ROUNDING THE FAIRWAYS CENTRAL MICHIGAN | a look

Text: Brenna Buckwald

Easily accessible to golfers traveling from all corners of Michigan, Mt. Pleasant and its surrounding area o ers exciting golf courses, unique dining experiences, educational and entertaining festivals, and a distinct downtown scene surrounded by nature parks for outdoor exploration. Mt. Pleasant is also home to Central Michigan University and Soaring Eagle Casino, making it easy to nd adventures both on and o the course.

PLAY

PohlCat Golf Course

6595 EAST AIRPORT RD | MT. PLEASANT, MICHIGAN First opened in 1992, PohlCat Golf Course was designed by former PGA Tour professional and Mt. Pleasant native Dan Pohl. e par-72 course is built over and around the meandering 100-foot-wide Chippewa River, o ering a unique playing experience and view on each of the 18 holes.

“ e whole key was to establish a golf course that t into this piece of property like a glove. [We] didn’t have to move a ton of dirt and create visuals, you are going to get them just because it is a nice piece of property,” Pohl said.

“ e goal as a designer was to create a fun, challenging, and visually stimulating golf course. It forces you to hit good shots; it really is an iron player’s golf course. It has some holes where it is wide open and then it has some that are narrow. e whole goal was to create a golf course that every style of golfer t; it didn’t hit one segment of the gol ng public, it hit everybody,” Pohl added. e practice facility at PohlCat is expansive, o ering a driving range, chipping green, and two putting greens, designed to give golfers the opportunity to practice the shots they would be making out on the golf course.

At any point during the day, golfers can stop at the Den Bar & Grill for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. With a menu stacked full of gourmet burgers, wraps, and sandwiches, guests can dine-in and watch the two at-screen TVs, or eat outside on the veranda, soaking up sun and overlooking the 18th hole of the golf course. e bar also has a selection of specialty PohlCat mixed drinks.

“One thing that I tried to do when I rst came back and got involved with this, is I wanted to make sure that everybody knew that it wasn’t a competition with the other courses. If we bring people to the community and we give them an opportunity to look at all the things that Central Michigan and the Mt. Pleasant area have to o er, then they can make their own judgement,” Pohl said.

Pohl noted he values supporting the community and making sure his guests are having a good time, even if it means they’re experiencing other businesses outside of PohlCat. He is con dent that the PohlCat course is a unique enough experience that visitors can play other courses in Mt. Pleasant and will still choose to make PohlCat part of their next golf trip in the area.

“I was born and raised in Mt. Pleasant. ere are not a lot of golf courses that you would go to where the namesake who built it and played the [PGA] Tour is potentially being seen there a lot. I do a lot of autographs, I do a ton of pictures—a lot of people come in and say, ‘is that Dan Pohl guy here?’ and they’re asking me,” Pohl said.

“ ere is a connection that I love that I think ties me to the city of Mt. Pleasant, that ties me to the facility itself, and that makes this a little more unique. When you come into our Den and our pro shop, there is memorabilia and stu that shows some of the highlights of my career—people I played with, from the Glen Campbells and guys like that over the years—it is unique. As far as just this golf course, this is a hidden gem. If a golfer comes here and plays, he knows that he has played a really good golf course,” Pohl said.

Bucks Run Golf Club

1559 SOUTH CHIPPEWA RD. | MT. PLEASANT, MICHIGAN “We’re a big public course with everything that a resort would o er, without the lodging,” said Emily Rohdy, PGA Head Professional at Bucks Run Golf Club.

Bucks Run Golf Club o ers a full championship 18-hole course, as well as many of the amenities of a private club or resort. An 18,000-square-foot clubhouse with a walkaround balcony allows guests fresh air and panoramic views of the outdoors, and also houses a spacious banquet center inside, where the club hosts many events such as weddings and golf outings, as well as e Quarry Grill, a full-service restaurant. Guests can also dine outside on patios overlooking Lake Fisher.

Bucks Run Golf Shop, where golfers can refresh their golf bag with new equipment and purchase new golf apparel and accessories, is also located inside the clubhouse.

“You won’t nd too many courses in our local area that put the tender love and care into their golf course that we do. We have a fantastic golf course superintendent, Craig McKinley, who takes really good care of our course,” Rohdy said. “It is just a very unique golf course spread out over 300 acres.”

