Michigan Golf Journal October 2023

Editor’sLetter

Sadly, we must realize that soon the golf courses in Michigan will shut down for a long winter’s nap – so we turn our eyes south to the famous golf-stocked island of Hilton Head: The Golf Island. One of my favorite golf trips was to Hilton Head about 5 years ago and it still conjures up great memories. I need to get back there, and maybe it’s time you give it a try.

Once next summer arrives, you might be looking for a new golf adventure. We reviewed two solid resorts in the land of 10,000 lakes – and while I was in Minnesota, I spoke with Cragun’s Resort golf designer TomLehman,formerWorldNo.1and currentPGATourChampionsmember. I think you’ll enjoy the Q&A.

In October we also cover:

The rising popularity of golf and the ongoing challenge of finding enough workers to fill jobs led to the creation of a special program in Michigan to train future golf course superintendents

For the third time in three years, a Michigan golfer won a USGA national event. We celebrate Kimberly Dinh of Midland capturing the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur in early September

The girls high school state tournament will soon be upon us, so we have listed some of the season’s best highlights in preparation…and

Lots of other

Michigan

news pieces

Thank you for joining us.

TomLang Editorand Publisher

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HiltonHead

TomLehmanQ&A

As a lead up to the high school state finals on Oct. 20-21, we share some of the top highlights from the regular season:

High School Girls Golf Highlights High School Girls Golf Highlights

Insider’s Guide to a Golf Trip to Insider’s Guide to a Golf Trip to Hilton Head, America’s Golf Island Hilton Head, America’s Golf Island

The Hilton Head Island region, with its 26 courses spread over Beaufort, Bluffton and Jasper counties, gives Michigan golfers plenty of championship-caliber layouts to choose from when heading to the U.S. mid-South – and the perfect time to visit the Lowcountry is the midto-late fall, with highs in the 70s in November and 60s in December. Winter brings highs in the 50s and 60s with plenty of sunshine.

Transporting from our Great Lakes State to “Hilton Head, America’s Golf Island” is easier than ever for have-clubs-will travel Michigan golf lovers. Delta Air Lines offers direct seasonal service from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) to Savanah Hilton Head International Airport (SAV). Additionally, year-round, one-stop flights are

offered on various airlines into both SAV and Hilton Head Island Airport (HHH).

To help kick-start your golf trip planning, here’s a sample itinerary including iconic onisland venues, like The Sea Pines Resort, and upstart off-island options, like Old South Golf Links.

PlanningYourTrip

Using a local expert is absolutely key. Director of Sales Dominic Hausher at Palmetto Dunes

Oceanfront Resort says there are several travel hacks out there that savvy traveling golfers can follow to have an unforgettable Hilton Head Golf Island trip. For one, start with accommodations with March to mid-May and

PhotoCredit:RobTiptonandTheSeaPinesResort

September to mid-November as the best timing.

“I recommend building a golf plan around your budget,” says Hausher. “For budget-conscious golf groups, November and early December feature the best rates on golf and course conditions are still great. There is affordability from January to mid-March, but the days are shorter. Peak rates are in the March to mid-May and September to mid-November.”

He also points out that if you’re from Michigan and don’t mind highs that dip below 70, you can get the best rates on lodging and golf in late November and December. January through President’s Day are fairly slow, but the days are much shorter – so the 27 and 36-hole days are basically out of the question. Course maintenance generally takes place from midMay into August.

HowBesttoPlay America’sGolf IslandItinerary

DayOne

Those arriving at “The Golf Island” via the north end and Business 278 will immediately come upon Oyster Reef Golf Club. Opened in 1982, this scenic Rees Jones-designed layout was recognized by Golf Digest as one of the best new courses in the U.S.

Tipping out at 7,000

yards with a 139-slope rating, Oyster Reef continues to beguile experienced players while also appealing to average and novice golfers with its spectacular setting. Jones returned in 2018 to lead a full-scale bunker renovation project, restoring the course to its circa 1982 splendor.

If you missed a meal in transit, grab a muchneeded bite to eat and a cold beer at the LagerHead Tavern, which showcases Southern comfort food with a twist. Local favorites include slow-smoked Smithfield ham and grilled oysters plucked from the nearby May River.

DayTwo

Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III is the newest Continuesonnextpage>>

OysterReefGolfClub

course at The Sea Pines Resort, having opened in 2016. It was forged from what was once the oldest course on Hilton Head Island, the resort’s Ocean Course. Love Golf Design, led by Scot Sherman and Mark Love, restored the property’s coastal aesthetic, restoring natural dune lines and adding coquina shells and native seaside grasses.

Stick around Sea Pines in the afternoon for a round on Heron Point by Pete Dye, formerly the Sea Marsh Course. Dye returned in 2014 to oversee a series of enhancements, including softening green surrounds and contours, enlarging several putting surfaces and adding new ornamental landscape.

DayThree

No Sea Pines experience is complete without a round at famed Harbour Town Golf Links, home of the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage. This Dye/Nicklaus collaboration epitomizes Lowcountry course design replete with live

oak-lined corridors, diminutive greens and Dye’s trademark bulkheads lining languid lagoons.

