You’re a Chicago resident and you want to play golf year-around? One way to do that is to move to Florida, and some who did even went a step further. They bought their own courses in the Sunshine State and have taken them to new, higher levels.

Two Orlando area facilities – Mission Inn Resort & Club, in Howie-in-the-Hills, and Royal St. Cloud Golf Links, in St. Cloud – are thriving under the guidance of transplanted Chicago area residents.

The tale of Mission Inn, a resort with 36 holes located 35 miles southwest of Orlando, goes back to 1964 when Nick Beucher, a Wilmette resident who worked as a salesman for Morton Salt Company, bought the Hotel Floridian and its dilapidated golf course. He gradually brought family members from Chicago to help in the development of the place.
Son Bob came to Florida first and eventually became the resort president.

Bob’s now retired but retains the president’s title while his brother Bud directs the day to day operation. Nick Beucher died in 2005 at the age of 88, but the family spirit remains at Mission Inn. In addition to the two sons, three of their four brothers-in-law, one of two sisters-in-law and all 16 grandchildren have been involved in the resort’s operation.

Royal St. Cloud’s story is much different. It involves two former Chicago area residents — successful Hinsdale businessman Tom Butler and Bill Filson, a former teaching professional at Oak Brook Golf Club. Butler was one of Filson’s pupils there. Together they opted to buy Royal St. Cloud in 2003 with Filson becoming the general manager and face of the facility.

Filson had the background in golf. He grew up in LaGrange and his father was superintendent of Illinois Masonic Children’s Home. Tom Byrd, the late head professional at the since closed Timber Trails golf course, taught Filson the basics of the game and Filson eventually joined Trey Van Dyck’s staff at Oak Brook after giving up hopes of becoming a tournament player. Filson worked at Oak Brook 11 years before coming to Florida.

While Filson was guiding Royal St. Cloud’s emergence as one of Orlando’s busiest courses , Mission Inn was blossoming as a full service resort spread over 1,100 acres. The resort has 176 guest rooms and suites, four restaurants, two lounges, a poolside cabana, a 54-slip marina, fitness center and spa. The two courses, though, make it a special place for golfers.

El Campeon, the older layout, was built in 1917 and is the fifth-oldest course in Florida. A Chicago architect, George O’Neil, built the original course, which was known as Howey Golf Club. It was also called Chain O’Lakes, Bougainvillea and Floridian before the present name – which means “The Champion’’ in Spanish – was adopted.

A Scottish architect, Charles Clarke, updated El Campeon after 10 years and is the architect of record, though more updates followed over the years. Despite its age, it’s still very much relevant for any level of golfer. In 2009 El Campeon was named Florida’s Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association.

The other course at Mission Inn, Las Colinas, is in its 23rd season and – like El Campeon — has been consistently listed among Florida’s Top 25 in the various polls. That’s saying something, since Florida is rich in golf courses with well over 1,000 in operation.

A nominee for Best New Resort Course by Golf Digest magazine in its early years, Las Colinas was designed by Gary Koch, a veteran PGA Tour player, in 1992 and renovated by the respected Ron Garl in 2007. The Beucher family is particularly proud of the many collegiate events that have been played there.

El Campeon doesn’t look like a typical Florida course. With 85 feet of elevation changes it offers a most memorable golfing adventure thanks in large part to major design tweaking over the years supervised by Bob Beucher. Now El Campeon even has an island green, at the par-4 16th

Las Colinas (Spanish for “The Hills’’) is a more typical Florida resort layout. It has wide fairways and isn’t quite the challenge that El Campeon can be. Cited by Golf for Women for its Top Fairways award, Las Colinas is player-friendly but still interesting throughout. The courses are similar in that both are par-72 layouts with one par-5 on front nine and three on the back.

The story of the Royal St. Cloud started ominously. The grand opening of the first 18 holes came two days before the horrendous 9-11 terrorist attack in 2001. That 18-hole course was known as the St. Cloud Golf Club and the designer was Chip Powell. Powell was a product of both Danville Community College and Illinois State University before starting his architectural business in Florida in the early 1980s.

Powell created the course for St. Cloud’s original owners, who sold it two years later. Then the Illinois influence became much stronger. A PGA professional for 24 years, Filson’s role at Royal St. Cloud is much broader than that of the usual GM.

First order of business when he arrived was rebuilding the original 18. Filson did that while working with Powell. Next came the addition of a new clubhouse, which opened in November of 2008. Blessed with plenty of open space for expansion, Butler and Filson didn’t see the need for a second 18-hole course but opted for a third nine. Filson, again working with Powell, designed it and they had it up and running in 2009.

Each of the nines is a par-36 and only 43 yards separates the shortest (on the White course) from the longest (on the Blue). The fairways are generous throughout but there are special touches. Each hole has a name, some examples being Wake Up, Mouse Trap, Nesse’s Back, Brent’s Bridge, Hookenfacher’s Nose, Gauntlet of Palms and Oliver’s Field. Their stories are told on unique signs, which provide reading material throughout the course.

There’s also the Deli Tele – authentic British shiny red phone booths that golfers can use to contact the clubhouse to place food orders.

“We believe in making our course second to none in the (Florida) public market,’’ said Filson. “We give prices that are significantly better than fair and we treat everybody exactly the same. The condition is always extremely good and we’re real friendly people.’’

GALENA, Illinois – Let’s make this perfectly clear. I’ve always enjoyed visiting Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa. I’ve been there many times – and for various reasons – over the last 35 years. It had been four years since my last visit, though, and this time things were different.

That’s different, as in better.

It all boils down to a series of developments starting in 2013 when Capital Crossing acquired the facility, which has long been the premier golf resort in a state that doesn’t have enough of them.

Capital Crossing brought in Texas-based Touchstone Golf to manage its 63 holes and Mount Prospect-based Bricton Group to manage the resort.

