University of Iowa golfers have won three of the last five Illinois State Amateur golf titles. Now another Hawkeye is poised to claim the Illinois Open crown.
Brian Bullington, a Frankfort resident who will be a senior at Iowa in the fall, coped with windy conditions at The Glen Club in Glenview on Tuesday to claim the 36-hole lead. His second-round 67 gave Bullington a 7-under-par 137 total for the first two rounds. He’s one stroke ahead of Medinah teaching pro Travis Johns. Brian Bullington would like to follow Iowa teammate Ray Knoll in winning a big Illinois tournament. (Photos courtesy of Mike Schoaf, Illinois PGA)
Johns and Illinois men’s coach Mike Small shot 66s, the low round of the day, but Small – seeking a record-tying fifth Illinois Open title – is six strokes off the pace entering Wednesday’s final round.
Both Bullington and Johns made eagle on the downwind 578-yard par-5 18th hole to get their spots atop the leaderboard. Bullington used a 7-iron for his second shot, then holed a tricky eight-foot downhill putt. Johns connected from 20 feet, his third putt from that distance in his last six holes.
“Every day I set a number and hit it,’’ said Bullington. “The number for tomorrow? Just one that’s good enough.’’ Medinah teaching pro Travis Johns matched Brian Bullington’s eagle on the last hole of the second round.
Bullington, who got his round going with a 35-footer at No. 11, is in the final round of the Illinois Open for the third time in as many tries. He finished back in the pack the first two times, but Bullington could find that three’s a charm.
He’s had a decent summer, having qualified for the final U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and reaching the match play portion of the Chicago District Amateur. Getting the big win, however, has eluded him.
His Iowa teammate, incoming freshman Ray Knoll of Naperville, has had better luck. He qualified for the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic and won the Illinois State Amateur last week at Cantigny in Wheaton. Iowa golfers Vince India and Brad Hopfinger won that title in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
Hopfinger and Knoll are also in the hunt in this Illinois Open, standing in a tie for third and a tie for ninth, respectively.
Johns could make a big climb in the Illinois PGA Player-of-the-Year race with a good showing on Wednesday. He was the runner-up in the section’s first major tourney of the year, the IPGA Match Play Championship, after losing the final to two-time player-of-the-year Curtis Malm, the head pro at White Eagle in Naperville.
Malm has led the standings throughout this season but had a disappointing Illinois Open, shooting 79-76 to miss the cut.
Monday’s first round of the 65th Illinois Open was full of surprises, the most notable of which was provided by Michael Davan.
Davan, from downstate Hoopeston turned pro after playing collegiately at Indiana-Purdue Indianapolis. Starting late in the day he shot a 6-under-par 66 to take a one-stroke lead into Tuesday’s second round at The Glen Club in Glenview. Starting his round at No. 10, Davan made five birdies in a six-hole stretch at the end of his first nine. First-round leader Michael Davan had no trouble in his return to the Illinois Open after a tough finish in 2013. (Photo courtesy of Mike Schoaf, Illinois PGA)
That was an indication he put last year’s Illinois Open nightmare behind him. Davan took a one-stroke lead into the final hole before a water ball led to a double bogey.
In Monday’s round he lost a playing partner when Wheaton’s Tee-k Kelly, winner of the 2013 Illinois State Amateur, was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital after complaining of dehydration. Kelly returned to the course late in the day after undergoing treatment.
While Davan was the first-round’s hottest player two of the more established professionals struggled mightily. Mike Small, the University of Illinois men’s coach, shot 77 and Curtis Malm, the Illinois PGA Player-of-the-Year the last two seasons and now head at White Eagle in Naperville, shot 79. Both will have to improve to survive the cut after today’s round. The low 50 and ties advance to Wednesday’s final 18.
Small, a four-time champion in the event, had some consolation in that one of his Illini players was just one shot off the first-round lead. Alex Burge, a senior from Bloomington, made four birdies in his first five holes en route to posting a 5-under-par 67. Burge is one of a record 81 amateurs in the 156-player field.
Shot of the day was Steve Orrick’s 7-iron on the 193-yard 17th hole. It dropped for a hole-in-one, but Orrick, the head pro at Country Club of Decatur, settled for a 3-over 75.
Defending champion Joe Kinney, of Antioch, opened with a 71 and is one stroke better than two other recent winners, Wilmette’s Eric Meierdireks (2011) and Chicago’s Max Scodro (2012).
Naperville’s Ray Knoll, soon to be a freshman at the University of Iowa, followed his victory in last week’s Illinois State Amateur at Cantigny in Wheaton with a 74.
