Michigan Golf Journal March 2018

Feature: Designer Mike DeVries MICHIGAN COURSE DESIGNER MIKE DEVRIES By Tom Lang Like many golfers, course ĚĞƐŝŐŶĞƌ DŝŬĞ ĞsƌŝĞƐ ŽĨ dƌĂǀĞƌƐĞ ŝƚLJ ŝƐ Ă ŚƵŐĞ ĨĂŶ ŽĨ ůĞŐĞŶĚĂƌLJ ĚĞƐŝŐŶĞƌ ƌ͘ ůŝƐƚĞƌ DĂĐ<ĞŶnjŝĞ ʹ ŬŶŽǁŶ ǁŽƌůĚǁŝĚĞ ĨŽƌ ŚŝƐ ŚŝƐƚŽƌŝĐ designs in England, Scotland and Ireland before coming to ŵĞƌŝĐĂ ĂŶĚ ĐƌĞĂƟŶŐ ƵŐƵƐƚĂ EĂƟŽŶĂů͕ WĂůŵĞƩŽ 'ŽůĨ ůƵď ;^ Ϳ ĂŶĚ LJƉƌĞƐƐ WŽŝŶƚ ; Ϳ ĂŵŽŶŐ Ă ĐŽƵƉůĞ ĚŽnjĞŶ ůĂLJŽƵƚƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ hŶŝƚĞĚ ^ƚĂƚĞƐ͘ ĞsƌŝĞƐ ŐƌĞǁ ƵƉ ŝŶ ŶŽƌƚŚĞƌŶ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ͛Ɛ &ƌĂŶŬĨŽƌƚ ĂƌĞĂ͕ ŚŽŵĞ ŽĨ DĂĐ<ĞŶnjŝĞ͛Ɛ ŵĂƐƚĞƌƉŝĞĐĞ Ăƚ ƌLJƐƚĂů ŽǁŶƐ͘ dŚĞ ŽŶůLJ ŽƚŚĞƌ in-state course devised by the ŐŝŌĞĚ ĚŽĐƚŽƌ ŝƐ ƚŚĞ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ ŽĨ Michigan. ĞsƌŝĞƐ͛ ŐƌĂŶĚĨĂƚŚĞƌ ǁĂƐ Ă ŵĞŵďĞƌ Ăƚ ƌLJƐƚĂů ŽǁŶƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ LJŽƵŶŐ ĞsƌŝĞƐ ǁŽƵůĚ ũŽŝŶ him and other family members there, before eventually joining ŝƚƐ ƐƚĂī͘ ͞dŚĂƚ͛Ɛ ƌĞĂůůLJ ǁŚLJ / ĞŶĚĞĚ ƵƉ ĚŽŝŶŐ ǁŚĂƚ / ĚŽ͕͟ ŚĞ ƐĂŝĚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŝǀĂƚĞ ĐůƵď͘ ͞/ƚ͛Ɛ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĂƚ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚ͘ /ƚ͛Ɛ ƵŶďĞůŝĞǀĂďůĞ͘ /ƚ ŝŶŇƵĞŶĐĞĚ ŵLJ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ĐĂƌĞĞƌ ϭϰϬ ƉĞƌĐĞŶƚ͕͟ ŚĞ ĂĚĚĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ĐŚƵĐŬůĞ͘ ͞/ƚ͛Ɛ had a huge impact because I ǁĂƐ ϭϳ ĂŶĚ ƌĂŬŝŶŐ ďƵŶŬĞƌƐ ĂŶĚ ŵŽǁŝŶŐ ŐƌĞĞŶƐ ĂŶĚ ĐƵƫŶŐ ĐƵƉƐ͘ /ƚ͛Ɛ ƚŚĂƚ ƐƉĞĐŝĂů ŽĨ Ă ƉůĂĐĞ͘͟ ĞsƌŝĞƐ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ĐĂůůĞĚ Ă master in trending minimalist ĚĞƐŝŐŶƐ͘ ,Ğ ŐŽƚ ŚŝƐ ŝŶƚƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ǁŽƌůĚͲƌĞŶŽǁŶĞĚ ĚĞƐŝŐŶĞƌ ĂŶĚ dƌĂǀĞƌƐĞ ŝƚLJ ŶĞŝŐŚďŽƌ dŽŵ ŽĂŬ͕ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ƚŽ ƐŚŽǁ ĞsƌŝĞƐ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ design could be a career. He ƚŚĞŶ ĚŝĚ Ă ĨĞǁ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ ǁŝƚŚ dŽŵ &ĂnjŝŽ ďĞĨŽƌĞ ďƌĂŶĐŚŝŶŐ ŽƵƚ ƐŽůŽ͘ <ŝŶŐƐůĞLJ ůƵď͕ ϭϱƚŚ ŐƌĞĞŶ ĂŶĚ ϭϲƚŚ ,ŽůĞ