something For Everyone

ByTomLang

With the 2022 National Golf Course of the year award and routinely high rankings in golf publications, it’s fair to say Island Resort & Casino’s Sweetgrass golf course speaks for itself.

Yet, the conversation about this Upper Peninsula treasure goes so much deeper. When international golf course architect Paul Albanese designed the course that opened fifteen years ago, he incorporated more than the features of the landscape around him, infusing it with the very heritage of the Hannahville Indian Community – a federally recognized Potawatomi Indian Tribe, across whose land the course sprawls.

“I do design golf courses for players, but also for a lot of non-golfers,” Albanese told me.

“Especially for my Native American clients. I’ve said it many times about Sweetgrass specifically, I would say this golf course is designed not just for the golfers; it was designed for the community.

“We designed each hole with a story behind it, that is reflective of the whole cultural history and the heritage. That was intentional, so people who don’t play golf can still come out and say, ‘oh, this 8th hole has a story behind it; this beautiful landscape has a rhyme and a reason,’ for how and why it was created.”

Golfers encounter the rich history of the Hannahville Indian Community throughout the course, through design features and holes named after traditional Potawatomi clans, villages, allies, medicines and symbols. The dedication to nature and the area’s heritage makes for a unique golf experience.

SweetgrassHole14

“We put some wooden posts in the side of a hill (along the fairway) that are representative of (the remains of) a fort, from the 1650’s,” Albanese said about one of the design elements at Sweetgrass. “And the green complex itself worked out very nicely to be a redan style green. And a redan is the French word for fortress. ”

The Hannahville Indian Community was so pleased with the Sweetgrass golf course, they once again called upon him when ready to expand with a second course, Sage Run. Hiring the same architect to design additional courses at the same resort is rare, due to the desire for variety and the lure of touting multiple designers.

“I intentionally don’t have a style,” Albanese said. “I don’t carry things over from one project to another.

“I think the leaders at Island Resort appreciate that and knew that if I designed a second course

there, it wasn’t going to look like, or feel or be like the first course. The courses are going to speak for themselves, and they will get variety even with the same named architect. And I think we achieved that. You can see that Sage Run and Sweetgrass are very different styles and they play differently.”

Speaking of Sage Run, the annual IslandResort Collegiate is coming September 3-4, with the University of Michigan heading the field for two days and 54 holes on the 7,309-yard layout.

“Sage Run has proven to be fun and challenging for the players, who are tested with a variety of short and long par 4s and reachable par 5s,” said IRC General Manager Tony Mancilla. “It will be interesting to see how the golf course holds up to top-flight talent and how the players react to the challenges the course presents. With several blind shots off some tees and some very demanding long par 4s, this isn’t typically a course that players go low on their first time out.”

The NCAA teams competing at the 2023 Island Resort

Intercollegiate tournament are:

South Dakota

State University

Ohio University

Bowling Green

Michigan

Boise State

Central Florida

North Texas

Coastal Carolina

Illinois State

Miami (OH)

St. Mary’s

Ally Challenge Will Close out the Ally Challenge Will Close out the Pro Tours Michigan Summer Season Pro Tours Michigan Summer Season

ByTomLang

Steve Stricker and a cart load of PGA Tour Champions stars will be in Grand Blanc for the Ally Challenge at Warwick Hills, August 21-27.

Stricker is the defending champ after taking the 2022 title at 15-under par. Brett Quigley was one stroke back for runner up, with Jeff Maggert sitting at 13-under for third place. In fourth and sixth place, respectively, were Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els.

“That was my first time being back (at Warwick

Hills) since being there on the regular Tour, and I think that was the coolest thing,” Stricker said at the zoom press conference recently. “It’s just … the people and the golf course, everybody involved makes it feel like a nice smalltown event, like the way the Tour used to be, and I think that was the special part. It fires me up thinking about the (top field of players at the) Ally and coming back to Warwick Hills, for sure.”

Also committed to play this summer is Jim Furyk, winner of the 2020 Ally Challenge; Justin Leonard; and David Toms, currently ranked No. 3 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. Reigning U.S. Senior Open champion and Tour ironman Bernhard Langer is coming, 2019 Ally winner Jerry Kelly, plus the inaugural winner of the tournament, Paul Broadhusrt, who has a 69.47 career tournament scoring average in its first six years.