GREEN LAKE, Wis. — Shame on me. This golf writer of nearly 50 years didn’t know nearly enough about the work of William Langford until playing in last week’s Langford Shield outing at The Links of Lawsonia.
The course got its name from the legendary newspaperman Victor Lawson. He was the publisher of the Chicago Daily News prior to his death in 1925, and The Links of Lawsonia was built on a three-hour drive from Chicago near the small college town of Ripon. There’s reportedly a boxcar under the No. 7 green at The Links of Lawsonia. The elevation it created makes for a most interesting par-3.
Langford was a Chicago golf architect and very prominent in his profession. He and partner Theodore Moreau were the course designers. The Links of Lawsonia course didn’t open until 1930, and it has had a partner course, Woodlands, since 1985. It was designed by Rocky Roquemore, who participated in the design of Cog Hill’s Dubsdread course in Lemont.
The Langford Shield outing was created by newly-named management company Oliphant Golf to celebrate the opening of the new Langford Pub and underscore the work that Langford did as a course architect. He worked on over 200 courses nation-wide.
Big-Three golf website partner Rory Spears and I were only middle-of-the-pack in the inaugural playing of the Langford Shield, a two-man team event that is expected by be held annually, but the experience was first-rate. Lawsonia had been long-recommended, but last weekend was my first visit there.
Gary D’Amato, long-time friend and well-respected golf writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, calls it “one of the top five courses in Wisconsin.’’ That’s saying a lot, given all the positive developments going on in Wisconsin in recent years.
Lawsonia isn’t one of those new developments, but it has had a most interesting history. It was eventually purchased by the American Baptist Assembly and was closed in the 1940s so the property could be used to house German war prisoners. Langford Shield partner Rory Spears (left) and I got a look at the original course design when Langford’s Pub opened.
From the golf side, though, this course is a real treat. I learned that most of the holes were built as replicas of holes in Scotland and the par-3 seventh apparently has a boxcar buried underneath it to create its extraordinary elevation. There may also be a boxcar under the practice range.
At any rate, Langford’s reputation alone merits a visit to Lawsonia. He was long based in Chicago and his works there include Barrington Hills, Bryn Mawr, Butterfield, Glen Oak, Park Ridge, Ruth Lake, Westmoreland and Skokie. At the outing, though, I learned that he had a special fondness for public golf and many believe The Links at Lawsonia is his best work in an extraordinary career.
Oliphant Golf, formed in 1996 and based in Scottsdale, Ariz., has done over 150 construction and renovation projects, but hasn’t been all that active in the Midwest. Ten of its projects, none in Wisconsin or Illinois, were honored in Golf Digest’s rating categories.
BURLINGTON, Iowa –I guess I’ll always be looking for golf’s so-called `hidden gems’ – great courses that are off the beaten path.
Too often, though, I find that these courses are more hidden than they are gems. That’s not true when it comes to Spirit Hollow, though. This is a true hidden gem in an Iowa town of about 30,000 that is just a few miles over the Illinois border. I’d heard good things about it for years and finally paid a visit during July’s John Deere Classic week.
Designed by Libertville architect Rick Jacobson, Spirit Hollow opened in 2000. It’s been a busy place that will soon get busier. Eventually, I suspect, it might even get knocked off the `hidden gem’ list. Head professional Erin Strieck worked at Eagle Ridge and Fyre Lake before enjoying the views at Spirit Hollow.
Already Spirit Hollow hosted the Iowa Amateur in 2000 and 2012 and was the site of the last men’s National Junior College Athletic Assn. Division I championship. It’ll host the GolfWeek Challenge, which draws 15 of the top college teams, in September. Those are big events in a town that isn’t close to a bigger city. (The Quad Cities, when the PGA Tour’s JDC is played annually, are a 75-minute drive away and Western Illinois University is the closest big college).
Burlington businessman Randy Winegard has done wonderful things with Spirit Hollow and more will become self-evident soon. Eight lodge rooms are under construction, so – possibly as soon as August – Spirit Hollow will be able to offer exclusive stay-and-play packages on the premises.
“It’ll make you feel like you’re staying at your own lodge,’’ said head professional Erin Strieck, who knows her way around the Illinois-Iowa golf scene. She held a similar job at Eagle Ridge in Galena, Ill., for 15 years and then spent two more at Fyre Lake, a Nicklaus Design Group project now operating in Sherrard, Ill. The Spirit Hollow clubhouse is in the midst of a major renovation.
