michigan golfer, fall 2011

In This Issue

4 Island Paradise in Southwest Michigan By Jeff Bairley

8 When Irene Teed It Up . . . By Bill Shelton

12 Collegiate Spotlight: Ferris State UniversityBy Chris Lewis

18 Collegiate Spotlight: Finlandia UniversityBy Chris Lewis

20 LochenHeath’s DNABy Dr. Doug Joy

25 Where Would You Play? By Bill Shelton

28 The U.P.’s Perfect FoursomeBy Susan Bairley

MICHIGAN GOLFER

Publisher/EditorArt McCafferty

[email protected]

Editor EmeritusTerry Moore

AssociatePublisher/ProducerJennie McCafferty

WritersJeff Bairley

Susan BairleyL’anse BannonMike Beckman

Jack BerryTom DoakMike DuffRob Ford

Rob FranciosiThad Gutowski

Kelly HillGreg Johnson

Doug JoyB.R. Koehnemann

Vartan KupelianChris Lewis

Scott MoncrieffJim Neff

Norm SinclairMichael Patrick Shiels

Ron WhittenJanina Parrott Jacobs

Herschel NathanialBernice Phillips

Bill SheltonBrad Shelton

Photo/VideoKevin Frisch

Susan Moore KuschellDave RichardsCarter SherlineBrian Walters

Director ofAccountingCheryl Clark

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V O L U M E 2 9 • F A L L 2 0 1 1 • N U M B E R 3

Cover: Island Hills Golf Course. Photo by Golf and ResortMarketing

2 F A L L 2 0 1 1 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E

20 Doug Joy on LochenHeath

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Tucked away off of M-60,just outside of downtownThree Rivers, is a hidden

gem of Southwest Michigan golf.Island Hills Golf Club is gorgeous,dynamic and challenging, yet aplayable and enjoyable 18 holes.

Its picturesque vistas and lightningfast greens are sure to make it adestination for golfers from Detroitto Indiana and beyond.

Purchased at auction, owner BobGriffioen teamed up with renowned

golf course architect RaymondHearn and ace superintendent JoeJehnsen to restore Island Hills froma fractured state of disrepair to itscurrent glory. It is now a near-cham-pionship level course.

By Jeff Bairley

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This is not to say that the courseis only for serious or very talentedplayers. Island Hills, which meas-ures 7,027 yards from the back and4,882 from the forward-most tees,boasts five sets of tees, allowingfor five very different looks andyardages and making thecourse as playable and fun for

scratch golfers playing from thetips as for those hitting from theforward tees.

However, regardless of teechoice, everyone who plays IslandHills is going to have to contendwith the monstrous greens. They arealso, without a doubt, among the

fastest greens I’ve ever played on.Registering at a mighty 11.5 on theStimp meter, which I believe is thesetting just below ‘greased light-ning,’ they require a strong stomachand a light touch, but roll true andfair. Getting on any green in regula-tion is no guarantee of par or evenbogey on most holes.

west Michigan

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Island Hills Golf Course

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Island Hills golfers also have tocontend with a wide array of chal-lenges. Some holes are tucked intotight, lush forest while others offera links-style look through open,windy heathers. The par 4, 16th isa classic strategy hole. At only 298yards, it seems like a great hole tograb the driver and go for it. Butwhen you see the water that runsall the way up the right side of thefairway and protects the green, youwill be forced to think about takingan iron off the tee and a short ironor wedge to the green. Yet, thisoption is no easy task, as it willrequire two precision shots aroundthe water to reach the green.

Others challenge your driving

distance, like the 178-yard par 3,third hole, which requires a forcedcarry over a visually intimidatingswampland.

There are also more traditionalholes with plenty of water andbunkers. However, with a little strat-egy and execution, the course is veryplayable and you can avoid the trou-ble without too much difficulty.

Everything about Island Hills isfair (including the sometimes frus-trating greens) and challengingwithout being gimmicky. Theforced carries and really toughshots are dramatically reducedfrom the forward tees as well.

The clubhouse and pro shop arewarm and friendly, projecting avery down to earth feel and win-ning you over with great service.There is also a great restaurantcalled The Grille Tavern, where theprime rib is a MUST.

Make your way out there andplay Island Hills; it needs to beseen and experienced. An afford-able golf getaway is closer thanyou think, and you can spend themoney you save on extra balls.

Island Hills Golf Club, 23510Island Hills Drive, Centreville,Michigan, (269) 467-7261, http://www.islandhillsgolf.info

- MG -


The Ironwood Golf and CountryClub in Greenville (NC) iswidely acknowledged as the

premier club in eastern NorthCarolina. Built in 1996, the 7100+yard championship layout was thefirst Lee Trevino Signature course eastof the Mississippi River. Golf Digestrated it as one of the “Top 15 NewCourses in America” that year andIronwood has subsequently been thesite of numerous tournaments includ-ing most recently the 2010 NCAAWomen’s Eastern Regional. Thecourse is complimented by a 14,000square foot clubhouse designed as an“updated stately southern mansion.”Traveling golf groups regularly sched-ule their itineraries to include a stop atthe immaculately manicured coursemeandering through stands of oldoaks, beech, and towering pines bor-dering on the historic Tar River. Golf

is played year-round on the bent grassgreens and Bermuda fairways.

