(Traverse City, Mich.) -- The Kingsley Club in Northern Michigan will be home for three weeks this summer for one of golf’s leading teachers, Dr. Gary Wiren, and the club and the territory are familiar ground to the man who has traveled the world teaching the game.
“My wife, Tracy, is from Traverse City, I was an assistant professional at Meadowbrook Country Club outside Detroit and I have a master’s degree from the University of Michigan,” Wiren said, ticking off his Michigan connections. “And I was a grad assistant football coach at Michigan while I was working on my master’s.”
The Kingsley Club, located in a heavily wooded, rolling area just south of Traverse City, provided a strong draw for Wiren (www.garywiren.com) who lives in North Palm Beach, Fla., and teaches at Trump International Golf Club. Recently featured on The Golf Channel, Wiren has played and written about all of the world’s top courses. He has authored 11 books, more than 200 magazine articles, has four teaching videos on the market and is a selector for the World’s Top 100 courses. Wiren has conducted teaching summits in Japan, France, Italy, Switzerland, Canada and Australia. There is no more decorated teacher in golf. Wiren also is a devoted historian and The Kingsley Club’s Hickory Open drew him Up North two years ago. Possessing one of the world’s finest collections of golf artifacts and collectibles, he has been featured in film and admired by golf historians. Wiren also is a great fan of Walter Hagen who lived in Traverse City.
“I am excited with the opportunity to spend this time with Ed Walker [co-founder] and The Kingsley Club golfing community. I love The Kingsley Club. It’s semi-remote, you end up on a dirt road, see a little wooden sign at the top of the hill and there it is, like a Scottish course. It’s so natural and the greens are diabolically fun to putt,” Wiren said.
Golfweek recently ranked the club 22nd in the nation and Wiren said “that’s spectacular, especially when you consider all of the great courses it’s ahead of.
“I’m looking forward to spending three weeks there playing this wonderful traditional course and promoting golf. I like the spirit of the club and I’ll be there to talk history, give lessons, play with the members and their guests and play in the Hickory Open and the Father-Son tournament,” Wiren said.
The Kingsley Club was founded by Ed Walker of Traverse City and Art Preston of Houston, friends and business partners, and opened in 2000. Walker said “their aim was to attract people who love the game and the experience they get from playing it, the enjoyment of something special.
Walker and Preston, upon the advice of Fred Muller, project consultant, long time Crystal Downs PGA Head Professional and knowledgeable Alister MacKenzie authority, hired local designer Mike DeVries, who grew up playing nationally renowned Crystal Downs – designed by MacKenzie and Perry Maxwell – in nearby Frankfort. DeVries worked for Tom Doak, Tom Fazio and Bill Newcomb before striking out on his own in 1995.
DeVries produced a links-style course with fescue fairways, enormous bunkers and huge undulating greens. Great flashes of sand and humps and bumps typical of Scottish and Irish links mark the first nine and add towering pines on the second nine.
While only four years old, The Kingsley Club has drawn national acclaim. Golf World/Digest architecture editor Ron Whitten called it “a grand collection of holes that pose obvious risks and substantial rewards with gnarly bunkers that are both treats and treacheries.”
The Kingsley Club is purely a golf club – no tennis courts or swimming pool. It has an extensive practice area with driving range, short game area and putting green. The par 71 course plays to 6,723 yards and is walkable, in the tradition of old links. The two membership categories are Regular and National. For more information about The Kingsley Club, call 231-263-3000 or visit www.kingsleyclub.com.

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231-263-3000
Media contacts:
Bryant Ewing, Membership Director
The Kingsley Club
bryantewing@msn.com
248-645-5530
Jack Berry, Consultant
All About Golf
Jtb100731@aol.com
248-535-2660
Terry Moore, Consultant
All About Golf
tmoore@usxc.net
616-247-1931