Category: Travel Destinations

Alabama’s an underrated state for golfers

GULF SHORES, AL. — There is, I believe, a misconception about golf in Alabama.

Sure, the creation of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail 20 years ago was a big boost for golf in the state. In fact, it was a marketing breakthrough for the entire golf industry. The Trail has 11 courses covering 468 holes, with most in the Birmingham area. Newcomers to Alabama may well gravitate to those layouts.

Extensive mounding creates a unique look on No. 18 at the GlenLakes course.

There’s a lot more to golf in Alabama than the Jones Trail, however. I witnessed that up-close-and-personal on the way home from a winter spent in Florida. Alabama golf is much different than its neighboring state to the south. Gulf Shores is less than an hour’s drive from Pensacola., FL., near Mobile.

The courses I played in Gulf Shores were much more like the ones in the Midwest in terms of the grass, then bunkers and the designs. And all of them were good.

Tourism in Alabama has had it tough recently, due to the bad publicity produced by an oil spill that affected its coast-line in June, 2010. There were no signs of lingering problems in Gulf Shores, however. In fact the 32 miles of white sand of neighboring Orange Beach produced a waterfront that rivaled (maybe even surpassed) Florida’s Siesta Key, which happily points out a recent survey that proclaimed it the No. 1 beach in the United States.

Orange Beach has a lot more golf to go with it than Siesta Key does. Golf GulfShores boasts nine signature courses covering 189 holes, all within easy driving range of each other. Probably the best is Kiva Dunes, designed by former U.S. Open champion Jerry Pate in 1995. It’s Alabama’s only beachfront golf resort.

That wasn’t on my itinerary, though. My first tee time was at Craft Farms, which boasts the only Arnold Palmer-designed courses in Alabama — Cotton Creek and Cypress Bend. Cypress Bend, the newer of the two, reminded me of another Palmer design in Illinois — Hawthorn Woods Country Club, site of the Illinois Open from 2008 to 2011. Wide fairways make it user friendly, but undulating putting surfaces and big bunkers make it challenging enough, as well. Palmer’s design company also handled the updating of Lost Key, another Gulf Shores course, in 2006.

Second stop was at GlenLakes, which has 27 holes and claims to be “the best golf value on the coast.’’ Visitors play for $65 before noon, $45 from noon-2 p.m. and only $30 after 2 p.m. during the busy winter season. By comparison, the Palmer layouts at Craft Farms charged $89 before 1 p.m. and $69 afterwards.

GlenLakes’ 18-hole links-style Vista Dunes course was a design combination of Bruce Devlin and Robert von Hagge. The nine-hole Lakes is more resort style but has water on six holes. I played the Vista and Lakes nines, which were fine, but Duncan Millar, the Golf GulfShores executive director, told me I missed something special by not taking on the well-mounded Dunes nine.

Two other 27-hole facilities — Peninsula and TimberCreek — were designed by Earl Stone, and he also was the architect for 18-hole Rock Creek. The father-son team of Jay and Carter Morrish did the design work on Gulf Shores Golf Club. Built in the 1960s as the first course in Gulf Shores, the Morrishes did a complete makeover in 2005.

Four of the Golf GulfShores courses — the two at Craft Farms as well as Rock Creek and Peninsula — are well-managed by Honours Golf, which oversees 13 courses in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi and is somewhat of a rival to the Jones Trail. Honours also includes Alabama layouts Limestone Springs (Oneonta), Highland Park (Birmingham), Cider Ridge (Oxford) and Gateway and Lagoon Park (Montgomery) in its portfolio but will lose one of its best clubs, FarmLinks in Sylacauga, this spring.

FarmLinks, a very special location that’s a 200-mile drive from Gulf Shores, is moving in a new direction after a management change. Developments there will be detailed in a future Len Ziehm on Golf report.

Gulf Shores, though, stands on its own as a golf destination. In addition to the courses and spectacular beaches, the area also offers such entertainment options as deep sea fishing, kayaking, surfboarding, cycling, water sports, hot-air balloon rides, horseback riding, family fun parks and cruises.

It also has a surprisingly wide range of restaurants. One that we can heartily recommend is Tin Top, a fish and oyster bar with an out-of-the-way location that fits the stereotype of rural Alabama down to the hot rod enthusiasts who revved up their engines on the country roads. That added spice to an already spicy lunch.

Of a more genteel nature, there’s Nolan’s Restaurant and Lounge — one of the many appealing places right off the main drag of Gulf Shores Parkway. There are plenty of other good, non-chain restaurants to visit, and the lodging options are almost as varied. In addition to the beach resorts and condo rentals available you might want to check out the Courtyard Marriott GulfShores at Craft Farms. It just underwent a $2.2 million renovation, the completion of which was celebrated during our visit.

Searching for golf bargains on Florida’s Gulf coast

SARASOTA, FL. — The main goal was to get to know a new area on our first two-month winter odyssey and — of course — that meant getting to know the golf options on Florida’s Gulf coast. We did a good job of both.

Between our arrival in Sarasota on Dec. 30 and our departure on Feb. 29 we played 14 of the 18-holers and one of the nine-holers. We didn’t have access to the area’s premier private clubs, like Concession, The Founders Club, Sara Bay, Longboat Key Club, Venetian, TPC Prestancia or The Ritz Carlton Members Club — but that didn’t matter.

This was more about discovering the best golf bargain in the highlight of the tourist season rather than getting in that one memorable round on a course with a big reputation.

Once friends learned of our winter plans we were advised to contact representatives of two prominent golf course management groups. We did, via email, but our contacts at neither Billy Casper Golf nor Pope Golf responded with either advice or invitations. So, the resulting selection of courses was solely ours. We were like any golf addicts on vacation looking for the best deal. Tee time availability and greens fees were prime considerations with a few suggestions from fellow tourists — those more experienced here than us — mixed in.