AtlanticDunesHole15

HarbourTownGolfLinksHole17

Walking off the 16th green and toward the tee box on the par-3 17th, the Calibogue Sound comes into view with yachts and sailboats passing leisurely by. Harbour Town culminates with one of America’s most famous finishing holes, the par-4 18th playing into the iconic Harbour Town Lighthouse (the cover shot, credit Rob Tipton and The Sea Pines Resort).

Post-round, settle in for a signature cocktail at Links, an American Grill, in the stunning new Harbour Town Clubhouse. If it is remotely close to dinner (or not), order up one of Links’ signature filet, strip, or porterhouse steaks.

DayFour

The Robert Trent Jones Course at Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort is widely considered the island’s No. 2 pitcher, drawing upon a baseball analogy. Having opened in 1967 just two years before Harbour Town, the two courses’ histories are inexorably linked.

Jones’ former protégé Roger Rulewich updated the course in 2002, elevating the fairway on the signature par-5 10th hole for even better views of the Atlantic Ocean. Credited with designing the majority of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Rulewich spent considerable time reworking every tee box and green.

Before heading out for an afternoon round on Palmetto Dunes’ George Fazio Course, make time for a hearty lunch at Big Jim’s BBQ, Burgers & Pizza at the Robert Trent Jones Course clubhouse. Big Jim’s is open seven days a week serving three meals a day, making it easy for golfers to grab a bite whenever it’s convenient.

The George Fazio Course is Hilton Head Island’s only par-70, and with a slope of 144 from the 6,873-yard back tees, it’s considered by many to be the most difficult resort course on the island. With just two par 5s and a series of meaty par 4s, proper tee selection is paramount.

PalmettoDunesJones

ExtendedStayandPlay

Many northern golfers like to hang their golf hat and stay for a while after making the trek south. For an extended stay, the Bluffton area just off the island is a veritable golf destination unto itself. Start with Old South Golf Links, one of the region’s best kept secrets when it comes to pure Lowcountry golf. Designed by local golf course architect Clyde Johnston, Old South is the only area public course playing along the Intracoastal Waterway.

The front and back nine views, with MacKay Creek and the Calibogue Sound in the distance, are among the best in the region and are a great way to welcome your golf group to the Lowcountry.

Hilton Head National, located just a smooth 3wood from Old South, has long been considered one of the region’s best public venues. The design is a Gary Player/Bobby Weed collaboration, with PGA Tour design consultant Weed crafting the front nine and the Black Knight the back.

Weed’s nine presents larger greens with more severe undulations, while Player’s nine offers

smaller, flatter putting surfaces. A handful of holes require forced carries over water, but there are ample opportunities to play the ball on the ground.

For those on an even longer extended golf trip or those who prefer fitting in even more golf, be sure and check out

on-island courses like the Palmetto Hall Golf and Country Club (Bob Cupp course and the recently renovated Arthur Hills course), Golden Bear Golf Club and Dolphin Head Golf Club, and off-island courses like The Legends at Parris Island, Fripp Island Resort (36 holes), Pinecrest Golf Club, Island West Golf Club and Sun City (54 holes).

WheretoStay

For sheer convenience on the island, it’s hard to top a rental home or villa at The Sea Pines Resort or Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort. These vacation residences are fully-appointed with all the amenities of home, including flat screen TVs, washers and dryers, wireless internet and fullyequipped kitchens. Hilton Head Island also offers beachfront hotels at The Westin, Marriott and Sonesta.

DiningandNightlife

There are more than 250 restaurants on Hilton Head Island covering the spectrum from local watering holes to fine dining establishments. The island is well known for its many fresh seafood dining options, so make sure to visit the exquisite Lowcountry waterfront dining options at Skull Creek Boathouse or Skull Creek Dockside.

NATIONAL CHAMPION: Midland’s Kimberly NATIONAL CHAMPION: Midland’s Kimberly

Dinh Wins U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Dinh Wins U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur

"In college (at Wisconsin), I never really played in any USGA events, mostly because by the time the summer came around, I was burned out and I didn't want to travel,” she said. “So having an opportunity to compete in a USGA championship after grad school, after college, has been awesome, and to win it, just incredible.”

Dinh, who trailed in the match from the fifth hole through the 13th, tied the match by winning 12 and 13 with pars and 14 with a birdie. She lost hole 15 with a bogey, then won 16 with a bogey to tie the match again when Chugg made double bogey.

Dinh then took the lead for the first time at 17 with a conceded birdie-2 on the par 3, and then birdied the final hole with a nine-foot putt to secure the 2-up victory.

byGregJohnsonandMaryJoGreen

Midland’s Kimberly Dinh rallied from a 3-down deficit by winning six of the final seven holes to claim the 36th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship in September.

The 31-year-old associate research scientist at DOW Chemical and the GAM Women’s Player of the Year the last two years beat Kelsey Chugg of Salt Lake City, Utah, the 2017 champion, 2-up in the title match on the North Course at Stonewall.

“To lose a couple holes pretty quickly was a little bit frustrating, but I just kind of dug deep and never really panicked,” said Dinh. “Kelsey was playing great golf, but both of us were going to make mistakes at some point, so I just kind of had to weather that and keep playing. I said to myself, ‘I’ll keep putting one good swing on the ball after another and see where it takes me.’”