Stricker commented on the wave of momentum he hopes to carry into Grand Blanc.

“I do think you can keep the momentum going from one year to the next,” he said. “And especially when I started off the year with a win over in Hawaii. It felt like it was just a

continuous season for me. I play a lot of golf in the off season to keep that going, and my kids play, my wife plays a lot, so I just continue to play and it’s a continuation of last year for sure.

“I know I don’t have a lot of time left in this game but I’m trying to maximize all the opportunities I have.”

To date, the tournament has generated $6.2 million for local Genesee County charities, plus others in metro Detroit. Stricker added: “That is the backbone of this Tour and the regular PGA Tour. We’re able to play in these events that give back and make a big impact in the communities, and that makes us feel good as players.”

New this year, the Ally Challenge has teamed up with legendary Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth to boost the tournament’s annual complimentary Sunday breakfast for all fans onsite from 8:30 – 11 a.m. on August 27th.

Tickets for The Ally Challenge can be purchased at theallychallenge.com/tickets.

Ticket prices start at $10 children 17 and under receive free grounds access with a ticketed adult.

For a complete listing of ticket options –including the Saturdayeveningcommunity concertfeaturingCountrymusicstarMiranda Lambert – please visit the tournament website at theallychallenge.com.

Golf’s Ultimate Discretionary Expense? Golf’s Ultimate Discretionary Expense?

ByDavidLorentz,NationalGolfFoundation’sChiefResearchOfficer

If we want to talk about the sturdiness of golf demand – “traditional” golf, at least – no metric is more direct or appropriate than rounds played (which was up 10 percent in May, 2023 by the way).

And yet there are other ways to assess the current depth of consumer interest and investment in the game.

Golf equipment buying is probably the next obvious measure. Economically we’d view this kind of spending – even more than a round of golf – as “non-essential,” as it’s something you want but can live without. It’s discretionary spending like this that most reveals what makes people happy.

Thus, we also monitor golf-related travel, perhaps the ultimate discretionary expense and expression of demand for the game. It requires planning, commitment, tradeoffs and, for some, intense negotiating with loved ones. In other words, you’ve got to LOVE golf to make this investment.

It’s encouraging to see, then, that golf travel continues to trend positively. Recently we heard from 40 golf resort and destination properties across the U.S., who told us advanced bookings are up 5-7 percent over 2022. Around this time last year, the same audience reported that advanced bookings were outpacing 2021 by roughly 12 percent.

BoyneHighlandsHillsCourse

Other data we track tells a similar story:

More than 70 percent of Core golfers tell us they have – and/or expect they will – take some kind of golf trip before the end of the year. We know this to be ambitious, but anything north of 50 percent would represent a higher proportion of travelers than pre-pandemic.

Online search popularity for golf travel bags is maintaining at a level 30 percent ahead of pre-pandemic.

Golf tourism is not just an important indicator for overall golf demand, it’s a critical component of the U.S. golf economy – the

second largest sector, in fact, generating more than $31 billion in spending in 2022. This accounting includes only those expenditures that took place away from the golf course (travel, lodging, meals, incidentals, etc.) during a trip in which a person traveled 50-plus miles and played golf as a key recreational activity for business, leisure, or “bleisure.”

Golfers dished out another $9 billion in greens, cart and range fees, merchandise and Food & Beverage on those trips, which pushes the impact of golf travel in the U.S. to $40 billion, or roughly 40 percent of the industry’s direct economic contributions.

Oh, the places golfers go!

GOLF COURSES | 12 MILES OF BEACHES | LOWCOUNTRY CUISINE

MICHIGAN JUNIOR MICHIGAN JUNIOR STATE AMATEUR: Will STATE AMATEUR: Will Preston of Grand Rapids Preston of Grand Rapids

Will Preston of Grand Rapids stayed steady and ready and won the 45th Michigan Junior State Amateur Championship at A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort.

The senior-to-be at Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School never trailed in topping 16-year-old Connor Fox of Lake Orion High School, 3 and 1 in the championship match.