We went into our stay determined to play as many courses as possible. Therefore, we had a policy of playing each course only once. Our tour took us from Venice on the south to Leesburg on the north, but eight of the courses were within the Sarasota limits and three more were in the neighboring big city of Bradenton.

Florida golf is different than what we are used to in the Midwest. Tee times are, understandably, much higher in the winter months. There’s also a premium if you want to tee off in the morning. I found that hard to understand, and it was also puzzling to find most courses closing operations for the day in late afternoon — some even before we finished our rounds. That limited our opportunities to sample clubhouse food and beverage options.

I had a taste of Sarasota area golf when my parents lived part-time in the area for about 30 years, but then it was limited to The Meadows, a private club, and the nearby Bobby Jones Golf Complex, a busy, basic 45-hole facility with the most attractive greens fees. Those visits were made largely in the 1980s and 1990s. I hadn’t been back to Sarasota since 2002, and returned 10 years later with a different perspective on golf. I found the area in general had changed a lot in that period as well.

This time around the most notable things were the lack of bright flowering, so prevalent around Midwest courses, and bunkers that didn’t have nearly the sand in them as the courses closer to home. But the variety in the courses we played was outstanding. Courses that would be deemed too short around Chicago were pleasantly sporty in this climate. One course, Green Valley in Clermont, started with two par-5s. We’d never seen a course with that before. And water was a big strategic factor on most courses we played, a departure from what we were used to in the Chicago area.

While there wasn’t much in the way of cheerful flowering, there was plenty in the way of wildlife on all the courses. An alligator was about to devour one of our golf balls at Boca Royale, in Englewood, and big turtles formed a gallery on our tee shots at Rosedale in Bradenton. We spotted a bald eagle, quite a few sand cranes as well as a few woodpeckers and ducks. Squirrels were also in abundance at some of our stops.

While these tough economic times have taken a toll on Florida’s golf courses, just as they have everywhere else in the country, there was an upside to that. Many of the private clubs made their courses available for at least some public play. That enabled us to sample the challenging Waterlefe layout, most expensive of the courses we played at $79 per person with an afternoon tee time.

Best buy was also at a private club that welcomed public play, Bent Tree in Sarasota. This layout had been a stop on the Ladies PGA Tour, and legendary Nancy Lopez won both her first and last pro tournaments there. We were able to play it, though, for $39 apiece on one beautiful afternoon.

The Meadows, a long-time Sarasota golf landmark, opened two of its three courses to the public. The Groves was short but definitely challenging, the Highlands full-length and user-friendly. The Meadows limited its premier layout, called the Meadows, to member play though there didn’t seem to be much of that during the course of our stay.

Most unusual course we visited was Sarasota National, in Venice. It was supposed to be the centerpiece of a golf community, but the homes never got built. As a result, we had the feeling that we were playing golf on the moon — no homesites and not much in the way of trees bordering the fairways that were well spaced. But Sarasota National was one of our favorite courses on our tour, that also included Oak Ford and Sarasota Golf Club (not to be confused with Sarasota National) — both fairly priced and user-friendly.

Lowest greens fees — and that was always a consideration — came when we were willing to take day-long trips and cash in on the most attractive Players Pass program instituted this year by GolfVisions, which manages Foxford Hills, Tanna Farms, Oak Grove, Settler’s Hill, Nettle Creek Village Green and Heatherridge in the Chicago area. Two of the GolfVisions’ other courses are in Florida, and we played both Green Valley and Pennbrooke Fairways, in Leesburg. Thanks to the Players Pass our expenditures at both places — for two greens fees — was only $27. Now that’s what you call a bargain for Florida golf in the dead of winter, and making the approximately two-hour drives also brought us to two surprisingly great dining experiences — Cheesers (for breakfast and lunch) and City Grille (for dinner) in Clermont.

If you’re a golf history buff — and I am — a must stop (and one of the cheapest) is the Bobby Jones Golf Complex. Jones, who won golf’s Grand Slam in 1930 and then abruptly retired from competition, was on hand for the dedication of this layout in 1927. Donald Ross, the legendary architect, designed the first 18 holes. The facility grew by nine-hole increments in 1952, 1967 and 1977. The last was the creation of the John H. Gillespie Executive Course, named after a Scotsman who built the first two holes in the area in 1886. Local golf historians claim those two holes were the first built in the U.S.

Now the area has courses designed by celebrity player types like Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer as well as prominent world-wide architects like Tom Fazio, Robert Trent Jones and Arthur Hills. Most prolific architect for this area, though, is Florida-based Ron Garl, who has his name on Longboat Key Club, Plantation, TPC Prestancia, The Meadows, University Park and The Highlands. Chicago golfers might also be interested in Palm Aire since its architectural work was done by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee, the co-designers of the Dubsdread course at Cog Hill.

Scheduling golf the way we did educated us on Florida living and brought us into contact with a wide array of nice playing partners, all determined by chance. We were paired with an 86-year old at Waterlefe, who just happened to know other family members from the Chicago area. We played rounds with two couples from Michigan. One wasn’t married, just friends who enjoyed a round while their partners were tied up with work projects. We also met up with a telephone technician from Vermont, two good ol’ boys from Kentucky and a Korea-born computer programmer who had settled in Bradenton. All seemed to be good people and were good golf partners, for sure.

The biggest drawback was the lack of walking courses. Only Bobby Jones and Green Valley fit that category. And, unfortunately, we didn’t get to test such courses as University Park, Legacy at Lakewood Ranch, Tatum Ridge, Serenoa, River Strand and Rolling Green. We were told each had their good qualities. They’ll be must-stops on our next Florida golf tour.

