Belvedere Reclaimed

Now at 100 years old, Belvedere ready to host yet another Mich Am

By Tom Lang

When golf lovers want to take a step back in time – to an era where courses that follow the natural contours of the land were played by legends like Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen and the other who’s-who brigade of golf history displayed on the walls inside the 1920’s golf shop – the famed Belvedere Golf Club in Charlevoix often comes to mind.

The history is just as rich at Belvedere as some of the most famed courses in the country. Its resume includes hosting 40 Michigan Amateur Championships over the decades – plus yet another coming this summer in June – and the course is a staple for players who like to use hickory clubs. 

By fluke, the original hand-drawn architectural plans by William Watson (an apprentice of Old Tom Morris) were uncovered in 2016 in Charlevoix during a building demolition. While Belvedere Golf Club remained one of the best designs in Michigan, and minimal evolution of the grounds took place since the club’s opening in 1925, the unearthing of the original drawings caused a desire from members to approve a two-year restoration plan returning the golf course greens, fairways and many of its tees to the hand-drawn design. The changes were completed with architect Bruce Hepner’s help.

Most changes consisted of enlarging the putting surfaces on greens, which in many cases now causes a drop off on the edges. A bunker was added on the right side of the fairway on No. 7 as a key strategy choice off the tee. The greens have delicate undulations that are manageable, but also at times maddening if you don’t pay attention.

Whenever I write about a golf course I tend to pick a favorite stretch of three holes to highlight. At Belvedere, that is a tall order to fill as each hole is wonderful in its own right. Yet if forced to choose, unsuspicious Holes 12-14 could very well be it (or equally 7-9), while tagging 15 and 16 on for sure. Hole 12 is a par four with a blind tee shot to a peak in the fairway that needs to be cleared to unblock the view of the challenging green down below, which is protected with bunkers plus water off to the right. 

Then 13 has a slight right-to-left draw to a green approach shot beautifully framed by a stand of trees on the left and side hill off No. 12 on the right. It’s not a difficult hole but is simply elegant to view. The 14th is a wonderful par 3 to an elevated green also framed by trees.

The next two holes, however, really stand out as unique to the course layout and are defining of the natural severe contours Watson had to work with. Hole 15 is a par 5 hard dogleg right. The tee shot needs to stay on the upper tier before the second shot turns hard right and down to a lower plateau. No. 16 is a shorter par four in distance but with a second shot into the green that will make the best player’s knees shake. The green is so highly elevated as the routing goes back uphill, that any shot to the right side of the green will roll off and slip off the green complex that’s about three (building) stories tall on that side. Hole 16 is often revered by many as the best hole on the course.

Walter Hagen won the 1929 Great Lakes Open at Belvedere and said No. 16 was the best par 4 in America. Hall of Fame golfer and broadcaster Ken Venturi made his way to Belvedere on the recommendation of his close friend, Gene Sarazan, who told him he had to see and play 16. Other champions to play Belvedere included Bobby Jones, Tommy Armour, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson, who grew up as a child and teen vacationing with his family at nearby Walloon Lake. 

“I love that country up there,” said the five-time British Open champion. “We’d go for two weeks, then three, and then a month. I went up every summer through college.” An honorary member, Watson still shows up nearly every summer.

Right in line with its tremendously-rich history is the fact that nearly 50 members who play golf at Belvedere with old hickory clubs, and often dress in a way reflecting that era in golf. In 2019 the club hosted the U.S. Hickory Open that attracted an international field.

For modern-day 2025 ‘tradition’, Belvedere is returning to its roots of hosting the most Michigan Amateur championships of any club in the state of Michigan. The premier tournament was first held at Belvedere in 1930, where legendary Michigan golfer Chuck Kocsis captured the inaugural event and won the championship two more times. Belvedere became the permanent host for the tournament from 1963 to 1988, where some of the top names in Michigan golf were crowned, including legendary Michigan player Dan Pohl (PGA Tour and Ryder Cup Member), who won the event twice.

“This is a very exciting time for the Belvedere Golf Club, turning 100 and hosting the most prestigious and historic amateur championship in Michigan this year,” said Tom Folliard, Belvedere Club President. “We are very proud of the history at Belvedere and how this William Watson classic has stood the test of time hosting some of the greatest players in the game. From Hagen, Sarazen, and Jones to Hogan, Snead, Watson, and Nicklaus, to everyday golfers, Belvedere has always been a course attracting golf aficionados from all over the country.”

Belvedere is ranked among Golf Digest’s America's 100 Greatest Public Courses, GOLF Magazine’s Top 100 Courses You Can Play in the U.S., and Golfweek’s Top 200 Classic Courses. While technically a private club, Belvedere does make some public tee times available.

For more information, visit www.belvederegolfclub.com.