Travel Michigan Golf

Buck's Run - By Dean Holzwarth

In the heart of Michigan, falling coins and screaming winners can be heard daily inside the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant. While the casino brings people from across the country to the small college town in search of quick cash, Mount Pleasant has also developed a reputation for its numerous, superior golf courses.

PohlCat and St. Ives are two of the most notable golf destinations, but a fresh face is looking to make its mark this summer. Buck's Run, an 18-hole, par-72, public course, is scheduled to open in July. Head golf professional Jim Zeh is betting on the new course to hit the jackpot as the one of the newest arrivals to hit the area.

"It's going to be the best golf course in the area," said Zeh, who is also the general manager. The course promises to give both the average and skilled golfer an enjoyable round of golf. "It will be challenging, but it will work with everyone's abilities," Zeh said. "The average golfer will love to play it."

Four sets of tees allow golfers to choose their own test. The black tees measure 6,756 yards and the red tees 5,090, but most golfers will play from the gold or white tees at 5,920 yards and 6,291, respectively.

The Chippewa River runs through this Jerry Matthews-designed course which possesses a variety of scenic pleasures. There are no side-hill fairways as players meander over gravel and sand quarries while wetlands and hardwood forests present numerous obstacles to overcome. Three separate lakes also are utilized throughout the course. The largest lake was once a rock quarry, and is now surrounded by two holes of the front nine and three holes of the back nine.

"It's a beautiful place and the condition of the course will be excellent by the time we open," Zeh said. Zeh also said there are no signature holes to date, but each will offer its own stunning personality.

Additional features will include a spectacular 18,000 square-foot clubhouse on a hill which overlooks the course. The clubhouse will offer a bar and grill as well as a fully-stocked pro shop and banquet facility that seats 250.

A wide range of practice facilities include two large putting greens, a driving range on five acres, with a target green, sand and an 18-hole, par-54 putting course that is connected by a unique bridge.

Prices are yet to be determined, but for more information call (517) 773-6830. Buck's Run is located on the east side of Mt. Pleasant about five miles east of Route 27, off M-20. Take Chippewa Road north and the course is located at 1559 South Chippewa. It's two miles east of the Soaring Eagle Casino, seconds north of Highway 10.

The website is www.bucksrun.com.