Lodging isn’t all that’s coming in what will end up as about a $1 million renovation. There’ll also be a new bar and grill in the clubhouse and a stand-alone pavilion will be constructed near the driving range to host outings and other big events.
Spirit Hollow already has other entertainment options available to its visitors. The Catfish Bend Inn, four miles away, has a casino, water park and two restaurants and is a good place for adult get-aways, business gatherings and family vacations. And now the golf alternative – already quite good – is getting a boost. Does this fake wolf scare you? It apparently keeps the geese away from Spirit Hollow’s No. 6 hole.
“We’re lucky to have an owner who wants to take Spirit Hollow to the next level in achieving excellence,’’ said Strieck. “Our ultimate goal is Top 100 (in the various course ratings) and No. 1 in Iowa. With the addition of the lodging rooms, and as the place matures, that’s definitely within our reach.’’
I don’t doubt that for a minute, but more about the course facilities. Spirit Hollow may be the best buy in the Midwest now — $35 for seniors with cart included seven days a week. The clubhouse has an indoor hitting facility that allows for winter practice, and having music playing on a big practice range offers a nice, somewhat unusual twist. Finding your way to the No. 9 green isn’t easy. This great par-4 is my favorite hole at Spirit Hollow.
Jacobson, who got his start in golf architecture working for Jack Nicklaus, formed his own company in 1991. He’s done a lot of work in China lately, but his creations in the Chicago area include two real good ones – Strawberry Creek in Kenosha and Bowes Creek in Elgin. Spirit Hollow ranks at least on par with those. He’s also done renovation work at such quality places as Kemper Lakes, North Shore, Bob O’Link, Oak Park, Cantigny and Sunset Ridge. That should speak volumes about what you can expect if you visit Spirit Hollow.
The staff there is also notable. In addition to Strieck, the general manager is Jim Wyffels. He was superintendent at The General at Eagle Ridge before moving on to Fyre Lake and then Spirit Hollow.
There are lots of good holes at Spirit Hollow. You don’t forget No. 6, a 445-yard par-4 where some extremely realistic-looking “wolves’’ serve as decoys to keep geese off the green and away from the pond that fronts the putting surface.
None of the holes, however, are more memorable than No. 9 – a short dogleg right par-4. A stream runs in front of the long, elevated green and a waterfall – though not really in play – provides an added attraction. Play the hole from the right tee – 266 yards from the front one, or longer tests from 321, 365 or 410 yards — and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a challenge as much fun as this one.
Sooner rather than later one of Tiger Woods’ longest-standing course records will be broken. I suspect it won’t take long. Curtis Malm just needs to find someone willing to play the championship tees with him at White Eagle Golf Club.
No one plays back there these days on White Eagle’s Red-White rotation of nines that comprise its championship course. (Another course record of 64 was set by member Ron Potter in 1998 using the regular tees).
Woods was still an amateur in the mid-1990s when he shot 4-under-par 68 while in town to play in the Western Open. Malm, the Illinois PGA Player-of-the-Year the last two seasons, became White Eagle’s head professional last winter and certainly has the game to take Woods’ name off the record books – and you can be sure he’ll be trying to do just that.
White Eagle players face a shot towards the clubhouse to finish their rounds.In the meantime, White Eagle is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. It’s a vibrant private club located in Naperville on the Aurora border that has a tournament history that shouldn’t be forgotten.
The club was created amidst cornfields for its opening in 1989. Just three years later its Red-White nines were used for the LPGA Chicago Sun-Times Shootout. The tourney was first held the year before at Oak Brook Golf Club, when Martha Nause produced one of the greatest finishes in LPGA history to win the title.
Nause finished birdie-birdie-birdie-eagle, holing out from the fairway on the last hole to beat Kris Monaghan by one stroke in the LPGA’s first return to Chicago in 18 years. The LPGA had a Chicago stop in its first season of 1950, but was a very sporadic visitor after that. Though the U.S. Women’s Open was played at LaGrange Country Club in 1974 and 1981, the last LPGA Tour stop before the Sun-Times Shootout was in 1973 – the Child & Family Service Open at Midlane, in Wadsworth.
As exciting as Nause’s win at Oak Brook was, the tourney profile was definitely elevated by the move to White Eagle – the first Arnold Palmer-designed course in Illinois.
White Eagle hosted in 1992, when Dottie Mochrie won the title. (She was married then, but later assumed her maiden name of Pepper and went on to a career as a top TV golf analyst).