What possibly could be a downsideto the almost idyllic golfing venue?Namely, hurricanes that seem to enjoydropping in on a fairly regular sched-ule are an unwelcome downside. Afew weeks ago, hurricane Irene decid-ed to tee it up in eastern NorthCarolina for a 10 hour round and sheliterally “tore up” the course. To betterunderstand the impact of Irene’s wrathon the course and clubhouse I recentlyinterviewed John LaMonica,Ironwood PGA professional and gen-eral manager, and Danny Ray Britt,Ironwood Golf Course superintendent.Both professionals have been associat-ed with Ironwood since it opened.During that time, they have experi-enced approximately seven hurricanesand have vivid memories from each.

Bill Shelton-John, thinking back overthe past hurricanes, which one standsout to you?

John LaMonica—Actually, two standout. A few years after we opened, twohurricanes came through our area. Thefirst one dropped torrents of rain andthe ground was soaked. Then camethe second storm and the wind uproot-ed hundreds of trees and we experi-enced major flooding.

BS—Danny, what is your most vividmemory?

Danny Ray Britt—Clearly it washurricane Floyd in 1999. We lostevery piece of our equipment alongwith some personal possessions of mystaff that were stored in our mainte-nance facility. The rain and the storm

When Irene Teed It Up . . .

By Bill Shelton


surge from Pamlico Sound up the TarRiver had the water up to the roof ofthe building.

BS—So, in late August 2011, alongcomes Irene, seemingly a “minor” cat-egory 1 or low cat 2 hurricane. Mostof us were curious but not too con-cerned. What happened?

JL—It was a destructive storm pri-marily because it was so big andtook most of the day to movethrough our area. It just stayedaround a very long time.

BS—What did both of you do to pre-pare the club and course for the hur-ricane?

JL—In the clubhouse we turned offthe electrical equipment, moved theporch and patio furniture inside,moved the golf carts to a safer loca-tion, removed signage and rangeequipment. We also tried to provideour membership with as much infor-

mation as we could attain about theprogress of the hurricane.

DB—From a course preparation per-spective, my staff and I had severalpriorities. We removed all of the draincovers on the course to minimizeflooding due to debris clogging thecovers. We also checked all of theditches where our irrigation linescross to make sure there was nothingthat could rupture the system. We shutdown our pump station and switchedoff our electric circuits. Of course, wealso pulled the flags and portable sig-nage on the course. Finally we mowedthe greens in the event that we could-n’t get back on them for days. Then Ihad the staff to remove any personalitems from the maintenance area andtold them how we would communi-cate after the hurricane.

BS—So, how did Irene treatIronwood? Much damage?

JL—As I mentioned, it was a verybig storm and stayed around for a

long time. Luckily, the clubhouse didnot have too much damage. We hadsome water damage and had to dryor replace some carpet and ceilingtiles. We had a contractor come infollowing the storm and he made athorough examination of the struc-ture and systems. Thankfully, wehave a very good insurance policyand, although the damage to the clubtotaled about $250,000, our financialexposure was relatively modest.

DB—The hurricane was worse than Iexpected. As opposed to Floyd, flood-ing was not as big an issue as thewind. We did have between 12-13inches of rain but the real damageoccurred from the strong winds. Welost approximately 125 trees and thecourse was littered with limbs andleaves. The Tar River did flood a partof the course for a day and a half butthere was no permanent damage. Wewere fortunate in that we have severalbridges on the course and luckily notone was washed out.

BS—The hurricane moved into thearea around 8 am in the morning anddidn’t really clear out until almostmidnight. Much of the surroundingarea was without electricity for anextended period. Many roads wereblocked by fallen trees or flooding.Sadly, there were several deaths attrib-uted to the storm. Yet, on Sundaymorning, recovery and clean upbegan. Along with most of my neigh-bors, we were in our yards clearingdebris or repairing shutters and fencesdamaged by the hurricane. How didyou start the process for the club?

JL—We started with an assessment ofthe damage and checked our systemsout. We began scheduling repairs andclean up support. Most importantly,we began communicating with ourmembers—to the extent possible—todetermine their situations. (Electricityand phone service was out in many


parts of the area for several days.)That was our priority.

DB—Most of my staff got here at5:30 am on Sunday and from thenuntil 1:30 pm we worked to gettwo roads to the maintenancebuilding and to the course open.Once we were able to get to ourequipment, my first priority wasto get the greens cleared. It wascrucial that we not let themremain covered with all the mois-ture because of the potential foralgae and disease. The back ninewas far worse than the front soour next step was to begin a clear-ing the front nine so the coursecould reopen. (The front ninereopened on Wednesday followingthe Saturday hurricane and theback nine opened on Friday.Several area courses were stillclosed two weeks after the storm.)Since then, it has been a continu-ing effort to remove downed treesfrom the rough and wooded areas.

BS—Speaking of trees, Danny, Iheard that you were out during thestorm in your truck actually watchingthe trees fall. And, even more amazing,you took your wife out with you! Nowthe club members know how muchpride you take in the appearance andmaintenance of the course but really . . .

DB—I just couldn’t stay inside. Jackieis a realtor in the Ironwood communityand was also interested in what washappening. (Note: She is THE realtor inthe Ironwood community.) And, yes, weactually did see many of the trees fall.But we were also checking on some ofthe residential properties that she repre-sents.

BS—In your role as a PGA golf pro-fessional what else is left to be doneonce the course is cleared and the fall-en trees and limbs removed?

JL—We will need to determine if thecourse routing and playability has

been compromised. If so, we willplant new trees where needed. Someof the trees we lost served as visualindicators of the edges of water haz-ards that may not be seen from thetee. Those will be replaced.

