Skybridge Michigan, which opened in 2022, is already a popular tourist attration. (Joy Sarver Photos)
BOYNE FALLS, Michigan — We don’t just play golf on our travel writing trips. While visiting Boyne Mountain in Michigan this week we walked the world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge — called Skybridge Michigan.
The bridge, which has become a popular tourist attraction at the Boyne Mountain Resort, stretches 1,200 feet in length above the Boyne Valley below. The bridge is 120 feet from the Valley floor. You get to and from it from an historic chairlift. The Hemlock Scenic Chairlift was the first in the United States, installed at Sun Valley, Idaho, in 1938, then transferred to Michigan and rebuilt at Boyne in 1948.
The bridge offers spectacular panoramic views and has glass flooring in the middle to enhance viewing of the Valley floor. Quite an adventure from the chairlift ride up to the walk across the bridge.
Fall is the best season to visit the Skybridge.
“It’s so much about how the valley looks then,’’ said Ken Griffin, director of sales and marketing at the Boyne resorts. He said the bridge could hold 5,000 people but never more than 500 have been on it at one time.
The walk across Skybridge Michigan isn’t scary, and the views are captivating.
No. 18 is considered the signature hole at The Cardinal course at Saint John’s Resort. (Brian Walters Photography)
PLYMOUTH, Michigan – This transformation has been ongoing, and impressive.
Saint John’s started as a seminary in the 1940s. Seminarians designed the first nine holes of the 27-hole Mission Hills course in the early 1970s.
The seminary closed in 1988 and was dormant until 1994 when it re-opened as a retreat center for youth and families. Then, over time, it was converted into a conference center and hotel. With Jerry Matthews joining the design effort the course reached 27 holes in the late 1990s, with the nines given biblical names – Matthew, Mark and Luke.
And now it’s a resort, and a very nice one to boot, with a golf component that sets an impressive tone for the entire development.
The evolution of Saint John’s was a slow one until William Pulte Family Management purchased the facility from the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit in 2021. Then a $50 million transformation began, turning Saint John’s into what it is today – a “humanitarian’’ resort that features a 118-room hotel with three restaurants – all very good, but distinctly different. The Five Steakhouse, the Grotto Wine Bar and Doyle’s Irish Pub all fit perfectly into the resort’s composition.
So does the golf operation – the 18-hole Cardinal course, the seven-hole Little Cardinal short course, the 18-hole two-acre putting course, Carl’s Golfland retail store and a four-season heated Trackman driving range and short game practice area.
June 22 was opening day for The Cardinal, Little Cardinal, putting course and Doyle’s Pub. That underscores the freshness of this revitalized resort. While there’s still some signs of construction the place – barely two months past its latest re-opening — is in full operation now.
No. 14, a par-3 playing anywhere from 98 to 221 yards, is one of the best at The Cardinal. (Joy Sarver Photo)
The Cardinal is the first new public course to open in the Detroit area since Shepherd’s Hollow, in Clarkston, over 20 years ago and the Little Cardinal has become the area’s first short course.
All of it is based on an unusual and interesting humanitarian concept. All profits from the resort operation go to the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit that supports more than 200 humanitarian and educational initiatives both in the Detroit area and around the world.
Ray Hearn, the prolific Michigan-based architect, directed the rebuilding of the golf facilities over what had been the former 27 holes. It was a complete re-do, though some of the 100-year old trees remain.
Hearn’s overall design goal – as stated prominently in his company website — “is to revolutionize the golf industry’’ and he’s done that at Saint John’s.
Though less than a year old The Cardinal, built on 200 acres of undulating terrain, is in excellent condition and is very much a championship layout. It’s a 7,002-yard par-72 with a 73.3 course rating and 137 slope for men and a 79.7 rating and 145 slope for women from the back tees. The rough is thick and challenging, the greens big and tricky.
Saint John’s is a unique resort with a wood carving of its namesake cardinal on the golf course and local artwork throughout the halls of the hotel adding to its charm. (Joy Sarver Photos)
“The land was a perfect setting for me to draw inspiration from previous Donald Ross, Tom Bendelow and Willie Park projects,’’ said Hearn, a stickler for history in golf design. “Our goal was to create a fun golf experience. We’ve achieved that, and then some, with this project.’’
