LANSING, Mich.-- Michigan, home of the 2004 Ryder Cup matches, continues its status as one of the country's leading golf destinations as Golf Magazine recently included five Michigan courses to its list of "Top 100 You Can Play" courses in the September 2004 issue. Leading the way for Michigan were Bay Harbor Golf Club, Arcadia Bluffs, Tullymore Golf Club, Gailes at Lakewood Shores, and Forest Dunes Golf Club.
"Having five of Michigan's golf courses named among the 'Top 100 You Can
Play' by Golf Magazine reinforces the quality and diversity of golf Michigan
has to offer," said George Zimmermann, Senior Vice President of Travel
Michigan. "These rankings, along with the Ryder Cup coming in September,
further solidify the State of Michigan as one of the leading golf destinations
in the world."
A breathtaking site on the Lake Michigan shoreline is the Bay Harbor Golf
Club (#27) owned and operated by Boyne USA Resorts. Bay Harbor Golf Club
offers three distinct nine-hole combinations of which The Links/Quarry
combination was selected for the list. On The Links nine, six challenging
holes skirt a high bluff overlooking scenic Little Traverse Bay. The Quarry
nine presents a different golfing challenge as it climbs in and out of an old
rock quarry. The third nine -- Preserve -- features a classic Northern
Michigan design flowing through hardwoods and wetlands.
Arcadia Bluffs (#41), designed by Rick Smith is a stunning Northern
Michigan links course playing along a scenic bluff and towering sand dunes
160-feet above Lake Michigan. Breathtaking views of Lake Michigan can be seen
from each of its' 18 holes.
Tullymore Golf Club (#86), in Stanwood, was inspired by a village in
Ireland, and the course inspires great golf. It features generous movements
of the fairways with clearly visible approaches that wind through a vast area
of beautiful wetlands.
The Gailes (#92) is part of the Lakewood Shores resort near Oscoda.
Designed by Kevin Aldridge, The Gailes recreates the look and feel of the
famed seaside courses in Scotland. Golfers will experience large double
greens, meandering burns, sod-faced pot bunkers, and long fescue grasses.
Whether or not you have experienced Scotland, The Gailes will fulfill all of
your expectations.
Forest Dunes Golf Club (#94) is set in a tranquil setting surrounded by
eight-square miles of forested state land. Former British Open Champion, Tom
Weiskopf, designed this superb, traditional, modern classic for the ages.
Forest Dunes is reminiscent of Weiskopf's Arizona courses with natural sand
dunes highlighted by native grasses, flora, and century old red pines and jack
pines.
Forest Dunes features a number of fun strategic challenges including a
10,000 square foot crescent-shaped green, a dual fairway for risk/reward
adventure, a 605-yard par 5, and a signature Weiskopf short par 4 through
native sand dunes. The course meanders in and out of hardwood forests and
sand dunes finishing alongside the beautiful 38-acre Lake Au Sable.
The State of Michigan, with its continued recognition from the national
golf publications, continues to solidify itself as "America's Summer Golf
Capital." For more information on Michigan golf, visit
http://www.michigan.org .
Travel Michigan, a division of the Michigan Economic Development
Corporation, is the State of Michigan's official agency for the promotion of
tourism. Travel Michigan markets the state's tourism industry and provides
valuable visitor information services.