Touchstone manages courses in 10 states but Eagle Ridge is its only facility in the Midwest. The bulk of Touchstone’s 36 properties are in California (16) and Texas (7). Steve Harker, formerly with American Golf, started the company in 2005. His team now includes Mark Luthman who — as regional director of operations for Chicago-based KemperSports — was a leader in the planning, pre-opening and operations of Oregon’s Chambers Bay, site of the 2010 U.S. Amateur and 2015 U.S. Open. Luthman is Touchstone’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Bricton, a major hotel management group, is headed by president Ed Doherty – a former Evans Scholar. Touchstone and Bricton combined to form Brickstone, the firm that oversees Eagle Ridge’s total operation.

The first order of business was to address the shortcomings on the golf side. The resort’s website alludes to “renovation’’ work done on its three 18-holers – The General and the North and the South courses – as well as the nine-hole East course. That’s a bit misleading.

Renovations generally connote total revamping of a course and usually include design changes. That wasn’t needed at Eagle Ridge. All four courses were designed by one-time Chicago-based architect Roger Packard, with two-time U.S. Open champion Andy North helping out on The General – the showcase course. All four courses are blessed with the “wow factor’’ thanks largely to the elevation changes throughout the 6,800-acre property.

The North opened in 1977, the South in 1984, the East in 1991 and The General in 1997. I played in the grand opening outings at both the South and The General, so I can spot any changes in them and the East is a long-time favorite with its straight-down tee to green shot at the par-3 second hole. You don’t forget playing a hole like that one, just like you don’t forget teeing off at The General’s elevated No. 14 tee. There’s a 14-story drop to the fairway on that par-4.

Anyway, while Packard’s designs remained intact, the work done since Touchstone arrived has still been extensive.

“There wasn’t any construction on the fairways,’’ said Reagan Davis, the director of golf who came aboard in August of 2013. “Packard did a great job, but a lot of places were overgrown and a lot of the tees and landing areas were claustrophobic. The native areas were overgrown, and a lot of the trees weren’t trimmed. People would measure a round on The General by how many balls they lost.’’

Davis estimates that $700,000 was spent on cleaning up the courses, and I found The General and the North – the two that I played on my most recent visit — in the best condition they’ve ever been in.

“We went in and trimmed all the trees we could,’’ said Davis. “We pushed back the tee boxes and tried to make the courses like they were originally.’’

In the process playing experiences improved, especially on the super challenging General.

“It speeded up play,’’ said Davis. “We picked up 35 minutes of time (per round). On a busy day a round might have gone 5 hours 25 minutes before. Now it’s more like 4 hours 30 minutes, and rounds are rarely over 5 hours.

The General also got a new restaurant. “Spikes’’ is gone and has been replaced by WoodStones, which features a $30,000 oven that can cook a wood-fire pizza in four minutes. The restaurant is even featured on the more dramatic welcoming signs at the main entrance.

“We wanted something more for the community and not so much for the resort or the golfers,’’ said Davis. “We keep it open 10 months out of the year. It’s done well.’’

Davis’ arrival solved an immediate problem on the Eagle Ridge golf calendar. The Illinois PGA had pulled its final major tournament of the season out of the resort because it didn’t have a Class A professional. Losing its biggest tournament was not a good thing but Davis had been assistant professional at Camelback Inn and director of golf at Troon North – both upper echelon destinations in Arizona.

Thanks to his credentials – Davis is in his 25th year as a golf professional and his 20th as a PGA of America member — and enthusiasm, the Illinois PGA Players Championship returned to Eagle Ridge in 2015 after being played at Metamora Fields in 2013 and 2014. It’ll also be played at Eagle Ridge this fall and Davis sees it as back home for a much longer run.

Davis brings more to the table than that. His older brother Joe was a golf professional and that led to Davis developing connections with PGA Tour players.

Craig Perks, who once won The Players Championship, and Mike Heinen, a former champion at the Shell Houston Open, were college teammates at Southwestern Louisiana. Before playing collegiate golf Davis developed a long-time friendship with PGA Tour mainstays Jay and Lionel Hebert. That led to Davis becoming a collector of vintage clubs and other golf memorabilia, all of which is on display for those lucky enough to visit his bottom floor office at The General.

There has also been some notable additions on the golf side. Robbie Gould, a golf addict who doubles as a great kicker for the Bears, is now the resort’s golf ambassador. Gould hosted a clinic at the resort earlier in the spring and will don Eagle Ridge gear in his charity golf appearances throughout the summer.

There’s some other newcomers as well – 30 goats. They’ve been brought in to roam the steep slopes where mowing equipment can’t be used.

The Brickstone influence is evident beyond the golf side at Eagle Ridge. The lobby of the Eagle Ridge Inn has been completely renovated and upgrades have been made in the 200 homes on the property that are rented out. A room renovation, estimated to cost $2 million, is expected to begin this winter.

As for the charming little town of Galena just seven miles away, it hasn’t changed much — and that’s a good thing. The resort offers all sorts of activities beyond golf and Galena and its neighboring towns only enhance that vacation atmosphere.

The countdown is on for the opening of one of the most talked-about American courses in years.

Forest Dunes, in Roscommon, Mich., has long featured one of the most popular 18-holers in the Midwest – a Tom Weiskopf design consistently ranked among the best public layouts in the state.

Now the Weiskopf design will have one (or two, depending on how you look at it) partner course beginning on June 27. That’s when architect Tom Doak unveils The Loop – an innovative reversible design.

The Loop uses the same 18 greens and fairways. When it’s played in the clock-wise direction it’s the Black course. When it’s played counter-clockwise it’s the Red course. I walked it last summer when it was under construction and found the concept fascinating but difficult to comprehend.