The Little Cardinal, built on seven acres in a parkland setting, has but seven holes and is a walking course. Holes range from 44 to 112 yards but the main feature is the greens. They’re replicas of green templates of the past – Punchbowl, Redan, Sahara, Volcano, Postage, Reverse Redan and Biarritz. An educational explanation of each is provided on plaques at the end of each hole.
Five tee placements are available on each hole of The Cardinal with No. 18 considered the signature hole with a valley cut through the fairway. An argument on that score could also be made for No. 9, with its church pew bunkers.
Church pew bunkers (bottom right) make No. 9 one of The Cardinal’s tougher holes. (Brian Walters Photography)
Though Hearn has developed courses from as far away as Vietnam, Egypt, South Korea, Panama and Croatia, he’s been most prominent in Michigan. His office is in Holland, MI., and he’s handled over 30 projects in his home state. That includes an ongoing renovation project at the three Boyne Resort courses.
That resume in his 28 years as an architect suggests the possibility of a Ray Hearns Golf Trail in Michigan and — if it materializes — Saint John’s will be a major part of it.
Inside the resort, in addition to the restaurants, Saint John’s has a beautiful Catholic Chapel that’s ideal for weddings, ballrooms, colorful local artwork on display in the hallways, 26 separate function rooms and a 24-hour fitness center with perpetual pool and Jacuzzi.
Saint John’s is located between Detroit and Ann Arbor and is a 24-minute ride to the Detroit Metro Airport. For more information check the website www.saintjohnsresort.com.
The Grotto Wine Bar, in the lower level of the hotel, is a most unique dining spot. (Joy Sarver Photos)
The countdown is on for the last big golf tournament of the Chicago season, and Phil Mickelson is ready for it.
LIV Golf/Chicago will play the first of its two season-ending championships at Bolingbrook Golf Club Sept. 13-15. The Saudi-backed circuit played regular season events at Rich Harvest Farms, in Sugar Grove, in its first two campaigns but this year’s event is bigger. It’s LIV’s season individual championship
The only event remaining after LIV/Chicago is the LIV’s team championship. Sept. 20-22 at Maridoe – another new site on the circuit – in Dallas. That’ll conclude LIV’s 14-tournament season.
Mickelson was the first major star to bolt from the PGA Tour to join LIV. He hasn’t been a star on the new circuit but has no regrets about what was then a controversial move.
He’s played in tournaments at all the well-known Chicago tournament courses, but Bolingbrook isn’t one of those.
“We’ve played some venues throughout LIV that are truly world class and cover the gamut, from long and hard to tight and a lot of character,’’ said Mickelson. “We’ve played many (PGA Tour) courses. We’re going to Greenbrier (West Virginia) this week. We’ve played Mayakoba (Mexico). We’re playing Hong Kong , Sentosa, where there have been many tournaments played. There’s also a value to playing a course where the public can play very easily.’’
Bolingbrook, the 23rd course LIV has used in its three seasons, is a public venue. Mickelson didn’t know that the course designer was the late Arthur Hills. That was good news.
“He’s a wonderful architect,’’ said Mickelson. “He’s done some great stuff. He’s very credible as an architect. I’m looking forward to seeing what he came up with.’’
Rich Harvest was well received by the LIV players, but it’s a private club. Mickelson wasn’t a big fan of Cog Hill’s Dubsdread course, another public layout in Lemont that had a long run as host of the Western Open and BMW Championship on the PGA Tour. He’s excited about going to Bolingbrook, however.
As for his own game, the six-time major tournament champion has yet to win on the LIV Tour. At 54 years old, his game may be on the decline. He’s ranked 44th of 56 players on LIV performance this season and the team he captains is 12th of 13.
He has played in all 33 LIV tournaments over the three seasons and has but three top-10 finishes, his best a tie for sixth. One of the others was a tie for eighth at Rich Harvest in 2022.
“If you look at the analytics it’s been my short game that has crushed me the last few years,’’ he said. “It’s been a staple of my game throughout my career, and the last couple years it’s been the reason I’ve not had the results. Finally I’ve had a little turn-around. If my short game is sharp I’m going to be in contention.’’
In the lead-up to LIV’s creation Mickelson was one of its outspoken advocates while also being critical of the PGA Tour.