“I made some key putts, made several birdies and I just stayed steady through the grind,” Preston said. “All through the week I made minimal bogeys and in match play that is always beneficial. To beat you, they have to make more birdies.”

Key putts for birdie helped Troy Nguyen of Macomb win the 15-and-under division title, too. He turned back Cooper Reitsma of Ada 3 and 1 in the final match. Reitsma, a Grand Rapids Christian High student, was the 15-and-under stroke play medalist earlier in the week.

Preston’s week included knocking off overall stroke play medalist Lorenzo Pinili of Rochester Hills 3 and 1 in the second round, while Fox knocked off defending champion Max VanderMolen of Richland in 20 holes in the second round.

GIRLS’ JUNIOR STATE GIRLS’ JUNIOR STATE AMATEUR: AMATEUR:

Lauren Timpf of Macomb rallied to beat Lily Bargamian of Grosse Ile 2 and 1 in the final match of the 45th Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur Championship at Forest Akers West Golf Course.

It was the second win in the championship for Timpf, the winner in 2021. The senior-to-be at Macomb Lutheran North High School said this one means more.

“Back when I won the other one, I was on top of my game and then I kind of went through a little slump last year and I wasn't playing my best,” she said. “So, coming out here and proving to myself that I can win and compete again feels amazing.”

Timpf is committed to the golf program at Purdue University after completing high school, and Bargamian is headed to Oakland University for college golf.

In the 15-and-under bracket, Esther Zhang of Ann Arbor won with a 4 and 3 score over Madilyn Sheerin of Grand Blanc.

GAM WOMEN’S GAM WOMEN’S CHAMPION: CHAMPION: Canton’s Canton’s Bridget Boczar Bridget Boczar

Oakland University golfer

Bridget Boczar saved par from a greenside bunker on the second hole of a three-way sudden-death playoff to win the 32nd GAM Women’s Championship at Washtenaw Golf Club.

“It wasn’t too difficult of a bunker shot and I’ve been there before,” said Boczar, who is

familiar with Washtenaw as a playing and practice site. “So, I just put a good swing on it and it ended up right next to the hole.”

Anci Dy of Traverse City, who plays college golf at Indianapolis and is the reigning Michigan Women’s Amateur champ, bogeyed No.1, the first hole of the playoff with a three-putt –while Boczar and Kate Brody (Univ. of Wisconsin commit) of Grand Blanc made par.

Brody three-putted 18, the second playoff hole, from about 30 feet, missing a three-footer that lipped out of the cup, and Boczar closed it out by knocking in her two-foot par putt that had resulted from the bunker shot.

“I’m very pleased, it means a lot,” Boczar said. “I never really won anything this big before so I think it goes to show that what I’m doing is working and how I’m practicing is really helping me in my game. I’m excited. I’m really pleased.”

Boczar shot a second consecutive 1-over 73 in regulation play for 146, while Brody fashioned a 70, the lowest round of day two, to land at 146, and Dy shot 72 for 146 total.

The playoff trio finished three shots clear of the field with Oakland University golfer Nateda Her of Lansing, and Emilie Alba Paltrinieri of Ann Arbor, a University of Michigan golfer, who both shot 149.

“I knew there was a chance because 17, the green is so tough, and 18, just everything about 18 is hard,” Brody said. “Then in the playoff I don’t feel like I hit a bad putt. It just lipped out and that’s golf. I had a real solid round today. I think it was my first bogey-free round in a GAM tournament, and I know I left a few shots out there.”

Both Dy and Brody qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur in Los Angeles in midAugust.

GAM GAM CHAMPIONSHIP: CHAMPIONSHIP: August Meekhof August Meekhof Makes History With Makes History With Repeat Win Repeat Win

August Meekhof became the first golfer to win back-to-back GAM Championships in 39 years at Travis Pointe Country Club on August 1.

The MSU golfer from Eastmanville shot a final round 5-under 66 for a 7-under 206 total, two shots clear of the field in the 102nd GAM Championship. He also became the 13th golfer to win consecutive GAM titles and the 10th Michigan golfer to have won the GAM title and the Michigan Amateur Championship in the same summer.

“That’s awesome,” he said when told he had made some history. “It means a lot. These events are always so hard to win, so if I’m putting myself in contention pretty much in every event I’m pretty happy with that.”