So will Streamsong, a 36-hole resort facility that will open in Polk County, Fla. (between Orlando and Tampa) in December. It’ll be managed by Chicago-based Kemper Sports.

MY OAKHURST VISIT: America’s first course provides a mystery


WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Any devoted golf aficionado should want to visit Oakhurst Links, long billed as the first golf club in the United States. A book — “Oakhurst: The Birth and Rebirth of America’s First Golf Course’’ (by Paula DiPerna and Vikki Keller, Walker and Company, 2002) — was even written about this nine-holer, which dates to 1884. That’s well before the country’s first 18-holer, Wheaton’s Chicago Golf Club (1892).

So, en route to a winter in Florida, a side trip was planned to this little known town, best known for being the site of the famous Greenbrier Resort.

I’d read Oakhurst’s history book, which detailed how Russell Montague had built a course on his estate and enjoyed it with some neighbors before converting it into a horse farm. Golf was apparently played on the property until 1912. There is no doubt about that.

Much later Sam Snead, who grew up nearby, was photographed hitting balls on the overgrown property. As ownership of the property changed, Snead urged Oakhurst’s reconstruction and architect Bob Cupp took on the project. Using any resources he could get, Cupp revived Oakhurst as a 2,235-yard layout that was re-opened in 1994. Rounds were played with hickory-shafted clubs and balls similar to those of the 1880s. Players dressed in attire from that era, as well, and a national hickory championship tournament had been played there.

Sounds like an interesting place to visit, right? Well, I would call my trek there weird more than interesting. An Internet search of Oakhurst Links proved sketchy. The course had financial difficulties, changed owners, was closed in 2008 but did apparently operate in 2010.

Phone calls, made to Oakhurst over several days, were more puzzling. All you got was a voicemail that said the facility was open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. You were invited to leave a message for a callback, but mine went unanswered.

Nonetheless, this trip would go on — and with it the mystery deepened. With the presence of the nearby Greenbrier, you’d think someone in the little town of White Sulphur Springs would know something — anything! –about this historic location about five miles from the big resort. I couldn’t find any that did.

First stop was at a gas station just off the main highway. Is Oakhurst still there, I asked an attendant after telling her about the unanswered phone calls.

“As far as I know it is, ‘’ she said. “Maybe it’s seasonal (in operation).’’

That was a distinct possibility, since the trip came in late December. Still, why not have a peek at this place while you’re in the neighborhood?

Our GPS System led us to Oakhurst, sort of. We turned down Montague Road, a country trail somewhat off the beaten path, but the journey ended abruptly, with a road closure. Construction on a bridge kept us from going further, though the GPS said we were nine-tenths of a mile from our destination. So near, and yet so far.

On the way back to the main road I spotted a historic marker at a nearby intersection (the only indication that Oakhurst indeed did still exist). It was located near another gas station.

From there our trip went a couple miles back to the Greenbrier, both for sustenance and more information. The guard at the gate knew of an old golf course five miles away in the hills, but that was about all he knew. A visit to Greenbrier’s Sam Snead Pub for dinner didn’t produce much more information. The first waitress, saying she’d been on the job only three months, hadn’t heard of Oakhurst. She brought over another waitress, who had lived in the area a bit longer. She didn’t know much, either, but called over a waiter who described himself as a regular at area courses.

“I’ve never played (Oakhurst),’’ he said, “but I know it’s there.’’ But he didn’t know if it was still in operation, and hadn’t even noticed the historic marker on the road leading to the course.

All the people we talked to were extremely friendly — especially those at the Greenbrier — and they tried to be helpful. Still no one — even those living within the little town — knew much about America’s the first golf course. That seems a shame, given the historical significance of the place.

Advised of the bridge construction, the waiter thought another side road might get us to the location the following day, but that narrow road looked precarious the next morning — especially with rain pelting down at a good rate. So, my Oakhurst adventure wasn’t fruitful — but it did produce something to talk about within my golf circles.

After our visit we received an inkling of what had been happening at the 30-acre property. The Links, as well as some of its memorabilia, were put on the auction block. The owner, Lewis Keller, was 89 years old and taking care of the property had become too difficult. Keller was willing to accept the best offer and finally retire to Lynchburg, Va., to live near his daughter Vikki. In November, 2012, the course was bought by Jim Justice, the Greenbrier owner. Though the price wasn’t disclosed Keller said the amount satisfied a $700,000 bank lien on the property.

Pete Dye Golf Trail gives a boost to Indiana golf

CARMEL, Ind. — No disrespect to Tom Fazio, Rees Jones, Robert Trent Jones, Jack Nicklaus or any of the other high-quality golf course architects putting their talents on display these days, but — for my money — one stands ahead of the others. Pete Dye is definitely the most innovative and probably the most prolific architects of our generation.

Last year, amidst limited fanfare, his boosters in Indiana announced the formation of the Pete Dye Golf Trail. It was basically an informational website (www.petedyegolftrail.com) then, but this project should turn into something significant for both Dye and golf generally in the Midwest.

This year the same seven participating courses will be on board, stay-and-play packages will be available and other incentives may be added as well. And the heart of all this golf activity is a good place in itself. The Indianapolis suburb of Carmel was selected as the No. 1 Best Place to Live by Money Magazine for cities with population between 50,000 and 300,000.

I wanted an early jump on the Trail, so I hit five courses in five days in the fall. One very unexpected plus was the fact that you don’t have to travel far to get from course to course in the heart of Trail country. From a hotel in this Indianapolis suburb I could get to five Dye courses with drives of 40 minutes or less.