“For 30-plus years I did everything I could to help build the PGA Tour brand,’’ he said. “I would be brought in to close deals with many CEOs. That was my way of helping to build the PGA Tour at that time. I’m no longer part of that tour. My focus now is to build the HyFlyers team and grow the game globally through LIV Golf.’’
Though negotiations are ongoing, peace between LIV, the PGA Tour and Europe’s DP World Tour doesn’t seem possible in the near future.
“We’re in the middle of a disruption phase,’’ admitted Mickelson, who isn’t participating in the negotiations among tour leaders, “but where we’re going to end up and where we’ll be when this gets sorted through is exponentially better than where we were in the path that we were on.’’
LIV attracted stars like Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka with hefty pay incentives and prize money per event that is more than the PGA and DP World Tour were paying. Standard LIV purses are $25 million for individuals in the 54-hole events and $5 million in the team competition.
Individual champions get $4 million and the team winner divides $3 million. Tourneys have 54 players – 13 four-man teams plus two wild cards. Tournaments have a shotgun start each day and no cuts. All players get a paycheck regardless of where they finish.
Director of golf John Schlaman shows up the new power carts at Eagle Ridge. (Joy Sarver Photos)
John Schlaman was just starting his career as a golf professional when Eagle Ridge held a grand opening for its South Course. The now 63-hole Galena facility is virtually Illinois’ only golf resort, and the South’s creation took it to a new level.
That came 40 years ago, and the milestone will be celebrated with an afternoon golf outing and dinner on Sunday with participants urged to dress in 1980s attire. It’s an event worth celebrating, though the anniversary won’t resemble the Grand Opening.
“We just had the North Course before that,’’ said Schlaman, then an assistant professional and now the director of golf at Eagle Ridge. “Miller Barber, Mike Souchak, Carol Mann and Bob Goalby – all big names, all Hall of Famers – were there,’’ said Schlaman. “You could never do that in today’s world. Can you imagine getting Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlory together (for a course opening)?’’
The North Course came first, in 1977, and The General became the third 18 in 1997. The late Roger Packard had a hand in the design of all three 18-holers as well as the nine-hole East Course.
In 1985 — the first full year after its opening – the South shared Best New Resort Course honors with Florida’s Grand Cypress in Golf Digest’s annual rankings.
Schlaman eventually became head pro at the South Course, then left to guide the operation at Prairie Landing in West Chicago. He was there 14 years before returning to Eagle Ridge. He wound up the director of golf two years ago with office space at The General after Mike Weiler retired.
The resort opened in 1962 and struggled through some ownership changes until Mark Klausner took over six years ago. A long-time resident of Galena, Klausner has taken on a series of expensive major upgrades impacting all areas of the resort, and has another two-year plan in the works.
“By then it’ll be an all-new resort,’’ he said. “We had lots of hopes and dreams, and all are falling into place.’’
Golf-wise, Klausner’s most significant move was the replacing all of the outdated maintenance equipment with John Deere products. That led to much improved playing conditions on all the courses. This year 278 new power carts replaced the older fleets at all the courses.
Also this year Schlaman introduced new Forward tees on 10 holes of the North and South courses, and they’ll soon be instituted on The General. The markers are orange.
“It started as tees for senior ladies,’’ said Schlaman, “but some of the older senior men are playing them, and rightly so. They cut almost 900 yards on the South and about 500 on the North at The General. It’s a new concept, but when these courses were built women and seniors were almost an afterthought.’’
Next up is a golf studio with simulators, to be built on the driving range.
“It’s two years away,’’ said Klausner, “but the plans have been developed.’’
While Eagle Ridge & Spa is a popular destination for Chicago golfers, some Chicago area residents are building there own facilities away from the city and suburbs.
Jim Tracy, who lives in Barrington, IL., has created a unique golf course in the Dells.
Here are two some such places:
FAIRFIELD, Wisconsin Dells – Long-time Barrington resident Jim Tracy was in the advertising business during a 23-year career at Chicago’s Leo Burnett when he bought a campground in the Dells in 1984. It had an adjoining nine-hole golf course.
Tracy bought the golf course 11 years ago and sold the campground. Now it’s a 12-hole course, named Fairfield Hills, with a big driving range — one that is 350 yards deep and built on 20 acres. While he was still in the advertising business Tracy would come to Fairfield to keep tabs on the course’s operation.