Yuqi Liu of Ann Arbor, a University of Michigan golfer who led by three shots after the second round, shot a closing 73 for 208 and second place.

“I started off pretty strong and then some bad breaks. Tried to fight back but in the end was a little short.” Liu said after his round.

Ferris State University golfer Caleb Bond of Williamston and Bryan Haase of Interlochen tied for third at 209. Bond, the freshman of the

year last season in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, shot a closing 67, and Haase shot a second consecutive 71 after an opening 67.

The last golfer to win back-to-back GAM Championships before Meekhof was Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member John Morgan, the GAM Player of the Decade in the 1980s who won in 1983 and ’84. The last golfer to win the GAM Championship and the Michigan Amateur in the same year prior to Meekhof was Jimmy Chestnut in 2008.

The GAM Championship has a rich history. It dates to 1919 with two years in which it wasn’t played during World War II. Past winners include Michigan golf legends like James Standish, Chuck Kocsis, Bud Stevens, Glenn Johnson, and Pete Green, and more recently U.S. Amateur Champion and now professional James Piot, who won the championship twice.

GAM Women’s Four Ball: Joan GAM Women’s Four Ball: Joan Garety, Terry Delcamp and Garety, Terry Delcamp and Grand Valley Duo Win Titles Grand Valley Duo Win Titles

GAM Super Senior Champion: GAM Super Senior Champion: John Morgan John Morgan

John Morgan of Novi lost his big first-round lead with a bad second-round start but managed to hold on and win the 9th GAM Super Senior Championship at Bloomfield Hills Country Club.

Morgan, a Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member, closed with a 3-over 74 to go with a 69 from round one for a 143 total and four-shot win in the championship for golfers ages 65-and-over.

Ada’s Joan Garety and Terry Delcamp, now living in Florida but home in Michigan for a few weeks, teamed up to win the GAM Women’s Four-Ball Senior title for the unprecedented seventh time together.

Also, Megan Miron of Canada and Paula Badino of Argentina, a Grand Valley State University golf team duo living this summer in Allendale, won the GAM Women’s Four-Ball Open Division at Clio Country Club with a sizzling final round of 8-under 64.

The two winning teams of the tournament’s 13th edition will have their names inscribed on the permanent tournament trophy, which is named The Garety/Hiestand Trophy in honor of Garety and fellow Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member Mary Jane Hiestand, who now lives in Florida.

“Terry was fantastic (in the first round), she had four birdies on her own ball and I threw a birdie in there too,” Garety said. “I mean, we were cruising and Terry was rolling. Then (in the final), we had to fight the game and it felt like we were hanging on.”

“I sure let a lot of people back in the tournament,” he said of a bogey, double-bogey and double-bogey start in the final round. “And then I got it together and played 2-under the last 15 holes.”

Stephen Jeske of Birmingham shot a 147 and second place, four behind Morgan.

The victory gave the 66-year-old Morgan his second Super Senior trophy of the year. He won the Super Senior Division in the GAM Senior Match Play Championship earlier this summer.

Letter from the PGA of America President Letter from the PGA of America President

Dear MI Golf Journal Readers,

I’m excited to share another of my updates as I write to you all from my office at the Country Club of Lansing. As you all know, summertime, and more specifically summer golf, in Michigan is truly something special.

It’s been a busy time during the height of the PGA of America’s championship season where we’ve had an amazing few months of championship golf – starting off with Brooks Koepka winning his third Wannamaker at Oak Hill Country Club.

From there, we went to the new home of the PGA in Frisco, Texas for our KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship which saw a playoff duel between Ryder Cup captains won by Steve

Stricker, and most recently a major breakthrough for a budding star on the LPGA Ruoning Yin at our KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol.

With all of these amazing events and a Ryder Cup coming up this September in Rome, it’s undoubtedly going to be a special year for our championships.

While handing trophies to the champions on the 18th green is always special, it's the moments that our PGA Professionals provide that stick with me the most.

From seeing a kid get their first lesson from a PGA Coach at one of our onsite lesson zones, to our PGA Professional staff at all of our incredible venues providing a world class

JohnLindert,CCofLansing

experience for the best golfers in the world, it's truly an honor to be a part of this great association.