Before getting into the Trail, consider its significance. Only the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, which has 11 courses in Alabama, is similar within the U.S. The Dye Trail doesn’t encompass many of his famous courses, but it does include his first 18-holer and his last one. The Trail is a great place to get a feel for all the good things Pete Dye has done in his brilliant architectural career.

Now well into his 80s, Dye has been designing courses all over the world for over 50 years. His best known courses — arguably, at least — are the Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass in Florida, the Stadium Course at PGA West in California, Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run in Wisconsin, Crooked Stick in Indiana and the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island in South Carolina.

Working alone or occasionally with other architects — usually wife Alice or sons P.B. and Perry — Dye’s portfolio lists nearly 300 courses nation-wide. Many have won awards. Oddly only one, Ruffled Feathers in Lemont, is in the Chicago area. Dye worked with P.B. on that layout, which opened in 1991.

The Dye Trail, strongly supported by Indiana governor Mitch Daniels at its creation, is a journey through Dye’s architectural career. One of the seven courses was built for less than $1 million, another for $15 million. But all are good.

In a perfect world you should start the Dye Trail with a round at Maple Creek, which opened in 1961 under the name of Heather Hills. Dye had dabbled with a few other courses before this one, but this layout — created within the Indianapolis city limits with wife Alice — was his first 18-holer. They got it up and running 50 years ago for about $80,000. Not in the pristine condition of some of the other courses on the Trail, Maple Creek is still a fun public layout with a friendly staff. It’s a must-visit for Dye enthusiasts.

In a perfect world you should also end the Dye Trail at the Pete Dye Course at French Lick, a most difficult layout in very rural Southern Indiana. French Lick, once the home of basketball legend Larry Bird, was a retreat for the rich and famous before serious economic issues decimated the little town. It’s revival is a heartwarming story in itself, and the Dye Course is a big reason for the progress that’s been made.

The Dye Course at French Lick opened in 2009 and has already hosted the U.S. Professionals National Championship. It will take the collegiate spotlight the next three years as the site of the men’s Big Ten Championship. While the men are playing the Dye Course the Big Ten women’s teams will compete for their conference title on the nearby Donald Ross Course.

In between the creation of Heather HIlls/Maple Creek and the Pete Dye Course at French Lick there were plenty of other courses of all degrees of difficulty. The five others on the Trail demonstrate the wide variety of ways Dye has found to make golf interesting and challenging.

Dye has expressed sentimental affection for the Kampen Course at Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex at Purdue University in West Lafayette. He helped raise the money to build it in 1997 and Purdue’s agronomy students use it as part of their studies. That course is popular with more than Purdue’s students. In September, 2012, it was ranked the No. 3 course in all of collegiate golf by PGA.com.

The Plum Creek Country Club in Carmel is an upscale public layout that Dye created with fellow architect Tim Liddy in 1997. It was a busy place on the day I visited, the first round of my five-in-a-row tour. (I had played the Kampen Course and the Pete Dye Course at French Lick on previous golf trips).

Most unique of the courses on the Trail is Brickyard Crossing, which has four of its holes inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Golf was played on this land before Dye was involved, but he created a special place in 1993. On my visit the engines of the race cars provided the background music to a round that’ll be hard to forget. I’d played the Brickyard in an informal outing organized by Dye shortly before the course opened, but I was looking forward to the return visit and it didn’t disappoint.

Best course on the Trail from my viewpoint was The Fort, part of a resort built on Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis. It offered something for everybody.

Unfortunately, I can’t say I played the whole Pete Dye Golf Trail — yet. I still haven’t made it to Mystic Hills in Culver. But that trip will be made in the not-too-distant future, I assure you.

During my five-day tour I also played Crooked Stick, the 2012 site of the BMW Championship. It’s one of Dye’s best-known courses and in close proximity to four of the layouts included on the Trail. Crooked Stick, a private club that has proven itself as a big-time tournament venue, isn’t one of the Trail courses but hopefully it can be tied into the project in some way down the road.

Introducing wire-grass at Pinehurst No. 2

PINEHURST, N.C. — My frequent golf travels have led me to introduce you to a term you’re certain to hear more about in the next few months and years. It’s called wire-grass, the key ingredient in the recent renovation of North Carolina’s Pinehurst No. 2 — one of the world’s most famous courses, as well as one of my all-time favorites.

Pinehurst is certainly no secret. It’s been welcoming guests since 1895 and is America’s largest golf resort with its eight courses. The insertion of wire-grass on its famed No. 2 course, though, is something new and significant. While the topic of wire-grass hasn’t been talked about much yet, it will be. The U.S. Golf Assn., in an unprecedented move, has scheduled for the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst in 2014. By then wire-grass will be a well-known golf term.

Wire-grass doesn’t look all that great, but that’s what Donald Ross — the famed architect of the early 1900s — worked with in creating his layout at Pinehurst No. 2.

According to Don Sweeting, one of PInehurst’s vice presidents and my recent tour guide over the course, wire-grass is “a clump of grass that grows to four-six inches tall and has plumes on it and is very wispy….I provides an obstacle to golfers to play through it — but it’s very easy to find your ball.’’

Sweeting tells me that wire-grass is very indigenous to the sandhills of North Carolina. The fact that it was allowed to grow at Pinehurst No. 2 certainly changed the look of the course that hosted U.S. Opens in 1999 and 2005. I covered both. For those events the rough was bermuda, just like the fairways, only longer.

Pinehurst had a pristine look then. Now it’s more traditional and the rough is more unpredictable for golfers. Maybe some golfers won’t like the new look, but I did because Ross is one of the all-time great architects whose work has withstood the tests of time. He lived off the No. 3 hole at Pinehurst No. 2 before his death in 1948.