BS— Finally, both of you haverepeatedly mentioned the importanceof volunteers in getting things putback together.

JL—If there was anything good thatcame out of this challenge, I think itbrought our membership closertogether. We had many members thathelped in the clean up. Without them,we would not be where we are today.They were super.

DB—It would have been impossible

for my staff of eight to get the courseopened by Wednesday if the volun-teers had not help pick up limbs anddebris and clean up the tee areas.They made a huge difference in such aquick turn around after the storm.

Several weeks after Irene, the roarof chain saws could still be heard atIronwood but also heard were thecries of agony and delight as golferscontinued to enjoy the great sport.Although John and Danny, their staffs,and many members put in some longdays, not once did anyone hear thatthe effort was not worth it. But, nei-ther did anyone challenge Katia orFloyd or Maria to stop by Ironwoodfor a quick eighteen!

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Ironwood Golf and Country Club Clubhouse

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Ferris State University Golf Team celebrat3es winning GLIAC Championship

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As the head coach of FerrisState University’s men’s golf team,Michael Mignano has several rea-sons to be especially excited as heprepares for his fifth season at thehelm of the program this fall.

First, his squad’s level ofleadership and experience is sim-ply incomparable to a majority ofthe other participants within theGreat Lakes IntercollegiateAthletic Conference (GLIAC).

With eight senior members and 12of 14 total golfers as upperclass-men, the 2011 – 2012 Bulldogsmay arguably be the most experi-enced in school history.

Second, the 2010 – 2011

Ferris State UniversityBulldogs Capture 2010GLIAC Championship

Collegiate Spotlight

Anticipate Further Success This FallBy Chris Lewis


team earned its place in the univer-sity’s record books by winning lastOctober’s GLIAC Championship –the first time the Bulldogs haveclaimed the tournament since the2004 – 2005 season. The squaddefeated 10 other teams during itsmarch towards victory, includingWayne State University. A victoryof such significance will likelyhelp the team build momentum asit prepares for the upcoming sea-son and strives to earn its secondconsecutive GLIAC Championshiptitle this October.

Finally, last year’s teamwas highly respected within theGLIAC for its level of consistencythroughout the entire duration ofthe 2010 – 2011 season. With twothird-place and two fourth-placefinishes, the Bulldogs did not fin-ish any worse than 16th place in allof the tournaments in which theycompeted. With even furtherimproved depth and experiencethis year, the team’s stability willlikely be enhanced even more dur-ing the start of the fall season –and well after.

Leadership. Experience.Chemistry – Well-versed Team

Members Prepare for FinalSeasons as Bulldogs

A variety of team facets,such as extensive leadership capabil-ities, vast experience, both individu-ally and collectively at the colle-giate-level, and ties as a cohesive,established unit, will be well-utilizedby the Bulldogs throughout theupcoming fall season. As three of theteam’s most talented and experi-enced members – Garrett Simons(’12), Kyle Wittenbach (’12), andIan Straayer (’12) – return for theirfinal seasons as Bulldogs, Mignanoexpects his squad to continue its run

as a consistent performer within theGLIAC throughout the comingmonths.

“This year’s team will beamong the most unique squads inFerris State history since a majori-ty of the members are upperclass-men,” Mignano said. “Only twomembers are freshmen.”

Such team depth is highlyunusual and will certainly factorinto the squad’s capabilities tobuild upon last season’s successes.Furthermore, as most membershave been teammates for at leasttwo consecutive seasons, theteam’s chemistry will be evengreater than it was a year ago. Thisinterconnectedness should servethe team well as it strives to earnadditional victories and top-fivefinishes this fall.

“With so much team leader-ship and experience, this will like-ly be a very exciting season. Iexpect to see several players stepinto leadership roles this year,guide the younger team members,and help them prepare for thefuture,” Mignano said. “As acoach, it will be enjoyable towatch each member continue todevelop and improve throughoutthe fall and spring.”

Champions! – TheBulldogs Capture the 2010

GLIAC Championship

Last year, in early October,the Bulldogs defeated the WayneState University Warriors in a five-player playoff. Both teams had fin-ished with a total score of 889strokes after 54 holes of regulationplay on the challenging Grosse IlleGolf and Country Club layout.

“Our team’s scores werevery close with Wayne State’sthroughout the tournament. I knewit would be a tight finish,”Mignano said. “We did not end thechampionship very strongly, espe-cially during the last three holes ofregulation, but everyone steppedup to the plate and played excep-tionally well when it mattered themost – during the playoff.”

As one of the most presti-gious and anticipated events of theyear, a victory at the GLIACChampionship is truly significantand, for Mignano, remains theBulldogs’ greatest achievement ofthe 2010 – 2011 season.

“Our playoff victory overWayne State is undoubtedly myfavorite memory of the past sea-son,” Mignano said. “It was quiteimpressive and very, very excitingfor everyone involved. That tour-nament was such a confidencebooster for the team, as it led tofurther success and steady playthroughout the fall and even thespringtime.”

For Mignano, the 2010GLIAC Championship was a signthat hard work had paid – andwould continue to pay – dividends,as long as each team memberremained focused on his goals andthe ways in which he wouldachieve, and even surpass, suchgoals in the future.

“It was a weekend in whicheverything we had been workingon, during the summer and fall,had come together at the righttime,” Mignano said. “Althoughwe did not win any other tourna-ments last year, the team’s workethic was well-noticed duringmany other events as we earnedadditional top-ten finishes.”