“Everyone’s over-thinking it,’’ Forest Dunes general manager Todd Campbell said then. Once the course is in operation the “over-thinking’’ should be over.

Not only will Forest Dunes be adding a new course(s), but it has also made a dramatic addition to its teaching side. The Rick Smith Golf Academy has moved there. Smith, a world-renowned swing guru who has worked with many of the game’s top stars, and his long-time associate Henry Young made the move to Forest Dunes.

“It’ll be the most talked about golf destination in the country over the next five-10 years,’’ Smith predicted.

Crosby, Haynie to join Legends’ Hall

Indiana’s French Lick Resort will welcome the fourth induction class into its LPGA Legends Hall of Fame during Legends Championship festivities Aug. 18-21. The new inductees will be Elaine Crosby and Sandra Haynie.

French Lick established the Hall when it created the Legends Championship, and its members are honored in an exhibit at the West Baden Springs Hotel. Previous inductees were Jan Stephenson and Kathy Whitworth in 2013, Nancy Lopez and Jane Blalock in 2014 and Joanne Carner and Rosie Jones in 2015.

Prior to her induction Crosby will host the 16th Wendy’s Classic Pro-Am on Aug. 15 at Country Club of Jackson in Michigan.

Nicklaus Nine is a milestone

Jack Nicklaus started designing courses in 1969 and he’s now created 400 of them, the latest being a special one that just opening near Tacoma, Wash.

This one is called the Nicklaus Nine and it doubled the size of the unique course designed specifically for facilitating the rehabilitation of wounded and disabled veterans. Nicklaus donated his services on the project, which is part of American Lake Veterans Golf Club.

No kidding

Nearly 50 of the courses in Myrtle Beach, S.C., are participating in a Kids Play Free program that allows those 16 and under to play free when accompanied by a paying adult. It’s been one of the game’s most effective grow the game initiatives and participating courses include some of Myrtle Beach’s best. That group includes Glen Dornock, Grande Dunes, King’s North, River’s Edge and Tidewater.

Purdue course ready to re-open

The Bierk Boilermaker Golf Complex, in West Lafayette, Ind., is about to open its first course again. Pete Dye handled a renovation of the layout on which Jack Nicklaus won his lone NCAA individual title in 1961. Following the renovation the layout has been renamed the Ackerman-Allen Course. It will have a formal opening on June 21.

Ackerman-Allen will become part of the Pete Dye Golf Trail, along with its partner course Kampen.

Big shot possibilities

Old Kinderhook, in Camdenton, Mo., is conducting the “$1,000,000 Shot’’ throughout this summer. For $5 players can enter on the par-3 third hole. Hit the green and they win a sleeve of balls.

Those qualifiers can return on Sept. 2 for the chance to win the big prize in a $1 million shootout.

Housing boom

The grand opening of the Enclave neighborhood at Harbor Shores, in Michigan, was held on Friday and will continue through Sunday. The Enclose is the sixth neighborhood to open at Harbor Shores in six years. It borders the No. 6 fairway of the Nicklaus-designed course that is the frequent host of the Senior PGA Championship.

ACME, Michigan – The structural changes at Grand Traverse were made last year when owners of the 30-year old resort spent $7 million to renovate the tower that is the facility’s centerpiece.

Grand Traverse has three courses on its 1,400 acres and the resort features 660 rooms, diverse restaurants and lounges and 49,000 square feet of dedicated meeting space, unique shops, health club and spa, children’s center and beach club. Last year’s upgrades were – most understandingly – very well received and they’ll keep Grand Traverse in the forefront of U.S. golf destinations for many years to come.

That was last year, this is now.

This year’s big change came in personnel, and it’s a most interesting one. During the winter Scott Hebert, the resort’s director of instruction and head golf professional the previous nine years, opted to move to Traverse City Country Club.

His replacement in both roles is Mark Hill, and his background is much different than Hebert’s. Hebert’s playing record is outstanding. He won the Michigan Open six times and captured the PGA Professional National Championship in 2008 at Reynolds Plantation, in Georgia.

Hill’s strong point is on the teaching side, and that’s a big factor in the new approach to instruction at Grand Traverse.

“We don’t even offer golf schools anymore,’’ said Hill. “People don’t have time to go to three- or four-day golf schools. I’m old school. I really get into playing lessons.’’

In short, Hill is a and one-on-one guy teaching-wise.

Grand Traverse had, for many years, been the Midwest resort home of the high profile Jim McLean Golf School. It’s no longer there, but the indoor and outdoor practice facilities are still busy places.

“The days of golf schools are done,’’ said Hill. “People get in a rut hitting on the range. I see them going backward instead of forward.’’

Hill, like Hebert, is a product of the golf management program at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich. Hill has been a PGA member for over 30 years, all of them spent at courses in northern Michigan. He bought one of them, Twin Birch in nearby Kalkaska, in 1999 and enjoyed two successful years before economic downturns in the area led to him selling it.

“I got a little burned out on golf and went outside into teaching,’’ he said. He started working with children with special needs during the school year and kept involved with golf by giving lessons in the summer months at Grand Traverse.

“I absolutely loved working as a teacher’s assistant in the special education room for five years,’’ he said, “and – by working here in the summer months – I had the best of both worlds.’’

When Hebert left in February the job was offered to Hill. He took it and added Shane Hollinsworth as an assistant to go along with Randy Ernst, who was on staff last year. They’re working with director of golf operations Tom McGee and have the luxury of using three quality 18-holers – the Jack Nicklaus-designed Bear, the Gary Player-designed Wolverine and Spruce Run, the original course on the property designed by Bill Newcomb.

The courses offer lots of opportunities for Hill and his staff to give playing lessons. Hill offers them over both nine and 18 holes.

