Michigan Golf Journal July 2018

Women’s Pro Golf dŚĂƚ͛Ɛ Ă ƚŽƚĂů ŽĨ ĮǀĞ ĞǀĞŶƚƐ ŝŶ ĂůŝĨŽƌŶŝĂ͕ ĮǀĞ ĞǀĞŶƚƐ ŝŶ Michigan beginning next year and four in Florida. LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan said Michigan’s ŝŶǀŽůǀĞŵĞŶƚ ŝƐ Ă ͞ƉƌĞƩLJ ǁĞůůͲ ŬĞƉƚ ƐĞĐƌĞƚ͘͟ But the why of it is no secret at all. “Great golf courses, great fans and companies that respect the value of what golf means to their business and ƚŽ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƟĞƐ͕͟ tŚĂŶ said. “We don’t circle a state or a city and say, ‘That’s the one, ůĞƚ͛Ɛ ŐŽ ĂŌĞƌ ƚŚĂƚ͛͘ tĞ ƚĂůŬ to check writers. We’ve been ƚĂůŬŝŶŐ ƚŽ Žǁ ŽŶ ĂŶĚ Žī ĨŽƌ ĨŽƵƌ Žƌ ĮǀĞ LJĞĂƌƐ͘ ŝĚŶ͛ƚ know it meant Midland or ƐŽŵĞǁŚĞƌĞ ĞůƐĞ͘ ^ŽŵĞƟŵĞƐ you don’t know where you’re ŐŽŝŶŐ ƚŽ ĞŶĚ ƵƉ͘͟ Ƶƚ ĂŶLJƟŵĞ ŝƚ ŚĂƉƉĞŶƐ ƚŽ ďĞ Michigan, that’s quite OK with the LPGA. “The good news for us is Michigan golf courses are unbelievable and these are golf people with pride in ƚŚĞŝƌ ŚŽŵĞƚŽǁŶ͕͟ tŚĂŶ ƐĂŝĚ͘ ͞/Ŷ ŵLJ ĚĂLJƐ Ăƚ dĂLJůŽƌDĂĚĞ͕ Michigan and Minnesota ĂůǁĂLJƐ ĐĂƵŐŚƚ ŵĞ ŽīͲŐƵĂƌĚ͘ Those two markets were always overwhelmingly high in anything we did. Anybody who has ever taken a golf trip to Michigan understands how ŐŽŽĚ ƚŚĞ ĐŽƵƌƐĞƐ ĂƌĞ͘͟ Besides, golf is an outdoor sport and Whan knows only too well that Michiganders have an outdoors mentality ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĂĸŶŝƚLJ ĨŽƌ ŚƵŶƟŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĮƐŚŝŶŐ͘ tŚĂŶ ŶŽƚĞĚ ĂŶ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƟŶŐ ƟĚďŝƚ͘ “We don’t do as many bleachers in Michigan because ƐŽ ŵĂŶLJ ǁĂůŬ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ŐƌŽƵƉƐ͕͟ he said. “And the fans know our players are from all ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚ ƉĂƌƚƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚ ĂŶĚ ǁĂŶƚ ƚŽ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ Ăůů ŽĨ ŝƚ͘͟ The hospitality factor also is huge in Michigan and duly noted by the players and ƚŽƵƌŶĂŵĞŶƚ ƐƚĂī͘ “An overwhelming majority ĂƌĞ ƐƚĂLJŝŶŐ ŝŶ ŚŽŵĞ ŚŽƵƐŝŶŐ͕͟ Whan said. “(Michigan) opens up not only its course but its home. As a commissioner, that ǁĂƌŵƐ LJŽƵƌ ŚĞĂƌƚ͘͟ The Michigan formula is working for the LPGA and there is no reason for Whan to think that might change ĂŶLJƟŵĞ ƐŽŽŶ͘ ͞/ ǁŽƵůĚ ũƵƐƚ ƚĞůů LJŽƵ͕ ǁŚĞŶ we talk about the LPGA fan ďĂƐĞ͕ ƚŚĞƌĞ͛Ɛ ŶŽǁŚĞƌĞ ďĞƩĞƌ than the Midwest and there’s ŶŽǁŚĞƌĞ ďĞƩĞƌ ƚŚĂŶ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĂŶ ŝŶ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ͕͟ ŚĞ ƐĂŝĚ͘ Given all we know about ladies professional golf in Michigan, what’s next? How about the Solheim Cup? The U.S. Women’s Open ǁĂƐ ŚĞůĚ Ăƚ /ŶĚŝĂŶǁŽŽĚ 'ŽůĨ & Country Club in 1989 and 1994. Both prospered and produced great champions – ĞƚƐLJ <ŝŶŐ ŝŶ ϭϵϴϵ ĂŶĚ WĂƩLJ ^ŚĞĞŚĂŶ ŝŶ ϭϵϵϰ͘ /Ŷ ϭϵϮϵ͕ ƚŚĞ ůĞŐĞŶĚĂƌLJ 'ůĞŶŶĂ ŽůůĞƩ Vare won the U.S. Women’s Amateur championship at Oakland Hills Country Club. /ƚ͛Ɛ ƟŵĞ ƚŽ ƐƚĂƌƚ ƚŚŝŶŬŝŶŐ about another signature event in women’s golf coming to Michigan, the sooner the ďĞƩĞƌ͘