“We felt we had moved away from the Donald Ross era,’’ said Sweeting. “Pinehurst is known for its history, and you don’t want to go away from your history; you want to preserve it. We’ve normally done an excellent job of that, but we got away from it in the 1970s and 1980s. The golf world was going to the pristine and perfect look then, but that wasn’t what Donald Ross was all about.’’

A swing through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. — Michigan, as any avid golfer knows, is loaded with great courses. While the golf season isn’t as long as it is in some other warmer weather places, there’s an abundance of daylight in Michigan when its season is in full swing.

The problem with Michigan is its abundance of riches. Most any part of the state has a notable golf facility — and that includes the Upper Peninsula. The UP isn’t Michigan’s most popular region for golfers, but it bears consideration.

“When we do the golf shows we can tell that most people know about the UP if they’re skiers,’’ said Dave Douglas, director of golf at Sweetgrass Golf Club — the first of our stops in a sweeping tour of Michigan. “We’re so remote up here. From downtown Chicago it’s a 5 1/2-6 hour drive.’’

Like the rest of Michigan, though, the courses in the UP are first-rate and some of their organizers have established the “Perfect Four’’ package, which ties together three of the best. (The fourth in that slogan is the participating golfer).

Our venture with the “Perfect Four,’’ called for rounds at Sweetgrass, Timber Stone and Greywalls with two nights lodging required in between. Each course was distinctly different from the other two and the side attractions at each destination provided nice variety as well. There’s plenty of highway signage promoting the three-course package.

DAY ONE — A comfortable six-hour drive brought us to the Island Resort and Casino, which is located in Harris, Mich. That’s 14 miles from the bigger city of Escanaba. While the casino is a major attraction, the Sweetgrass course definitely spices up the facility.

Sweetgrass got its name from history, with sweetgrass being the first grass to grow on mother earth. It’s one of four medicines used in ceremonies by the Potawatomi Indians. The course is only two years old, the creation of Michigan architect Paul Albanese.

This links-style course has generous fairways, almost 40 acres of them. (Most courses devote only about 30 acres to fairways).

Given that the general facility is called the Island Resort, it’s almost mandatory that the course has an island green. It’s at the 15th hole. The 10,000-foot putting surface culminates a short hole, with the five tee placements allowing the hole to play anywhere from 102 to 164 yards.

Most striking feature of the course, though, is the shared green for the Nos. 9 and 18 holes. Both fairways wrap around water the incudes waterfalls with the casino providing a backdrop.

For relaxation afterwards there’s always the casino and it’s array of restaurants, but the short dive into Escanaba will bring you to Stonehouse, which provided the best fine dining of the trip.

Sweetgrass has climbed in stature of the years. In 2015 it climbed six places, to No. 20, in Golfweek magazine’s rankings of Best Casino Courses.

DAY TWO — A 40-mile drive from Sweetgrass brings you to Timber Stone, in Iron Mountain. Sweetgrass and Timber Stone have one thing in common. Albanese worked on both, but the long-respected Michigan architect, Jerry Matthews, was in charge of this layout. It opened at Pine Mountain Resort in 1997.

Timber Stone, cut through some beautiful forests, presents a much different challenge than Sweetgrass. One of the most pronounced is the elevation changes. The vertical drop from the back tee on the 17th hole — the highest point on the course) to the lowest spot, at the driving range, is 310 feet. The drops on the 17th (110 feet) and 18th (200 feet) present a spectacular finish to a round.

Elevation changes shouldn’t be surprising, since Pine Mountain is also a ski resort. In fact, it’s one of Michigan’s oldest with roots dating back to 1939.
The 14th hole has eight tee placements, which is also extraordinary.

DAY THREE — A 90-minute drive from Iron Mountain brings you to the lively college town of Marquette. Golf-wise the home of Northern Michigan University offers the Marquette Golf Club, which was established in 1926. Its original course, the Heritage, was designed by William Langford and David Gill.

While Heritage is a scenic layout it’s nothing like Greywalls. This one is loaded with the “Wow’’ factor, thanks to its views of Lake Superior. The first nine holes opened in 2004 and the 18-hole ribbon-cutting was in June of 2005. Mike DeVries designed this 6,828-yard layout that has — for better or worse — plenty of blind shots but it is definitely fun to play.

Marquette has plenty of nice off-course attractions, and two of its restaurants are noteworthy. The Vierling Restaurant & Marquette Harbor Brewery dates back to 1883, and Elizabeth’s Chop House — which is on the same block with lake-front viewing — provides more upscale dining. Unlike the first two stops on the “Perfect Four’’ tour, there’s plenty of lodging available in Marquette.

Need something to top off the trip? How about a three-hour boat cruise. The Picture Rock Tour in nearby Munising provides some unusual scenic views as well as some interesting history of the region.

