Michigan Golf Journal July 2018

PGA Tour in Detroit dŚƌŽƵŐŚ ŶŽ ĨĂƵůƚ͕ ƚŚĞ ůĂŶĚ ĂůůŽǁĞĚ ĨŽƌ ƚǁŽ ϭϴͲ ŚŽůĞ ůĂLJŽƵƚƐ ǁŝƚŚ ǀŝƌƚƵĂůůLJ ŶŽ ƌŽŽŵ ůĞŌ ŽǀĞƌ ĨŽƌ Ă ƐƉĂĐŝŽƵƐ ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞ ĂƌĞĂ͘ dŚĂƚ͛Ɛ ŶŽ ƐƵƌƉƌŝƐĞ ƐŝŶĐĞ ƚŚĞ ƟŵĞ ƉĞƌŝŽĚ ǁŚĞŶ ŝƚ ǁĂƐ ĚĞƐŝŐŶĞĚ ĂŶĚ ďƵŝůƚ ǁĂƐ long before the PGA Tour existed and later bloomed ŝŶƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŝŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů ds ďĞŚĞŵŽƚŚ ŝƚ ŝƐ ƚŽĚĂLJ͘ ͞dŚĞ ĞƚƌŽŝƚ 'ŽůĨ ůƵď ŚĂƐ ŐƌĞĂƚ͕ ŐƌĞĂƚ ϯϲ holes, but their driving range is really limited in my opinion, so PGA Tour players really can’t ǁĂƌŵ ƵƉ ŽŶ ŝƚ͕͟ ,ĞĂƌŶ ƐĂŝĚ ĞĂƌůŝĞƌ ƚŚŝƐ ƐƉƌŝŶŐ͘ ͞dŚĞLJ͛Ě ůŝƚĞƌĂůůLJ ďĞ ŚŝƫŶŐ ĚƌŝǀĞƌƐ͕ ĞǀĞŶ ƚŚĞŝƌ long irons, into the net. You really need a large ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ ĂƌĞĂ͘͟ Enter the City of Detroit. ZŝŐŚƚ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ WŽŶƚĐŚĂƌƚƌĂŝŶ ůǀĚ͘ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ĨƌŽŶƚ entrance of the Detroit Golf Club sits Palmer WĂƌŬ͕ ǁŝƚŚ ĂŶ ϭϴͲŚŽůĞ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ĚĂƟŶŐ ďĂĐŬ ƚŽ 1927, currently buried under tall grass. The back ŶŝŶĞ ŚŽůĞƐ ŚĂĚ ĂŶ ŝƌƌŝŐĂƟŽŶ ďƌĞĂŬ ƐŽ ƚŚĂƚ ƐĞĐƟŽŶ ǁĂƐ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ϯͲƚŽͲϰ LJĞĂƌƐ ĂŐŽ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ŝƚLJ ƐŚƵƚ down the front nine in early 2017. There are no ƉƵďůŝĐůLJͲĂŶŶŽƵŶĐĞĚ ƉůĂŶƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ͘ ,ĞĂƌŶ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞĚ ƚǁŽ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ŽƉƟŽŶƐ ĨŽƌ ƌĞǀŝƚĂůŝnjĂƟŽŶ ǀŝĂ Ă ƐƚƵĚLJ ďLJ ƚŚĞ EĂƟŽŶĂů 'ŽůĨ &ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ ;E'&Ϳ ƚŚĂƚ ǁĂƐ ĐŽŵŵŝƐƐŝŽŶĞĚ ďLJ the City of Detroit late last year as part of its ĐŽŶƐŝĚĞƌĂƟŽŶ ĨŽƌ ǁŚĂƚ ƚŽ ĚŽ ǁŝƚŚ ŝƚƐ ĨŽƵƌ ƉƵďůŝĐ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶƐ͘ /Ŷ ƚŚĞ E'& ƐƚƵĚLJ͕ ,ĞĂƌŶ ƐŚŽǁĞĚ ƚǁŽ ŽƉƟŽŶƐ for revitalizing Palmer Park. One he said could ďĞ͗ ͞Ă ĚŽƵďůĞͲĞŶĚĞĚ ƌĂŶŐĞ ƚŚĂƚ W' dŽƵƌ ƉůĂLJĞƌƐ could use because it’s 370 yards from one end to the other with all these target greens, target ĨĂŝƌǁĂLJƐ͕ ƚĂƌŐĞƚ ďƵŶŬĞƌƐ͕ Ă ϯϬͲĂĐƌĞ ƐŚŽƌƚ ŐĂŵĞ ĂƌĞĂ ǁŝƚŚ ĐŚŝƉƉŝŶŐ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ͕ ƉƵƫŶŐ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ĂŶĚ ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞ ĂƌĞĂ͘ ͞dŚĞŶ ƚŽ ƚ͕ ƚŚƌĞĞ ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞ ŚŽůĞƐ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌŝŵĞƚĞƌ͖ Ă ƉĂƌ ϯ ĂŶĚ ƉĂƌ ϰ ĂŶĚ Ă ƉĂƌ ϱ͘ /ƚ ĐĂŶ͛ƚ WALNUT CREEK COUNTRY CLUB Minutes from Novi, Northville & Plymouth Walnut Creek Country Club is an oasis of world-class golf, award winning dining, premier facilities and family-friendly activities! Y 27 Holes of Golf Y Driving Range & Shortgame Faci lity Y Michigan’s Largest Junior Golf Program Y Swimming Pool Y Newly Renovated Tennis Courts Y Social Activities 25501 Johns Road South Lyon, MI 48178 248.437.7337 Ask for Kevin Frantz www.walnutcreekcc.net ŐĞƚ ĂŶLJ ďĞƩĞƌ ĨŽƌ ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞ ĨĂĐŝůŝƟĞƐ͘ ŶLJŽŶĞ ǁŚŽ ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞƐ ƚŚĞ ŐĂŵĞ͕ ŝƚ ;ǁŽƵůĚ ďĞͿ ƚŚĞ ƵůƟŵĂƚĞ training facility, and PGA Tour players would ĂďƐŽůƵƚĞůLJ ůŽǀĞ ŝƚ͘͟ tŚĂƚ ƌĞŵĂŝŶƐ ƵŶĐůĞĂƌ Ăƚ ƚŚŝƐ ƟŵĞ ŝƐ ǁŚŽ takes the lead, how and when would such improvements be paid for and developed – and, do residents in surrounding neighborhoods want ŝƚ͍ /ƚ͛Ɛ ĂůƐŽ ƵŶĐůĞĂƌ ŝĨ ƚŚĞ ĞƚƌŽŝƚ ŝƚLJ ŽƵŶĐŝů ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ĂŶ ŽĸĐŝĂů ƉƌŽƉŽƐĂů ƚŽ consider. The Detroit First Tee youth program has used Palmer Park in the past and its involvement would be an outstanding outdoor public use of a ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů ƐŚĂƌĞĚ ĨĂĐŝůŝƚLJ͘ /ƚ͛Ɛ Ă ƐŝƚƵĂƟŽŶ ĨŽƌŵĞƌ W' dŽƵƌ ƌĞŐƵůĂƌ Tom Gillis of Lake Orion likened to the redevelopment and new prosperity found today