Michigan Golf Journal April 2018

Country Club head pro ^ƚĞƉŚĂŶǇ WĂǁůŽǁƐŬŝ ;&ůĞĞƚͿ͕ Ă ĞtŝƩ ŶĂƟǀĞ ĂŶĚ ĨŽƌŵĞƌ player at Eastern Michigan University. “The golf course holds up well to scoring and is a really good test for the level of players hoping for a shot at making the U.S. Open.” According to MCC history, the course sits on the original site of virgin dune and was designed by Tom Bendelow in 1908 with a redesign by Donald Ross in 1920. It’s had the honor of ŚŽƐƟŶŐ ŶƵŵĞƌŽƵƐ ZĞŐŝŽŶĂů Qualifying Rounds for U.S. KƉĞŶ ʹ ƉůƵƐ ƚŚĞ ϮϬϬϱ ĂŶĚ 2013 Michigan Amateur Championships. Last year the classic club hosted a U.S. Open Local, a Women’s h͘^͘ KƉĞŶ ^ĞĐƟŽŶĂů ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ GAM Senior Championship. /Ŷ :ƵůǇ ϮϬϭϴ͕ ŝƚ͛Ɛ ŚŽƐƟŶŐ the Women’s GAM Championship. MCC archives have a 1920 ƋƵŽƚĞ ŝĚĞŶƟĮĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ŽŶĂůĚ Ross that says, in part: “The fact is, you have the most wonderful piece of property for a golf course I have ever seen.... the topography of your property is unexcelled anywhere. I would say you shouldn’t try to even hold a state championship or district tournament at your Michigan Golf News course. It would spoil its ƌĞƉƵƚĂƟŽŶ͙ ŝƚ ǁŽƵůĚ ďĞ ŽŶĞ of the very best courses in ƚŚĞ ĐŽƵŶƚƌǇ ĨŽƌ Ă ŶĂƟŽŶĂů championship meet.” Muskegon maxes out at ϲ͕ϳϱϬ ǇĂƌĚƐ ďƵƚ ǁŝƚŚ ƐĞǀĞƌĂů ZŽƐƐͲĚĞƐŝŐŶĞĚ ĞůĞǀĂƚĞĚ ŐƌĞĞŶƐ ŝƚ͛Ɛ ĚĞĮŶŝƚĞůǇ Ă challenge. Knollwood Country Club: Knollwood, like other DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ ƋƵĂůŝĨǇŝŶŐ ƐŝƚĞƐ͕ ŝƐ nearing 100 years old and measures 6,801 yards from DĂĚĚŝĞ ^ŚŝĞůƐ ǁŽŶ ƚŚĞ ϮϬϭϱ ^ǇŵĞƚƌĂ ƚŽƵƌŶĂŵĞŶƚ ŝŶ ĂƩůĞ ƌĞĞŬ͘ the championship tees with a slope of 139. It was inspired by Ross and designed in ϭϵϮϱ͘ dŚĞ tĞƐƚ ůŽŽŵĮĞůĚ ůŽĐĂƟŽŶ ŝƐ ǁŚĂƚ ƵƐĞĚ ƚŽ be rural farm land outside Detroit – now surrounded by commerce – but is blessed with topography like Muskegon’s. Many hills and valleys add to the experience ǁŚŝůĞ ĂĐĐƵŵƵůĂƟŶŐ ĚŝĸĐƵůƚǇ among the wide variety of trees and natural ponds. ĂƩůĞ ƌĞĞŬ ͗ According to the club, since its current site founding in 1919, some of the greatest golfers in the game have ƉůĂǇĞĚ ĐŽŵƉĞƟƟǀĞůǇ Ăƚ ĂƩůĞ ƌĞĞŬ ŽƵŶƚƌǇ ůƵď ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ĂƌǇ DŝĚĚůĞĐŽī͕ 'ĞŶĞ >ŝƩůĞƌ͕ ZŽďĞƌƚŽ DeVicenzo, Tommy Bolt, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Gary WůĂǇĞƌ͕ &ƵǌǌǇ ŽĞůůĞƌ͕ >ĂƌƌǇ EĞůƐŽŶ͕ ƵƐƟŶ :ŽŚŶƐŽŶ͕ ĂŶĚ Jhonathon Vegas. The future players of the game also take on the challenge at BCCC per Junior tournaments, and as host site of the annual LPGA ^ǇŵĞƚƌĂ dŽƵƌ &ŝƌĞ<ĞĞƉĞƌƐ Casino Hotel Championship, in August.