Florida’s Innisbrook has a Chicago flavor

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — There’s still a good two months left in the Chicago golf season but, unfortunately, it won’t be too long until the weather changes. Snow and cold weather always arrive eventually, and then it’ll be time to head to warmer climates.
For golf in the winter months that means Florida, California or Arizona. You might be able to tee it up in a few other states but conditions will be iffy, at best. I tried it last winter in Texas and the Carolinas with very mixed results.But in Florida, California and Arizona being able to play from December through February is pretty much a sure thing.
Going to those places takes some planning, and it wouldn’t hurt to start now. One thing to remember, the best courses aren’t necessarily the most expensive. That’s never been more true than in these tough economic times. Doing a little investigating now can pay you big dividends down the road, in terms of both enjoyment and money spent.
Nothing against California and Arizona, but I’m a Florida guy. I’ve been a regular visitor there for years, and last winter I made two trips, travelled widely around the state in search of good playing opportunities and found plenty of them.
The place you should start is an old favorite — Innisbrook, on the outskirts of Tampa. I had made a quick stop at Innisbrook years ago and returned because the International Network of Golf spring meeting was held there. While there was nothing wrong with the “old’’ Innisbrook, I found the present version significantly updated and filled with friendly people.
That latter is understandable, since Innisbrook has strong ties with the Chicago area. Its owner since 2007 is Sheila C. Johnson, born in Maywood and a University of Illinois graduate. A founding partner of Black Entertainment Television, she also has ownership in three Washington pro sports teams — basketball’s Wizards (NBA) and Mystics (WNBA) and hockey’s Capitals. It was through her efforts that Innisbrook underwent a massive renovation that included all 608 of its guest rooms in 2009.
All four courses on the property were designed by Larry Packard, who was based in Chicago for the bulk of his noteworthy career. His broad design portfolio includes the well-respected Cantigny in Wheaton. Packard, now 98, lives on the Innisbrook property with his wife, who is in her 80s.
A key member of the present Innisbrook staff is Doug Schmidt, director of business development and membership. He came through the Chicago ranks as well.
You might not be aware of this factoid: Innisbrook is the only place to host an event on both the men’s and women’s pro tours. The PGA Tour brings its Transitions Championship to the Copperhead layout and the LPGA has a Legends event on the Island course.
Just recently Innisbrook received some significant acclaim when the Copperhead layout was voted the ninth best of the 52 layouts used for tournaments by the PGA Tour. Who did the voting? The players themselves — or at least 82 of them. Those rated higher were Augusta National, Harbour Town, Riviera, Pebble Beach, Colonial, Muirfield Village, Shaughnessy (Canadian Open) and Aronimink. One player opined that Copperhead is “the best course we play in Florida.”
And, statistically, the last three holes at Copperhead created the toughest finishing stretch on the PGA circuit. Those holes have, justifiably, been billed “the Snake Pit.”
By no means is Innisbrook the only golf option in Florida. From personal experience I can recommend quite a few others. If you want a PGA Tour flavor other than Copperhead and are willing to pay top dollar you’ll want to try TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, near Jacksonville. It’ll give you the opportunity of playing one of the most famous holes in golf — the short par-3 17th with its island green. And, if you do go there be sure to stop (or stay) at World Golf Village in nearby St. Augustine, home of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Also in that part of the state is Palm Harbor, in Palm Coast. Run by Chicago-based KemperSports, it’s a friendly place on all counts and merits a visit.
There are plenty of courses around Orlando, of course, thanks to the presence of vacation hotbed Disney World. I’d suggest you consider a drive of about 20 miles outside of Kissimmee to the town of Harmony. It has a course I really enjoyed, Harmony Golf Preserve, and nearby Royal St. Cloud has a links layout that’s good, too. Plus, they’re more dollar-friendly than many of the places in the Disney World area. You might also be interested in visiting Windermere, a private club under new ownership that is undergoing an upgrade and welcoming public play.
Further into the state is the Bobby Jones Golf Complex, a 45-hole facility in Sarasota. Its courses are player-friendly and very economical.
The Florida golf offerings aren’t as well known as those in California, where the beautiful Carmel area is the focal point. That’s where you’ll find Pebble Beach, Spyglass, Spanish Bay and Poppy Hills. You’ll pay top dollar there, but it may be worth it to you in terms of the memories you’ll take from the experience.
I tend to look for more out-of-the-way places that also tend to be more economical. Heavily-played Rancho Park, in Los Angeles, is rich in history as a former site of the Los Angeles Open. Sandpiper, in Santa Barbara, is another good buy and San Jose has a nice municipal course, as well, but the best bargain I found was Los Verdes, in Rancho Palos Verdes. Here you get great ocean-front views at an extremely reasonable rate and it’s nearly within walking distance of Trump National, which charges much, much more. The catch is, Los Verdes is no secret. You may have trouble getting a tee time and your round could be a slow one.
My trips to California were frequently for business, and time constraints were involved. That led me to look for nine-holers once in awhile, and the Manhattan Beach Marriott has a fun one on its premises.
As for Arizona, I’m not nearly as familiar with the courses there. Last winter, in fact, was my first playing experience in Arizona, and I tested a couple of reasonably-priced public layouts in Silver Creek in the White Mountains town of Show Low, and nearby Pinetop Lakes, a short, sporty layout. Arizona, though, is known for some great upscale golf with the Scottsdale layouts — Troon North, Talking Stick and The Phoenician — the best-known places to go. TPC Scottsdale is also in that mix, as the site of Phoenix’ annual PGA Tour stop.
A course that I would readily to put on my future travel agenda, though, is far less publicized one at Tubac Resort. That’s where much of the classic golf movie “Tin Cup’’ was filmed.

Grand Geneva is a Midwest gem

Not that there’s anything wrong with golf courses in the Chicago area, but golf getaways can be fun, too. And, you don’t have to go very far to find great getaway destinations. Our neighboring states of Wisconsin and Indiana have plenty of possibilities.

In my book no state in the country has come as far golf-wise as Wisconsin in the last few years. The Badger state has been an increasingly frequent stop for me. I’ve made three visits already this season, and one long-time favorite resort should be brought to your attention.
As for Indiana, I haven’t found as many golf possibilities as I did in Wisconsin but the inspirational resurgence of French Lick is a tale well worth telling.

Wisconsin first.

