Treetops’ Continuous Improvements Keep the Golfer In Mind
By Tom Lang
Treetops Resort was one of the earliest and well known golf resorts to draw national attention to northern Michigan and helped grow the region as a premier golf destination.
It’s a trend that hasn’t slowed down.
And Tom Fazio’s Premier course at the Treetops North location is one of the core staples.
“The reasons people give for loving the Premier are all over the board,” Treetops General Manager Barry Owens said after we played a fall round of golf on Threetops. “And then there are some people who I call ‘big game hunters for architects,’ and this is the only Fazio course in the state of Michigan. So, for the people who want to check that off their list, they come here.”
Golfers also come for the Smith Signature course, which is celebrating 30 years this summer. Then you’ve got Threetops – one of the nation’s first ever par 3 courses built – and is arguably still one of the best in the country. There is also the drastically changed Tradition course, which golfers won’t recognize unless they played it last year; but we’ll discuss why a little later.
Owens said there is always a debate about which is the best course of their three 18-hole designs at Treetops North. And while that is a tough call, golfers answer that question every year – the Fazio Premier gets the most play.
The 18-hole layout traversing up and down the region’s sloping land is scheduled for some updates and improvements from a master plan developed by course designer Paul Albanese, a Michigan transplant from Harvard.
“We want to maintain the integrity of the Fazio design, because it’s so special and means so much to us,” Owens said. “But as it’s aged, there are things like drainage that has the biggest issues that impacts bunkers, it impacts low areas.”
Tom Fazio designed the course on the directive of former owner Harry Melling requesting a more playable course for the average golfer – to balance out the original Jones Masterpiece course that Melling instructed Robert Trent Jones, Sr. to make the toughest in Michigan in the late 1980s.
Thus, about 25 percent of the 18 holes of the Fazio Premier have higher ground on the outer edges of their fairways, convex if you will, to help feed somewhat wayward balls back onto the short grass. However, this same theory of moving balls also funnels water, so in the near future low-lying areas will get some improved drainage attention, as well as many bunkers.
“Then there’s the green complexes themselves, we want to do some creative stuff, like perhaps some intermediate cuts around some of the greens that will provide for some unique chipping and putting areas, if you just miss a green,” Owens added. “Or, if you hit one a little long that would normally roll out and get stuck in the rough, perhaps you’ll get a roll back if you don’t go too far.”
The Smith Tradition, which turned 25 years old last year, was the focus of massive tree removal for its Silver anniversary. Smith designed it as a links course in part being the most level land in an otherwise region of drastic elevation changes. The Tradition always had wider fairways than most tree-lined courses, but now the entire view is opened up all across the property with most of the trees now removed.
“We’re planting the wispy fescue that will grow to about knee height but will be very thin so you can hit a shot out of it if you needed to,” Owens said. “The goal is that beautiful look across the course with the green grass fairways and greens and the light gold of the fescue wisping in the wind. Wind will always come into play on the Tradition – and it did before but now with all the trees removed it will really come into play.”
The visual changes provide something unique at Treetops that counteracts the resort’s other courses – which total 81 holes in all.
“It’s funny because even those of us who have been here for years, we didn’t’ really appreciate all the roll of the land until the trees were gone,” Owens said about the Tradition. “It’s so much more visible now.”
Speaking of tree removal, a less drastic version took place recently on the Threetops 9-hole course, and playing it in the fall of 2022 was the most fun I every had on that layout. Like with most golf courses, tree encroachment is a normal thing over the decades. So, when the staff saw the same thing happening on Threetops, cutting back and trimming trees made play more enjoyable, but opened up the natural views a little more as well. Gorgeous scenes of the Sturgeon River Valley, and seeing a few more parts of the Smith Signature Course from Threetops, was a big gain. The most noticeable changes for my eye were the 3rd and 4th holes.
Most holes play downhill or level on Threetops. The No. 9 tee is lower than the green with a large sweeping valley in between the two, forcing golfers to make the only uphill strike.
Just No. 6 has water, called Harry’s Way, because when Smith designed it, Harry Melling insisted on at least one hole with water. It was pretty cool playing the par 3 holes that hosted the nationally-televised ‘Par 3 Shoot Out’ eight times, in 1999 and the early 2000s. Legends like Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino (the only hole-in-one), Arnold Palmer, Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples, Fuzzy Zoeller and Raymond Floyd participated in at various times. Collectively this group won more than 50 majors.
Keeping our focus on the Treetops North location – which is about six miles north of the main campus where the hotel, convention center, the completely renovated Chalets, the new Jones Cottages, the wintertime ski runs and the original Jones Masterpiece are located – the North clubhouse area has very little open land around it, but a plan is underway to improve that area for 2023.
Such ideas include:
Expanded retail area; over 2,000 sq ft of renovated retail space
Indoor putting green
Lounge area with big screen TV
Scenic decks to enjoy food and beverages overlooking the spectacular views (the driving range has one of the nicest vistas of any in the state)
280 state of the art EZ-Go electric carts for guests to enjoy in quiet comfort
Enhanced central starter system
New range ball distribution location for improved convenience
Expanded food and beverage area in the lower level
When it comes to the Smith Signature course, his first of three at Treetops North, GolfWeek’s Best edition ‘Ultimate Guide’ has recently recognized it as one of the United States Top 200 Resort courses (placing it inside the top 150). It has always been one of my favorites and was the site for filming the extremely popular ’14 Clubs’ television advertising campaign of Pure Michigan, which every year wins numerous travel campaign awards. (Editor’s note: new this year, Pure Michigan has also begun utilizing the MI Golf Journal for its golf website content.)
NBC’s Golf Pass’s annual Golfers’ Choice Awards listed the Smith Signature course No. 19 in Michigan, and the Fazio Premier No. 22.
When not golfing, the Treetops Spa is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, providing guests that special treat to sooth body and soul. Treetops also has a large selection of daily eating locations on site, and offers special dinners with wine tasting tours across various dates and times all summer long.
All information can be found at: www.treetops.com