The Bulldogs Secure aConsistent Track RecordThroughout 2010 – 2011

Upon capturing the GLIACChampionship, the Bulldogsacquired four more top-five finish-es at a wide range of eventsthroughout the Midwest.

One week after its dramaticplayoff victory over Wayne State,the team continued its run ofsteady play, finishing fourth out of10 teams, with a 36-hole score of595, at the Tiffin Kyle RymanMemorial Tournament, held atMohawk Golf and Country Club,which is located in Tiffin, Ohio,just south of Toledo.

The team placed even high-er the following week, with athird-place finish at the NCAADivision II Great Lakes RegionInvitational Tournament II. TheBulldogs played 36 holes on thedaunting, par-71 layout at GlenEcho Country Club, located on theoutskirts of St. Louis. The squadcontended for the title throughoutthe entire event, earning a finalscore of 597.

In April, the team securedyet another strong finish at aDivision II tournament, finishingthird out of 25 teams at the NCAADivision II Great Lakes RegionInvitational Tournament II. With a36-hole score of 597 at the highlyreputable Purgatory Golf Club,located just outside ofIndianapolis, the Bulldogs provedtheir GLIAC Championship victo-ry was not a fluke. Coach Mignanowas especially pleased with histeam’s performance at the club.

“Aside from the GLIACChampionship, one event thatstands out in my mind was the

Great Lakes Region Tournament atPurgatory,” Mignano said. “Westarted to gain some momentumfor the spring during this tourna-ment and had a terrific team effortfrom everyone involved.”

During the last two weeks ofthe Bulldogs’ spring season, the teamobtained a fourth-place finish at theGLIAC Championship PreviewTournament, held at Bath,Michigan’s Eagle Eye Golf Club,and a sixteenth-place finish at theNCAA Division II Midwest/SouthCentral Super Regional, contested atGeorgetown, Kentucky’s CherryBlossom Golf and Country Club.Both courses have become well-known in their respective states foroffering golfers an array of chal-lenges with every club in the bag, aswell as unmatched, natural scenerythat is treasured by all guests.

By playing consistentlywell at some of the Midwest’smost daunting courses, theBulldogs have shown they areready for a highly successful 2011– 2012 campaign.

A Bright Outlook – CoachMignano and the Bulldogs Look

Ahead to the Future

Undoubtedly, the 2010 –2011 season was one of CoachMignano’s most successful inrecent years. Not only did theBulldogs earn a victory at theGLIAC Championship and a vari-ety of top-ten finishes in numerousMidwestern locales, but the teamalso acquired a berth in theesteemed NCAA Division IIMidwest/South Central SuperRegional, an event for whichMignano hopes his squad contin-ues to qualify.

“The future of our teamlooks very bright for the 2011 –2012 season – and beyond,”Mignano said. “I am looking for-ward to watching the seniors pro-vide the leadership we need tocompete for another GLIACChampionship and for the DivisionII national title itself.”

With such goals in mind,Mignano is optimistic his squad’sleaders will pass the torch of theuniversity’s traditional, winningways on to younger team membersin order to create a path of consis-tency, determination, and achieve-ment both now and into the future.

“Every team is differentfrom year to year, but our pro-gram’s goals remain the same. Wewill be focused on returning to thesuper regional next May to contendfor a national title,” Mignano said.“If I have 14 guys who are com-mitted to that goal, it will be agreat ride for everyone involvedand it will be exciting to have theyounger players be a part of thatgoal-oriented culture.”

For more informationabout Ferris State University, aswell as its wide selection of athlet-ic programs, please visithttp://www.ferrisstatebulldogs.com.

During the coming months, the“Collegiate Spotlights” series willcontinue to profile each one ofMichigan’s four-year colleges oruniversities that provide golf pro-grams to male students.

In the Winter 2011 issue ofMichigan Golfer Magazine, youwill learn about the histories andexciting futures of Hope College’sand Kalamazoo College’s men’sgolf programs. Stay tuned.

- MG -


Collegiate Spotlight

As Pete Rouleau, the headcoach of FinlandiaUniversity’s men’s golf

team, which competes in the UpperPeninsula, prepares to guide hissquad throughout the 2011 – 2012season…and beyond, the future cer-tainly appears to be bright.

“I am really looking forwardto the upcoming fall season,”Rouleau said. “As a whole, the teammay be quite young, as it is com-prised of only freshmen, sopho-mores, and juniors, but every mem-ber will be well-prepared for successand consistency as they begin tocompete in September.”

Without a doubt, age, as wellas experience, will not be decidingfactors regarding the squad’s abilityto achieve – and exceed – their goalsthis upcoming season. As fans, spec-tators, and members of the FinlandiaUniversity community observe theteam’s performance this fall, theyshould not be surprised if the teamstrives to regularly compete andacquire high finishes much like aveteran squad would, even though itmay be one of the youngest teams inthe entire state.

After all, the Lions’ men’sgolf team has just completed its ini-tial season as a member of theNational Collegiate Athletic

Association’s (NCAA) Division IIIthis past April. At the same time,Coach Rouleau will be leading thisfall’s squad as head coach for thevery first time in his career.

Various opponents within theNCAA may view Rouleau’s team asfar too young and inexperienced totruly compete on a regular basis thisfall and next spring. But, don’t letthe Lions’ lack of experience leadyou to believe the team is ill-pre-pared for its upcoming schedule.Coach Rouleau surely believes hissquad is anything but.

