Sweetgrass, A Jewel of the U.P., Selected National Golf Course of the Year
By Tom Lang
First came Michigan.
Soon it will be national.
The Sweetgrass Golf Course located near Escanaba at the Island Resort and Casino will soon be awarded the National Golf Course of the Year, sources that could not say so publicly have indicated to me. Typically, the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) makes its announcement in late January at the annual Business Conference in Orlando.
The Michigan Golf Course Association named Sweetgrass the 2021 Michigan Golf Course of the Year in October; and as a regional winner it was then considered for the NGCOA honor known officially as the Jemsek National Golf Course of the Year. The award goes beyond playing a golf course to recognize a course that epitomizes exceptional course quality and management excellence, makes important contributions to its communities and the game and is a model of operations to its peers.
One source indicated that Sweetgrass beat out Streamsong Red in Florida, another regional candidate.
“When we received the Michigan Golf Course of the Year award back in October, we were very excited," said Tony Mancilla, general manager of Island Resort & Casino. "Michigan has a lot of great courses, so just winning our state was huge. You have to do more things for the game and help promote golf, and we’re doing that on a lot of different levels."
Island Resort & Casino, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula’ largest resort destination, sits 13 miles west of Escanaba in Harris, and is owned and operated by the Hannahville Indian Community, a federally recognized Potawatomi Indian Tribe. The casino first opened as a bingo hall in 1981, then in 1991 expanded with the Chip-In Casino on its present site. The late 1990's saw the expansion of the casino, a showroom and convention center. The next decade brought further major expansion, with the 11-story Palm Tower rooms, more restaurants, and more golf.
One of the resort's two courses, Sweetgrass, opened in 2008 to rave reviews. Designed by Paul Albanese, Sweetgrass features an open layout with some of golf’s most fun greens to putt (Redan, Biarritz, Island and Double-Green). Throughout the course, golfers will also come across a rich history of the Hannahville Indian Community, with holes named after traditional Potawatomi clans, villages, allies, medicines and symbols. The dedication to nature and the area’s heritage makes for a unique golf experience. The course also plays host to the Symetra Tour's Island Resort Championship.
The resort management takes pride in its contribution to the community through the Island Resort Championship, which debuted in 2011 and has become the premier community event in the region. The Strong Kids Campaign - YMCA is the event's official charity and guarantees that all kids, regardless of income, have an opportunity to receive free YMCA memberships. Other local charities and nonprofits have also received more than $250,000 raised from the tournament's ticket sales.
“The Symetra Tour event raises about $100,000 each year, and that’s about one-quarter of the entire YMCA annual funding in membership scholarships," explained Mancilla. "It gives underprivileged kids of economically struggling families a chance to rent time at the YMCA."
The YMCA golf program is also supported by this effort, providing clubs for kids to use and youth golf clinics for them to participate in during the tournament.
“I think the biggest thing is having the pros play and the kids watch them," Mancilla said. "It’s exciting when they're here playing. They are young golfers trying to make their way and find something, and trying to accomplish a huge goal. And we’re right in the middle of it, watching. Hopefully the little kids will think they can do it, too.”
Sweetgrass features masterfully crafted rockwork with a prairie links style. The course challenges with an island green on number 15 and a pair of spectacular waterfalls that greet golfers as they play up the twin par five 9th and 18th holes to an enormous, shared green. My one career hole-in-one is at Sweetgrass.
Green complexes like a Biarritz and a Redan, along with historic wood and iron bridges rescued from other areas in the state, are compelling design components and part of the story of the course – along with links to its Native American roots.
Sweetgrass has been ranked by Golfweek, GOLF Magazine and Golf Digest in various ‘best-courses’ lists.
“It’s my own philosophy and the Native American philosophy that we always try to make the design fit the land, and truly allowing it to reflect the principles of Native Americans’ respect for the land,” said course designer Paul Albanese, a Michigan transplant from east coast Harvard and now a Plymouth resident.
“This also worked as inspiration for stories to share throughout the course. We put some wooden posts in the side of a hill (along the fairway) that are representative of (the remains of) a fort, from the 1650’s,” Albanese said about one of the design elements at Sweetgrass. “And the green complex itself worked out very nicely to be a redan style green. And a redan is the French word for fortress.”
New, Bigger Accommodations Now Open
A brand-new development now weaved into the fabric of the property is a hotel expansion that opened on New Year’s Eve.
The hotel expansion, at an investment of $33 million, connects to the south end of the current 11-story Palm Tower. It has 138 new guest rooms and suites (bringing the property’s guest room total to 454), the Horizons Steakhouse located on the top floor featuring the best views in the region, and Splash Island, a new family waterpark.
Guest rooms also include specialized golf and spa suites featuring a luxury experience with hot tubs and a unique option of getting in-room massages. There will also be 34 rooms that can be converted into 17 family-style suites for people who want to bring children to the new waterpark and pool areas.
Mancilla said the new hotel was developed out of necessity.
“Our demand and backlog of guests who wanted to get in on the weekends had become overwhelming,” he said. “The waiting lists of 150 to 200 people every weekend made us realize how much we needed new rooms, another top dining option, and additional options for the family. On the golf side, this elevates our status as a premier golf destination.”
This expansion provides an added perk for golfers with the luxurious golf suites. The 675 sq ft suites are complete with a King, double queen, and a common area, all with breathtaking views of the Sweetgrass Golf Course – perfect for foursomes looking for added space and a fun environment.
“Over the past ten years and with the addition of Sage Run, we have become a very popular destination for golfers,” Mancilla said. “Adding the new rooms and golf suites will be an exciting lodging option and make their overall experience that much more enjoyable.”
Sweetgrass will be the third Michigan property in the last four years to become National Golf Course of the Year. Stoatin Brae, part of the Gull Lake View Resort family of courses, won the 2021 award, and The Heather at Boyne Highlands was the winner in early 2019.
“That doesn’t surprise me because we have a really strong golf state,” Mancilla added. “Golf is so important to Michigan, and our tourism economy. We have a lot of people who are enthusiasts and people who own these courses are doing what they can to grow the game. Whoever comes out of the state of Michigan is going to be a strong candidate for the National award.”