Then there’s the play of our Corebridge Financial PGA Teams which shows the world how good of players our PGA Professionals truly are. No more was this more apparent than at the PGA Championship with Michael Block and his “Block Party” thrown at Oak Hill. These are moments that make the hair on the back of your neck stand up and will stay with you forever.

Speaking of special moments, each event also hosted a special day for PGA Jr. League participants that included behind the scenes look at broadcasting, lessons from the players, tours of the facilities and a welcome by the PGA of America Officers. Seeing the passion that these young athletes have for the sport of golf

is something that really lets us know that the game is in a great place going forward.

I hope that you have enjoyed watching our championships to date and are getting fired up for the Ryder Cup. I also hope that you are enjoying your own championships within the game, big or small. No matter what your goals are within the game, a PGA Professional can help you along your journey.

On behalf of the nearly 28,000 PGA Professionals, including the more than 800 in the Michigan PGA Section, we hope that you have a great summer of Michigan Golf !

Sincerely,

John Lindert, PGA President, PGA of America

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS: Barrett TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS: Barrett

Kelpin’s Final Birdie Wins Playoff With Kelpin’s Final Birdie Wins Playoff With Otto Black Otto Black

Barrett Kelpin of Kalamazoo made the final birdie in a battle of birdies, with a putt inside three feet on the second playoff hole to fend off Otto Black of Brighton and win the 31st Tournament of Champions, August 2 at Boyne Mountain Resort.

It was the second Tournament of Champions title (first in 2015) for Kelpin, a 34-year-old mini-tour golfer who had a five-shot lead to start the final round, but had to hold off Black, cart partner for the day, friend and even former mini-tour roommate – who charged relentlessly with an 8-under 64 on the Alpine course to force the sudden-death playoff at 16under 200, seven shots clear of the field. Kelpin pocketed $9,000 with the win.

Kelpin, who shot 69 with key birdies on two of the last three holes of regulation while Black was making three consecutive birdies to close his regulation round, matched birdies with

Black on the first playoff hole (par 5 No. 18), and then made the winning birdie on No. 16, which he had birdied just minutes before in regulation, too.

Black was the 2021 Tournament of Champions winner. Three golfers tied for third at 9under 207 including

defending champion Brett White, who shot a closing 70. Also at 207 were John Seltzer of Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada, who shot a third consecutive 69, and senior pro Jay Jurecic of Crystal Falls, who shot a final 68.

Jurecic was the low senior in the unique tournament that brings together professionals, amateurs, men, women, senior and junior players competing for the Walter Burkemo Trophy. Bradley Smithson of Grand Rapids, an MSU golfer who shot 212, was the low amateur, while Shannon Kennedy of Beverly Hills, also an MSU golfer who shot 219, was the low woman in the tournament.

“He’s a good friend of mine and I knew playing with Otto and Brett (White) that somebody was going to have a hot day,” Kelpin said. “They are both such good players. I’m just glad I hung in there and was able to make some birdies down the stretch. It feels good to persevere.”

40th Year For 40th Year For Traverse City Junior Traverse City Junior Golf Association Golf Association

Before the nationwide First Tee organization was a thought in anyone’s head, there was the Traverse City Junior Golf Association, founded by bay-area local resident Bob Lober.

With its principles of honesty, integrity, respect, confidence, learning and playing by the

rules, good sportsmanship and encouraging families to enjoy the game of golf together, the TCJGA reached a major milestone and enjoyed a 40th season event on July 30 at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa’s Spruce Run golf course.

"I'll be 80 in September, so a little more than half of my life has been Traverse City Junior Golf Association, which has been just an absolute treat for me,” Lober said. “To create what we ' ve been able to do here because of our golf community, the adults, the sponsors, the kids and their families – and my family allowing me to do it."

Lober started coaching golf at Traverse City Central high school in 1983 and wanted to find something for the kids to do in the summertime, to be ready for the fall season. They started with six tournaments in 1984 and watched it grow now to 30-plus, based out of Bay Meadows Family Golf Center. He said that in the early 2000s there were 600 kids in the program, “during the Tiger Woods syndrome.