Then, upon retirement, he tsok over management of his facility and, while bouncing between Barrington and the Dells, made some big upgrades. Nine holes became 12 and the clubhouse was expanded to added two golf simulators. And Tracy doesn’t even play golf.
“We had the land, but I didn’t want to do 18 holes,’’ he said. “People were saying that it took too long to play, but 12 holes was perfect.’’
Players can play three, six, nine or 12 holes at rates far below the bigger facilities in the area. A 12-hole round is $32 and players can walk or ride. Fairfield was named Wisconsin’s nine-hole Course of the Year in 2016 and – though it had more holes last year – it was again given the nine-hole state honor.
BROOMSEDGE, Rembert, S.C. – David McFarlin played high school golf at Loyola Academy, lived in Libertyville and played regularly at both Calumet Country Club and Conway Farms in Lake Forest.
Now McFarlin is co-founder and director of membership at Broomsedge, a course under construction in the Carolina sandhills. It’s being built by co-designers Kyle Franz and Mike Koprowski with the target for opening being Oct. 15.
“Of our team of six (investors) five have roots in Chicago,’’ said McFarlin, “and Michael Keiser Jr. has been a good friend and invaluable to us. It’s somewhat overwhelming building a golf course for the first time.’’
Broomsedge will be a private club that will have a walking culture, but carts will be available. The course will be open 12 months a year.
A month ago Nelly Korda was, arguably, the best story in golf. She had won six tournaments in a stretch of seven events. Scotty Scheffler was playing great on the men’s side at that time, too, but not quite at Nelly’s pace.
So then what happened?
The next event was the U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania. Korda took a 10 on a hole in the first round, and it’s been downhill ever since.
She missed the cut in three straight tournaments, two of which were major championships. She went home to Florida for some family time with her parents, tennis star brother Sebastian and sister Jessica – a former LPGA star – and her own family.
As Nelly prepared to return to tournament play she was bitten by a dog. That made headlines, too. These are indeed strange times for the best player in women’s golf.
Before teeing off in the Evian Championship in France Korda offered some thoughts on what suddenly happened to her game.
“I’d gone through every emotion possible – and it’s just July – on the golf course,’’ she said. “I love this game. I love the bad. I love the good. In sports, if you care so deeply about it you’re just going to go through the waves of the roller coaster.’’
She did managed to end the missed cut streak at the Evian last week but finished only in a tie for 26th place.
“I was a little up and down,’’ she said. “It was nice to finish birdie-eagle. Hopefully that’ll give me a nice boost into my next event, which is in three weeks.’’
And that next event is the Olympics in Paris, and she is the defending champion.
Korda is looking forward to another Olympic experience, although she won’t be able to share the time with sister Jessica, who has dropped off the LPGA Tour to concentrate on her own family duties. Nelly said it’s “sad’’ that Jessica won’t be with her this time.
“The game humbles you enough, and that’s something I learned a great deal recently,’’ she said. “I’m really lucky to have the support system I have. They’re the reason why I’m still here. I’m just super grateful they were in town and we got to hang out and take time for each other.’’
Now that the Evian is over Korda is taking another break. It’s not family time, though. She’s going to see her best friend in Croatia.
“She’s getting married, but I’ll be missing her wedding for the Solheim Cup, so I’m going to see her and get back to grinding again,’’ said Korda.
The women’s golf competition at the Olympics is Aug. 7-10. The Solheim Cup – the biggest team event in women’s golf – is Sept. 10-15 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia.
Korda, just 25, remains No. 1 on the Rolex Rankings. This year she’s experienced all the good things and a most unexpected slump all in a span of seven months.
In a pro career that started in 2017 she has 14 tournament victories and earned nearly $12 million. That’s a solid career already, but Korda has a lot of great golf challenges ahead of her. It’ll be intriguing to see how she responds.
Another book about Tiger Woods? When I heard about `Tiger, Tiger’ I wondered why. After all, it’s obvious that this once great golfer’s playing career is in obvious decline.
And then I considered the author. James Patterson is not just one of the most prolific writers over at least the last few decades. He’s also one of the very, very best. His work is popular in both the fiction and non-fiction areas.
