"It's in the middle of nowhere," they said with a
certain amount of pride.
And they were right. But let me tell
you..."Nowhere" is a pretty nice place.
Signature hole at
Robert Trent Jonesā Sr.'s Masterpiece at Treetops Sylvan Resort is
the par 3 Number 6.
Always on the prowl for a great golf adventure,
whether in this country or others, we spent Memorial Day weekend
checking out the Golf Mecca of the Midwest, centered around the
alpine village of Gaylord, Michigan (locals pronounce it GAY'lerd).
This recreation heaven in northern lower Michigan boasts 22 public 18
hole championship courses (golf is the area's number one source of
revenue) and they are some truly fine tests of your game.
A big part of Gaylord's appeal is its moderately
remote location. This is "the woods" - where big trees and forests
rule the landscape across the rolling hills. Outdoor sports, sports
vehicles, comfortable clothes, big dogs and the Detroit Red Wings are
the passions here. I-75 is close enough to comfort the fast-trackers
but unobtrusive for those seeking a getaway.
Number 4 on The Lakes
Course at Hidden Valley. Hitting into a gorge!
Several resort complexes (such as Treetops Sylvan
Resort, Hidden Valley, Marsh Ridge and Garland) cater to golfers and
skiers and offer convenient lodging options with excellent
restaurants. On these sprawling facilities (some have three or four
golf courses), deer, elk, wild turkey and the always-graceful Canada
geese share their domain with golfers and lend themselves to photo
ops. Ski runs (for both downhill and cross-country) wind around and
through the fairways so these resorts stay busy summer and
winter.
One of the first golf references you hear is to
"the Jones course." Specifically, the Jones course is Robert Trent
Jones, Sr.'s Masterpiece course at Treetops Sylvan Resort. The
Masterpiece celebrates its 10th birthday this year and is the course
that moved Gaylord into the national golf spotlight. It opened in
1987 with the highest slope rating in Michigan and was selected as
one of the top 75 resort courses in America by Golf Digest.
Par 3 17th on The
Lakes at Hidden Valley. The lakes reflect the fall colors of the
surrounding forest.
Little wonder. Almost every hole requires a shot up
to this or down to that and often left this flatlander scratching his
head for club selection. Most impressive is the course's signature
hole, the 158-yard par 3 Number 6 which features a 120-foot drop to
the landing area. The story goes that Jones stood on the proposed tee
box, looking out over the tops of the surrounding trees and named the
resort "Treetops."
Treetops is the home of golf instructor Rick Smith,
whose students include Lee Janzen, Rocco Mediate and Billy Andrade.
Smith designed Treetops' Signature and Tradition courses and operates
a golf academy on-site. Tom Fazio's only Michigan design is Treetops'
Premier course.
At Hidden Valley Resort, the courses may not have
the severe elevation changes found in other places, but they've got
lots of water. Weaving around some of the area's prettiest lakes, the
three courses are The Classic, The Lake and The Loon. TV golf analyst
Gary Koch is designing a fourth course to be added soon.
Golf and skiing
peacefully coexist in Gaylord. Ed prepares for tee shot on the Lakes
Course at Hidden Valley...with ski lifts in the background.
Time allowed us only to play The Lakes course, but
here we found that , while elevations didn't change as much as the
Jones course, the challenge was often in the slope of the fairway.
For example, Number 4 is a 429 yard par 4 that plays from an elevated
tee to elevated green. Not so much of a challenge until you realize
the fairway slopes severely right to left and also left to
right...you're shooting into a gorge with no desirable landing spot.
Oh, yes...the green is two-tiered. Golf...Michigan style!
Probably the most appealing aspect of Michigan golf
comes from the abundance of trees. Most of the time, each hole you
play is so completely surrounded by vegetation that you don't see
other fairways or players on other holes. You can play each hole unto
itself without many of the distractions we're used to in
Florida.
Space allows for only a brief overview of the
Gaylord Golf Mecca...in future issues, we'll re-visit some of these
courses and resorts in more detail. We'll tell you, for instance,
about outstanding Marsh Ridge and more about Hidden Valley (the
restaurant there is great!) If you're looking for a Fall Foliage golf
trip, this would be an area for strong consideration. And, we'll tell
you more about Garland.
It's impossible to write an article about the golf
Mecca without mentioning Garland, the only AAA Four Diamond property
in the Midwest. REALLY in the middle of nowhere, Garland is on a
country road just east of the village of Lewiston. A complex of log
cabins and four 18 hole championship golf courses, this resort and
conference center is the ultimate north woods getaway.
The golf courses, designed by owner Ron Otto, are
immaculately landscaped with intriguing names...Monarch, Reflections,
Fountains, and Swampfire. It says much about the owners, I think,
that the nesting American Bald Eagles high in a tree above the 14th
tee box on Reflections have been given top priority. The tees have
been moved forward temporarily, making the hole a par 3 so as not to
disturb the young family.
Don't be fooled by the fact that your
accommodations are in a log cabin...they are elegantly appointed and
every wish has been anticipated. Garland is the place where you lie
back in your big-enough-for-two jacuzzi, gaze at the stars through
the skylight and feel sorry for the rest of the world.
For information about golf packages in the Gaylord
area, call the Gaylord Information Center at 1-800-345-8621.
Ed Holbrook is a golf travel connoisseur in his spare time, as
well as by occupation. He is the South Florida Rep for SGH Golf Inc.,
providers of custom, worldwide golf travel packages. You can reach Ed
by calling 561-770-2222 or 800-785-7180.
edh@floridagolfing.com