Dinh had reached the round of 16 and the quarterfinals in her first two trips to the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. The 2021 Michigan Women’s Amateur champion and a two-time GAM Women's Mid-Amateur champion, Dinh said she has learned from her previous golf experiences how to handle being behind.

Dinh’s emotions bubbled to the surface when she was asked about her family and friends in the gallery, including an aunt who had departed for Indianapolis only to turn around and return as her niece advanced through to the final match.

“I really enjoy them being out following me,” she said. “They have been supportive of me through my entire golf journey.”

The following day, Dinh had a presentation to make at work – so back to business as normal.

For the victory Dinh received the traditional

USGA gold medal, custody of the Mildred Gardineer Prunaret Trophy for the next year, exemptions into the next 10 U.S. Women’s MidAmateur Championships, exemptions into the 2024 and 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships and an exemption into the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open Championship, her bucket list event.

Dinh made it three straight national titles for Michigan. Kim Moore of Portage won the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open last summer, and James Piot of Canton became Michigan’s first U.S. Amateur Champion in 2021.

Team USA Captured 2023 Hickory Team USA Captured 2023 Hickory Grail Matches Grail Matches

Team USA defeated Team Europe 18-10 in early September in The Hickory Grail, one of the world's premier hickory club events. The threeday Ryder Cup-style event played at northern Michigan’s Belvedere Golf Club matched 14 of the most passionate hickory players from the United States against those from Great Britain/Europe in the oldest international hickory match in golf.

The Hickory Grail was founded in the year 2000 by American’s Ralph Livingston III and Tom Stewart, both hickory pioneers and experts, along with Scotland’s David Hamilton, one of today's premier golf historians. The biennial event is conducted under the auspices of The British Golf Collectors Society, with current membership of 700+ members in Great Britain, America and around the world. The tournament is noted for selecting many of the world’s most prestigious historical courses for its venues. Among them are St. Andrews; Baltustrol; Kilspindie, Scotland and Falsterbo GK, Sweden.

Belvedere is the only club in the U.S. to have as many as 44 antique hickory club players and hosts Hickory tournaments annually including the Belvedere Hickory Open since 2006 and in 2019 hosted the national U.S. Hickory Open.

Competitors dress in appropriate apparel, including knickers, ties, and jackets.

Belvedere, with its classic parkland layout designed William Watson in 1925, has always been considered the perfect venue for hickory club play. Belvedere was named 2016 Michigan Course of the Year by the Michigan Golf Course Owners Association, and has hosted the Michigan Amateur 40 times. Beginning in 1963, Belvedere hosted the event for 26 consecutive years. The 41st hosting of the Michigan Amateur at Belvedere will come in 2025, the club’s centennial year. The course has long been a favorite of many golf greats, including legend Walter Hagen, who won the first Great Lakes Open at Belvedere, and fivetime British Open winner Tom Watson, who as a youngster honed his game playing summers at Belvedere. He remains a member today and calls the short par-four 16th hole one of the great par fours in America.

For information about Belvedere Golf Club visit www.belvederegolfclub.com.

Golf Course Maintenance Technician is a New Golf Course Maintenance Technician is a New U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship

ByTomLang

It’s often said that the hardest jobs are some of the most rewarding.

Golf course superintendents and greenskeepers say that as often or more times than in any other industry.

The problem is, there are not enough of them in Michigan to care for and feed our golf appetite at the massive number of courses found in the Great Lakes State. The workforce obstacles were exasperated twofold by the Covid pandemic – the overall workforce became depleted, and the popularity of the sport of golf exploded in a high trajectory – all at the same time.

In the spring of 2022, the Michigan Golf Course Association, in coordination with the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity and U.S. Department of Labor, announced at The Lynx Golf Course in Otsego the creation of

a new Registered Apprenticeship program: Golf Course Maintenance Technician. Through this Registered Apprenticeship program, interested candidates can further their agronomy education, work alongside field

experts to gain on-the-job learning, and gain a national occupation credential. It’s a great way to expose new people to the career in general, and act as a way for golf courses to get more help more quickly. Much of the education portion is on-line training, augmented by hands-on mentorship at the golf course.

“A driving mechanism for us was the transition going on within the golf industry… that we need more qualified superintendents,” Lynx Golf Course owner Jim Szilagyi told me. “Michigan State hasn’t had as many participants or graduates in the turf program.

“There’s just not a lot of qualified help in the pipeline for superintendents, and we were going through that ourselves last year.”

The Lynx superintendent at the time had been in the business for 35 years and was ramping up for retirement.

“The need for the program came along as we were interviewing so we thought it would be a good thing for helping ourselves at our course, and for helping our industry as a whole,” said Szilagyi, who in his late teens worked three years on the grounds crew at the course his father managed. “We need to develop people who are interested and passionate about golf and about the business of golf at all levels.

“The number one thing in golf is good conditions, greens and tees, and to improve the players’ experience.”

After Lynx Golf Course raised its hand first, other Michigan courses have joined in to help advance this type of education and mentorship: Boyne’s Bay Harbor and Highlands at Harbor Springs, Gull Lake View Resort, Scott Lake Golf and Practice Center (which initially signed on with The Lynx), Raisin Valley and The Emerald in St. Johns. Redwater Golf is the newest

property to join the program.