Kohler is certainly the best-known destination for a golf getaway. The Andersen Consulting World Match Play Championship was held there three times (1995-97) at Blackwolf Run as was the 1998 U.S. Women’s Open. Two PGA Championships have been staged at nearby Whistling Straits. in recent years. Those big tournaments brought a bright spotlight on The American Club and other lodging options in the Kohler area.

By no means is Kohler the only area to go for great golf in Wisconsin, however.
This year I enjoyed a delightful stay at Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva. You might remember it as the old Playboy Club, a thriving spot beginning in the 1960s. Things have changed a lot since then, and especially since a multi-million dollar property-wide renovation was made last year.

One thing remains the same, though. The Brute, one of the resort’s two 18-holers, is still one of my favorites anywhere. It can be too challenging if you use the wrong set of tees, but The Brute’s expansive rolling greens can set the tone for a fun round for players of all levels.

Grand Geneva’s other course was once called the Briarpatch. Originally designed jointly by Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus (it’s hard for me to imagine them working together) it was transformed in 1996 by Bob Cupp and has been called The Highlands since then. While The Brute remains my favorite, The Highlands is a good option with its scenic hills and lush foliage.

Not to be lost at Grand Geneva is its other entertainment options. This place has undergone considerable updating in recent years, but especially since the recent makeover. On a national level I can compare it to another of my recent ventures, to Innisbrook in Tampa, Fla. — the home of the PGA Tour’s Transitions Championship on its Copperhead course.

But I digress. Grand Geneva’s dining options at Ristorante Brissago, Cafe Grande and the Geneva ChopHouse and the more relaxed atmosphere of The Lobby Lounge provide good diversions after a round at one or both of the courses. There’s also the spa (Carlos relieved my sciatica, for which I will be forever grateful), salon, fitness center and swimming pool opportunities after golf is done. Grand Geneva is, without question, a premier year-around resort. It offers skiing in the winter.

In recent year’s I’ve also spent time at Geneva National and Northern Bay, which offer a different lodging-golf opportunities, and — whether you want to make a long-term stay or not — some courses that merit your attention based on my visits are The Bear at Pinehurst Farms in Sheboygan Falls, The Bog in Saukville, and Trappers Turn and Wild Rock in the Wisconsin Dells area. Peninsula, in Door County, and Brighton Dale LInks in Kenosha are good, more economical options. On the more upscale side, there’s Erin Hills. It hosted last month’s U.S. Amateur en route to landing the U.S. Open in 2017.

You might also want to be aware of what’s coming at Blackwolf Run. Next year it’ll host the U.S. Women’s Open again, and that means special activity around this early Pete Dye design. As it stands now, part of the 1998 U.S. Women’s Open layout was on the River 18-holer and the other on the Valley 18-holer.

Over the last two years portions of the two courses have been closed for a renovation that’s now complete. David Albrecht, Blackwolf Run’s head pro, and I played some of these great holes together, but the original 18-holer used 13 years ago will be put back in play for the biggest tournament in women’s golf. There’ll be plenty of excitement at Blackwolf leading up to this event and advance planning — perhaps for next spring — is advised.

Now for Indiana.

Two resorts that I’ve visited offer multiple courses — French Lick in the southern part of the state near Louisville and Swan Lake, in Plymouth. Swan Lake is much closer to Chicago and is the home of the U.S. Golf Academy as well as two 18-hole courses. A 2009 re-routing led to the creation of the Black course, which is more challenging, and the Silver, which encourages lower scoring.

French Lick, though, is something else. Combined with the neighboring town of West Baden, this is a resort community that has literally been reborn. The West Baden Springs Hotel is a charming throwback to another era, when the community provided a great escape for the well-to-do from all corners of the country.

Then came a long, economic decline and the area was known mainly as the home town of basketball legend Larry Bird. That sad period is long gone now, though. A casino is thriving in French Lick and golf has had a major revival with a renovation of the Donald Ross Course and the creation of the spectacular Pete Dye Course, which opened in June, 2009 and has hosted the 2010 PGA Professionals National Championship. It’s the first course I’ve played that can be stretched past 8,000 yards — though I’m quick to add that I would never venture back to those tees that produce an 8,102-yard layout.

While the Dye course draws all the accolades, the Ross course is rich in history. In its heyday it was the site of the 1924 PGA Championship and both the LPGA and Senior PGA tours held events there before the layout was closed for a major renovation that was completed in 2008.

Starting next year both courses will be used when French Lick becomes the home of the Big Ten championships for both men and women — a major step forward for both the conference and the community.

Harbor Shores – A Feel Good Story

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Anything Jack Nicklaus is sure to be good in golf, and The Golf Club at Harbor Shores is no exception. It’ll gain immense exposure in this summer of 2012 as the site of the Senior PGA Championship. It’ll also host that event in 2014.

Considering the course didn’t open until July 1, 2010, it has elevated its profile by leaps and bounds in a very short time. The Nicklaus connection, of course, helped in the course getting instant credibility. It also didn’t hurt that Benton Harbor-based Whirlpool Corp. came on as a sponsor for the Senior PGA. Sponsors of that caliber aren’t as easy to find these days as they once were.

Nicklaus’ design portfolio lists 275 courses world-wide. This Nicklaus creation, however, is something special. Nicklaus created it out of what had been a garbage dump. A factory was located where the first tee is now, and the land was covered with beer bottles and thousands of tires when Nicklaus first had a look at it. Before Nicklaus could go to work on the land 117 tons of trash, including 20,000 tons of contaminated soil, had to be removed.
Mark Hesemann, Harbor Shores’ managing director, remembers the day Nicklaus arrived for the first time. “Where did you find this place?,’’ was his first comment.

