Tri-State Golfer 2020 Golf Resort

30 GOLF RESORT & DESTINATION MAGAZINE | 2020 M ichigan’s Upper Peninsula occu- pies a unique location that sets it separate and apart. The only access from mainland Michigan is over the iconic bridge that spans the Straits of Mackinac. It is also the only land mass that has frontage on three of the Great Lakes; Michigan, Huron and Superior and a lon- gitude well north of the Canadian cities of Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Because of it’s relative isolation the Up- per Peninsula tends to be very rural with small towns separated by large expanses of forests and fields. This makes it an ide- al place for a unhurried golf adventure on some very good golf courses. First stop should be the Island Resort and Casino in Harris which is owned and operated by the Hannahville Indian Com- munity, members of the Potawatomi tribe. The Island Resort can provide golf pack- ages to not only their two courses but to others in the U.P. The Island Resort and Casino touches all the bases for your trip in a rather com- pact complex including very comfortable accommodations including standard and king sized rooms. Dining gets full cover- age from the Coffee and Custard Shop to 5 Bridges Steakhouse to Firekeepers casual to T. McC’s Sports Bar with multiple TV’s and 20 different beers on tap If you like a little gaming with your golfing The Island Resort offers something for everyone on the gaming floor includ- ing table games, slots, bingo and poker. The floor is large enough without being overwhelming like many giant casinos. GOLF IN THE UPPER PENINSULA Directly out the back of the Island Re- sort hotel and casino is the Sweetgrass Golf Club, designed by Michigan native Paul Albanese. The course features a mostly rolling, open prairie terrain with the high- light being the island-green 15th hole. From the front nine all the way through to the 18th hole, you will encounter holes named after traditional Potawatomi clans, villages, allies, medicines and symbols. Sweetgrass hosts a Symetra Tour event each June and the greens are kept at tournament speed all season. Also owned by the tribe is the new Sage Run Golf Club, located about 15 min- utes away. Sage Run features a large drum- lin, which is a long, sloping ridge. It runs throughout the course in different direc- tions, challenging players to interact and move along the course with it. Each hole has a unique character and feel. The course takes golfers through pine scrub areas, open ar- eas and partially wooded areas and is a great contrast to it’s sister course, Sweetgrass. Further north in Marquette located on the shores of Lake Superior is the Mar- quette Golf Club home to two of the most contrasting golf courses you will ever see; the Heritage and Greywalls. The Heritage is a classic antique where William Lang- ford designed the original nine in 1926 and David Gill added nine in 1969. Not long at 6,200 from the tips it has small and intricate green complexes. Greywalls is an entirely different mat- ter. Starting at the highest point on the property with long range views of Lake Su- perior, Greywalls is a rollicking and rolling adventure through massive rock outcrop- pings with humps and bumps and eleva- tion changes galore. It is a visual delight and strategic challenge. Designed by Michigander Mike DeVries, who worked under Tom Doak, and opened in 2005, Greywalls has met with acclaim being ranked the #2 course in Michigan and Top 100 in the U.S by Golfweek. Southwest of Marquette is Iron Moun- tain home to TimberStone Golf Club, part of the Pine Mountain Ski Resort. Designed by Jerry Mathews and opened in 1997, TimberStone was carved out of 240 heavily forested acres making for tighter fairways and separate hole corridors. The course takes great advantage of the terrain and el- evations particularly on the #1 handicap 6th with a left flanking pond and partially hidden green and the spectacular downhill par 3-17th. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is a special place for great golf and laid back fun off the course. GRD MICHIGAN GOLF TRAVEL Up And Away: Michigan’s Upper Peninsula By Wayne Mills, Contributing Writer Sweetgrass Island Resort Hole #3 Sage Run Hole #8