“The need for qualified people in the golf industry is critical. The turf programs around the country are trying to keep up, but it is clear there is a more immediate need to help facilities equip their employees on staff with the information they need to grow into a more managerial position,” said Adam Ikamas, Executive Director of Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association.

“This program will help fill that need for so many courses around the state that simply have no other options right now. Hopefully, this can provide an avenue for loyal and dedicated staff members or new hires with some agronomy background to further their education and possibly pursue a career in the golf industry.”

Learn more here: https://michigangca.org/programs/rap

Lynx Golf Lynx Golf Course a Course a Natural Natural

High-endpublic golffoundin AlleganCounty

ByTomLang

Since relocating to west Michigan a couple years ago, I have had the chance to sample more courses outside of the metro Detroit area.

The Lynx Golf Course is one of those pleasant surprises.

Nestled on land high above and down along the mighty Kalamazoo River, the Lynx is a beautiful course in a very natural setting, sans two holes and one cart ride with condos along the way but which are pushed back from the playing area.

Hole No. 1 leads off with a great example of what golfers will find on their day. The fairway first appears flat and boring, but hit it to the end of the fairway and you’re faced with a 75foot elevation drop to the green. Beware, however, that going long over that green, and many others and you’ll find big trouble.

The second hole, also a par 4, has a nicely elevated tee box starting the hole which has a

Get to hole number 3 and the view widens to the more open part of the golf course – tree lined but more appropriately called tree outlined on holes 3-6.

Holes 4 and 7 each have a large tree just right of center of the fairway that has to be factored in with your tee shot to make sure the way is clear for the approach to the green.

The two par 5s on the front (holes 5 and 8), are both uphill to elevated greens, so from the tips at 526 and 488 yards, respectively, they are a little more beastly compared to the other holes.

In general, the Lynx has a fair number of blind shots, so playing it a couple times will make golfers more aware of the intricacies of the layout.

I played the front nine with Cathy Ptacek (and her husband) of Allegan and couldn’t have had more fun – a classic definition of how golfers can meet at the first tee as total strangers but

during the round have a very enjoyable time together.

“I think the Lynx is very lady friendly,” Cathy told me. “Especially from the forward tees. I

think it’s around just 4,450 yards, so as long as you have a good tee shot, the holes play pretty well.

“I think it’s very peaceful here,” she added. “I

like that there’s not a lot of condos or houses around, except for a couple holes on the front, and the rest is pretty much just nature, so I like that a lot. I like the back nine the best. I think it’s a little bit more picturesque, with the river running through it. There’s a couple dog leg lefts but they play really nice and it’s laid out well.”

Unfortunately, I had to call it a day after nine holes but based on Cathy’s comments and what I saw on the front, I’d say a return trip to experience all 18 will be well worth the drive.

Srixon ZX MKII Srixon ZX MKII Metals Review Metals Review

ByJoeyKurtz,MilesofGolfClubFitter

Srixon has unveiled its latest metals line-up, the ZX MK II. These new metals offer a clean classic look in a modern design, creating a driver built for the casual player and tour professional alike.

ZXMKIIDrivers

While most drivers have one flex zone, these models feature the Rebound Frame which has two. Like a spring within a spring, Rebound Frame elevates COR across the face for increased ball speed. And that extra ball speed leads to more distance off the tee. While the new Star Frame Crown utilizes a complex series of ridges and latticework to provide the structural integrity necessary to feature a remarkably thin titanium crown. This new, ultralight design gives Srixon the freedom to place discretionary mass where it best suits each ZX Mk II Driver’s ideal launch and spin characteristics.

DriverThoughts:

I played the prior model of ZX7 for the better part of 2 seasons and I can say without question that this driver instantly has put Srixon on the map. The driver is fast but forgiving and along with the addition of LS, they now have heads for every player. If you are in the market for a new driver, these are worth a try during a fitting or just hitting them on the range, this lineup will be a top competitor for 2023.

ZXMKIIFairways

As we know, long game versatility is critical. The new ZX MK II Fairways carry as much power off the deck as they do off a tee, giving you ball speed and great distance wherever you need it. They feature a stronger Rebound Frame design with dual flex zones to deliver a purer energy transfer from club face through the ball, enhancing distance on every shot. A stepped crown lowers the clubhead’s Center of

aising launch trajectory ts off the deck, with more

reat for everyone. During I took away was the airway as high or low as of speed and forgiveness. ll be great for all levels of great distance and height. at wants to try and find of distance, forgiveness, X MK II might just be the be found at: golf.com/srixon-zx-mkii-

Family-Focused Cragun’s Resort, Family-Focused Cragun’s Resort, a Minnesota Beauty a Minnesota Beauty

ByTomLang

Stories about buddies’ trips for men or women are often found throughout golf publications –including the pages of MI Golf Journal from time to time.

Yet I could not be happier to share this story about golf trip ideas for families – a.k.a. Cragun’s Resort in Brainerd, Minnesota. It’s not to say that buddies cannot enjoy Cragun’s, especially if they also wish to add boating and fishing to the daily menu, two huge staples on beautiful Gull Lake, a freshwater lake of nearly 10,000 acres of relaxing and serene pure Minnesota.