It was busting at the seams,” he said. Now the program has about 400 boys and girls per year, ranging from elementary school to college players.

"We're able to give a lot of money back to the kids through our college scholarship program, over $400,000 and that's awesome. So yes, we have exceeded our goals,” Lober said.

“Looking back 15 years since my last competitive round in the Traverse City Junior Golf Association it has become increasingly clear the many influences the organization and the people had on my life,” said former player Charlie Olson. “It gave us kids in northern Michigan a chance to play competitive rounds on some of the best golf courses in the Midwest, while also forming life-long friendships. I am incredibly thankful to Bob Lober and the entire staff of the TCJGA for their time and commitment to junior golf. It is no exaggeration that the Traverse City Junior Golf Association has positively impacted thousands of Northen Michigan kids just like me.”

Scott Wilson’s Love for Teaching Scott Wilson’s Love for Teaching Youth in Traverse City Garners Youth in Traverse City Garners Awards and Personal Satisfaction Awards and Personal Satisfaction

Note:storyoriginallypublishedintheGAMMichigan LinksMagazine

ByJohnRetzer

Scott Wilson is helping to turn Traverse City the Cherry Capital of the World into Michigan’s Junior Golf Capital.

As a PGA professional at Bay Meadows Family Golf Course in Traverse City, Wilson has dedicated his career to youth golf.

“We try to introduce the game of golf to as many kids as we possibly can through a variety of different programs based on age and ability levels to make them comfortable playing the game,” Wilson says.

The youngest kids the “Little Juniors,” ages 5 to 8 assemble a few times a month to get acclimated to the golf course while playing with plastic clubs and tennis balls.

“We get them out there to introduce them to what a golf course looks like and how it can be fun; we have a lot of parent interaction with that program,” Wilson says. “From there, if they’re interested, we have summer and fall camps.”

Wilson also has pushed golf into Traverse City area public schools. “Traverse City is a great golf community. We have a ton of help and support from the community, and it really shows with how we have been able to grow the game,” Wilson says.

As Wilson’s players progress,

they are encouraged to join league play. After that, players can advance into tournament play with the Traverse City Junior Golf Association.

“We have events here in Traverse City all summer long so they can get playing experience and hopefully be ready for high school golf. They will have valuable experience and good fundamentals and from there hopefully will go all the way through high school golf and into college,” Wilson says.

Over the years, Wilson’s charges have earned

nine Michigan High School Athletic Association state individual medals; 32 All-State honors; and the 2016, 2017, and 2018 Miss Golf awards. Dozens of his players have gone on to collegiate programs.

Still, Wilson says, it is really about growing the game.

“Our mission statement is to inspire a lifelong love for the game one shot at a time,” he says.

Wilson’s efforts have garnered national attention. In 2019, he was awarded the PGA of America’s Youth Player Development Award for “extraordinary and exemplary contributions and achievements in the area of youth player development.”

The national award was the capstone to a score of others, including multiple Michigan Section and Northern Michigan PGA Youth Player

Development Awards. Wilson also has been recognized four times on the Golf Digest “Best Teachers in Your State” list.

A golf lifer, Wilson learned to play as a kid at Clearbrook Golf Club in Saugatuck. During the summer, Wilson says, “I pretty much spent all day at the course.”

Golf also gave Wilson his first job.

“When I got old enough, I started picking range balls,” Wilson says. “Then I got a little older and started washing carts and doing backroom stuff. I continued to

play golf and compete in tournaments, and by the time I was in high school, theymoved me into the golf shop.”

Wilson graduated from Ferris State University and went right to work as a golf professional.

“I sold shoes at J.C. Penney for a couple of winters on the weekends when I was at Ferris, and it is the only job I have had outside of golf. But that is also where I met my wife, so it worked out pretty well.”

After more than 20 years as director of instruction at Crystal Mountain resort, Wilson moved to Bay Meadows Family Golf Course. He has been there since 2016.

Bay Meadows is five minutes from downtown Traverse City. Owned by longtime PGA professional Mike Husby, the facility offers a nine-hole regulation course, a nine-hole par 3, a driving range, and practice areas. It also is home to the Bay Meadows Learning Center.