Michigan Golf Journal February 2019

by both Golf Digest and Golf Magazine, The Loop is designed to be reversible – playable in either clockwise “Black” or counterclockwise ͞ZĞĚ͟ ĚŝƌĞĐƟŽŶƐ͘ /ƚ ŝƐ truly a throwback, with ƵŶĚĞĮŶĞĚ ƚĞĞŝŶŐ ĂƌĞĂƐ ĂŶĚ a robust caddie program to accompany its walking-only policy. D':͗ dŚĞ >ŽŽƉ ƐŚŽƵůĚ ďĞ ŚŝŐŚĞƌ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ůŝƐƚ͕ ƚŽƉͲ ϱ ŵŝŶŝŵƵŵ͕ ƐĂŶƐ ƚŚĞ ůŝŬĞƐ ŽĨ 'ƌĞLJǁĂůůƐ ŝŶ DĂƌƋƵĞƩĞ ŵŝƐƐŝŶŐ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚŝƐ ůŝƐƚ͘ dŚĂƚ ƐĂŝĚ͕ dŚĞ >ŽŽƉ ŝƐ ŶŽƚ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ĂĞƐƚŚĞƟĐĂůůLJͲƉůĞĂƐŝŶŐ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĞLJĞ͖ ƚŚĞ ĨƵŶ ŽĨ ƉůĂLJŝŶŐ ŝƚ ŝƐ ƚŚĞ ƐŚĞĞƌ ŐĞŶŝƵƐ ŽĨ ŚŽǁ ǁĞůů ƚŚĞ ƌĞǀĞƌƐŝďůĞ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ǁŽƌŬƐ͘ &ĂŶƚĂƐƟĐ͕ ŽŶĞͲŽĨͲĂͲŬŝŶĚ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ͙ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƚŚŝƐ LJĞĂƌ ĂĚĚƐ Ă ŶĞǁ ƚǁŝƐƚ͘ dŚĞ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ƐƚĂƌƚĞĚ ŽƵƚ ǁĂůŬŝŶŐ ŽŶůLJ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ĨĞǁ LJĞĂƌƐ ďƵƚ ǁŝůů ĂĚĚ ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐ ƉŽǁĞƌ ĐĂƌƚƐ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϵ ĂƐ ĂŶ ŽƉƟŽŶ͘ / ƉůĂLJĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ƌĞĂůůLJ ĐŽŽů ŐĞŶƚůĞŵĂŶ ĨƌŽŵ ůĞǀĞůĂŶĚ ůĂƐƚ ƐƵŵŵĞƌ ǁŚŽ ǁĂƐ ŽŶ ŚŝƐ ǁĂLJ ƚŽ dŚĞ >ŽŽƉ ǁŝƚŚ ŚŝƐ ďƵĚĚŝĞƐ ďƵƚ ŬŶĞǁ ŚŝƐ ŝŶũƵƌĞĚ ŬŶĞĞƐ ǁŽƵůĚŶ͛ƚ ŵĂŬĞ ŝƚ ǁĂůŬŝŶŐ ϭϴ͕ ƐŽ ŚĞ ƉůĂŶŶĞĚ ƚŽ ůĞƚ ŚŝƐ ĨƌŝĞŶĚƐ ŐŽ ǁŝƚŚŽƵƚ Śŝŵ͘ &Žƌ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ůŝŬĞ Śŝŵ͕ ƉŽǁĞƌ ĐĂƌƚƐ ŵĂŬĞ ƐĞŶƐĞ ʹ ďƵƚ ĨŽƌ ƚŚŽƐĞ ǁŚŽ ĐĂŶ ǁĂůŬ ŝƚ͕ ĚŽ ƐŽ͘ zŽƵ͛ůů ďĞ ƚŚƌŝůůĞĚ LJŽƵ ĚŝĚ͘ ϵͿ ĞůǀĞĚĞƌĞ 'ŽůĨ ůƵď͕ ŚĂƌůĞǀŽŝdž Michigan’s golf boom picked up in the 1990s, but by then, Belvedere Golf Club had already blown well past its 50th anniversary. Built in 1927 as a getaway for the Chicago and Detroit swells summering at the ƟƉ ŽĨ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ͛Ɛ >ŽǁĞƌ Peninsula, the William Watson design was ahead of ŝƚƐ ƟŵĞ ǁŝƚŚ ŝƚƐ ůĂƌŐĞ ƐĐĂůĞ and almost 7,000 yards of length. Even in the heart of peak season, you can ride 18 for less than $100 and play the same fairways as Walter Hagen, Sam Snead and Tom Watson – who considered Belvedere his summer home course during his family’s annual visits throughout his teenage years. D':͗ dŚŝƐ ƐĞŵŝͲƉƌŝǀĂƚĞ ƉƌŽƉĞƌƚLJ ŝƐ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ďĞƐƚ ƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů ŽůĚ ĐŽƵƌƐĞƐ ŝŶ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ͕ ƉƵďůŝĐ Žƌ ƉƌŝǀĂƚĞ͘ /ƚ͛Ɛ ŶŽƚ ŽǀĞƌƉŽǁĞƌŝŶŐ ďƵƚ ŚĂƐ ƉƌŽƵĚůLJ ŚŽƐƚĞĚ ŽƵƌ ƐƚĂƚĞ͛Ɛ ƚŽƉ ƉůĂLJĞƌƐ ŝŶ ĚŽnjĞŶƐ ŽĨ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ ŵĂƚĞƵƌ ŚĂŵƉŝŽŶƐŚŝƉƐ͘ ĞůǀĞĚĞƌĞ ŝƐ ŐŽƌŐĞŽƵƐ͕ ŝƐ ƌŽƵƚĞĚ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ǁŽŶĚĞƌĨƵů ƉĞĂŬƐ ĂŶĚ ǀĂůůĞLJƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ŝƐ ƐŝŵƉůLJ Ă ŐƌĞĂƚ ǁĂLJ ƚŽ ƐƉĞŶĚ Ă ŚĂůĨ ĚĂLJ ŝŶ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ďĞĂƵƟĨƵů ƌĞŐŝŽŶƐ ŽĨ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ͘ Belvedere ϯϯ February 2019 ǁǁǁ͘ŵŝĐŚŝŐĂŶŐŽůłŽƵƌŶĂů͘ĐŽŵ