“On a daily basis, everymember of my team will be focused

Finlandia University’s men’s golf team just completed its initial season.

Finlandia University LionsRelish Successful Inaugural Season

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on improving their scores and theirperformances with every club in thebag,” Rouleau said. “Most impor-tantly, they will also be determinedto set and surpass both their individ-ual and team goals, which will likelylead to consistency as the seasonbegins and progresses.”

Such focus and determinationwill serve the team well as it preparesfor only its second season of competi-tion as a NCCA Division III partici-pant. If last year’s results are of anyindication, Finlandia’s men’s golfsquad will likely exceed their previousachievements this upcoming season,which were quite considerable thispast spring and fall.

The 2010 – 2011 SquadAcquires Four Top-15Finishes in First Five

Tournament Appearances

During the team’s first tour-nament appearance last fall, theLions finished with a two-day scoreof 701 at Culver’s Invitational,which was hosted by EdgewoodCollege, a liberal arts college locatedin Madison, Wisconsin, in earlySeptember. The tournament wascontested at Glen Erin Golf Club, a6,849 yard layout located inJanesville, a town which is situatedin southern Wisconsin. The Lions,led by Mark Gauthier (’14), whoposted scores of 84 and 80, finishedthe tournament in a tie for 20th.

Meanwhile, the Lions fin-ished in a tie for 13th at the LakeSuperior State University Invite thefollowing week. The tournamentwas held at Kincheloe Golf Course,which is located in the small UpperPeninsula town of Kincheloe. Ledonce again by Gauthier, as well asJacob Hogan (’13), each of whom

shot rounds of 81 and 89, Finlandiafinished the tournament with a two-day total score of 723 for its firsttop-15 finish of the season.

The Lions continued toimprove as the fall season progressed.During the middle of September,Finlandia finished in a tie for 3rd atthe Ripon College Co-Ed Invite, witha final score of 682, for the team’sbest finish of the entire season. CollinSaint-Onge (’14) shot a two-day totalscore of 169, which was followedclosely by Hogan, who shot a 171,and Lincoln Marshall (’13), who shota 172.

“For me, the Ripon CollegeCo-Ed Invite will always be a veryspecial, very meaningful event in thehistory of the Finlandia golf pro-gram, as it was the first tournamentin which the team acquired a top-five finish,” Rouleau said. “Everymember of the team played to thebest of their abilities that week. Itwill be interesting to see whether ornot the team will have such a strongfinish again this season.”

The team continued to play ata high level throughout the remainderof the 2010 – 2011 season, as itacquired two more top-15 finishes.First, the team earned a tie-13th finishat the Ronnie Eastman Invitational, atournament contested in Onalaska,Wisconsin, which is located just out-side of La Crosse, home to theUniversity of Wisconsin – La Crosse.Second, the team finished the seasonwith yet another top-15 finish at theRipon College Invite, which was host-ed during the second week of April inRipon, Wisconsin.

As the team prepares for itssecond season of competition thisSeptember, three questions linger.

First, how will the FinlandiaLions improve upon such a success-

ful inaugural season – a season inwhich a young, yet determined teamsurpassed most fans’ and competi-tors’ expectations and earned fourtop-15 finishes during its first fivetournament appearances as a mem-ber of the NCAA?

Also, will a team comprisedof only freshmen, sophomores, andjuniors be able to acquire furthertournament success in 2011 and2012? Is the team capable of notonly obtaining more top-15 finishes,but also earning its very first tourna-ment victory?

As Coach Rouleau and hissquad prepare for the future, theywill certainly be well-prepared tocontinuously prove their fellowcompetitors wrong as they strive toachieve – and surpass – their pre-determined seasonal goals, both nowand into the future.

Finlandia University Lions 2011 –2012 Men’s Golf Schedule*

Edgewood College Invitational,September 2nd – 3rd, 2011(Janesville, Wisconsin)

Marian University Invitational,September 11th – 12th, 2011 (Fond

Ripon College Invitational,September 17th – 18th, 2011(Ripon, Wisconsin)

UW-Eau Claire Invitational,September 25th – 26th, 2011 (EauClaire, Wisconsin)* Fall season only (as of August14th, 2011)

For more informationabout Finlandia University, as wellas its wide selection of athleticprograms, please visithttp://www.fulions.com.

- MG -

LochenHeath’s DNAby Dr. Doug Joy


Scientists are in generalagreement that one of thepathways for resurrection

of extinct species would be tolocate exact DNA. In the case ofnewly reclaimed Lochen HeathGolf Club on the shores of EastGrand Traverse Bay, the call wentout to find the right guy with theright DNA to resurrect a jewelabandoned and overgrown forseveral years.

The DNA search was complet-ed, the planets and stars wererealigned and only one nameemerged from all the others –Mike Husby.

Known for his playing, admin-istrative and design talents, Mikeput together a dedicated crew andfor about a year, worked toreclaim all that had overgrownand disappeared through years ofneglect. What emerged is a venuewhich should be on the top ofeveryone’s “must play” list.

Upon arrival you first notice apractice facility which is second tonone. Ben Hogan proclaimed thathe would never practice in a left to

right wind. This facility has multi-directional tees and prevailingWesterly winds providing you withpractice greens, a practice fairwaybunker with target greens andbunkers dotting the practice area.You will experience a world classtraining facility and if the wind isin the wrong direction, simply goto the other end.