The Sun-Times’ role as title sponsor ended after the 1993 tourney, won by a relative unknown in Cindy Schreyer, and Peter Fleming – best known as John McEnroe’s doubles partner on the tennis circuit – was the leader in keeping the event alive in 1994. The tourney was renamed the Chicago Challenge, and Jane Geddes was the champion.
Sponsorship was hard to come by after that, but the successful three-year run at White Eagle led to Chicago getting the U.S. Women’s Open again in 2000 (Karrie Wood winning at the Merit Club in Libertyville) and another LPGA Tour stop. The Kellogg-Keebler Classic was played at Stonebridge, in Aurora, from 2002-04 and it had high-profile champions in Annika Sorenstam (2002, 2003) and Webb (2004).
White Eagle hasn’t needed big tournaments to thrive since then. It added its Blue nine in 1996, making it one of the few private facilities in Chicago with more than 18 holes. A few years ago a golf simulator was added for use in the winter. The club has 75 players in its busy junior program, a caddie program that employs 40-45 youngsters, clay courts for tennis buffs and a swimming program that has participants from beyond the club membership.
The Chicago District Golf Association’s Sunshine Through Golf program also is a six-week visitor during the summer and the club hosts about 80 weddings and 20 corporate outings each year.
Malm’s arrival suggests a significant competitive event might be in the club’s future again, but only time will tell. For now club leadership is planning a renovation process that will strictly focus on enhancing the golf experiences for its members and guests. Part of the 25th anniversary celebration included an outing that featured Greg Huigens (photo below at right), who was both the men’s champion and men’s senior champion at White Eagle in 2013. Joining us the the celebration outing are Chicagoland Golf publisher Val Russell (left) and club historian Chip Wagner (second from left).
Erin Hills has undergone more than its share of tweaks in its brief history, but interest in the layout 35 miles northwest of Milwaukee has never wavered. In fact, enthusiasm for the course has grown with each of the changes made since the opening in 2006.
It’s good news, though, that the alterations are just about done.
“Except for the practice putting green we’re pretty much where we want to be for the U.S. Open,’’ said Jim Reinhart, ‘’ general chairman for the national championship’s first-ever staging in Wisconsin in 2017.
Erin Hills’ new third green isn’t short on pin placements after what figures to be the last big tweak to the course in preparation for the 2017 U.S. Open.Reinhart, president of the Wisconsin State Golf Assn., was also general chairman of the 2011 U.S. Amateur played at Erin Hills. He likes the progress that’s been made since then. Work on the course began in 2004 under the direction of architects Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry and Ron Whitten, and Erin Hills became the first course awarded a USA championship (the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links) before it even opened for play.
None of the events staged so far will have the impact the Open will have, of course. Recent U.S. Opens have had an economic impact on its area of between $120 and $160 million. Erin Hills is excited about its upcoming time in the sun – and is already looking behind 2017.
“We’ve seen tremendous building in and around the golf course,’’ said Reinhart. “We’re proud of where we’ve come from and where’s we’re at today. We certainly hope this is just the beginning for U.S. Opens at Erin Hills. We don’t look on this as a one-and-done opportunity.’’
The course has conducted media briefing days each year since being awarded its U.S. Open, and this year’s spotlight was put on Zach Reineking, the course superintendent who was on the job even before the course opened. He outlined the most recent changes, the biggest coming at the par-4 third hole, which is designed to play at 478 yards from the back tees. Reineking said No. 3 turned into a bigger project than originally planned.
“It started with a re-design of just the green,’’ he said. This is the new fourth cottage, which adds to the lodging options at Erin Hills.
In the end, though, that putting surface wasn’t just re-designed to get more pin locations. It was also moved 18 yards to the right and three bunkers were added to protect it.
“Now it’s one of our better holes,’’ Reineking said.
Two new tees were added at No. 5, another was put it at No. 15 to create the possibility of a drive-able par-4 and still another was put in at No. 17 to create a different angle into the fairway.
“One reason the USGA liked Erin Hills was because (executive director) Mike Davis liked the flexibility of the golf course,’’ said Reinhart. “We also have the space (more than 652 acres) for the corporate setup, and we’re excited about the number of spectators we can have for 2017 (an estimated 45,000 per day). We’re one of the few places where you can have corporate hospitality right on the golf course, and we’re sure we’ll have a lot of that here.’’
Erin Hills now has many similarities with Pinehurst No. 2, which hosted both the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open this year. That was the first time those big events were staged back-to-back on the same course and the experiment has generally been considered a success.