“It’s a great opportunity for me,’’ he said. “We’ve got our Golf Academy going gangbusters. The feedback I’ve been getting has all been thumbs up.’’

Grand Traverse has a double-ended outdoor range and the indoor facility has three hitting bays, a video room and club-fitting equipment. There’s also a putting green that will be expanded in time for next winter’s programs.

BAY HARBOR, Michigan – This is anniversary time for Boyne Golf, the biggest golf course conglomerate in the Midwest. It has 10 courses among its three northern Michigan resorts and two are celebrating milestones in 2016.

The Heather course at Boyne Highlands – the Robert Trent Jones Sr. design that got the golf boom started in the area – is marking its 50th season and the most upscale of the Boyne layouts – Bay Harbor – is marking its 20th season.

For Bay Harbor it’s more than just a case of turning a page on the calendar. On June 15 what is now the Renaissance Inn at Bay Harbor will drop the Renaissance brand and become a member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. That’s Marriott’s highest end property. There are only 100 worldwide and Bay Harbor will be just the second in Michigan.

Though Bay Harbor’s stunning three Arthur Hills-designed nines on Little Traverse Bay won’t change, the overall facility will get a more manageable name (Renaissance will be dropped from the title) and an upgrade in stature. It’s definitely a big deal.

“By being part of the Autograph Collection we’ll be exactly what we need to be without changing to fit a brand,’’ said Erin Ernst, Boyne’s director of communications.

The Inn at Bay Harbor opened in 1998 and joined Marriott’s Renaissance brand in 2003. Members of the Autograph Collection are all uniquely different, and the Inn at Bay Harbor has been working towards that eventuality. A $2 million renovation, in which the lobby area, café and 35 guests rooms were redone, is in the final days prior to completion.

There’ll be two more phases to the renovation. The second will begin in January, when the spa and workout area will be the focus. The final phase will begin in the winter of 2018.

Meanwhile, the celebrating of The Heather’s No. 50 anniversary will be done largely on the course. Bernie Friedrich, vice president of golf and retail for Boyne USA, said a $50 special rate to play The Heather would be offered after 1 p.m. for every Thursday in June. The formal anniversary celebration will take place on Aug. 20 when all the past Heather head professionals (there were only seven in 50 years, and all still live nearby) return to play in an outing with members and guests. They’ll all take caddies for that special occasion.

“The Heather was the first golf course in the area, and when we build another one there’s always the question of whether it’ll be as good as The Heather,’’ said Friedrich. “That’s our measuring stick for all our courses.’’

The Heather certainly has held its own over the years as Boyne Highlands added the Donald Ross Memorial, The Moor and the Arthur Hills Course. Boyne Mountain now has its Alpine and Monument layouts and Bay Harbor – in addition to the Links, Quarry and Preserve nines – has Crooked Tree nearby.

They all come under Friedrich’s jurisdiction and he instituted the price-yielding (or dynamic pricing) concept last year. As is the case with so many things in Michigan golf, Boyne was the first to try it.

“We don’t publish green fees anymore,’’ said Friedrich. “We take tee time sheets and blocks of the day – 6 in the morning until 10 at night. When we reach a certain capacity at one price, the price goes up. What it does is it gets people who are price-sensitive to book ahead and that spreads out our tee sheet.’’

Friedrich calls the concept – still not in widespread use nationally — “very successful ‘’ and has the statistics to back it up.

“Two years ago was our best ever in rounds,’’ he said. “We had 8,000 more than in this past year (2015), but in this past year we were much more profitable than we were two years ago.’’

Next new thing on the docket are GolfBoards. Four are in use now at The Moor and the Donald Ross Memorial. Eight more will be coming soon.

“We’ve got a waiting list for them every day,’’ said Friedrich, who is attuned to all the changes in the golf marketplace since his arrival in Northern Michigan in 1975. He notes that Boyne’s clientele isn’t so local any more.

“Fifteen years ago 90 percent came from Detroit or Grand Rapids,’’ he said. “Now probably 20 percent are from outside the state.’’

Michigan has 685 public courses, down from the 700-plus in recent years, but is still second only to California in the number of such layouts.

“In my opinion we haven’t lost anything that shouldn’t have been lost,’’ said Friedrich. “Some of the courses (that are now gone) were poorly run or not very good. Some were sold off for the building of subdivisions, but I’m still bullish. Last year was a really good year, and the whole country is growing in rounds percentages.’’

MACKINAC ISLAND, Michigan – There’s a lot of reasons why people take the 20-minute boat ride from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace to Mackinac Island from May through October every year. The Island is an interesting place. It’s different, and not just because of the boat ride required to get there.

Visitors – up to 15,000 a day during peak times – want to check out the elegant Grand Hotel – even if they don’t spend the night there. They like the shopping and dining options. They like the bike, carriage and horseback rides. They like the historical attractions, notably Fort Mackinac. The list goes on.

Very few visitors consider playing golf a high priority when they head for the Island, but maybe they should – especially the very serious golfers.

Mackinac has a course like no other, one that’s well worth checking out. Its Wawashkamo nine-holer is one of the very few unvarnished courses left from the pre-1900 era when American golf got its start. Golf historians say there are only about a half dozen courses throughout the entire U.S. that have been preserved as close to their original state as Wawashkamo.

The course that its aficionados simply call Wawa was built in 1898 on land that was already historical. A battle in the War of 1812 was fought there and a tree that was on the premises way back then – it was estimated to be 200 to 220 years old when it fell down a few years ago – is still eulogized on the course.

A group of Chicago guys who had cottages on the Island were looking for things to do on their visits, and a golf course was good for starters. They brought in Alex Smith, a Scotsman who was greenskeeper of the Washington Park course in Chicago, to design a one. Smith visited the Island and did a preliminary design before focusing on playing. He went on to win the U.S. Open twice.

