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Michigan Golf News
February 11, 2005, Vol. 5, No. 7

Sponsored by:

Bay Mills Resort and Casino/Wild Bluff-Brimley
Web: http://www.4baymills.com
Video: http://michigangolfer.tv/2003shows/show11/index.html

Treetops: Great Golf and Great Skiing
Web: http://treetops.com

Lansing Golf Show, The Lansing Center, February 25-27
Web: http://michigangolfshow.com

Michigan Golf Show, Novi Expo, March 11-13
Web: http://michigangolfshow.com
Video: http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show1/index.html

Edited by Art McCafferty-Producer/Publisher, GLSP
http://glsp.com

Past issues are available at http://webgolfer.com/news.html

__/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/
__/ MGN ON THE ROAD
__/ MICHIGAN GOLFER INTERNET TELEVISION SHOW
__/ STYX CAPITAL INTRODUCES "STICKS" LEASING TO THE GOLF INDUSTRY
__/ MICHIGAN GOLF INSTRUCTORS HONORED BY GOLF DIGEST
__/ HISTORY OF THE GNAU TROPHY
__/ HITTING THE LINKS-AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTS- DICK NUGENT
__/ GRAND HOTEL ANNOUNCES EARLY OPENING FOR ITS 119TH SEASON
__/ 19TH HOLE-LET'S DO IT WHILE WE'RE YOUNG
__/ GOLF CONNOISSEUR
__/ CALENDAR OF GOLF EVENTS
__/ TOURNAMENT SCHEDULES
__/ MICHIGAN GOLF NEWS ASSOCIATION SUBSCRIBERS
__/ ASSOCIATION LINKS

***
MGN ON THE ROAD
Grand Rapids-WMGS
Golfers start your backswings.

The 17th Annual West Michigan Golf Show continued its legacy of great organization, savvy facility management and terrific showmanship as thousands of golfers attended. During the weekend GR was bathed in sunny splendor showing off its latest high rises amidst above freezing temperatures. Hotels were bulging with guests, attending the golf show or attending the Republican Party annual meeting.

Jim Flick provided the headlining firepower for this year's show. The three score, sawbuck and a fin year old was a crowd hit. Jim Flick's target of instruction and "Sumo" lines were directed at Brian O'Neil, one of Boyne's top guns.

Patti Butcher seems to have put it all together. Her company, Golf Enterprises, offers studio golf instruction in the winter, a golf school at Thousand Oaks in the summer and a couple of schools in Casa de Campo at the famous Teeth of the Dog and the newer course, Dye Fore. Life is good.

Debbie Massey and Pam Phillips were representing the great golf at Black Lake Golf Club as well as their excellent golf schools.

Mike DeAgostino, in charge of PR for Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, stopped by the show to check it out. Their 2005 golf packages have been released and are on their website.

Ray Hearn has taken the next step in a storied career. He is the GM of Macatawa Legends Golf and Country Club, a huge golf community near Holland. It was our feeling that after somebody looked at the project, they had one thing in mind and that was that they wanted to be the GM of Macatawa Legends Golf and Country Club.

Indiana made their presence felt again. The Indianapolis and Carmel areas have some very interesting courses. MG favorites include, The Fort, a course Pete Dye reworked, Purgatory-a course that Ron Kern put together, which is a thousand miles long, Prairie View, a Robert Trent Jones course at and Plum Creek by Pete Dye. Also, Crooked Stick is the host of the Solheim Cup this year from September 6-11. A little further north of Indianapolis, Randy Ballinger, the owner of Walnut Creek in Marion, did a nice job telling Michigan golfers about his place.

Doug Grove, the new Director of Golf, was heading up Garland the booth. Doug is a classy guy who has had a storied career in the golf business. I still remember him having a classic duel with Jack Nicklaus at the opening of the Bear. He battled Jack on six occasions and it was a draw.

The Gaylord crowd was out in full force, with Mike Husby of The Loon, Judy Mason of Michaywe, Mark Hogan of Otsego Club, Don White of Marsh Ridge, Steve Helmer of The Natural and Sandra Snook of Pine Cone Accommodations were all represented.

The UP had Rob Lussenhop and Jeff Parker of Wild Bluff GC, Marc Gilmore was down to market the new Greywalls, John Archambeau of Drummond Island and The Rock and the Nick Aune of the Grand Hotel were all wooing people to go above the 45% parallel this summer. Nick Aune indicated the Grand Hotel is opening in March this year. Mike DeVries was on hand at the Greywalls booth telling all who stopped by the booth, how special this course is. Parker and Lussenhof are preparing for the 4th Annual Bay Mills Open Players Tournament this summer.

