Travel Michigan Golf

Golf Architect News

I received the following responses to an email I sent out a couple of months ago requesting updates from Michigan's outstanding golf architectural firms.

Greenscape Designs http://www.greenscapedesign.com They have designed The Rock, Captain's Table, Pierce Lake and Inkster Valley for starters.

"Art, anticipating a slow down in the great lakes region, I started to concentrate on the southeast several years ago. Although I still maintain an office and home in Michigan, I also have an office in Palm Beach, Florida.

During the past 3 years I have completed the total renovation of Dorado Beach Resort in Puerto Rico (home of the senior match play championship), 18 holes for Hyatt Hotels in Bonita Springs, Florida, Granda Oaks Golf Club for Wayne Huizenga in Ft. Lauderdale and am in the planning stages of courses in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Tallahassee, Florida and St. Kitts, West Indies."

Harry Bowers

Natural Course Design Phone: 517-333-9810

This is the Jerry Matthews firm that has designed more golf courses in Michigan than anyone.

"Art, we have completed a nine hole addition to Currie Municipal in Midland, MI, scheduled to open in August 2001. Once this is opened, we will then be working on remodeling one of the other existing nine hole courses to give the City of Midland an "upscale" type course.

Antigo-Bass Lake Country Club is located in Langlade County, northeast of Wausau; off of highway 45 between Antigo and Deerlake Wisc. Remodeling work was completed in the spring of 2001, and course is open to play.

Oak Pointe Country Club, Brighton, MI - remodeling of the Championship course; Construction to start June 19, 2001; scheduled to open July 2002.

Springdale Golf Course, Birmingham, MI - was being remodeled and reopened July 2001; remodeling of the course was in conjunction with a stream/river restoration project; part of the City of Birmingham golf facilities

A-Ga-Ming Golf Course, Kewadin, MI - new 18 hole addition to existing golf facility; awaiting permitting and township approval; construction scheduled to start fall 2001; course to open 2003.

Avon Meadows, Rochester Hills, MI - new 9 hole golf course to be built on an existing landfill for the Southeastern Oakland County Resourse Recovery Authority; currently awaiting permits and township approval; construction scheduled to start late summer / early fall 2001; course to open late summer/early fall 2002.

Crosswinds Golf Course, Swartz Creek, MI - new 18 hole golf course; this one has been on the books for the last ten years, going through several different owners; currently awaiting permits and township approval; looking to start construction late summer or early fall of 2001."

Gary Chapman, Designer

Jerry Matthews Natural Course Design

Matthews and Nelhiebel http://www.design3.com

Of late, the firm has designed, The Jackal in Brighton, Hidden River Golf and Casting and Moss Ridge.

"Matthews & Nelhiebel is adding 18 championship holes at Seven Lakes Golf Course in LaSalle, Ontario, Canada to complement an existing nine-hole layout. True to its name, the Windsor area course will shimmer with 20 acres of water. Six new lakes are being created, joining the only one that had been on the site. Seven Lakes features a par-71, 6,800-yard layout with more than 100 bunkers, providing contrast and strategy. Some bunkers are 150 feet long and shallow; others are 20 feet round and six feet deep. Ten holes have water in play; seven are cut out of a mature wood lot. Work on the 18-hole addition began this spring and could be finished by late 2002. Matthews & Nelhiebel also plans to renovate the existing par-35, 2,800-yard nine-hole course."

Submitted by Janis Haskell of Lezotte Miller Public Relations