“We share a lot of the same philosophies as Pinehurst. We have very restricted irrigation,’’ said Reineking. “How we manage our course is very similar to Pinehurst. If we get rain, we get rain. If not we allow those fairways to burn out.’’
Pinehurst has its wire-grass in the rough areas. Erin Hills has 140 acres of unmowed fescue. In recent years 2,000 trees were removed, and that opened up more panoramic views.
“It’s been an evolutionary process,’’ said Reineking. “We’ve gone through several changes since 2006, and the next three years we’ll refine details for 2017.’’
General chairman Jim Reinhart updates the media on Erin Hills’ preparations for the 2017 U.S. Open. John Morrissett, the club’s competitions director, looks on.John Morrissett, Erin Hills’ competitions director, said tickets would go on sale for the 2017 U.S. Open shortly after; the 2016 U.S. Open concludes at Chambers Bay, in University Place, Wash. Like Wisconsin in 2017, next year’s Open will break new ground, too. It’ll be the first time the national championship is played in the Pacific Northwest.
Two USGA staffers will move to Erin Hills this winter. By the end of 2015 there’ll be a recruitment for volunteers.
“Our U.S. Amateur needed 800,’’ said Morrissett. “The U.S. Open will need about 5,000. We’re fortunate in that we have an enthusiastic, experienced base of volunteers.’’
In the meantime, this future U.S. Open venue continues to attract curious golfers from throughout the world. They’ll be coming right up to the closing date on Oct. 26. It’s all part of the extraordinary golf boom that has engulfed the entire state of Wisconsin the last few years.
“We went from a golf wasteland to one of the premier destinations in American championship golf,’’ said Reinhart.
And that golf boom won’t be subsiding any time soon. Golfers will keep coming.
As far as Erin Hills is concerned, that led to the building of a fourth four-bedroom cottage on the premises that’s now available. Rooms start at $195, suites at $450 and cottages at $1,100. The 2014 green fee is $225 per player plus caddie fees ($50 per player plus a suggested gratuity of $45 per bag).
There’ll also be an event to whet the appetite for the spectator golf to come. Erin Hills will host the Wisconsin State Amateur in 2015.
KOHLER, Wis. – What’s been going on in golf in Wisconsin is astonishing.
Another PGA Championship and a Ryder Cup coming to Whistling Straits. A U.S. Open on its way to Erin Hills. A Robert Trent Jones renovation of the famous Flower Hole at Sentry World. A new Mike Keiser resort, Sand Valley, with four courses to be built near Wisconsin Rapids.
That’s a ton of major development for a state with a short golf season, but the boom has been in the works for awhile.
Like, say, about 25 years.
With all due respect to the Lake Geneva resorts, Grand Geneva and Geneva National, the dramatic surge in golf development in the Badger state the last few years has roots to Herb Kohler’s decision to bring in architect Pete Dye. He designed the Blackwolf Run course at The American Club. Elevated tee shots aren’t unusual at Blackwolf Run, and they can create some scenic challenges.
Blackwolf Run has changed a lot since the likes of Ernie Els and Greg Norman competed in the World Championships of Golf there from 1995-97. A year later the U.S. Women’s Open came to Blackwolf and produced an epic victory by Korean Se Ri Pak. That really set the stage for the influx of great Asian players on the LPGA Tour.
Then Kohler made the unusual decision to add another 18 holes at Blackwolf. Dye’s original 18 was named Best New Public Course for 1988 by Golf Digest. In expanding Kohler allowed the River and Meadow Valley nines to be put on different courses to create a 36-hole complex.
The move paid off. More championship golf came to Kohler when Whistling Straits became a reality and more came to other areas of Wisconsin once Kohler showed it could be done.
Now – before the excitement of the 2015 PGA Championship, the 2017 U.S. Open, the opening of Keiser’s next project and the opening of a reported fifth course in the Kohler area — is a good time to spend some quality time where it all began. Blackwolf Run remains one of the nation’s premier golf destinations. A trip to Kohler shouldn’t center on rounds at Whistling Straits. Blackwolf Run remains a great place to play, even if big tournaments won’t be there for awhile.
The 2012 U.S. Women’s Open was its latest venture on golf’s big stage, and the original 18 was put back together for that event. Visitors won’t get to play the original layout, but the two separate 18s are just fine. So is the historic hotel and the adjacent Carriage House Annex with its spa, and the Horse & Plow restaurant remains a hot spot.
While quality remains, this season is unique. A lot of planning will be done, as Jason Mengel has set up headquarters to direct the 2015 PGA Championship and Michael Belot has returned to his home town as both general manager of Destination Kohler and vice chairman (behind David Kohler) of the PGA Championship.