A Jerry Matthews design, the Bucks Run golf course features 18 challenging, yet playable holes highlighted by the waterways woven throughout the course—river frontage, lake views, and natural wetlands make an appearance in many spots. An added bonus for groups hoping to t in an extra round a er playing the Bucks Run course, an 18-hole real-grass putting island is situated right on Lake Fisher.

Although Bucks Run does not have onsite lodging, golfers can take advantage of the many variations of stay-and-play packages that the public club o ers. Rohdy indicated that Bucks Run started the packages about eight years ago, and since then they have grown by at least 20 percent each year and are a great way to bring business to the local area. Bucks Run partners with other local courses, most within approximately 45 minutes of the club, such as Tullymore Golf Resort, St. Ives Golf Course, Apple Mountain, PohlCat Golf Course, Eagle Glen Golf Course, Mt. Pleasant Country Club, e Emerald Golf Course, and e Pines Golf Course at Riverwood Resort. For the lodging aspect of the stay-and-play packages, Soaring Eagle properties, Comfort Inn in Mt. Pleasant, e Fair eld, Baymont Inn, and Courtyard Mariott are options for guests to stay at overnight. Bucks Run streamlines the booking process with the other establishments for golfers utilizing their package o ers.

POHLCAT GOLF COURSE

“Bucks Run, compared to a lot of other courses, we are proudly one of the premier golf courses in the Central Michigan area. It is a great travel spot for people heading north or heading south, right in the middle of the state, and we have a lot of future potential,” Rohdy said.

“We have only been around since 2000, so this year we will only be 22-years-old, which is pretty young as far as the golf course world goes. Hopefully, it will keep growing and keep getting better, and we will see where things take us,” Rohdy added.

DINE

Mountain Town Station Restaurant & Brew Pub

506 W BROADWAY ST. | MT. PLEASANT, MICHIGAN Opened 26 years ago in Mt. Pleasant, Mountain Town Station Restaurant & Brew Pub is the rst local restaurant that owner Jim Holton had started in the area. e brew pub steakhouse was created from an abandoned train station, renovated as a restaurant.

Guests of the eatery can sit down and enjoy American-style fare, with menu options such as appetizers, steak, seafood, pastas, and stone red pizza. Mountain Town brews its cra beer onsite, but also has a full bar available.

“When you pull up to the building it is just unique. It has got the water tower out front, and a patio on the west side overlooking the Chippewa River,” said Jim Holton, owner of Mountain Town Station, Camille’s Prime, and Summit Smokehouse.

Camille’s Prime

506 W BROADWAY ST. | MT. PLEASANT, MICHIGAN Camille’s Prime is a high-end steakhouse and seafood restaurant with a more re ned space, attached to Mountain Town Station. Holton described it as a classier and quieter atmosphere,

CAMILLE’S PRIME

where parties can go to have an intimate meal and enjoy a carefully cultivated wine list.

“We saw a need in the community for a higher-end steakhouse restaurant that was not here, and so we had some fun with that. My mom’s name is Camille, so we named it a er her,” Holton said. roughout the golf season, Camille’s Prime will continue to o er monthly wine dinners, where wine selections from di erent regions around the world are paired with food. Behind both Camille’s Prime and Mountain Town Station, there is a full garden where they grow the vegetables for the season. Holton indicated that the restaurants sit on a seven-acre piece of property, and in the warmer months they put up a tent and hold private, catered events in the outdoor space.

Summit Smokehouse & Tap Room

3068 JEN’S WAY | MT. PLEASANT, MICHIGAN “We have a microbrewery that distributes beer across the state, called Mountain Town Brewing Company, and we wanted to add on a restaurant to that production brewing company, so we found a space west of town and built it from the ground up,” Holton said.

“ ere wasn’t a barbecue place in town, so we are trying to do something that customers or folks around mid-Michigan didn’t have an opportunity to try,” Holton added.

A barbecue restaurant, Summit Smokehouse is highlighted with giant garage doors that can roll up in the warmer months, and a heated, covered patio that allows them to extend outdoor dining into the chillier times of year.