Golf was added to the family-owned, familyfocused resort in the 1990s when Robert Trent Jones, Jr. was invited to design 36 holes. The course hosts a PGA Tour Canada event each summer, as well as state and junior tournaments. One of those events had Thomas Lehman in the field, the son of PGA Tour golfer and former World No. 1, Tom Lehman.

As the elder Lehman followed his son’s play, he was taking several mental notes on how unusual and penal he thought some holes were that could use some updating. One thing led to another and the owner, Minnesota resort legend Dutch Cragun, who is now in his 90s, after taking over the resort out of college from his father, sat down with Lehman. Before anyone realized what was happening, Lehman was asked to redesign the original holes. Then Lehman went one better.

He returned with a proposal but added a bonus a second routing option of all new holes that in the end gives the resort the Lehman 18 to accompany the Dutch 27 (Red, White and Blue nines).

Lehman weaved a few of the former holes into his new 18 called the Lehman 18, in all building 13 completely new holes, redesigning all the rest that includes a third 9 (Red) that’s currently under construction. When done in late 2024 the Dutch course will have 27 holes for

LehmanHole4

a total of 45 holes, plus the original par 3 course across the road.

The two courses are all in proximity and rest on similar landforms, but they are nothing alike in look or feel. The Dutch is more tree-lined, but it’s not confining. The rebuild and hole additions were part of a $17 million project.

While the Dutch is designed in tight circles near the clubhouse, Lehman was given license to expand golf in an area that’s a large sand dune encircling an expansive, no-public-access lake. Holes 4-13 are heavily influenced by the natural rolling terrain of the dune.

Lehman said at the grand opening press conference that his goal was to make the fairways wide and inviting, with good-sized greens. What he failed to reveal before we took to the course was that the rolling terrain is wide open but contained many sloping areas that if the ball ventures too far off the center of the fairway it can roll down into large ravines. So, what looks large, wide, and inviting is quickly shrunken down in scope for safe landing zones. Overall, it’s gorgeous to look at, and having the land used as God made it is very cool, but your game needs to be on par to stay out of valleys that sometimes create a significant blind shot coming up, or worse yet act as feeders into sand bunkers.

The bunkers on the Lehman 18 are all trimmed in sod face style, but none are taller than three feet as it’s mostly an aesthetic look and a way to

differentiate whether you are on the right course. The Dutch bunkers are trimmed in tall fescue grass that can be a worse hazard than the sand. The players in my foursome lost at least five balls, including one of mine. And speaking of the PGA Tour Canada event – such bunkers are going to whisper to the players ‘take me on.’ The players would be wise not to, as would you.

The greens in this same stretch of totally new holes on the Lehman 18 are undulating and have some fun little valleys and plateaus that are part challenge, part visually interesting, and partially used to drain water (and golf balls) off the greens.

Brainerd‘Mecca’

I never imagined the Brainerd, Minn. area to be a golf hotbed, but thanks to the beautiful recreational Gull Lake in the center of the region bringing in tourists and summer homeowners – mostly from Minneapolis/St. Paul – for decades, golf courses kept popping up. In total, there are about a dozen golf courses in the Brainerd Lakes Area that’s a smaller version of our own Gaylord Golf Mecca.

But non-golfers will have plenty to do. There is boating and fishing (which I tried and completely enjoyed with a guide). Lots of swimming activities along the one-mile sandy beach at Cragun’s is combined with kayaks, wakeboards, water skiing by day, and the optional boat dinner cruise in the evening (where I had easily the best prime rib I’ve tasted in years). The Recreation club, manned by Cragun’s staff, also has tons of activities to keep the kids entertained.

A hotel and new condo-style rentals are available, but the resort has so much deep

family history that many families love bringing their children or grandchildren to stay in the traditional knotty pine-trimmed cabins situated directly on the sandy beach they enjoyed as children. Cabins, hotel, villas, and reunion houses with up to seven bedrooms/six baths provide a wide variety of lodging options.

Dining onsite includes Lakeside Dining, Cabana Café, Legacy Grille at the golf course, and the famous Irma’s Kitchen serving family comfort food as it has for many decades. Irma was Dutch Cragun’s wife, who passed in early 2022, after the two of them built one of the largest family resorts in the state of 10,000 lakes.

More information can be found at www.craguns.com.

PGA Tour Champions competitor Tom Lehman, who grew up 90 minutes from his newest course design at Cragun’s Resort in Brainard, Minnesota, won five times on the PGA Tour and reached World No. 1 in April of 1997. He had three more international wins and won eight times in team and match play special events. In 2000 he won the Open Championship and the TOUR Championship.

YouchosetoplaygolfattheUniversityof Minnesota,notagolfhotbed.Whythatchoice andwhynotgosouth?

Q&A: PGA Tour Q&A: PGA Tour Champions’ Champions’ Tom Lehman Tom Lehman

A:

“I wasn’t recruited at all. My recruiting experience with Minnesota was simply a phone call in the first week of August (after he finished high school) from the coach asking ‘where are you going to go to school?’ And I answered saying I think I’ll enroll in a college called St. Johns (where Lehman’s late father, Jim, was a football star).