Belot had spent time away, as director of the 2006 and 2009 PGA Championships and the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah and considered more roles with the PGA of America before heading home. His family moved to Kohler in 1978, when he was one year old, and he lived there until going off to college in 1996. Other family members have continued to live in the Kohler area.
“I had some great opportunities with the PGA after the Ryder Cup,’’ said Belot, “but I thought this would be a perfect fit. I have two young sons and would be re-locating every few years (had he remained with the PGA). This works out well for me personally and professionally.’’
He’s got a much bigger job now, with responsibility for all lodging, the Sports Core, nine restaurants and – among many other things – the proposed new course.
Though its location — on 247 acres of Kohler-owned land near the own of Wilson, 10 miles south of Whistling Straits — has been disclosed and Dye has been on the property, further details on the project are hush-hush at the moment. Plans were submitted to the Wilson planning commissioner on May 12, and Belot says “We’re just working through the process.’’
A visit to the site suggests some holes will be on Lake Michigan, as is the case with Whistling Straits. At least a few holes of the proposed fifth course in the Kohler area will have views like this one of Lake Michigan.
The talking for now focuses on next year’s PGA. Mengel arrived last July after working as tournament director of the 2013 Senior PGA Championship at Bellerive in St. Louis.
“That’s a very good club and a good market,’’ he said. “We set all-time new corporate records there, and the 100th PGA will be there in 2018.’’
For now, though, Mengel’s concern is 2015, when Whistling Straits will host its third PGA in 11 years. He started selling corporate hospitality last September.
“Everything went absolutely fantastic,’’ he said. “We’ve seen wonderful support. Three chalet villages were on our initial plan, and we’ve already sold out two and have just one spot left in the third. We’re already talking expansion plans, and we’re only a year into it.’’
Ticket sales for 2015 will start on Aug. 11, the day after this year’s PGA concludes at Valhalla, in Louisville, but potential buyers have to register before then to hold their place in line for those tickets.
“The time to act is now,’’ Mengel said. Plans for the 2020 Ryder Cup underscore that. Buy a hospitality chalet now and you get the right of first refusal at the Ryder Cup five years later. Buy four Wanamaker Club tickets now, and you can bypass the ticket lottery for the Ryder Cup down the road.
Seventy-five percent of the volunteer positions have already been filled for the 2015 PGA, a testament to the good experiences many felt while working at the previous big events in the area.
Tournament director Jason Mengel is happy with the way preparations for the 2015 PGA Championship are progressing.Mengel says this PGA won’t be quite like the others.
“The biggest difference is the commitment that Kohler Company and Pete Dye made to build our infrastructure out on the golf course. That will be the most visible difference,’’ Mengel said. “A lot of work will be done outside the ropes so we can build our infrastructure.’’
“This will be a huge difference,’’ chimed in Belot. “We’ve committed to changing the golf course. Some areas will be graded to accommodate corporate hospitality. Some of the views (from the hospitality venues) will overlook Lake Michigan. They’ll be spectacular.’’
Tweaking aside, Wisconsin still has plenty of enthusiasm for golf’s biggest events.
“It’s a great thing. It shows the love for golf in this state,’’ said Mengel, who grew up in Michigan. “We’ve seen the passion at the 2004 and 2010 PGAs. What an amazing market this is for golf.’’
Belot admits the Wisconsin golf is “truly remarkable.’’
“When you have tremendous courses like we have at Kohler people will be interested in playing them,’’ he said. “They’ll take advantage of the golf season that they do have, despite having such a short window to play.’’
The 2015 PGA is just the next step.
“Everything we’re doing is for 2015, but we’re keeping in mind the Ryder Cup,’’ said Belot. “It’ll be here before we know it.’’
AUGUSTA, MI. – When you put Augusta and golf together you think of April, azaleas and the Masters tournament, right?
Well, that’d be understandable. Not all the great Augusta golf is played in Georgia, though. Check out Augusta, Michigan. Golf is pretty good there, too. Vice president Tim Moskalic shows his eye-catching course at Yarrow Golf & Conference Resort.
This little town (population of only about 1,000) in southwest Michigan is the home of one of the premier families in the American golf industry as well as a unique resort/convention center complex that features one of that’s state’s premier courses. Put them together and you have the story of six courses just a few miles apart that create an ideal destination for group outings.