The Chicago gang decided on the Indian-inspired name, which means “Crooked Trail.’’ Smith’s design underwent some changes in its early years but it remains very much like the one that Smith designed, and that makes it very historically significant.

“But,’’ said Chuck Olson, the head pro at Wawashkamo for the last five years, “hardly anyone knows it’s there.’’

Motorized vehicles are extremely limited on Mackinac Island, so Wawashkamo’s players get to the course by walking, riding a bicycle or – most of the time these days – taking a horse-drawn carriage ride that takes about 20 minutes from the Grand Hotel.

In the early years players built their own tees, using sand and water, and you can still do that on the first tee at Wawashkamo. You can also rent clubs from Hogan that are from the pre-1935 era. (I did both). Modern day clubs, balls and tees are used by most of the players now however.

They take on a course that has nine holes but can be played as an 18-holer thanks to the availability of alternate tee placements. As an 18-holer the course measurers 5,949 yards. It features cross bunkers and chocolate drops (which are piles of stones) as hazards. Most unusual, though, is the Circus Ring that surrounds one of the greens. In the early years the ring was made up of high grass. It was there to force golfers to loft their approach shots. That became a problem because the golfers who couldn’t do that couldn’t find their balls in the grassy Circus Ring.

Now the “ring’’ is simply a roped off area around the green, and golfers aren’t allowed to set foot in that area.

Olson resides in a house a few steps from the clubhouse, so rarely leaves the premises until the winter weather sets in. He doesn’t get much company from players, since the course gets only about 5,000 rounds a year – from May to October – but Wawashkamo has about 120 members who enjoy the social life there. The outings that Olson organizes for them are a big reason the club can survive financially.

Olson obviously enjoys his job, but he’ll never be around as long as Frank Dufina, one of his predecessors. Dufina was Wawashkamo’s head pro from 1904 until 1967. That’s believed to the longest run by any pro at one club. Olson has carried on the Wawashkamo tradition.

“It’s a great place that has existed for 118 years with little change, and we are very interested in continuing to be good stewards to allow the club to have many more years as a great example of 19th century golf,’’ said Olson.

Mackinac Island has more golf than that offered at Wawashkamo. It’s hard to see most of the holes, though, because they’re off the beaten path. The holes that are easily visible comprise the front nine of the Grand Hotel’s course, which is called The Jewel.

The Jewel is no modern day marvel, either. The front side dates back to the 1920s. Now called the Grand Nine, it was one of the umpteen designs of Tom Bendelow. He inexplicably is not in the World Golf Hall of Fame, but his creations dominated the courses built in the early years of American golf.

Bendelow designed the Grand Nine across the street from the Grand Hotel, which opened in 1887. His nine has views of Lake Huron and Round Island. Unlike Wawashkamo, however, the Grand Nine was renovated by Michigan architect Jerry Matthews in 1987 and Matthews designed a second nine, called The Woods, in 1994. The Woods has views of the Straits of Mackinac and the Mackinac Bridge.

Those two nines are over a mile apart, so a carriage ride of about 20 minutes is required to play all 18 holes.

Jason Horlicks, the head pro for 17 seasons, says The Jewel gets about 14,000 rounds a year, many coming from corporate outings.

“That’s not bad, considering the short season we have and the fact that we close at 6 p.m. each day,’’ said Horlicks. Daylight is available until 9 p.m. for much of the six-month season, and the other courses in Michigan take full advantage of that, but the schedule of events at the Grand Hotel necessitates shorter hours for The Jewel.

The Grand Nine is shorter and tighter than the Woods and both have nice finishing attractions. Together they form a 5,457-yard par-67 course from the back tees. Those going just nine holes can stop off at the Jockey Club for post-round socializing and The Woods concludes in front of the even more unique Bavarian-style restaurant of the same name. The Woods restaurant includes Bobby’s Bar in addition to full-service dining and the oldest duckpin bowling alley in the U.S. is also located in the clubhouse.
.

Here’s the latest for golfers who like to travel:

The Heather Course at Michigan’s Boyne Highlands Resort hit a milestone when it opened for the season on Friday the 13th. The 2016 campaign will mark the Heather’s 50th anniversary season. The Robert Trent Jones Sr. design was the first course at Boyne.

Heather opened for the season on the same day as The Preserve and the Quarry/Preserve at nearby Bay Harbor, and that was cause for celebration as well. Bay Harbor, with its three distinct nines, is beginning its 20th anniversary season, and Friday’s openings meant that all of the Boyne courses are now taking players.

Four of them – the Arthur Hills Course at Boyne Highlands, Alpine at Boyne Mountain and Crooked Tree and Links/Quarry at Bay Harbor opened on April 29 and The Donald Ross Memorial and The Moor at Boyne Highlands and The Monument at Boyne Mountain opened on May 6.

Purdue course to open soon

Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Ind., will soon have two Pete Dye-designed courses. Dye’s Kampen Course hosted the 2003 NCAA women’s championship and the 2008 NCAA men’s championship.

Now the second course at the Birck-Boilermaker Complex will be known as the Ackerman-Allen course. Staffers hope to have it available for the Purdue Club Scholarship Day on June 4.

Ackerman-Allen was previous known as Purdue South. It was designed by Bill Diddle in 1964 and hosted a memorable NCAA men’s championship in 1961 when the host Boilermakers won the team title and Jack Nicklaus was medalist.

That course was modified by Chicago architect Larry Packard in 1968 to accommodate some residential building and the course underwent still more changes from 1996 to 1998, when the Birck Boilermaker Complex was opened.

Reynolds Lake Oconee unveils Quick Six course

The Plantation Course at Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Ga., re-opened on May 1 after a multi-phase restoration project directed by architect Bob Cupp. A flexible short course routing was added as part of the project.