We had a new threesome "3-2-1 Swing" this year with Ludington's Hemlock, Rothbury's Thoroughbred and Manistee's Manistee National all marketing their product under one banner. Battle Creek and Kalamazoo courses are enjoying their second year of being marketed under Michigan's Southern Swing.

Mike Grooms and Trent Ostling were behind the Timber Ridge booth talking up golf on this Jerry Matthews layout and their great conference and banquet facilities in the Vista Room and Top of the Ridge.

The West side was well represented with, Boulder Point, Thousand Oaks, Ravines, The Highlands, Mike DeVries was flitting around from Greywalls to the new Mines Course in Grand Rapids, as both of his courses will open this year.

Roger Putman of Elmbrook GC in Traverse City indicated that the 3rd installment of "The Haig" Hickory Club tournament would be June 17th.

Judy Mason and Lindy Helbel are welcoming golfers at the remodeled Pines. Don Childs returned to tweak the course he had designed decades before. The Lake, a course by Jerry Matthews, continues to pick up golfers with its terrific layout.

Dick Loring and Eric Cullum were around promoting their summer golf tournaments, one amateur and one professional. Loring is reminding folks about the 5th Great Lakes Junior Masters Golf Championship, at Shanty Creek Resort and the 33rd. Michigan State Junior Boys Golf Championship at Stonebridge Golf Club. Cullum is putting together the West Michigan Professional Golf Tour using Cedar Chase, Glenkerry, Quail Ridge and Candlestone as the tournament sites.

Dave Kaiser is promoting another golf product, Grip-Fresh and Dick Loring is marketing a new half club to pick up your ball called Scramble Buddy.

Don King and other members of "The Highlands" were on hand to promote the upcoming "LPGA at the Highlands" event coming on August 13. With the Champions Tour at Egypt Valley and the LPGA Oldsmobile at Walnut Hills now history, perhaps, we can start a new chapter with an LPGA event at this storied Donald Ross course that will soon turn 100 years young.

Bob Koutnik, of Fox Run indicates that Grayling has put together a Grayling Golf and Canoe Alliance. Pitch, Putt and Paddle.

Heather Leeke is marketing courses from three different generations at her Old Channel Trail layout. They have a Robert Bruce Harris, a W. Bruce Matthews and a Jerry Matthews course.

Mike Brown was heavily promoting the new Sundance Golf Club, designed by Jerry Matthews that will join the Chick Harbert course at A-Ga-Ming.

W. Bruce Matthews III was cruising around the show and stopped by Hidden River Golf and Casting Club and the new Angels Crossing course, two courses that he designed.

We stayed at the Crowne Plaza, just off 28th Street and I-96 heading into GR. Brad Arnold, formerly of Treetops, is the Director of Sales. We got a great room at a modest price with high speed Internet as a free in room service.

We did a wrap up interview with Carolyn Alt of the show and she was pleased at the attendance the reaction from the vendors and the great weather.

***
MICHIGAN GOLFER INTERNET TELEVISION SHOW
MIKE HUSBY AND THE LOON GOLF CLUB
Mike Husby takes us on a tour of The Loon Golf Club in Gaylord. Our show features the deft camera work of our video Rembrant, Joe Yunkman. Joe captures the magic of the land, the habitat, the course and the philosophy of its creator. Enjoy our first offering in the series, "Architects and their Golf Courses."

THE MICHIGAN GOLF SHOW
The Michigan Golf Show in Novi is just around the corner. Join our reporter Tim Hygh and show host Laurie McCann as they chat about the vendors that the show annually provides for its attendees. The Michigan Golf Show is the largest consumer golf show in the U.S. http://michigangolfer.tv

***
STYX CAPITAL INTRODUCES "STICKS" LEASING TO THE GOLF INDUSTRY
Styx Capital, LLC is introducing residual lease financing to the golf business through its premium golf club rental program. The program allows golf course owners and head professionals to provide as rental sets an unbeatable variety of the latest in golf club technology - taking much of the headache out of managing rental inventory, enhancing revenue and providing a competitive advantage.

***
MICHIGAN GOLF INSTRUCTORS HONORED BY GOLF DIGEST
Golf Magazine honored the top 100 Teachers in America and Canada Thursday January 27 at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando FL. as part of the festivities during the PGA Golf Show. Honored was Manual De La Torre Milwaukee CC as the newest member of the Golf Teachers Hall of Fame. Michigan's Top Teachers by Region, who were nominated to be considered for Top 100 are;

Terri Anthony - Ryan - Beachwoods GC -
John Dal Corobbo - Forest Ackers GC -
Brad Dean - Crystal Mountain Resort
Will Ellender - Taylor Made Golf -
Dick Loring - Golf University at Jackson Michigan
Bob Percy - Inner Circle of Golf Academy
Penny Pulz - Saginaw CC
Gary Robinson - Foundation Learning Center
Jeff Roth - Knollwood CC
Charles Vandenberg - Kent CC
Henry Young - Treetops Resort

Thanks and a Tip of the Tam for honoree Dick Loring for passing this on.