We’ll start with Yarrow Golf & Conference Resort. Its golf is good – an 18-holer designed by busy Michigan architect Ray Hearn in 2002. Hearn has either designed or worked on 25 courses in his home state (he lives in Holland, MI.) and has done quality work elsewhere. His renovations at two Chicago clubs – private Flossmoor Country Club and upscale public Mistwood – have drawn more attention lately but Yarrow is definitely one of Hearn’s best.
He gets your attention immediately with a highly-challenging 588-yard opening hole that has a bit of everything, most notably elevation changes and an undulating putting surface. Hearn wanted that to be No. 10 in his original plans, but ownership considerations eventually changed that.
Anyway, the rest of the course isn’t as intimidating and Hearn’s use of four other tee placements makes Yarrow suitable for players of all abilities. There’s lots of fun holes out there, but the layout is made for major competitions if played from the tips – 7,005 yards with a par of 72, rating of 72.4 and slope of 133.
Yarrow, though, is about more than golf. It has fine dining, 12 meeting rooms and 45 guest rooms spread over three separate buildings that make it a hub for company retreats and weddings. The staff is a friendly bunch, headed by resort vice president Tim Moskalic and general manager Toby Hilton.
In the same town of Augusta (or very close to it) is Gull Lake View Golf Club & Resort. For four decades the Scott family has owned and operated this multi-course conglomerate. There’s some prominent families in the American golf industry, starting with the Jemsek clan in Chicago, and the Scotts are right up there. Gull Lake View has welcomed golfers for over 50 years.
Gull Lake View isn’t one place. Actually, it’s Gull Lake View Inc. and it embraces five courses owned by the Scotts. This family pioneered the golf destination business in Michigan, and that’s saying a lot since the state has over 800 public courses despite its relatively short playing season.
Golfers from outside southwest Michigan started playing Gull Lake View courses in 1963. That’s the year that Darl and Letha Scott opened the first nine holes of their first course. Darl had been a course superintendent for 21 years at Gull Lake Country Club before deciding to build a course of his own.
The proximity of Gull Lake View’s five courses — located between the bigger cities of Kalamazoo and Battle Creek — is a big plus. The conditioning on all of them is well above average. So is the variety of the layouts, and cost-wise it’s a friendly place as well. That formula has brought back many golfers for return visits over the years. If you want to play a lot of golf on a lot of different courses in a short period of time Gull Lake View is the place for you.
There are three bases of operation for the five courses. The Gull Lake View West and East courses are equipped with Fairway Villas and the Kendall Academy of instructors is also based there.
The Stonehedge South and North layouts are three miles down the road, and Bedford Valley is off the beaten path a bit – it’s officially in Battle Creek — but still within a short drive of the others. Each has its own bit of history.
Gull Lake View West was expanded to 18 holes in 1965. The adjoining East course, rated as high as the tenth best course in Michigan at one time, was completed in 1976 and the 64 Fairway Villa condos were opened a year later. All were designed and built by members of the Scott family.
The par-70 East is on the short side (6,059 yards) but is loaded with water hazards, hilly terrain and undulating greens. West is longer (6,330 yards) with a slightly higher rating (69.8) and slope (126).
Both the Stonehedge courses are still longer and more challenging. Stonehedge South, the third of the family’s courses, was designed by Charles Scott. This very scenic layout opened in 1988.
No. 4 came via purchase that same year. The family acquired Bedford Valley, a one-time private club with a course designed by Boston architect William Mitchell in 1965. This charming layout, much different from Augusta’s other courses, is the favorite for many visitors who have tested them all. It’s the longest (7,070 yards) with the highest rating (73.5) and slope (131). Bedford Valley is proud of its long history as a tournament site.
Mitchell may not be the most well-known course designer but his resume includes two interesting tidbits. He’s credited with coining the term “executive course’’ (though Bedford Valley certainly isn’t one of those) and he also designed Rolling Hills Country Club in Florida. The renowned movie “Caddie Shack’’ would eventually be filmed there.
Bedford Valley has been the home of the Michigan Senior Open every year since 1996 and also has hosted the Michigan Open and the NCAA Division II national championship. Locals call this “The Big Course’’ because it has huge greens, large bunkers and fairways lined with large oak trees. An 8,400-square foot clubhouse was opened in 2008.
Last of the Gull Lake View courses to open was Stonehedge North. Designed by Charles and Jon Scott, it opened in 1995 with a unique mixture of holes – six par-5s, six par-4s and six par-3s. Like the South, it has some dramatic elevation changes amidst a forest setting.
Along with the courses there’s Cranes Pond, a 250-acre private gated golf community adjacent to the Gull View West course that includes a 54-acre lake, and The Woods at Stonehedge, a 40-acre community located on the Stonehedge South course.
