Renovated and Ready: Plum Hollow Hosting 108th Michigan Women’s Amateur
By Greg Johnson
Plum Hollow Country Club member and Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) volunteer rules official Barry Babbitt has witnessed what he calls an already great course at his club being enhanced through renovations.
“It seemed to me that our wonderfully improved golf course and the incredible golf played by GAM members could be showcased together,” he said.
The membership at Plum Hollow recognized and shared his vision and the historic Southfield club will host many of the state’s top golfers in the 108th Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship in June.
The Plum Hollow course, founded in 1921, is an original C.H. Alison design of the legendary (H.S) Colt & Alison partnership, whose work includes several highly regarded courses around the world.
An added element to this year’s Michigan Women’s Amateur is the winner receiving an exemption into the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. Michigan is one of the states newly selected by the USGA for winners to be exempted into its national championships.
“It’s based on the quality of our fields over three years of the World Amateur Golf Rankings,” said Ken Hartmann, senior director of competitions and USGA services for the GAM. “Our Michigan state champions for women, men, junior girls and junior boys all are part of those exemptions for 2024.”
This is Plum Hollow’s sixth hosting of the Women’s Amateur. It hosted what was then known as the Women’s Michigan Golf Association Championship in 1937, 1942, 1948, 1958 and 1970 when Bonnie Lauer, a Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member who later was a standout LPGA player, was the champion. The championship has been under the direction of the GAM since 2005.
Plum Hollow hosted the top players in the world in the 1947 PGA Championship. Jim Ferrier of Australia beat Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Chick Harbert 2 and 1 in what was then a 36-hole match play final.
In 1957, the Western Open, once regarded as one of the PGA Tour’s major championships, was played at Plum Hollow. Doug Ford won and Sam Snead’s 10 that he carded on No. 4 is part of the club’s lore.