MOUNTAIN TOWN STATION RESTAURANT AND BREW PUB

SUMMIT SMOKEHOUSE & TAP ROOM

THE BRASS CAFÉ

e smokehouse features a selection of slow-roasted brisket, ribs, smoked sausage, pulled pork, and smoked chicken. ere are also meals o ered that aren’t prepared with the smoke system, such as salmon or pastas.

“It is not overly smoked where you taste it and it feels like you’re licking an ash tray,” Holton said. “ e smoke just enhances the avor.”

The Brass Café

128 S MAIN ST. | MT. PLEASANT, MICHIGAN “ e Brass is the perfect restaurant and lounge to have a nice dinner a er a day on the golf course. We aim to provide a high-end, ne dining experience with an intimate small-town feel,” said Brian Block, executive chef at e Brass Café. e Brass Café is a family-owned establishment, o ering New American fare prepared with a classic French technique, and served in a modern style.

“Our food at e Brass is made from scratch. We practice nose-to-tail cooking. We make our own stocks from bones, cut our sh from whole, and prepare our food in-house as much as possible,” Block said. e café serves classic and creative cocktails, premium beers and ciders, and has an extensive and eclectic wine selection to choose from. e menu typically alters seasonally, but each Friday and Saturday night, e Brass also o ers chef features, which o en include an appetizer, entrees, and homemade dessert, as well as cra cocktails.

“ e best source of inspiration for creating new dishes at e Brass is our team of dedicated and creative chefs and cooks,” Block said. “We typically create our specials by having an informal brainstorm in the kitchen. We throw out ideas and eventually they spontaneously come together a er much editing, reworking, and thought. We come up with the bare-bones of a dish through what is available seasonally or what is particularly available in good quality that week.”

At e Brass, guests can celebrate any occasion over a delicious meal—whether they’re hoping to have an intimate dinner for two in the dining room, enjoy drinks with friends in the lounge, or host a larger gathering in the café’s private banquet lo . is spring, a relatively new outdoor patio dining space will also be opening just in time for the golf season, according to Block.

UNWIND

Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival

SHEPHERD, MICHIGAN Just south of Mt. Pleasant, in Shepherd, Michigan, the annual Maple Syrup Festival will run from April 22 to 24, 2022. One of the main attractions of the festival is the pancake, maple syrup, and sausage meals that will be served throughout the weekend, at Shepherd High School. Some of the other family-friendly activities that will be at the festival are a 5K walk

ART WALK CENTRAL

SAGINAW CHIPPEWA POWWOW

and run, parades, tractor and horse pulls, bingo, an arts and cra s show, chainsaw carving, pony rides, and a classic car show.

Alma Highland Festival and Games

ALMA, MICHIGAN Drawing in thousands of visitors to Alma each year, the Alma Highland Festival will take place at the Alma College campus on May 28 and 29, 2022. e activities at the festival showcase the best of Scottish tradition, such as a massed band performance featuring nearly 1,000 pipers and drummers playing all at once, clan tents that allow people to learn about their Scottish heritage, and an entertainment tent featuring live music and cold beer on tap. e main focus of the weekend are the world-class athletes, dancers, and musicians who will compete at various venues in events such as the U.S. Open Piping Band Championship, Solo Piping and Drumming, Great Lakes Open and Closed Regional Highland Dance Competition, Highland Choreography Dance, Great Lakes Scottish Heavyweight Athletics, and Great Lakes Amateur Athletics.

Saginaw Chippewa Powwow

SAGINAW, MICHIGAN From July 29 to 31, 2022, residents, golfers, and other visitors to the area can visit the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Campground to experience the annual Saginaw Chippewa Powwow. e lighting of the sacred re that burns throughout the weekend, plus the grand entry of dancers signi es the o cial beginning of the Powwow. Typically, upward of 500 dancers take part in the traditional dance, with age-group categories in place for di erent dance styles. roughout the weekend, visitors can observe and experience a celebration of dress, dance, drum, song, cuisine, and cra .

“ at is a great opportunity to see dancing, try di erent foods, and really take in the Native American culture. at is one I would highly recommend if people haven’t done it before,” said Chris Rowley, CMP, executive director at Mt. Pleasant Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Art Walk Central

MT. PLEASANT, MICHIGAN During the month of August, from the 7th to the 29th, Mt. Pleasant becomes an art gallery as state and national artists compete in the juried art competition, Art Walk Central. e streets of downtown Mt. Pleasant, as well as venues like Central Michigan University Art Gallery, Pure Vitality, and GreenTree Cooperative Grocery, will feature displays of sculptures, paintings, photography, and cra s. is event is held by Art Reach of Mid Michigan, and guests also have the option to visit Art Reach of Mid Michigan and cast their vote for their favorite People’s Choice art piece.