“I had thought about going to St. Louis for a school in aeronautical engineering and design, but I didn’t like it. I ended up telling the (Minn.) coach if I could get into the school of Architecture, maybe I’ll go to the University of Minnesota and play golf. So, that phone call took me down to Minneapolis to check out it all out, and the architecture thing didn’t work, but the golf did and the rest is history.”

Q:

CanaBigTenschoolwintheNCAA Championship?

A:

“Well, Minnesota won it one year in the early 2000s (in 2002, played at Ohio State’s course). It was an amazing story. And Ohio State won it when I was in college (1979). Illinois has been one of the top teams in the country for quite a while now but I’m not sure if they have won it all. So, Big Ten schools can compete, but it’s not as easy.”

Q: A:

Italktomanypeoplefromthenorth whodon’twanttogosouth;theythink learningtoplayinbadweathergivesthem anadvantagewhenfacedwithgolf’s challengesinbadweather.

“I agree with that about the conditions. And I might look at golf a little differently, but nobody wants to compete for 12 straight months in a row. You need a break, to take some time off. I kind of feel like some of these northern schools have that built-in break because of the weather from November to February. So, you can use those three months to really accomplish a lot, in terms of training, or using an indoor facility for chipping and putting.

“Whateverthecasemaybe,youcanstillhave

a really strong nine-month competitive season with three months of downtime where you can fix some stuff. When I competed, I don’t want to play from January to December. I need some time off. So, built in time off can be used in a really positive way with the northern schools.”

YouhadfivePGATourwinsand19 runnersup,beingthatclosetomorewins.Are youmorepleasedwithyourselfgetting19 runnersup,orthatyoumadethecut70percent ofthetimeinyourcareer?

those days we’d play 25 tournaments and I’d make 6 cuts. So, starting in ’92, I became a very consistent performer. And I’m proud of that, but I’m way more proud of the quality golf I played in some of the really difficult conditions, the major championships. And then reaching No. 1 in the World, that’s what I am the most proud of than anything.”

Q: A:

Q: A:

“I was pretty steady, and in my best years (1990s) I probably made 85-90 percent of the cuts. Then compared to the shoulder times of just starting, which started way earlier than most people know, right out of college. And back in

Willyoubereturningtoplayin MichiganattheAllyChallenge(wherehehas finishedinthetop10threetimes)?

Giants Ridge Near Minnesota’s Wilderness Giants Ridge Near Minnesota’s Wilderness

Mystery solved.

Golf resort names are always intriguing and Giant’s Ridge, in northern Minnesota near Biwabik, is no exception.

Had there been sightings of the fabled Sasquatch near their two highly acclaimed courses, The Legend and The Quarry? Maybe not, but one might wonder while navigating

The Legend’s par-5 third hole, complete with a collection of bunkers forming a giant-sized ‘footprint’ protecting the sweeping dogleg left. It’s fun to think of mythical creatures looming about, but actually the moniker came from long ago mining days when a large ridge northwest of the area inhabited by the Ojibwa (translated, ‘originalpeople’) called it Missabe-Wachu, or ‘Sleeping Big Man’.

Michiganders continually marvel at the remote and vastly unspoiled wilderness comprising our Upper Peninsula, but flying through Minneapolis to Duluth then driving to Biwabik, anyone can appreciate our western neighbor’s similar claim to fame. Lush landscapes, hardwoods, heavy undulations, and cooler weather all contribute to this family-friendly, four-seasons’ resort.

Giants Ridge has something for everyone, but here, golf is king…or queen, since the layouts are nicely playable for women as well. Both courses were included in Golfweek’s ‘Best Courses You Can Play’, and in 2022, Golf Digest bestowed its ‘Editor’s Choice’ award in the Best

PhotoCredit:EvanSchillerPhotography LegendHole17

Golf Resort in the Midwest Golf category. In Minnesota, The Quarry is rated #1 and The Legend, #5.

Architect Jeffrey Bauer designed both courses, but there are some differences. The Quarry was carved from the site of an iron ore mine in addition to the remaining sand quarry. The area has a rich history of towns around the Old Vermillion Trail that came about with the discovery of each new mining strike in the 1800’s – and disappeared just as quickly when entire operations went bust. Ironically, after the War of 1812, if England had bargained better, much of this area would be in Canada. However, the abandoned mines did leave lasting gifts of dramatic opportunities for raised tees and hazards formed from these reclaimed lands. Each hole is named after an area mine, such as Pioneer, Embarrass, and Mary Ellen. Teeing areas are sculpted and generous and range from 5119 yards to a healthy 7301 yards.

The Legend, celebrating its 25th year and still very playable from the 6930-yard back tees, as well as the forwards at 5054, was carved from

the Superior National Forest and plays through towering pines and alongside pristine Sabin Lake. One noteworthy and stunning hole is right on the lake, the par-3 17th, an elevated ‘almost’ island green which is tough to hit from any tee, whether back at the 228-yard Gold Tee or at 137-yards from the forward Red Tee. Take two or three balls because one likely won’t be enough and you’ll want a mulligan.