Since then, though, Harbor Shores has turned into one of golf’s best feel-good stories. “We set out really to change a community,’’ said Nicklaus. “This wasn’t just about a golf course. This was a non-profit project. That’s the important part of it.’’

The city of Benton Harbor, located about 100 miles from Chicago’s city limits, has undergone difficult times in recent years. About one-fifth of its residents were unemployed when the creation of Harbor Shores began. Now the course is the centerpiece of a resort and golf community that has created jobs and housing, increased the tax base and brought tourists to the city. Many more will be coming when the Senior PGA Championship puts Harbor Shores in the world golf spotlight.

So far, the course has had just one high-profile event. The grand opening celebration was indeed grand. Four of the biggest names in golf — Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer and Johnny Miller — showed up for an event billed as the Champions for Change.

“Just a joy,’’ was the way Hesemann described the event, which featured a clinic and evening gala that involved the four legendary stars before and after they competed for a $1 million purse in a skins’ game format with rotating two-man teams. About 4,000 spectators walked along during the competition, while about 2,000 watched the clinic and 1,500 attended the gala.

Along the way the players combined to make 15 birdies and one eagle, but the highlight came when Nicklaus rolled in a 100-foot putt on the No. 10 green. That putting surface is highly uncharacteristic of Nicklaus designs — a three-tiered monster that has been controversial since the course opened. Measuring 10,500 square feet, it’s the biggest green that Nicklaus has ever created.

Golfers who take on Harbor Shores will be intrigued by that putting surface and will certainly find some prettier sites as they tour the course. Nos. 7, 8 and 9 are on the shores of Lake Michigan and 10 others provide views of the Paw Paw River or Ox Creek and its wetlands. Longest of the layout’s three par-5s is the 573-yard fifth while the four par-3s range from 144 yards (No. 11) to 210 yards (No. 17).

Joshua Andres, a local artist, has also provided a special touch for all the course’s visitors with his striking metal sculptures that designate each hole. The course has a slope of 143 and rating of 74.7 from the back tees.

Over 20 charity outings were held during the abbreviated 2010 season, and more were held there in 2011 — the resort’s first full season. Hesemann called those numbers “fantastic for a new golf course in this economy.’’

High school teams have been allowed to use the course for practices and some competitions and an 18,000-square foot facility will be available for the First Tee of Benton Harbor. “We’re all about community service and the area youth,’’ said Hesemann. “That’s something a little different about us.’’

Branson Has A Lot More Than Golf

BRANSON, Mo. — The golf is quite good in this lively little town in the southwest corner of Missouri. In just the last few years Branson, with about 6,000 full-time residents, has emerged as a golf destination. There are 13 courses in the general area, and they can accommodate all types of players. Eight of them — operating through the website golfbranson.com — encompass the super tough Murder Rock, credited to controversial PGA Tour player John Daly; Branson Creek, designed by the highly-respected architect Tom Fazio; the spiffy Payne Stewart Golf Club, built in honor of the late two-time U.S. Open champion and local resident who died in a plane crash; and LedgeStone, which may be the most beautiful of the lot with its sweeping views.

You don’t have to be an accomplished player to enjoy golf in Branson, though. Most unique of the other layouts is the funky but fun Thousand Hills, a Bob Cupp design that features nine par-3s, eight par-4s and one par-5.

I liked the Payne Stewart layout the best, but the best part of Branson as a golf destination isn’t necessarily the golf itself. It’s the other options. Rarely does any golf destination have the wide variety of other attractions that Branson offers. A golf die-hard doesn’t have to worry about keeping other family members, or less avid golfers in his travel party, from getting bored. There are tons of other things to keep them entertained.

In its early years, Branson was mainly a gathering place for fishermen. Then Marvel Cave, and its tours 500 feet below ground, emerged a tourist attraction and that spawned the creation of Silver Dollar City, one of the largest theme parks in the U.S.

Silver Dollar City, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010, in turn stimulated more tourist activity — initially country music venues. Now there’s 49 live theaters offering much more than country stuff. Soji Tabuchi has been a Branson fixture for over two decades with his family-style show in a theater that bears his name, and legendary crooner Andy Williams has his Moon River Theater that brings in other types of music than country.

I especially enjoyed an evening at the Hamner Barber Theater, the showcase for magician Dave Hamner and his long-time partner, ventriloquist Jim Barber. Russian comedian Yakov Smirnoff is also a popular entertainment option.

Missouri residents call this high-energy community in the heart of the Ozarks mountains “the Las Vegas of the Midwest,’’ and the Oscar-nominated movie “Winter’s Bone’’ was filmed there. Annual visitors numbered over 8 million annually in recent years thanks in part to its family-friendly economical options and its location. One-third of the U.S. population is less than a day’s drive away.

As for evening dining, the Mediterranean-style Bleu Olive and Cantina Laredo, with its Spanish dishes, are good bets in the downtown area. On the outskirts are all the usual chain restaurants along with some more economical places with local flavor like Montana Mike’s, the Rowdy Beaver and MacFarlain’s, where unsuspecting diners might be victimized by a rising table that will add some spice to your meal.

If shopping, live shows, golf, cave tours and dining options aren’t enough, Branson also has cruises and fishing along three lakes; a replica of the Titanic ship disaster (billed as the world’s largest museum attraction), plus museums spotlighting antique toys, dolls, autos, dinosaurs, butterflies and war veterans. There’s also five water parks, circus acts, three outlet malls and the beautiful lakes of Table Rock, Taneycomo and Bull Shoals.

And more is still to come — especially for golfers. A new golf facility, Top of the Rock, will reportedly offer a nine-hole course designed by Jack Nicklaus, a practice range designed by Arnold Palmer and a putting course designed by Tom Watson.