No Truer North: Grand Traverse Resort and Spa a Top Destination
Tens of thousands of golfers head to northern Michigan each summer and fall season to hit the golf links.
Yet before scrambling immediately to the first tee upon arrival, many guests at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa are first taking advantage of a lesson or two to sharpen up their game, thanks to the Resort’s year-round Golf Academy.
Mark Hill, Director of Golf Instruction, said they teach everyone from the beginner golfer to the more experienced – with programs to fit all. He said groups of four can come in, take a small group lesson, then go play for a few days and practice what they learned.
“We’ll make it fun; we’ll tailor it any way you like,” said Hill, who first interned decades ago under the famous Golf Hall of Famer Ken Venturi. “We can do it for families too. For first time golfers, we’ll go over some etiquette and go on the golf course to show them how to play a hole. It’s so great that we have all the room at the Golf Academy, and the three different golf courses that we can take our students out to.”
Private lessons are available as well, ranging from one-time only, to doing a series of lessons. Hill indicated that 10 years ago his lessons were 80 percent one timers. Now, that has completely flipped so 80 percent of his lessons are taken as a series. “It just shows you how much people are getting into the game.”
Especially youth and women.
According to the National Golf Foundation, from 2020 to 2022, more than 800,000 women in the U.S. took up the sport to bring the total to 6.4 million female golfers. While the number of women golfers rose about 15 percent, the male golf pool increased by just two percent in the same time frame.
“We have ladies only, three-day schools that’re a big hit,” Hill said. “We make it fun, and half the time with the ladies we’re out on the golf course. And they love that.
“We have a junior clinic that runs from mid-June all the way to the end of July. Any juniors from as young as 5 to 17 years old.”
The Resort’s support of junior golf also is huge. Not only do multiple area high school teams practice and play on The Bear, The Wolverine and Spruce Run, but the Resort has played regular host to high school and college invitationals and the 41-year-old Traverse City Junior Golf Association.
The Grand Experience:
If anyone can claim they’ve seen it all, Tom McGee can.
The Director of Golf Operations has worked at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa more than 35 years. He pointed out that nearly $11 million has recently been invested in updates for guests. The most noticeable are the 242 hotel rooms that were totally renovated in 2023 and a new restaurant off the main lobby, formerly Sweetwater American Bistro – now NIIJII Restaurant.
The new modern and fresh restaurant will serve guests breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The restaurant was designed with inspiration from northern Michigan’s colors, textures, and nature with cultural touches incorporated in the space celebrating the heritage of Resort ownership, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. This is also where the restaurant’s name comes from. Niijii is the Anishinaabe spelling for ‘friend.’
“Reinvestment by our ownership certainly makes this a great destination – and that’s what we’re very proud about,” McGee said.
“If a guest hasn’t been here in a while or they’re first-time visitors, they come to our property and they’re always surprised by the quality of the golf courses, the design of the golf courses, the great conditions. And there’s the great weather as well – and we really hear about the great service, especially larger groups like 12 or 20 golfers. They’ll show up and we have their name on a golf cart, we have their name personalized on a scorecard, we’ll have their contest holes. We do that for every group on property. Even if a foursome wants to do something like that, we are ready to go.
“It starts with the service, and we can back it up by the great courses’ layouts and conditions – and the variety – and having all three golf courses start out of our one clubhouse.”
The magnet to the location is Jack Nicklaus’ first northern Michigan creation – The Bear.
“The fairways are pretty wide so the key is the approach shot,” McGee said of The Bear. “Every hole is very different. The greens are tiered so if you’re good with your irons you can score pretty well with a flat putt. But if you’re on the wrong tier, good luck. The Bear is fun, it’s challenging and it’s very memorable.
“It’s got holes out in the open. You’ve got some hardwoods, some orchards, so the beauty of it is no two holes are identical. The variation in holes creates more memories for individual holes played. Every hole is an adventure.”
Gary Player’s The Wolverine was designed to be flexible and playable with four sets of tees to accommodate golfers of all abilities. The course is enjoyable for high-handicappers yet can be set up to be a true test for professional tournaments. The Wolverine has distinctive nines. The front nine is woven through water and wetlands. The back nine is constructed on rolling highland terrain with hardwoods and views of East Grand Traverse Bay.
The original golf course at the Resort was Spruce Run, which has gone through modifications over the years to accommodate the addition of The Wolverine.
“It’s well maintained; the difference that stands out is it’s tighter. When you stand on the tee box it just looks so narrow,” he said. “There’s a lot of undulating greens. It’s a course that’s not built for fast greens. You can see the entire green in front of you, slanted back to front, but my advice is always play it short; if you go beyond (above) the cup you can be looking at a double bogey.”
Off The Course:
Names are important, which is why the property is officially called Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. The on-site spa is world-class.
It’s a place and experience to elevate your senses, calm your mind and renew your inner soul – and who doesn’t need that, whether a golfer or not?
Guests utilize the spa for a midweek pick me up, or even full days or weekends of getaway ‘me time.’ Offerings include massage therapy, skin care, nail care and hair artistry all while featuring natural products.
Spa Grand Traverse has been honored with awards and recognition from American Spa and Spa Week and is listed in Spas of America’s Top 100.
Great dining options include the previously mentioned NIIJII Restaurant and the long-time favorite, Aerie Restaurant & Lounge, sitting majestically at the top of the 16-story Tower portion of the Resort. The views go on for miles, just like the wide variety of things to do in the Traverse City region.
There’s also the private Beach Club complete with an outdoor pool along East Grand Traverse Bay and the opportunity to utilize water rentals. Plus, the Resort’s Governors’ Pool, two indoor pools, and hot tubs. Landmarks like Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore make for a great half-day excursion along the magnificent shoreline of Lake Michigan. You can also hop on a private tour and enjoy the tastes of the Traverse Wine Coast. After enjoying 18 by day, play 21 by night at Turtle Creek Casino. The Resort will even bring you back and forth with their complimentary shuttle.
Experience No Truer North at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.
More info at: https://www.grandtraverseresort.com/
Special dates:
August 30 – September 2: Labor Day Weekend Golf Special
$89 for The Bear and the Wolverine; $59 Spruce Run
October 5: 13th Annual Big Hole Golf Tournament
$260 per foursome. Includes golf, cart and prizes – utilizing 10-inch cups on Spruce Run
October 20: 15th Annual Tuff Enuff Golf Tournament
$130 per twosome. Includes golf, cart and prizes. Play The Bear at its absolute toughest at more than 7,000 yards