To enjoy both courses, try the 37-hole special, which includes 18 holes at each course as well as lunch at the Wacootah Grill. At $180 on weekdays and $200 on weekends, it’s a great deal. One fun perk you can also add for $25 is the use of an individual Finn Cycle to tote your bag and ‘freewheel’ your way around the links.

Every outdoor sport imaginable is also available, from summer offerings like boating, fishing, scenic chairlift rides, nature trails, and biking to simple swimming…and Giants Ridge now has the largest lift-served mountain bike park in the Midwest. Fall colors are spectacular, but don’t neglect what comes next: the fall and winter fun at this top-rated Minnesota resort. There are 35 alpine ski runs, miles of cross country skiing, snow tubing, a snowboard park, and snowmobiling trails. The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame is also nearby, in Eveleth.

For more golf information, visit: www.giantsridge.com. Lodging packages are separate; contact: www.villasatgiantsridge.com or call 218.865.4155.

Giant’sRidgeQuarry

PhotoCredit:EvanSchillerPhotography

HOME COURSE HERO: HOME COURSE HERO: Greg Davies Wins GAM Greg Davies Wins GAM Senior Championship Senior Championship

Several times fellow Orchard Lake Country Club members came up to Greg Davies of West Bloomfield and told him he should have a great chance to win the GAM Senior Championship that the club was hosting.

“I started to feel a little pressure from that,” said the 15-year member and four-time club champion.

The pressure didn’t seem to bother Davies as the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member didn’t miss a fairway, missed just one green, shot a 3under 68 and came from behind to win the 37th GAM Senior Championship.

The 55-year-old Davies, a former Michigan Amateur Champion and GAM Mid-Amateur champion playing in his first GAM Senior Championship, started the second round six shots off the lead but a 68 gave him a 1-under 141 total, three shots clear for the win.

Ron Perrine of Holt and Jerry Gunthorpe of Ovid tied for second at 144 – yet Perrine simultaneously won the Super Senior Division for players 65 and over.

OH BROTHER: Pierce, Tait Morrissey Claim GAM Four- Morrissey Claim GAM FourBall Championship Ball Championship

OH BROTHER: Pierce, Tait

Pierce Morrissey said he figured why not round out the summer golf season family style, so he asked his older brother Tait to play with him in the 10th GAM Four-Ball Championship presented by BOYNE Golf at Country Club of Jackson.

“Why not play with someone that I feel comfortable with, that I’ve grown up with and played golf with my entire life,” he said. “I figured this would be a special event to win that way.”

The Morrissey brothers, 22-year-old Pierce who is a senior and golf team member at MSU, and Tait, 24, a Northville resident, put together a 9-under 63 on the Marsh and Pines nines to win both the afternoon wave and the overall championship.

A field of 70-two-golfer teams was split between morning and afternoon waves.

The Morrissey brothers put together nine birdies and edged Andrew Tindall of Chelsea and Nick Jallos of Plymouth, who each made four birdies to shoot 8-under 64. Gary Even Owen of Ann Arbor and Ronald Owen of Dexter, who teamed up for a 7-under 65, finished third in the afternoon wave.

Lori Schlicher Rallies, Wins Lori Schlicher Rallies, Wins Michigan Women’s Senior Michigan Women’s Senior Amateur Amateur

Lori Schlicher of Lewiston has let victory slip through her fingers before, but this time she got a good grip on it and won the 19th Michigan Women’s Senior Amateur Championship at Sugar Springs Golf Club.

Schlicher, who recently turned 62, rallied from a 2-down deficit and beat defending champion and three-time winner Julie Massa of Pentwater 1-up in the final match to win a GAM state tournament for the first time.

“I feel like the whole difference in my game is that I can make putts now and before I struggled with my putter, well, for my whole life,” she said after accepting the Jean Murray Trophy. “Happy birthday to me. It’s nice to win. I always thought I could do it.”

Massa won the first two holes of the match and maintained at least a 1-up lead through 15 holes, before Schlicher’s rally started. She went birdie-birdie to tie the match then took a 1-up lead at 17 with a par when Massa made bogey.

Drew Miller, Elise Fennell

Drew Miller, Elise Fennell

Win GAM Junior Win GAM Junior Invitational Titles Invitational Titles

Drew Miller of East Lansing built a big lead and Elise Fennell of Caledonia had to fend off a future college teammate to win the overall boys’ and girls’ titles in the 11th GAM Junior Invitational Championship at Forest Akers West Golf Course on October 1.

Miller followed up a first-round 66 with a 4under 68 for a 10-under 134 total to win by eight shots. Will Preston, who shot a final 74 after an opening 68, finished second at 142.

Fennell shot a 73 to close after a 70 in the firstround and with her 1-under 143 total finished two shots clear of Jessica Jolly, who shot 74 for 145.

Miller is a senior at East Lansing High planning to sign with the MSU golf program soon. Fennell, who is a senior at East Kentwood, said it was super fun to battle Jolly, a senior at Rockford. Both are planning to sign with Illinois State University. Ironically, Jolly won and Fennell finished second in the GAM Junior Kickoff Tournament at the start of the summer.

