Treetops’ Investment Increases Golfing Fun
By Tom Lang
Lots of awards are handed out every year for golf course resorts voted best in class, best value for families, best design, best pace of play, best this best that.
If anyone created a category of ‘Easiest to Access’ I think it would be Treetops Resort in Gaylord, hands down.
Michigan is blessed beyond measure to have golf courses and resorts ranking right up there with the finest nationally – that includes Treetops in some voting. But if you stop and think about it, often the top resorts are in very rural areas that are pretty far away from those freeways that allow super easy access.
Treetops is a mere 4 miles off the main freeway artery of northern Michigan, I-75. Almost no two-lane road travel is needed to reach the front gate. In summary, close enough to be really easy to reach in a timely manner, but far enough away to feel the peaceful seclusion other remote properties offer as well.
And once you are there, you’ll see why Treetops has also earned its share of those ‘best of’ awards.
“We think the collection of golf course designers, the variety is great here,” said Treetops general manager Barry Owens. “Sometimes you go to a place with multiple golf courses (there’s 81 holes at Treetops), and you ask, ‘what did we play yesterday, did we play that one twice?’ You’re not going to do that here, because they’re all distinctly different. The collection of quality is fantastic. And we’ve had a par 3 course long before it was cool to do it.”
The year 2022 is a milestone anniversary year for four of the five distinct golf courses at Treetops.
The resort’s original golf course, the Jones Masterpiece, will celebrate its 35th full season anniversary. It’s downhill par 3 (No. 6) – looking out over the Sturgeon River Valley – was the impetuous for the name Treetops since the tops of trees is about all you see for miles from the tee box.
Threetops and the Tom Fazio Premier are both 30 years old this season.
The Tradition is 25 years old, and recently went through a tree-clearing program to open up the layout even more.
The Rick Smith Signature Course is the ‘odd-man out’ for milestones at age 29, but it’s one of my all-time favorites. It was also the setting for the Pure Michigan “14 Clubs” national TV campaign that won numerous travel awards.
“Many of our courses are very conducive to families playing, especially The Tradition,” said director of golf Kevin McKinley. “That course was designed to be walkable, and it was originally designed with a links style in mind. Rick Smith did a great job with it. But this year we leveled a ton of trees to make it really a links-style design. It’s an open atmosphere, kind of a shorter golf course and much more tame. I have several kids myself and we’ll go out on a Sunday afternoon, my entire family and have a little scramble event.”
The management and staff at Treetops doesn’t question what their motives are when travelers come to visit, as Owens explains:
“We’re not making widgets in manufacturing. We serve people. And we’re not going to get everything right all the time, but we’re going to do whatever we do with a smile, and if something’s not right we’ll fix it. There’s pride in the culture of our staff and their willingness to serve.”
Fixing It to the Tune of $5 million:
Treetops spent over $5 million in property and building upgrades the past two years, and $18 million since 2014. During the most recent time frame the money went into:
Turf equipment
Golf carts (brand new electric at the Jones in 2022)
Lodging room upgrades
Full renovation of Chalets (to be complete later this year)
Kitchen overhauls
New roads
HVAC upgrades in all lodging rooms
Winter Recreation upgrades
I recently spent a night in the main lodge and found excellent improvements. The look and colors of the outside of both lodges was a huge improvement over the past. The interior rooms have totally redone bathrooms with modern tile, glass and hardware upgrades. The kitchenette was updated, the HVAC system was perfect, and the beds were very nice. New modern wallpaper adorned the walls, and the new TV was perfect for watching the Super Bowl. Owens said that all the improvements are a natural part of doing business and making capital improvements. He is most excited about the major redesign in their 12 Chalets (two and three-bedroom units, 30 bedrooms total) that should be finished by end of summer.
Oh, the Golf:
Treetops puts great effort into making the golf experience great for men, women and kids.
“We don’t want to be just seen as just a place where all the buddies come, exclusive of ladies or families or anything like that,” McKinley said. “We’ve created events like the Couples Jamboree to get couples doing things together, and that’s very popular. They get to know each other and usually about half of the couples are from out of state. So, we have travelers and they come back most every year.”
Other events include the Tough-man/Princess tournament at season’s end. Golfers play one course under the toughest possible conditions, then the next day another course under the easiest.
The Pepsi Charity Challenge is a staple event in place since year one. It sells out at 456 golfers with a waiting list most years.
There are two Ryder Cup style events: USA vs. Canada, and the Border War Cup between Michigan and Ohio residents.
“We realized our facilities and our golf courses are very favorable to Ryder Cup golf,” McKinley said. “For one because you never have to repeat the same golf course. You can play your alternate shot matches on the Signature for example and play your four-ball matches on the Fazio and play your singles matches on the Masterpiece. It gives people a different look every day.”
McKinley has been honored for his great work supporting active-duty military and Veterans, for Michigan’s largest Patriot Days event each Labor Day weekend to support Folds of Honor Foundation. He doesn’t come from a military background, but a life-changing moment changed the way he uses golf to serve those who first served us.
“We raise all the money we can (on Labor Day weekend), but it’s become more about an event that gives these men and women solace for a weekend, and treats them like rock stars,” he said. “That’s more of my goal recently.”
He also created Military League Night for locals, every Wednesday all summer long. It’s nine holes of golf and/or a clinic. There’s a one-time low fee, and sponsors pick up other costs. There were 96 participants last year.
Play Where the Pros Play:
“Another sense of pride we have here is the great talent that played in our Par 3 Shootout (from 1999-2006), Owens said. “The number of majors won by those who have played here is 53 majors. Mickelson, Nicklaus, Palmer, Couples, Floyd, Stadler, Andy North, Lee Janzen. It’s easier to name the guys who haven’t won majors; just two of them.”
This proud moniker is something golfers might be hearing more of soon. Owens said it will become a new advertising tagline: “Everybody says they have world-class golf. Why don’t you just ask our 53 major winners?”
Good idea.