BENTON HARBOR, MI. – Little known foreign players won the last two titles in the Senior PGA Championship, and that could happen again.
Japan’s Kiyoshi Murota shot the best score of Friday’s second, holing from off the green twice en route to a 6-under-par 65 – and is in a six-way tie for the lead at Harbor Shores. The other co-leaders included another unlikely candidate, Denmark’s Steen Tinning who shot 66. If either wins on Sunday they’d continue a trend started by England’s Roger Chapman, who won here in 2012, and Japan’s Kohki Idoki, the champion last year at Bellerive in St. Louis.
The present leaderboard, though, isn’t filled with golfing unknowns. Joining Murota and Tinning at the top are Tom Watson, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie and Bart Bryant. All hit the 36-hole stop at 4-under-par 138.
Watson, Langer and Montgomerie formed the showcase threesome of the first two rounds and traded hot stretches. Langer and Watson shots 68s on Friday and Montgomerie had 69.
“All three of us played well,’’ said Watson, “and the course played a little easier (than it did in Thursday’s first round). They had the tees up on several holes, so it was a kinder, friendlier Harbor Shores today.’’
“Tom had a great finish (tie for sixth) in the Regions Tradition and Langer’s always there,’’ said Montgomerie. “I felt if I was equal or around them after two days I would be quite happy. I was, and I am.’’
The Senior PGA, celebrating its 75th anniversary, comes a week after the Champions Tour’s first major of the season, the Regions Tradition in Alabama. Kenny Perry won there – his third major title on the 50-and-over circuit – but shot 75 Friday and barely made the cut.
Curtis Malm hadn’t even been born when Bill Ogden won three straight Illinois PGA Match Play titles from 1970-72. That’s the last time any player scored a three-peat in the section’s first of four major championships.
Malm ended that dryspell when he took a 1-up victory over Medinah teaching pro Travis Johns in the 63rd playing of the championship (MAY 12-15) at Kemper Lakes in Long Grove.
The record for most consecutive wins in the tourney is still a ways off for Malm. Bob Harris, the only other player to three-eat, won six in a row in the 1950s. The IPGA Match Play tourney finally has a dominant player again following Curtis Malm’s three-peat at Kemper Lakes.
Malm, though, was delighted with his third straight win and hopes to parlay it into a third straight IPGA player-of-the-year award. Only two other players have been three-peaters in the player of the year race – Hillcrest’s Steve Benson (1980-82) and Aurora’s Bob Ackerman (1987-89). Malm will also try to make history in the second major of the year, July’s Illinois Open at The Glen Club. He won that tournament as an amateur in 2000, and only three players have won that title as both an amateur and a pro.
Rick Ten Broeck did it first, and in usual fashion. He was the champion as a pro in 1973 at Barrington Hills, then won again after regaining his amateur status in 1981. Gary Hallberg, the veteran tour player, was the winner as an amateur in 1977 and as a pro in 1982. Gary Pinns, who also played on the PGA Tour, took the Open as an amateur in 1978 and won it four more times as a pro (1985, 1986, 1988, 1990).
Malm has some work to do before joining that select company but his latest Match Play victory was special, in that it came in his first major since becoming head professional at White Eagle in Naperville. He was an assistant at St. Charles Country Club the previous two years, and he anticipated a tough task in his three-peat bid.
“That weighed heavily on my mindset,’’ said Malm. “When you have the opportunity to do something special, that adds a little motivation and excitement.’’
He came through by winning six matches over four days, the last two in cold (40-degree temperatures), windy weather and occasional rain.
“It was brutal,’’ said Malm, “and I didn’t play my best. But you battle through the ups and downs. That’s the way it should be.’’
He had Mistwood teaching pro Chris Ioriatti 4-down with four holes to play in the morning semifinals on the final day, but Ioriatti won the next three holes before Malm closed him out on the 18th.
“Way more drama than I wanted,’’ Malm admitted. But more was to come in the title match against Johns, the tourney’s 2010 champion.
Johns was 2-up after eight holes, but Malm fought back and their duel was all square at the 18th tee. Both players hit solid drives and good approaches on the par-4, Johns’ stopping 18 feet from the cup and Malm’s 12 feet.
After John’s left-to-right breaker barely missed Malm knocked in the winner. Johns also had a tense semifinal match. He holed two shots from off the green to force extra holes against Conway Farms’ new head pro, Matt Slowinski, but needed a 12-footer on the second hole of sudden death go earn his berth in the final.