He’s created some unforgettable characters, most notably in his Alex Cross series. He’s also done true stories about the Kennedys, John Lennon and Princess Diana and brought to light the horrendous sex scandal account of Jeffrey Epstein. He’s co-authored novels with, among others, Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton and told his own story in the appropriately named “James Patterson by James Patterson.’’
What else could this guy do?
Well, `Tiger, Tiger’ (Little Brown and Company, Hachette Book Group, littlebrown.com) is – at the very least – the first full-scale Woods biography. The complete title includes “His life as it’s never been told before.’’
A lot of books have been written with Woods as a main character, but nothing from this perspective. Woods’ extraordinary career merits it.
Patterson does it chronologically. The chapters are very short, usually about five pages. Each begins with a site, a location and a date. It’s 439 pages and you don’t breeze through it in a few sittings. There’s no pictures to break up or enhance the copy. Still, it’s easy reading.
Woods’ relationship with his father, Earl, and his own with his son Charlie, are particularly endearing.
For the avid golfer it stirs all sorts of memories – of Woods’ spectacular victories as well as his human shortcomings and personal health challenges. It’s a very fair appraisal of Woods’ life. There’s no going overboard on the good times – or the bad ones.
Deerfield’s Vince India needed to get back into tournament-playing mode in defense of his Illinois Open title next week, and he certainly went after it with enthusiasm.
India just completed a six-month suspension for betting on golf with a legal online sportsbook. That was a severe penalty, considering India was not a participant in an event he bet on and apologized for the PGA Tour infraction immediately.
One of just 10 golfers to own titles in both the Illinois State Amateur and Illinois Open, India is getting into action by entering state opens. He played in the Colorado Open last week, but shot a pair of 72s and missed the cut.
“Now I play in the Iowa Open running right into the Illinois Open,’’ said India. The Iowa event runs Thursday through Sunday at Blue Tee Ridge in Riverside, IA., and the Illinois Open tees off on Monday (APRIL 5) at Flossmoor Country Club.
There’s no break for India on this stretch, but he attempted such scheduling last year and it was a successful venture. Frustrated with his play on the Korn Ferry Tour, he finished up a tie for 21st place showing in the circuit’s NV5 Invitational at The Glen Club and then headed for the Illinois Open at Flossmoor.
While most big professional tournaments are Thursday through Sunday affairs, the Illinois PGA has preferred a Monday to Wednesday, 54-hole format. It didn’t hurt India last year. India won at Flossmoor, beating Illinois alum Dylan Meyer in a playoff, and the $21,702 payday was his largest check of the season.
India, 35, starred at Iowa before turning pro in 2011. He’s been a regular on the Korn Ferry Tour but the suspension kept him from returning this year. He entered qualifying for the Canada swing of PGA Tour Americas in May but the trio of state opens may be a better indication of where India’s future in tournament play is headed.
He has been one of the very best players to come out of the Chicago ranks. He won the Illinois State Amateur in 2010 and took his first Illinois Open in 2018.
Gary Hallberg was the first to captured the two biggest events for Illinois players, winning the Open in 1977 and 1982 and the Amateur in both 1978 and 1979. Of the 10 who accomplished the feat he did the best in the professional ranks. He was the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 1980 and went on to win three times on that circuit and once on PGA Tour Champions.
Others who have won the state’s two biggest events are Gary Pinns, David Ogrin, Bill Hoffer, Roy Biancalana, Mark Hensby, Brad Hopfinger, Patrick Flavin and Tee-K Kelly.
This year marks the 75th playing of the Illinois Open. Pinns is the most successful Illinois Open player, winning five titles between 1978 and 1990. Illinois men’s coach Mike Small won four times between 2003 and 2007. India would join Harry Cooper, Dick Hart and Marty Schiene with three titles if he wins at Flossmoor. Cooper won his three from 1933-35, Hart from 1964-71 and Schiene from 1991-97.
HERE AND THERE
Tim Clarke, who had been president of Wilson Golf from 2006 to 2023, will take over as president of Batavia-based Tour Edge on Aug. 5. Current president David Glod, who founded Tour Edge in 1986, will become chief executive officer and remain the majority owner and chief club designer.
