Grand Traverse Resort: A Golfers’ Up North Playground
By Tom Lang
It’s pretty common in golf circles to hear the name Grand Traverse Resort and Spa and automatically think ‘buddy’s trip.’
And while that is certainly true, when I think of the Resort my thoughts quickly range from family reunions to the Detroit Red Wings training camp; from the historic PGA Michigan Open and charity golf outings – to the nightlife of Traverse City or the Turtle Creek Casino – and from outdoor recreation to indoor pools, spa and tennis.
In other words, the Resort can offer all those things and more.
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is a large property that can handle weddings, large business conferences and over 400 golfers all at one time – but for me I never feel like the place is so big you lose the personal feeling of a home away from home.
It’s been two decades since my extended family celebrated my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary at the Resort. It worked out great for each family to have their own room but also come together in a large suite to hang out, play games and eat – and then go in different directions if some wanted to play golf, take the kids to the pool, or take a shuttle to the casino at night. It was a great weekend adventure that pretty much encapsulates what any Resort guest can experience.
Three Championship Golf Courses:
Of course, the main outdoor attraction is the golf – so much so that for nearly three decades the Detroit Red Wings have made Grand Traverse Resort and Spa its September hockey training camp to prepare for each new NHL season – and also hold a huge charity outing. The hotel accommodations and dining options easily handle the Wings’ week-long stay.
On the golf side, the Resort features a trio of championship courses, each unique to the other. There is Jack Nicklaus’ The Bear, Gary Player’s The Wolverine and William Newcomb’s Spruce Run, the original 9-hole-turned-18-hole layout on the property.
The Bear has been known from day one as one of the most difficult golf courses in Michigan. It was recently ranked as the 18th-toughest course in America, according to Golf Digest. Nicklaus designed the layout with Scottish terraced fairways, tiered greens, deep grassy roughs, moguls and mounds, and deep pot bunkers. The Resort crews have made the course a little more playable than the original for all skill levels over the years, but it remains a truly tough test from the tips or when set up for tournaments.
The Wolverine’s back nine is my favorite, especially starting at supposedly “unlucky” hole 13. From the tee box the hole looks fairly routine, but reach the corner of the hard dogleg right and the approach to the green is a beautiful, wide-open view of your downhill shot to a bunker-protected green against a backdrop of water and a massive cherry orchard. No. 14 is a medium par 3 that runs right alongside the same downhill approach shot you had at 13, making for back-to-back beauties.
Hole 16 is a hard dogleg right after you climb a hill off the tee. The fairway then trickles downhill to a green that looks just as nice, or better, when you look back up the fairway. Hole 18 is a great finishing par 5 that goes downhill off the tee with unique bunkering on that first shot to test all your decision-making skills.
As a solo I was paired up with three buddies from Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania who plan a northern Michigan retreat together each summer – Tom, Fisher and Art.
“It’s our first time at this resort,” Art said at the time. “I like it. The courses are very challenging. A lot of undulation. The Wolverine was pretty open if you get it to the right spots, but there were a lot of places for trouble. It’s a very fair test, and certainly beautiful.
“Spruce Run was awfully tight, so you’ve got to be pretty accurate off the tee,” Art added. “If you’re not, you’ve bought yourself some trouble. A good test and it’s fair. It’s all right in front of you. A good place for a buddy’s trip.”
And so much more.