Cupp’s design also incorporated a Quick Six course within the regular layout. None of its holes are longer than 130 yards. Mark Lammi, Reynolds’ vice president of golf, said the Quick Six will appeal to golfers of all age and skill levels and offer the option of playing a quick few holes as well.

Handa Cup is leaving U.S.

The ISPS Handa Cup matches, a fixture on the LPGA Legends Tour for 10 years, won’t be played in 2016 at the request of long-time title sponsor Dr. Haruhisa Handa. The matches, held last fall at Palm Aire, in Sarasota, FL., were scheduled to return there this year until Handa requested a postponement.

Handa wants to hold the event, which matches a team of American-born Legends players against a squad from around the world, outside the U.S. for the first time. No site for the next Handa Cup matches has been announced, but it’ll likely be held in either late spring or early summer of 2017.

Bits and pieces

The Broadmoor, in Colorado Springs, has named John Johnstone as vice president of food and beverages. He had been director of club operations at Augusta National.

St. Lucie Trail, which was added to the PGA Village complex in Port St. Lucie, FL., last year, will close on Sunday for aerification work. It’ll re-open on June 4.

Brett Schoenfield has returned to The Omni Homestead Resort in Virginia as managing director. He’ll oversee Homestead’s 250th anniversary festivities.

Crystal Springs, in Hamburg, N.J., has launched a new golf academy featuring instructor Brian Rogish. He had previously work at Turning Stone, in Syracuse, N.Y., and Nemacolin Woodlands, in Pennsylvania.

Wild Dunes, in Charleston, S.C., has announced the completion of renovations at its Boardwalk Inn and new Coastal Provisions restaurant.

Two Canadian resorts – Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and Cobble Beach – were able to open before the first day of May. Jasper Park’s opening on April 30 was its earliest in 10 years.

The Edgewood Tahoe course in Stateline, Nev., has opened for its 48th season. It’s a George Fazio design that was renovated by Tom Fazio. The course will be open through Oct. 16, 2016.

Our latest, extended travels to golf destinations are over now, and they were unprecedented. We were basically on the road for six months – from Oct. 1 to April 10 – and made visits to destinations in Nebraska, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California. Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and Indiana.

We covered about 14,000 miles on this all-driving odyssey and hit 18 destinations with a lengthy stay in Winter Haven, FL., in between – a period during which we tested a number of golf facilities in the Orlando area. All were chronicled in my reports and Joy’s photos.

All in all it was a worthwhile, educational and productive journey in which we had lots of fun, saw old friends, made many new ones and hopefully provided helpful information for your golf travels.

Here’s a sampling of what’s new for golf travel aficionados, starting with a report from the last of our recent stops — long-time favorite French Lick Resort in southern Indiana.

The big news at French Lick has centered on its spectacular Pete Dye Course in recent years, but not this time. Director of golf Dave Harner and his staff turned more attention to the Donald Ross Course this time.

“We recognized that it’s not an easy course for women or players with 25 handicaps or higher,’’ said Harner, “so we added 11 new forward tees and they’ll shorten the course for those players by about 900 yards. It’ll enhance the playing experience for those players, speed up play and open us more to family golf.’’

The Ross will also be the exclusive site for July’s Indiana Open, the first time that has happened at one of the Hoosier state’s most historic courses since 1962. Both the Dye and Ross layouts were used to host that tournament in 2012.

All three French Lick courses will be used to host the Indiana Junior Age Group Championship in July and the LPGA Legends Championship will be the big event of the season at the Dye, from Aug. 19-21. Harner said the fourth playing of that event “will be bigger and better than ever.’’ The pavilion at the Dye Course clubhouse has also been doubled in size to allow for more social events there and the club has a new head professional in Andy Fortner. He moved over from the Ross Course, with Rob Koontz taking over the head job there.

A DEAL AT PINEHURST: Want to play Pinehurst’s historic No. 2 course (as well as No. 8) for only $19.75? And, you could play the resort’s other layouts for free – if you opt to join the Private Residence Club at the newest of the Pinehurst courses, called either No. 9 or simply The National. It’s a Jack Nicklaus design.

Obviously there’s a catch. You have to buy in to The Cottages at National but this unusual offering is an enticing deal for those able to spend at least three weeks a year at Pinehurst. There are seven cottages, each with either two or four bedrooms, and the Private Residence Club falls somewhere between a time share and home ownership. It’s a substitute for buying a second home, according to creator Dave Hanna. He’s been at Pinehurst since 1992 and can tell you how it all works.

MEXICO-BOUND? KemperSports has kicked off a hole-in-one promotion called UNO! Golfers who make an ace at one of Kemper’s participating facilities have a chance to win a seven-night trip for two to Vidanta Resort in Mexico. Vidanta has courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. KemperSports also announced that it has added Mahopac Golf & Beach Club in New York to its management portfolio.

IT’S A GO IN KOHLER: Two of the courses are now open in Kohler, Wis. – the Irish Course at Whistling Straits and the Original Championship Course at Blackwolf Run. The Straits Course at Whistling Straits will open later this month. The Original Championship Course – used for the 1998 and 2012 U.S. Women’s Open – will be available through April 22. The Original is comprised of select holes on both the River and Meadow Valley courses.

AND ITS FREE: Six courses in Gaylord, Mich., will offer free golf with a paid night’s lodging at one of the participating hotels from April 22-24. The nearby Boyne resorts also are planning some major promotional events to spotlight the 50th anniversary of the Heather course at Boyne Highlands and the 20th anniversary of Bay Harbor.

CHECK YOUR WATCHES: The Omni Homestead Resort in Virginia turns 250 years old (yes, even older than the U.S.) this year. To celebrate the resort will celebrate at 2:50 p.m. every day from Memorial Day to Labor Day with the serving a different flavor of cake.