A grand re-opening of the Winnetka Park District’s 18-hole course has been scheduled for Aug. 13. Libertyville architect Rick Jacobson has supervised a major renovation of the layout, which opened in 1917. The renovation project began in March of 2023.
Germany’s Thomas Rosenmueller tied the NV5 Invitational scoring record with a 25-under-par 259 at The Glen Club in Glenview to win Chicago’s annual stop on the Korn Ferry Tour. His score tied for fourth lowest on the PGA Tour’s developmental circuit this season.
Olympia Fields has named Maryland architect Andrew Green to oversee a restoration of its North Course, which has been the site of U.S. Open, PGA Championship and U.S. Amateur tourneys as well as the BMW Championship, a FedEx Cup Playoff event on the PGA Tour.
The Arlington Heights Park District has announced the Arlington Amateur will be held Sept. 7-8 with the first 120 players to sign up competing. The event will have four divisions – men, senior (60-69) men, super senior (70 and up) men and women.
The Korn Ferry Tour, the developmental circuit for players trying to make it to the PGA Tour, makes its annual Chicago area stop this week. Its NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank, begins its 72-hole run on Thursday at The Glen Club in Glenview.
Scottie Scheffler, now the game’s No. 1 player, was the tourney’s first champion. He won in 2019 when the event was known as the Evans Scholars Invitational, and that was his first professional victory. Other promising young players want to follow in Scheffler’s footsteps.
Trace Crowe had an unusual path to winning the NV5 title last year. He had missed seven straight cuts and was without a top 10 in 28 career rounds on the Korn Ferry circuit. Then, after getting into contention, he had a triple bogey on the second hole of the final round at The Glen before posting his 25-under-par 259 final score.
Crowe was only the fourth player to win a Korn Ferry tournament after making a triple bogey in the final round, the first being former world No. 1 David Duval in the 1993 Korn Ferry Championship. Crowe rallied after his mishap, making eight birdies and carding a 5-under-par 66 before beating Patrick Fishburn in a two-hole playoff. Now Crowe’s a member of the PGA Tour.
Illinois-connected players on the PGA’s development circuit were numerous over the years, but this year’s Korn Ferry membership has only three — University of Illinois alums Brian Campbell and Dylan Meyer and Brad Hopfinger, a former Illinois Amateur and Illinois Open champion.
Campbell appears on the brink of earning his PGA Tour card, standing eighth on the Korn Ferry point list with the top 30 at season’s end advancing to the premier circuit.
Beaudreau wins IWO
Lauren Beaudreau, a Benet Academy and Notre Dame product, captured the 29th Illinois Women’s Open at Mistwood in Romeoville. Beaudreau, playing out of Marco Island, FL., grew up in Lemont. She finished the 36-hole event at 3-under-par 141 on Tuesday.
Beaudreau owned a one-stroke edge on three golfers, headed by two-time champion and Mistwood teaching professional Nicole Jeray. Also at 142 were two collegiate players competing out of Inverness – Caroline Smith and Carolina Lopez-Chacarra.
Smith is a redshirt senior at Indiana and help the Hoosiers to the Big Ten title last season. Lopez-Chacarra, from Spain, plays collegiate at Wake Forest.
HERE AND THERE
Lake Forest’s Pierce Grieve captured the 93rd Illinois State Amateur in a three-hole playoff with Marcus Smith of Rockford. Grieve, a 6-6 left-handed golfer, captured the title at Atkins Golf Club, the newly-renovated home course for the University of Illinois teams in Urbana. Grieve is now headed to the U.S. Amateur.
Farah O’Keefe, a University of Texas freshman, was both the medalist and champion at last week’s 124th Women’s Western Amateur at Onwentsia, in Lake Forest. Her victim in the title match was Californian Elise Lee, an incoming freshman at Northwestern.
Medinah Country Club has opened its famed No. 3 course for members play. The course, site of the 2012 Ryder Cup matches as well as multiple playings of the U.S. Open and PGA Championship, was closed all of last year for a major renovation. Power cart usage hasn’t been allowed yet, and there’ll be no guest play until 2025. The course will host the President’s Cup in 2026.
Geneva’s Katherine Lemke, Inverness’ Caroline Smith and Barrington’s Mara Janess are among the 156 qualifiers for the U.S. Women’s Amatuer, to be held Aug. 5-11 at Southern Hills in Oklahoma.