***
HISTORY OF THE GNAU TROPHY
Editor's Note:Dave Richards, Michigan's golf and resort marketing guru, has become a collector of late. Approached to find a buyer for the Gnau Trophy, he decided to buy it himself. And what, you may ask, is the Gnau Trophy? Read on.

In 1940 J Russell Gnau, a friend of Gene Sarazen, while attending the National Open in early June in Toledo, Ohio, Gnau brought up the subject of Walter Hagen's Ryder Cup team being challenged by Gene Sarazen to a match in July at Oakland Hills. Sarazen said he liked the idea and could round up ten golfers who could beat Hagen's team.

The official Ryder Cup was cancelled because of World War II, but Walter Hagen had already selected the team. Mr. Gnau suggested that the proceeds from the matches go to the American Red Cross. Corcoran interrupted. "Such a match is already being talked up in Boston, and Boston is willing to guarantee the Red Cross $5,000.00. Gnau then said "if Boston could raise $5,000.00, then we would double it.

Sarazen then agreed to make up a team and play the matches at Oakland Hills. The proceeds from the first event were more then doubled, which led to two more events in 1941 and 1942. In 1941, the Detroit Golf Club hosted the event, and then in 1942 it returned to Oakland Hills. The proceeds from the three events totaled more then $50,000.00 for The American Red Cross.

The PGA of America and others found a sculpture of a nude golfer made by Adolph Alexander Weiman, (American 1870-1952), in sterling silver, which he created in 1901. Added to the sculpture was a base plus a band made of sterling silver with the engraved signatures of the golfers that participated in the 1940 Ryder Cup-Red Cross matches at Oakland Hills. Weiman, by 1915, had built a solid reputation as one of the nations finest young sculptors. Thus, it came as no surprise when the US Treasury commissioned him to design "Walking Liberty" half-dollar and the "Mercury" dime. He also designed both entrances to the National Archives building crowned with huge pediments that are 118 feet long and 18 feet high in the center, with 12-foot eagles with extended wings at the ends. Weimann won many awards for his works. The Nareissus Bronze sculpture won the Widener Gold Medal three years later when it was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy. This sculpture of the nude golfer has never been exhibited to my knowledge.

The signatures on the trophy are as followed:

GENE SARAZEN WALTER HAGEN
BILLY BURKE HARRY COOPER
AL WATROUS JIMMY HINES
ED OLIVER DICK METZ
CRAIG WOODS BYRON NELSON
BEN HOGAN VICTOR GHEZZI
JIMMY THOMPSON RAY GUIDOPE
LAWSON LITTLE CARLETON SMITH
TOMMY ARMOR ARNOLD SPADEN
HARRY GODFREY PAUL RUNYAN
JIMMY DEMARET SAM SNEAD

http://www.gmspreview.com

---------------------------------------------------ADV
THE MICHIGAN GOLFER INTERNET TELEVISION SHOW

NEW SHOWS FOR 2005

THE GOLF COURSE AND THE ARCHITECT SERIES
http://michigangolfer.tv

STARTING IN MARCH

Mike Husby
The Loon GC
Wild Bluff GC

Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest Series
The Rose GC-Oklahoma
Fieldstone GC-Michigan
Kinsale GC-Ohio

Jerry Matthews Series
The Natural GC
The Majestic at Lake Walden
Timberstone GC

ADV----------------------------------------------------

***
HITTING THE LINKS-AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTS-DICK NUGENT
This week we are taking a look at the American Association of Golf Course Architects site and in particular the section that features the Living History Series. The Living History Series is represented in a sublink of the site and contains a series of video interviews. The site of resides on Michigan State University's server and website. Video Interview http://golfarchitects.lib.msu.edu/nugentrp/video.html

Biographical Sketch
Dick Nugent is a nationally known golf course architect who was inducted into the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame in the fall of 1999. Mr. Nugent has over forty years experience in golf architecture and construction management.

Outstanding Nugent-designed courses include the Kemper Lakes Golf Course in Long Grove, Illinois. The course was the site of the 1989 PGA Championship, the 1992 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, and the 2001 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship and has hosted the annual American Senior Open, along with other tournament events.

