Golf on a Grand Scale

Michigan’s second-largest city becoming a top hot bed for some of the most exciting risk/reward golf in the state

Grand Rapids has changed a lot since I first passed through it back in the late 1960s. As a student at then-Grand Valley State College in the tiny town of Allendale nearby, “GR” (as we called it) seemed unhip compared to the Detroit area. It seemed less than friendly to outsiders (especially those of us with long hair, moustaches and bell-bottom pants). Learning that my school was located in a “dry” county floored me; this was west Michigan, after all. That was then.

Today, Grand Rapids is a vibrant and very attractive modern city with a strong involvement in arts and culture. New hotels (like the luxurious Amway Grand Plaza), new shops, new restaurants and new things to see and do (such as the Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum) are everywhere and the people are warm and welcoming. What I would give to be a student once again at now Grand Valley State University.

One thing about Grand Rapids that hasn’t changed is its well-earned reputation as a fine golf destination. Some of the best courses in the state are located in the area, and some of the most famous architects in history have worked here, including Tom Bendelow, Donald Ross and Willie Park, Jr. During a recent visit I learned that the top designers are still coming and great courses have continued to be built in the Greater Grand Rapids area known as West Michigan.

Pilgrim's Run, in Pierson, is a magical Mike DeVries-designed track. Photo by Nile Young, Jr.

Pilgrim’s Run, in Pierson, is a magical Mike DeVries-designed track. Photo by Nile Young, Jr.

Pilgrim’s Run Golf Club in Pierson, (www.pilgrimsrun.com) is an interesting story. Conceived by a Chicago businessman who owned the property, the layout was literally designed by amateurs — both golf-wise and course architectural-wise. The owner asked six of his employees to design three holes each. Course superintendent Kris Schumacker was then asked to route the holes, and course architect Mike Devries was charged with creating the green complexes and bunkers. I know, it sounds crazy. Somehow (divine intervention, perhaps?), it worked. Pilgrim’s Run opened in 1997 and two years later Golf Digest named it the “4th Best New Affordable Course in the U.S. and Canada.” Since then, the excellent reviews from major publications have not stopped. In 2012, GOLF Magazine ranked Pilgrim’s Run the No. 12 best course in Michigan. I think it’s definitely worthy. Measuring nearly 7,000 yards from the back markers (three other tees are available) this heavily wooded course is really pretty, very playable and a lot of fun. Okay, maybe one or two putting surfaces are too severely sloped for my taste. Other than that, the course is really, really enjoyable. However, Pilgrim’s Run remains something of a secret to golfers in other parts of the state.

The fantastic finishing hole at Tullymore, in Stanwood. Photo by Nile Young, Jr.

The fantastic finishing hole at Tullymore, in Stanwood. Photo by Nile Young, Jr.

What’s definitely not a secret is a golf resort in Stanwood, an hour north of Grand Rapids, best known to Michigan players as Tullymore (www.tullymoregolf.com). While the two courses there — St. Ives and Tullymore — are only a few miles apart, they’re miles apart in terms of look and type. The oldest of the two, St. Ives (www.stivesgolf.com), was designed by Michigan architect Jerry Matthews and opened in 1995. Best described as a traditional parkland-style layout, St. Ives features tight, tree-lined fairways, rolling topography, surprising elevation changes, lots of water and wetlands to contend with, and relatively small greens.

Measuring “only” 6,700 yards from the back tees (three others are available), St. Ives appears rather easy at first glance. It’s not. The holes are narrow — particularly on the front nine — the forced carries are demanding, and the putting surfaces are well sloped. When the course opens up on the back nine (holes 14 through 17 are laid out around a large lake) the wind becomes an additional problem. Trust me: St. Ives can eat your lunch in a heartbeat.

Like St. Ives, Tullymore features its own clubhouse, superb dining and comfortable on-site accommodations. Tullymore is a world-class course. Soon after it opened in 2002, Golf Digest named Tullymore the “No. 1 New Upscale Public Course in America.” A year later, that same publication named Tullymore’s designer, Jim Engh, “Architect of the Year.” To put it mildly, Tullymore is a visual delight, a thrill a minute and unique in so many ways. On the front nine, for example, there are three par 3s — two of them back to back. On the back nine, there are three par 5s — two of them measuring over 600 yards from the tips. Tall trees border many of the holes at Tullymore, there’s plenty of water, wetlands and gnarly native grasses to avoid, and a few of the greens feature the kind of slopes you’d expect to find in Ireland. Scattered about this beautiful layout are several of Mr. Engh’s dazzling but disconcerting serpentine-shaped bunkers. From the back tees, Tullymore measures a daunting 7,250 yards (four other lengths are available). It can be tough, but it’s also quite manageable if played from the tees that match a golfer’s ability. What’s for certain is that it’s always a great experience, and Golf Digest agrees. In 2011, it ranked Tullymore No. 36 on its list of “America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses.”

Finally getting the opportunity to play Thousand Oaks Golf Club, located only a few miles east of downtown Grand Rapids, it is surprising to me that it hasn’t received the kind of accolades that have been bestowed on other courses in the area. I do know that this is a sensational layout and that it should be high on the lists of every major publication and golfer, in my opinion. Thousand Oaks (www.thousandoaksgolf.com) is one of only two designs by Rees Jones in all of Michigan. Mr. Jones is known as the “Open Doctor” — the architect the USGA has long relied on to restore, remodel and/or reinforce the venues chosen to conduct the U.S. Open Championship. In most cases, he is used to working on big canvases. Thousand Oaks is a big canvas — and not just because it measures 7,128 yards from the back tees (three others are available). Even though I knew the area was hilly, I didn’t know there were elevation changes as dramatic as those on this golf course. If there’s anything golfers love more than driving off an elevated tee — with a wide fairway down below and running off into the distance — I don’t know what it is. There are several of these launch pads at Thousand Oaks and stunning views of the heavily- wooded course and countryside that come with them.

As they say, what goes down must come up. Believe it: the uphill holes here are brutes, frequently requiring an extra club or more to get to the green. The putting surfaces are big but not often steeply sloped, they do appear tilted from back to front. It’s well bunkered — both fairway and greenside — and they all seemed perfectly placed for gathering errant shots and making golfers gulp.

Thousand Oaks is a sensational addition to the long list of fine courses to be found in West Michigan. It’s one more reason to think “Grand Rapids” when you’re looking for a pure golf experience.

For more information about golf and much more in West Michigan, visit www.experiencegr.com.

Top photo: The stunning, Rees Jones-designed Thousand Oaks Golf Club. Photo by Nile Young, Jr.