Architect Todd Quitno is overseeing the building of a new 16,000 square foot putting green and short game practice facility at Vernon Hills’ course. He is also the designer of Canal Shores, which plans to have 12 of its 19 renovated holes open for play on Aug. 1. The Evanston course will also have a new name – The Evans at Canal Shores – to honor Chick Evans, founder of the Western Golf Association’s Evans Scholars Foundation.
The Wisconsin Dells has two top-notch courses — plus a lot of other things to do. (Joy Sarver Photos)
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. – I’m big on golf trails. Quite a few states have golf trails, and some have even more than one. They’re a good marketing tool for the areas involved and helpful for golfers looking for spots where our sport is a priority.
Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is the most prominent, but about 20 states have at least a semblance of one. Wisconsin, though, isn’t among them.
No state has made as big a stride in growing golf in the last two decades as the Badger State. The creation of a golf trail – a listing of top courses within driving distance of each other that could work together for the common good – would spotlight just how attractive public golf in Wisconsin is.
Pat Stein, now the director of golf at Wild Rock, grew up in the Dells area and has worked there for 23 years. He supports the golf trail concept.
“The Dells is known for water parks, that sort of stuff,’’ said Stein, “but it could be used as the hub. The Dells is a convenient place to get out and do other things.’’
Golfers need options away from the courses, too. The Dells certainly has those.
Pat Stein, director of golf at Wild Rock, has been involved in the Dells golf scene for over two decades.
Two of the six courses in the Dells – Wild Rock and Trappers Turn – would fit into a trail of the state’s best courses but plenty of other good ones aren’t far away. Kohler, home of Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run, and Erin Hills are about two hours from the Dells. Those sites have hosted major championships.
Also within two hours are Grand Geneva and Geneva National, in Lake Geneva. Lawsonia and Sentry World are about an hour from the Dells and Sand Valley is less than that. That’s a lot of great golf in a relatively small area. Those stops don’t have all the side attractions that the Dells has, though. The Dells has long been a destination for family vacations thanks to its array of lodging, tourist attractions and dining. Its boat tours started 150 years ago and are a trademark for the area.
As for the golf there, Trappers Turn – built in 1991 – was created by architects Roger Packard and Andy North and Wild Rock – which opened in 2008 – was designed by Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry. They started work on Wild Rock as they were finishing up Erin Hills, site of the 2017 U.S. Open.
Trappers Turn is not known just for its golf. Its floral displays, particularly this one, are memorable.
Both Trappers Turn and Wild Rock are championship layouts that also have short courses. Wild Rock is part of the Wilderness Resort and it has a popular dining location in Field’s Restaurant. Trapper’s Turn is part of the Kalahari Resort, and it has its own hot restaurant — named Double Cut.
These two are among the best golf resorts in at least the Midwest, and that makes them natural rivals. Which is better? Trapper’s has 27 holes, and the extra nine is a significant plus but Wild Rock gets a slight edge here as an 18-hole layout.
“I’d call it a friendly rivalry,’’ said Stein. “We both have to work together to make it a golf destination.’’
You’ve got to like the squared tee\boxes at Wild Rock and this bunker in the middle of a fairway is unusual.
The Dells has four other courses. The oldest is Coldwater Canyon, part of the Chula Vista Resort. Now an 18-holer, it’s front nine opened in 1923. Christmas Mountain has long been a skiing destination but its golf course has come along nicely in recent years.
Most unique is Fairfield, a 12-hole executive length course that owner Jim Tracy has expanded and upgraded in the last few years. Fairfield has a particularly nice simulator room and a 20-acre practice range that is 350 yards deep. Those things make this facility more than just golf holes and its prices are much more affordable than the resort offerings. Spring Brook, a challenging but playable nine-holer for all ages, is also available.
Neighboring communities – particularly Reedsburg and Baraboo — have their courses, too, and Sand Valley has come on like gangbusters with its steady stream of expansion projects.
“Sand Valley has been a big boon to (the Dells),’’ said Stein. “What Sand Valley is doing is bringing people to this area. From the resort side that helps.’’