COME ONE, COME ALL: Registration has opened for he 33rd World Amateur Handicap Championship in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The event, to be held Aug. 27-Sept. 2, generally draws about 3,500 entrants from all 50 states and some foreign countries.

NEW DIRECTION: Reynolds Plantation Oconee, in Greensboro, Ga., has transformed its instruction program. It’s now the Reynolds Kingdom of Golf, presented by TaylorMade and will be a full game improvement facility operated by Reynolds Lake Oconee. Reynolds also announced that it will host one of the premier national junior tournaments, the Rolex Tournament of Champions, from June 28 to July 1. It’s an invitational event for boys and girls in the 12-18 age group.

SITE CHANGE: The Web.com Tour Championship has been moved within the Jacksonville, FL. Area. It had been held at Dye’s Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass from 2013-15 but construction on the entire TPC property led to officials looking for a different site. This Oct. 3-9 the event will be held at Atlantic Beach Country Club, a former site of the PGA Tour’s Greater Jacksonville Open.

WINTERGREEN, Virginia – Let there be no mistake about it. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Wintergreen Resort is a destination for skiers – but it’s also quite a bit more than that.

Wintergreen also has 45 holes of golf available and, while it’s not unusual for resorts to have both ski slopes and golf courses, this one is notably different. It’s possible to enjoy both sports on the same day during the winter months at Wintergreen.

And another thing sets this place apart. Frequently at places where both golf and skiing are offered one gets the edge over the other in terms of facilities. That’s not the case here. Wintergreen has 24 ski trails and is probably better known for that sport, but the golf is just fine, too.

This is how things fit together. The crew at the older of Wintergreen’s two courses, Devils Knob, begins the transition from golfers to skiers in early fall. Golf play ends in late October so that the ski slopes can be ready in time for a hoped for opening on Thanksgiving weekend.

After the ski season ends, usually in mid-March but sometimes later, Devils Knob is given a later spring opening date than most courses. It’ll open for play on April 16 this year, though it was probably playable a few weeks before that. Skiers never touch the course but the climate is different than it is down below, where Wintergreen’s other golf facility – 27-hole Stoney Creek – is located.

They’re about nine miles apart, but Stoney Creek remains open all year long – though occasional snowfalls admittedly preclude play at various times in the winter months. Fred Biggers is superintendent for both golf facilities but isn’t involved with the ski slopes. His winter duties, though, include helping out with snow removal.

I’m no fan of driving on the steep, winding roads in the Wintergreen area, but getting from Devils Knob to Stoney Creek isn’t much of a problem and the courses are comparable in terms of terrain and the challenges offered. Though Stoney Creek is on much lower land, its elevation changes aren’t much different than the stunning ones that would be expected on the higher, more mountainous terrain of Devils Knob.

Biggers, a 6-handicapper, believes that Devils Knob is a bit more challenging but that doesn’t appear to be a universally held opinion. At an elevation of 3,851 feet at its No. 15 tee, Devils Knob is the highest course in Virginia. Temperatures there are generally 12-18 degrees cooler than they are at Stoney Creek.

A milestone 40th anniversary for Devil’s Knob is closing in; it opened in June of 1977 so it’s 11 years older than Stoney Creek. Devil’s Knob also has a big edge on Stoney Creek as far as historical interest goes. It’s the first of 17 course co-designed by the father-son team of Ellis and Dan Maples.

The Maples clan is legendary in golf circles, especially in their native North Carolina. Five generations of Maples have been involved in golf, with two others being head professionals and two more working as superintendents. Ellis, who died at age 73 in 1984, and Dan are both in the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame. Dan started his own design firm after his father’s death and his portfolio of courses is now approaching 50.

As for Devils Knob, Ellis — who was also an outstanding player — and Dan set foot on 1,000 acres of thickly wooded hillsides after landing what was then a prize assignment. In the mid-seventies a golf course designer generally received about $3,000 per course. Devils Knob was a $50,000 project for the Maples.

“It was unusual because the land was so high and rocky,’’ said Biggers, who doubts that the course could be built today because of probable environmentalists’ concerns.

But it was built in the mid-seventies at roughly the same time the ski slopes were created and the first resort and lodging facilities went up. Ellis routed the first nine holes and Dan did the second. Now Devils Knob limits play to members and resort guests.

As Wintergreen grew in popularity the second course, Stoney Creek, was deemed a necessity. It consisted of what is now the Monocan and Shamokin nines. A third nine, Tuckahoe, was added in 1990 just before Biggers arrived as superintendent. In addition to the stunning elevation changes offered at Devils Knob, these courses have a babbling brook running through the property.

All three nines were designed by Rees Jones, best known for all the work he has done getting courses tweaked to host U.S. Opens. Players don’t need to be staying at the resort to play it.

Both golf facilities are fun, and so is the journey between them. Wintergreen has its own added attractions, most notably the Copper Mine Bistro at the Mountain Inn, the resort headquarters. Take the drive down from there to Stoney Creek and you come across some other adventures.

Devils Backbone Brewery is an interesting place, a restaurant in a spacious setting that allows for outdoor socializing as well.

And a little further down the road is the Bold Rock Cidery. Its appearance is similar to Devils Backbone but the beverages of choice are built around apples. This place has both an interesting history and a promising future.

John Washburn, a Virginia resident, purchased the eight acres on which Bold Rock sits 30 years ago. He didn’t do much with it until 2012, however. Then, rather than go the traditional routs of building a brewery or winery, he joined forces with Brian Shanks, a New Zealander, to create a company that produces hard cider. Bold Rock now has four sites, and this one is the flagship.

Lindsay Dorrier, a University of Illinois grad who is Bold Rock’s director of retail operations, says the alcohol content in the ciders ranges from 4.7 percent (similar to a lite beer) to 6 percent (similar to a craft beer) to 6.9 percent (which approaches the wine level).