The Grand Traverse Bayviews, elevated terrain, andScottish bunkers are garneringrave reviews throughout the com-munity. Sixteen of the eighteenholes have views of the Bay. Thecourse plays 7200 yards from theblack, 6700 from the blue tees,and 6024 from the white tees.

Photo preceding page:LochenHeath, Hole Number 16.Photo courtesy of LochenHeath.

Photo opposite page: LochenHeath, practice green. Photo by Sarah Moore Kuschell.

Sixteen of LochenHeath’s eighteen holes have views of East Grand Traverse Bay.

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Playing from the white tees, youwill find yourself doing a lot ofmath because of the elevationchanges.

It’s hard to pick a favorite holebecause they just keep coming atyou with different views and vis-tas. Certainly one of the best ishole # 7. A five par parallelingthe bay. I found it hard to concen-trate as the view was so pro-found. As I walked off the 18thgreen the feeling I had was “Iwant to play this again.”

After the round I went to therestaurant and was greeted byChef Joseph George who waskidnapped from the resort next

door. Joseph laid out a luncheonhamburger with all the trimmingswhich could only be described asan epicurean delight. Luncheonsand dinners are served and theresponse has been so overwhelm-ing that reservations are recom-mended. Try the lemon crustedwhitefish.

The Pro-Shop duties are easilyhandled by Travis Caan (231-938-9800) who will cheerfullybook your T-times, arrange forinstruction and other golfingneeds.

In closing, I’m reminded ofone other restoration project thatgained attention recently – that

being the old Tom Morris coursebuilt around 1890 calledAskernish on the island of SouthUist, thirty miles off the coast ofScotland. This course was redis-covered through satelliteimagery and brought back tolife. The strategy here was tomaintain the course the old wayby using goats to trim the fair-ways and rabbits to trim thegreens.

Mike assures us that while hecan’t promise no rabbits, he willuse modern technology for main-tenance and there will be noGOATS.

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The three most important fac-tors in real estate seem to be“location, location, loca-

tion.” For serious golfers, it is allabout favorite courses and golfingdestinations, so I pose this ques-tion: “If you could only play golfin one area for the rest of your life,where would it be?” Most golferswould probably identify their homecourse as the favorite venue butthinking more broadly, what isyour favorite golfing destinationwhere you would play ALL of your

future rounds? For the moment for-get about cost, travel time, profes-sional and personal obligations.

Several choices come quickly tomind: Northern Michigan has to bea top candidate because of thequality of the championship cours-es, resort amenities, scenic vistaswith rolling terrain, verdant wood-lands, and crystal lakes. For puregolfing pleasure in the summer, itwould be hard to find a more allur-ing venue. Desert golf in the

Phoenix/Scottsdale area of Arizonaoffers a plethora of courses featur-ing lush fairways and greenscarved into the cacti-coveredwasteland. For golfers who value“target” golf, this area is a mecca!And, golf can be played all yearbut expect super heat in the sum-mer months and keep an eye outfor the ever-present rattlers andother varmints.

Myrtle Beach, SC, may well behome to more golf courses, over

Where Would You Play?By Bill Shelton

The Pinehurst area features a variety of courses. For packages see http://www.homeofgolf.com/

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100, than anywhere else in theworld. Originally considered a pri-mary late winter/early spring desti-nation for Canadian golfers, MB hasbecome a year-round playground forboth golfers and families, with over25 miles of white sand beachesalong the Atlantic Ocean. Less rec-ognized but growing in golfing pop-ularity are the Orlando, Florida areaand the Robert Trent Jones Trail inAlabama. Outside the USA, theScottish links would surely rankhigh. Golfing those windswept, pot-bunkered, grouse-lined fairways is agolfing experience unique to all oth-ers—and those after-round pub timescap off a memorable day!

The final entry to the best ven-ues for serious golf happens to bemy favorite— the Pinehurst area inthe sandhills of North Carolina.Recently I returned to the quaint,New England style village forthree days and rekindled thosewarm fuzzy feelings that beganover 30 years ago. Admittedly,there is more traffic, 43 golf cours-es as compared to the dozen or soa few decades ago, and a bit more

commercialization. But, the auraand magic is still awe-inspiring.

In 1895, Boston philanthropistJames Walker Tufts purchased5000 acres for $1.25 per acre toconstruct a “first rate” health spaand resort. He hired Fredrick LawOlmsted (designer of Central Parkand the Biltmore Estate) to layoutthe resort and surrounding village.In 1900, he contracted DonaldRoss to develop the golf facilities.Interestingly, Ross did not actuallydesign the first Pinehurst course.An original 9-hole course was builtby Leroy Culver in 1898 (Course1) but immediately redone andexpanded by Ross in 1900.

In addition to the health spa andgolf, a variety of other sportingactivities offered in the Villageincluded polo, hunting, archery, andtennis. The legendary markswoman,Annie Oakley, was in charge of thePinehurst Gun Club. The centerpieceof the Village is the famed Carolinahotel, dubbed the “White House ofGolf.” Opened in 1901, the four dia-mond edifice offers 230 guest

rooms, formal dining rooms, andnumerous other lounges and noveltyshops. The 31,000 sq. feet spa haswon numerous awards and ranksamong the “best pampering” experi-ences in America.