Adaptive Golf Opens Doors Adaptive Golf Opens Doors and Playing Opportunities and Playing Opportunities

ByTomLang

The glitz and excitement of the PGA Tour Champions’ Ally Challenge presented by McLaren played in August is over, but one of its biggest contributions took place on Monday of that week without a single golf fan on site.

McLaren hosted an Adaptive Golf Clinic on the range and practice putting area for people challenged with a wide variety of physical challenges, such as cerebral palsy, amputations, and Multiple Sclerosis.

“McLaren and the Ally Challenge really stepped

it up this year and really helped to grow the program for the future in our area,” said Tracy Ramin, National Amputee Golf Association executive director, and Captain of the U.S. ParaGolf team. “We expanded to 30 participants this year, up from 18 last year.

“You can see it looking up and down the range here everyone is excited to strike the golf ball. Some players haven’t done that in 30 years because they didn’t have the devices or the proper training to get back out there on the course. I always say golf is a great way to get outside.”

One of those was Jim Delair of Grand Blanc. He said he played golf most of his life, but contracted primary progressive MS four years ago. Delair’s main goal at the clinic was to try out one of the specialized carts that holds the body in place and allows people to stand more upright. He said some Flint area courses offer them.

A teenager from Clarkston, Allison Thurman, had watched her dad and sister play golf before,

but her true interest was heightened when she watched the first USGA Adaptive Open from Pinehurst in 2022.

Her father, Mike, said that peaked her interest even more.

“I think the biggest emotion is pride,” he said about his response to his daughter’s efforts in all areas. “Everything she does is a challenge. But she competes on her high school track team with a race wheelchair, she plays Mirical League Baseball; so with Allison, she never gives up. She’s always trying hard to succeed at everything she does. She said, ‘dad, I want to go play golf.’”

Allison was born with cerebral palsy that affects her lower extremities and weakens her core strength. She’s unable to stand on her own. She can use a walker or crutches but needs some form of assistance. Seeing the adaptive golf carts at the Ally Challenge event cemented in her that this sport was a possible option.

Ramin, of Montrose, became an adaptive golfer because of a tragic accident on I-75 when he was 24 years old. It took half of his left leg, but with about a dozen surgeries over the years he’s turned it into a positive experience to help others overcome such challenges to still play golf. He is a national leader for adaptive golf and played in the 2022 USGA Adaptive Open, a concept he helped create.

Ramin was joined by others as coaches at the Monday clinic, like: Kim Moore of Battle Creek, who won the women’s division of the USGA Adaptive Open in 2022, and Brian Bemis of the Country Club of Lansing who lost a leg to cancer as a teenager. Seven nationally renowned adaptive golf coaches and trainers also came in for the event.

Ramin runs 38 events on a national adaptive golf tour.

“So many times we’ll go to a place (to hold the event) and they don’t know what to expect,” he said. “But when we get there the response is, ‘oh, this is amazing. We want to get you guys back again.’”

He said each event typically begins in the first year with 3-7 adaptive golfers. Those are growing each year to 20 or more players.

“This is so rewarding,” Ramin added. “To see the joy on people’s faces when they are able to get out and do something and know there is still a chance at life. I played with a guy this summer who hadn’t been out to play until he got a solo rider three years ago. It was life changing. You could see it in his face. Now he plays golf three days a week. He wasn’t doing much before that, but golf really opens doors for folks.”

Cody Haughton Wins Cody Haughton Wins Mich PGA Match Play Mich PGA Match Play

Debbie Williams-Hoak is Debbie Williams-Hoak is New Executive Director New Executive Director

Debbie WilliamsHoak is the new Executive Director for the high school coaches’ association.

Cody Haughton of Red Run Golf Club in Royal Oak held off two-time past champion Scott Hebert of Traverse City Golf & Country Club to win the Michigan PGA Section Match Play Championship at Country Club of Lansing.

Hebert, a Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member, rallied from a 3-down deficit with birdies at holes 14 and 15, but Haughton held him off and was conceded the 18th hole for a 2-up final-match win and his first major Michigan PGA title.

“It’s nice to finally get it done and get a win,” said the 33-year-old Haughton who has been one of the section’s top players in recent years and is in his 10th year at Red Run. “I’ve won the (Eastern) chapter championship, and I’ve been close in the (Michigan PGA Professional Championship) a few times. It’s always a goal to win. I always want to go out there and do my best, try to compete and put myself in contention. This is definitely my biggest professional win.”

Williams-Hoak has coached golf at Saline High School since 2008 and served on the MIGCA Board

for the past seven years, including most recently as Board President.

Williams-Hoak says she intends to build on the success of her predecessors, and work to strengthen the Association through relationshipbuilding with coaches and school administrators. Her priorities for the organization include a focus on scoring integrity, and working with the MHSAA to revamp the process for regional assignments.

“As Executive Director of the MIGCA, I am the voice of the Board of Directors, the golf coaches, and the student athletes,” said Williams-Hoak, who formerly played on the LPGA Tour. “I am willing to provide brave and bold leadership to accomplish whatever task needs to be done so that our Association is providing everything a coach and student athlete needs to be successful, and create lifelong positive memories, and to do so with the highest-degree of integrity. This is a tremendous honor and privilege and I am very grateful for this opportunity.”