Mt. Pleasant Craft Beer Festival

MT. PLEASANT, MICHIGAN A celebration of the beer culture in Central Michigan, the Mt. Pleasant Cra Beer Festival brings together brew masters, brewery representatives, restaurant owners, managers, and chefs, allowing guests of the festival to sample everything from beer to cider and mead. Live music plays as those in attendance explore, tasting Michigan cra brews, and snacking on food from the multiple food vendors that will be there. e event will also have complimentary water stations to keep guests hydrated.

Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort

6800 E SOARING EAGLE BLVD | MT. PLEASANT, MICHIGAN “Mt. Pleasant is a great destination for golf, because we have some great and beautiful golf courses, but it is also because of our night life, and with the Soaring Eagle Casino as one of the

largest gaming oors in the Midwest, it is a great opportunity to try your luck on the course as well as the gaming oor at the casino,” Rowley said.

Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort’s gaming oor encompasses slot machines, table games, bingo, and a poker room within its 210,000 square-feet. roughout the day, people can stop at the Native Grind Co ee Shoppe for a caffeine pick-me-up, and Little Eagle Café to enjoy comfort food such as burgers, hot dogs, chicken wings, and fries. e resort’s other onsite eateries include Ascend Sportsbook Bar & Lounge, SiniiKaung Steak & Chophouse, Legend’s Diner, and Ruth’s Chris Steak House, which is set to open in 2022.

“In the summer, they do bring in an outdoor concert series, which is roughly around 13,000 people that come in for those concerts. at is a really great way to see big name artists right in Central Michigan,” Rowley said.

Guests also have the option of staying overnight in one of the resort’s rst-class rooms and premium suites, allowing groups to fully make the most of the onsite activities during their stay.

EXPLORE

In downtown Mt. Pleasant, golfers can nd just about any evening entertainment they could hope for, such as drinks and live entertainment at Hunter’s Ale House or Rubble’s Bar, or a more intimate gathering of friends at Midori Sushi and Martini Lounge. Just outside of the downtown area, Central Michigan University o en hosts sporting events and concerts, an exciting end to a day of golf.

“Our downtown is also surrounded by all of our park systems,” Rowley said. “We have great parks if people want to get out and explore the area, and we have trails that are all connected.”

Golfers and their families or friends who are seeking to experience more of Central Michigan’s outdoor beauty beyond the golf courses can venture to any of the parks or nature preserves for outdoor activity and natural scenery.

“We have over 1,000 acres of parkland in Isabella County. One of our parks just west of town, Deer eld [Nature] Park, was voted the most beautiful place in Isabella County by Pure Michigan,” Rowley said.

At Deer eld Nature Park, 591 acres of land along the Chippewa River welcomes adventurers to eight miles of hiking and biking trails, 10 remote campsites accessible by hiking or canoeing, a swimming beach, shing along the river, two 18-hole disc golf courses, and two swinging bridges.

“We also have 18 nature preserves, through the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy that are in the area, so there are lots of opportunities to get outdoor recreation as well,” Rowley said.

Owned and maintained by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy, or CWC, there are several nature preserves just outside Mt. Pleasant’s city center. Many of the preserves o er opportunities for passive recreation, such as hiking, birding, trail running, and shing. Educational events are o en hosted by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy at these locations, providing a great opportunity for people to learn about the local ora, fauna, and geological history.

One of CWC’s four agship nature preserves, Bundy Hill in Broom eld Township, presents massive rolling hills and two miles of challenging hiking trails. e preserve is home to Isabella County’s tallest point, the summit of Bundy Hill standing tall at 1,270 feet above sea level.

When planning a trip to Mt. Pleasant and Central Michigan area, Rowley suggests that one looks at Mt. Pleasant Area Convention and Visitor Bureau’s website, www.meetmtp.com, to see all the area attractions available during the upcoming golf season, as it is updated with new events and area developments frequently.

ALMA HIGHLAND FESTIVAL AND GAMES NELSON PARK