Three other inns, Holly,Magnolia, and Pine Crest wereamong the earliest Village establish-ments and continue to operate today.In my opinion, for the true golferthere is no better choice than thePine Crest Inn. Certainly theCarolina offers more elegance andsouthern gentility, but what golferwould not want to stay in an innowned by the great course architectDonald Ross. The inn was construct-ed in 1913 but purchased by Ross in1921 and owned until his death in1948. The white-planked, canopiedstructure with a dozen rockers on thefront porch reeks of golfing history.There are 35 standard rooms and 5“corner rooms” in the inn plus theTelephone Cottage just across theparking lot. If you want some golf-ing magic to rub off on you, requestroom 205. In 1959 Jack Nicklausstayed in it and won the North andSouth Amateur. In 1989 JackNicklaus II stayed in the room andwon the North and South Amateur.Room rates include a country break-fast and four-course dinner—and thefood is so good! To relive the day’sround, golfers gather in Mr. B’sLounge (once voted “Best 19th Holein America) or have a friendly wagerat the chipping hole in front of thelobby fireplace. On my first stay atthe Pine Crest Inn, PGA pro GaryHallberg was working on his pitch-ing skills at the chipping hole. Forthose less energetic, sitting and rock-ing on the porch with a favorite bev-erage is always an option.

Pine Needles resort has hosted the LPGA Open.

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27M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 1 1 1

The Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen area in Moore County, North Carolina is home to 43 outstanding courseswithin a 15 mile radius.

But, first and foremost, Pinehurstis about golf. From the original fiveresort courses starting and ending atthe Pinehurst Resort clubhouse,today there are 43 courses within a15-mile radius of the Village (actu-ally now a municipality). The resorthas expanded to eight courses butcontinues to be known for theunsurpassed Number 2 layout. Thecourses have hosted the Ryder Cup,US Opens, PGA Championships,and prestigious amateur tourna-ments. Additionally, the PineNeedles resort, owned by PeggyKirk Bell, has hosted the LPGAOpen and is recognized along withits sister course, Mid Pines, as pre-mier golf experiences. (Pine Needlesis my favorite course.) Both coursesare Ross designs. Among the other

courses, Tobacco Road offers arather unique course challenge.Today almost all of the big-timearchitects have designed courseshere, including Jones, Palmer,Nicklaus, Fazio, Love III, and bothEllis and Dan Maples. The Coore-Crenshaw restoration of Number 2to the original layout of DonaldRoss has been completed in prepara-tion for both the U.S. Open and theU.S. Women’s Open in 2014. Golfcan be played year-round, althoughoccasional winter extremes and afew mid-summer days may beuncomfortable.

Pinehurst Village, nestledamong the elegant long-leaf pinesof the North Carolina sand hills,has been dubbed “Home of

American Golf” and comparedfavorably to St. Andrews for itsimpact on the game. In 1996 it wasdeclared a National Landmark forits role in US golf history. It istruly a golfer’s paradise and myfavorite destination. I have had thepleasure of playing golf all aroundour nation and in Scotland butPinehurst has a golfing aura thatcannot be matched. There’s a coun-try song that says something to theeffect that when I die, let me go toheaven but if I can’t, just let me gothe Texas. For me, the words arelet me go to heaven but if I can’t,just let me go to Pinehurst!

And where do you want to go?

- MG-

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There’s something really specialabout golf in Michigan’s UpperPeninsula. Maybe it’s the clean

air or cool, clear water in lakes, pondsand streams. Or maybe it’s the smellof the pines and sandy soil that givesa U.P. day its special aura. Whatever‘it’ is, add fantastic golf, and you’llfeel like you just found your own littlepiece of heaven.

Although it’s a bit of drive fromthe Metro Detroit area to Escanaba,one can land in the city’s small airportvia a direct flight from Detroit’sMetropolitan airport in less than 1 andone-half hours. From there it’s aneasy ride (about 13 miles) to theIsland Resort and Casino in Harris,where Sweetgrass Golf Club(http://www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com)awaits.

The Island Resort hotel, whichrecently added a convention center,offers comfortable lodging, an indoorpool and hot tub, small fitness room,a fantastic concert showplace, and agood-sized, island-themed gamingfloor with 140 slots, table games, twobars, three restaurants, a coffee andice cream shop, and live entertainmentmost nights. It also has a poker roomand bingo hall.

Best of all, Island Resort andCasino offers Stay n’ Play packages

that pair lodging with golf rounds atthree fabulous courses – its ownSweetgrass Golf Club, Greywalls atMarquette Golf Club and TimberStoneat Pine Mountain in Iron Mountain,starting as low as $265 per person,.

This trio of courses offers threevery different golf experiences.Sweetgrass, designed by PaulAlbanese, opened in 2008 and is athree-year home to an LPGA FuturesTour event, which completed its inau-gural year with great community sup-port and player accolades this pastJune. The course has five sets oftees, which play 7,275 yards from thetips to 5,075 yards from the front.Many of its well-groomed, rollingfairways are lined by tall breezygrasses, as the course name implies.And while the grasses can make for achallenging out, they are playable anderrant shots are typically retrievable.

The course plays well from all setsof tees, generally offering generouslanding areas and broad greens thatputt true, but require a good eye andconfident touch. The par 3, 15th hole,named the “Turtle,’ presents a veryreachable island green and finely rust-ed trestle bridge which adds to its dis-tinction. The 9th and 18th holes aes-thetically exit the course similarlywith par 5 stretches to expansive, con-nected greens. Thick, wind-sculpted

grasses guard the left side of 18th fair-way and the cascading waterfalls nearthe green make it an especially prettyfinishing hole.