More http://golfarchitects.lib.msu.edu/nugentrp/nugentrpbio.htm

Michigan Courses Designed by Dick Nugent
Dunes Club (New Buffalo, MI)
Fortress Golf Club (Frankenmuth, MI)
Michigan Courses Remodeled by Dick Nugent
Berrien Hills Country Club (Benton Harbor, MI)
Lost Lake Woods Club (Lincoln, MI)

***
GRAND HOTEL ANNOUNCES EARLY OPENING FOR ITS 119TH SEASON The world's largest summer hotel is going to try its hand at late winter hospitality.

Grand Hotel President R.D. "Dan" Musser III recently announced the hotel will open a portion of its rooms March 1, more than two months earlier than it has ever opened for business in its 119 years.

Musser said the early opening will give guests the opportunity to experience the solitude and quiet of Mackinac Island during the late winter and early spring, a time when the island experience historically has been reserved primarily for year-round residents.

The 42-room Millennium Wing was added to the hotel's east end prior to the 2001 season and the Masco Cottage was added prior to the 2003 season.

"Ever since we opened the Millennium Wing we have thought about trying an early opening," Musser said. "The fact that it was added on to the hotel and has separate utility connections means we can open it and the Masco Cottage independently of the rest of the hotel."

Musser said rooms will be available for $119 per room per night on the European Plan during the March 1 - May 5 early opening period, with food services separate from the room charge. He said The Jockey Club at the Grand Stand, the restaurant located on the first tee of the golf course across the street from the Millennium Wing, will provide food and beverage service for guests during the early opening period. Guests also will receive a complimentary continental breakfast basket in their rooms.

Guests may now book reservations for the March and April period by phoning 1-800-33-GRAND.
http://grandhotel.com

***
19TH HOLE-LET'S DO IT WHILE WE'RE YOUNG According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 40's, 50's 60's and 70's probably shouldn't have survived.

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paint. We had no child! roof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when ! we rode our bikes, we had no helmets.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seatbelts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water form the garden hose and not from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, bread and butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but We weren't overweight because we were always outside playing.

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. No cell phones-unthinkable.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo64, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, videotape movies, surround sound, cell phones, personal computers or Internet chat rooms.

We had friends! We went outside and found them.

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms, and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live in us forever.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.

Little league had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law. Imagine that!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

And you are one of them!

Congratulations!!!!

Thanks and a Tip of the Tam to sister-in-law Claire Waldron for making us feel good about ourselves and maybe a tad of lead based paint.

MICHIGAN GOLFER PRODUCT LINE FOR 2005
Looking for a spot to place some of those hard earned ad dollars this year? Our products work 24/7/365 and are designed to make our clients googleable. Interested? Stop by our booth at the West Michigan Golf Show. http://glsp.com

Michigan Golfer product circulation numbers for 2004**
Michigan Golf News
http://michigangolfer.com/news.html
5574 Weekly Subscribers and Online Readers
289,848 a year

Michigan Golfer Television
http://michigangolfer.tv
248,108 Page Views
53,906 Viewers

Michigan Golfer Magazine-Online Edition (pdf)
http://michigangolfer.com/archive.html
12,786 Readers -Five issues

Michigan Golfer Online
http://michigangolfer.com
709,249 Page Views
276,418 Readers

Michigan Golfer Radio Shows
Michigan Talk Radio Network
http://www.michigantalkradio.net/

Radio 1070 CHOK-Sarnia, Ontario
http://www.chok.com/

4700 listeners per week-March-October

GOLF CONNOISSEUR
Dick Barron, of Barron Media Sales is all-aglow with the new "Golf Connoisseur" magazine. It has a similar look as Hour Magazine, for those familiar with that book. It is for deep pocket men, with a taste for wine, women and thong.

http://golfconnoisseur.com

***
MICHIGAN GOLF CALENDAR 2005
http://michigangolfer.com/calendar.html

***

MICHIGAN GOLF NEWS ASSOCIATION SUBSCRIBERS

Golf Association of Michigan
http://www.gam.org
Michigan Golf Course Owners Association
http://mgcoa.org
Michigan PGA
http://michigan.pga.com
Michigan Women's Golf Association, MWGA
http://www.mwgolf.org
Michigan State Amateur Golf Association
Dick Loring-skillplay@aol.com
mailto:skillplay@aol.com
Upper Peninsula Golf Association
http://upga.org

***
TOURNAMENTS
http://michigangolfer.com/tournaments.html

***
ASSOCIATION LINKS

American Association of Golf Course Architects
http://asgca.org
Golf Association of Michigan
http://www.gam.org
Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
http://www.gcsaa.org
Michigan Section PGA
http://www.Michigan.PGA.com
Michigan Golf Course Owners Association
http://mgcoa.org
Michigan High School Athletic Association
http://www.mhsaa.com/
Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association
http://migca.com
National Golf Course Owners Association
http://ngcoa.org
National Golf Foundation
http://ngf.org

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