The Dells has over 8,000 hotel rooms, and that’s added to the Dells attractiveness for golf-playing visitors. A clear sign of that are the striking tree-house cabins that have been added at Wild Rock to bring in more golf groups.
“Spas are big now, too,’’ said Stein. “Golf was just one more thing to do. Now people want things that involve more than just golf. The evolution in the area is pretty amazing. A lot of groups come here, though not as part of an official trail. From the Dells you can really spread out, and play a lot of golf. And, groups can come here and have a night life.’’
SCENES FROM THE DELLS: Here’s some of the current attractions in this long-time vacation hotspot.
Scheduling conflicts have been a problem for Chicago’s tournament organizers for years. This week marks the first big conflict of this season, and the two tournaments involved are very big ones.
The 93rd Illinois State Amateur and the 124th Women’s Western Amateur both teed of on Tuesday. The State Am concludes on Thursday and the Women’s Western wraps ups up with a 7:30 a.m. championship match on Saturday.
This conflict isn’t as problematic as some in the past because only the Women’s Western is played on a Chicago area course. Onwentsia, in Lake Forest, which hosted the first two championships in 1901 and 1902, is the host site for the fifth time.
Rarely has the Chicago District Golf Association taken the State Am outside of the Chicago area, but this time it’s being played at Atkins Golf Club, in Urbana. The choice of Atkins is significant because it’s the home of the University of Illinois men’s teams, which have consistently been a collegiate powerhouse under coach Mike Small.
Atkins has recently been renovated to benefit the Illini program. It had been known as Stone Creek, and the tournament was played there in 2004 when T.C. Ford won the title. This year the tourney will have a field weakened by the absence of Hinsdale’s Mike McClear, who won the last two years. He turned professional after a great collegiate career at Iowa.
Three of last year’s top five are back, however. T.J. Barger, of Bloomington, was second and Pekin’s Mason Merkel and Rockford’s Marcus Smith tied for fourth. The tourney drew 565 entrants, and it was whittled to 138 starters at Atkins through eight state-wide qualifying rounds.
The starters range from 15-year old Michael Hahn to 71-year old former champion Mike Milligan. Low players in the qualifying sessions were Pierce Greve and Nick Fernberg. Both posted 6-under-par 66s, Greve at Lake Bluff in the first elimination and Fernberg at Sanctuary at New Lenox in the last one.
The field has two 18-hole rounds before the field will be cut to the low 35 and ties on Wednesday. The survivors will go 36 more holes to determine the champion on Thursday. In an upgrade from previous tourneys, this year’s winner will also get an invitation to next month’s U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine, in Minnesota.
The Women’s Western may be the most prestigious in women’s amateur golf. It’s been played for an uninterrupted 123 years. One of Chicago’s very first stars, Bessie Anthony, won the first two years. Later winners include LPGA mainstays Nancy Lopez, Cristie Kerr, Grace Park, Brittany Lang, Stacy Lewis and Ariya Jutanugarn. Past competitors have won 135 major titles and 60 have played in the Solheim Cup.
This year’s event has 120 starters, all with handicaps of 5.4 or less. The last seven Women’s Western Amateurs have been held at Chicago courses with Californian Jasmine Koo taking the title last year at White Eagle in Naperville.
Two rounds of stroke play qualifying start this year’s tournament. The second is today and the low 32 will advance to three days of match play to decide the champion. The first round and Round of 16 will be played on Thursday, the Round of eight and semifinals are Friday to determine the two finalists.
The Chicago area has five of its stars in the field headed by two-time Illinois State Amateur winner Sarah Arnold of Geneva. She won the state title in 2019 and 2023 and was the runner-up this year. Other locals competing at Onwentsia are Emily Krall of Lake Forest, Samatha Postillion, Burr Ridge; Caroline Smith, Inverness; and Mara Janess, Barrington.
There are far more contenders from out of the area with players from 28 states and 17 countries competing this week. The best of those may be college players – Caitlyn Macnab, Missississpi; Anna Morgan, Furman; Sadie Englemann and Annabelle Pancake, Stanford; Farah O’Keefe, Texas; and Kelly Xu, Clemson.
BOYNE FALLS, Michigan — We don’t just play golf on our travel writing trips. While visiting Boyne Mountain in Michigan this week we walked the world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge — called Skybridge Michigan.