The wood-sculpted eagles guardingthe 16th green surprise you in a funway, yet remind you of the Indian her-itage that blesses the track

An easy ride 80 miles to the northlands you at Marquette Golf Club(http://marquettegolfclub.com)home of the awe-inspiring Greywalls.While the Marquette Golf Club’s orig-inal course, which opened in 1926, isa classic design by William Langfordand David Gill, Greywalls designerMike DeVries steals the show with hiscontemporary masterpiece. Openedin 2005, its rugged, natural rock out-croppings accent fairways, guardapproach shots and greens, and on thepicturesque par 4, 5th hole, nearlyedge the green, towering high abovethe putting surface below. Fairwaysslope and tunnel like a snowboarder’shalf-pipe at times, which confirmsDeVries minimalist approach tocourse design. And while nary a levelfairway lie can be found on someholes, the course is an absolute delightto play.

The U.P.’s PerfectFoursome –

Sweetgrass, Greywalls,TimberStone and You!

By Susan Bairley

Opposite: Sweetgrass. Photo by Brian Oar Media


Of course, all of the challenge andfun of Greywalls is set amid dramaticviews of one of nature’s most pristinejewels, Lake Superior. And you don’thave to wait long to see it. From thecountry-simple pro shop, a nearlymile-long golf car ride throughenchanted northern forest brings youto the first tee and practice green,where the majestic lake spreadsbeyond the treetops before you.Perched on the hilltop you can literal-ly see for miles to a horizon where thelake’s deep, blue waters blend withthe sky and the cliffs of Grand Islandlook like miniatures some 50 milesaway. You can feel and smell thelake breezes, which on a sunny dayare immeasurably refreshing. But likethe two-faced beauty she is, a cold,cloudy day on Lake Superior couldturn gentle breezes into harsh whip-

ping winds, making work out of thenormally enjoyable high-ground teesand fairways.

With its five tee sets, Greywallsplays 6,828 yards from the back and4,631 yards from the front. Generousand forgiving front tee placementsgive golfers from those tees the boostneeded to keep their game competitiveand enjoyable. And on the par 5,18th, everyone can enjoy the ride, andfinish with a flourish, as the fairwayplays like a broad, tiered chute, fun-neling most tee shots toward the cen-ter and down to a slightly domedgreen.

Two added notes about Greywalls:With natural rock face tiers in manyof its fairways, golf car drivers needto carefully heed fairway signage, i.e.,

no reckless shortcuts. And while thetee-to-green vistas are consistentlycaptivating, sometimes the prettiestviews are behind you, so to fullyexperience the course, you sometimesneed to pause and take-in the 360view.

The third course, TimberStone atPine Mountain (http://pinemountain-resort.com) is a pleasant ride 39 mileswest of Island Resort and Casino toIron Mountain. Here, Jerry Matthewshas created one of his characteristicnatural-design masterpieces. Amidtowering pines, he has carved out abeautiful course with generally lush,wide fairways and large rollinggreens.

Everything about TimberStone saysNorthern Michigan and Upper

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Peninsula – from the natural pine con-struction of the pro shop/clubhouse tothe campfire that often greets golfersnear the practice green on cool morn-ings. Throughout the course, deercasually cross fairways, nibble leavesfrom low branches and bed down inwoods near tees and greens, unfetteredby passing golfers. And the golf iswonderful.

TimberStone opens the U.P. forestbefore you, asking only that you keep itfairly straight and out of the woods.That seems pretty easy. But give agolfer a bit of latitude and he or she willoften confidently over-hit, sailing a ballhigh into the woods or otherwise find-ing the hardest way to the green. Takein the beauty around you, relax and thecourse will be good to you. As a matterof fact, TimberStone holds a covetedGolf Digest 5-star rating.

Measuring 6,937 yards from theback ‘Forest’ tees and 5,060 from the

forward-most ‘Stone’ tees, the courseplays well for golfers of all levels. Itsforested fairways mirror the look andfeel of some of the Gaylord areatracks, with an extra touch of naturalU.P. wilderness. The cart path to theFourth tee, shows off a great stand ofmedium-size white pines and fragrantgreenery on the right, and the 17th“Sagoia” hole is a ‘Threetops’-stylepar 3, with a view of the town of –you got it – Sagoia in the distance.Holes 5 and 6 present visually narrowlanding areas guarded by a sharedpond. And while the par 5, 5th Holepresents a narrower fairway throat, thewater is more in play on the par 4,number one handicap 6th, despite itslarger landing area.

Like the other engaging golf direc-tors, Dave Douglas at Sweetgrass andMarc Gilmore at Greywalls, TimberStone Golf Director Joe Rizzo is a ter-rific host. Ironically, he and General

Manager Scott Grubb are East and WestCoast transplants, respectively, whoboth landed in the U.P. by marryingwomen who were born and raised in thearea. So, here in the remote wilds ofTimberStone at Pine MountainBrooklyn meets L.A., which partiallyexplains the New York Yankee ball capsfor sale in the Pro Shop.

Great golf, beautiful vistas, nicelodging with gaming entertainment, andwonderful food at places like upscaleElizabeth’s Chop House (http://eliza-bethschophouse.com) in Marquette orcasual fine dining at The Stone House inEscanaba (http://www.stonehousees-canaba.com), it’s the U.P. at its best.

For more information or reserva-tions for Stay n’ Play packages, callIsland Resort and Casino at 1-800-682-6040.

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michigan golfer, fall 2011

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