A broad range of Virginia apples are used in the manufacturing process and the cider is offered in 12-once bottles that resemble beer bottles as well as various sizes of growlers. This isn’t just a place to buy cider, though.

Bold Rock is housed in a big wood-frame barn and caters to a lunch crowd with its gourmet sandwiches and appetizers. It also has a big backyard that encompasses the Bold Rockfish River. Kids can play there while adults can sit around a fire pit or try their hand at corn-hole boards. All in all, it’s a very pleasant atmosphere, whether golf is part of the day or not.

As for the golf, Wintergreen just announced new spring Stay & Play packages that start at $79 (double occupancy) or $109 (single occupancy). Check the resort website for more information.

OUTER BANKS, North Carolina – The Outer Banks of North Carolina had been a mystery to us, and apparently we weren’t alone.

A golf buddy of mine who lives in North Carolina, who had been there and liked it, told me that “most people in North Carolina don’t know about it.’’ A much bigger portion of the visitors to the Outer Banks come from Virginia, which is only an hour away, and all points north.

Fortunately the Outer Banks is no longer a mystery to us after we spent a week checking out many of the things the area has to offer. Since our travel destination invitations over the years have been almost entirely golf oriented, the Outer Banks represented a big change. And it turned out to be a refreshing one.

The Outer Banks is a beach area that is big on family activities. Golf is – in varying degrees — a lifestyle thing at some of our nearby stops in Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Pinehurst, N.C. It’s not a lifestyle thing in the Outer Banks. Golf is simply an amenity here – but it is a very good amenity.

We visited the Wright Brothers Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, the town adjacent to Kitty Hawk where Wilbur and Orville became the first to put an airplane in flight in 1903.

We tested the shopping in the quaint little town of Manteo. We climbed the 220 steps to the top of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and enjoyed the scenic views from there. We went on the Wild Horse Adventure Tour — a two-hour Hummer ride in search of the wild horses roaming about the more remote parts of the northern barrier island (we couldn’t find any of them, but the bumpy ride was fun anyway).

There wasn’t time to try some of the other popular attractions here – kite-flying, cycling, birding, surfing, paddleboarding. We didn’t use the beautiful beaches much, either, but we quickly realized there are plenty of entertainment options. The Sanderling Resort, in particular, has an array of activities that will enhance family vacations and you can’t beat the views and close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and Currituck Sound from there.

And then there were the restaurants. The oldest one in North Carolina is here – 70-year old Owens Restaurant in Nags Head. Then there’s the Lightsaving Station No. 5 at the Sanderling Resort; the Sugar Shack and Basnight’s Lone Cedar Café in Nags Head; Aqua Restaurant and Spa in Duck; the Black Pelican Oceanfront and Ocean Boulevard Bistro & Martini Bar in Kitty Hawk; the Outer Banks Brewing Station in Kill Devil Hills; and Poor Richard’s Sandwich Shop and Full Moon Café and Brewery in Manteo.

That list goes on and on and — if you didn’t want to go out for a formal breakfast — there was Duck Donuts. There’s three locations providing the best donuts anywhere (their claim, as well as mine).

And, of course, there was the golf. That, as always, was our main focus for coming and the Outer Banks didn’t disappoint.

Golf in the Outer Banks is good, but different. For one thing, wind comes significantly into play on a daily basis on all the courses, whether the course is on the water or not.

Only two of the courses have nationally known designers, but don’t look on that as a negative. The layouts of Tom Steele, Bob Moore, Dan Maples and Russell Breeden are just fine. They’re pretty much regional guys who brought golf to life on the Outer Banks in the last 20 years or so.

Arguably the best course we played was designed by a big-namer, Rees Jones’ Currituck Club in Corolla. Opened in 1996 there’s lots of great holes here, the course is in good condition throughout and has a most comfortable clubhouse with good dining. It’s also a popular wedding destination.

Kilmarlic, on the Currituck mainland in Powells Point, was a close second. One of the few courses in the area that has been frequently tournament tested, it hosted the North Carolina Open in 2004 – two years after its opening – and again in 2009. The Old Dominion/Outer Banks college tournament has also been played there the last four years.

Only the second course designed by Steele, it has all the other area courses beat with its four-bedroom cottage for on-site lodging and 18 more of them are to be built in front of the course this fall. That may well make Kilmarlic one of the best golf getaway options in North Carolina when you combine the course with the other amenities.

Best views on the Outer Banks courses came at Currituck’s sister course, Nags Head Golf Links. Nos. 5, 9, 15 and 18 are all on the water and the sunsets there are outstanding. This is a cozy, fun course that is ideal for walking.

As far as conditioning goes, The Pointe – less than a mile from Kilmarlic – is as good as any in the area and it has a unique bridge on the 16th hole. The Pointe is user-friendly and its sister course, Carolina Club, sports the always challenging island green on its No. 7 hole. Breeden is the designer of record on The Pointe and worked with Moore on Carolina Club. The Pointe opened in 1995 and Carolina Club, in Grandy, three years later.

There’s some other good golf options out here, too. Scotch Hall Preserve joins Rees Jones’ Currituck Club as having a big-name designer. It’s an Arnold Palmer Signature Course that can stretch to 7,254 yards with a hefty 76.0 rating and 145 slope. Opened in 2008 in Merry Hill, it is one of the Outer Banks’ newest facilities.

The Pines, in Elizabeth City, was updated with a massive renovation in 2004. The Sound, in Hertford, is a Maples design dating to 1990 that has a beautiful finishing stretch. The last three holes overlook the Albemarle Sound.

While the Outer Banks offers a variety of entertainment options, it has enough good courses to make it a good destination for golf getaways as well. Trips there will be both affordable and memorable, no matter which courses or accommodations you choose, especially in the spring and fall.