Michigan Golf Journal October 2018

Retail News 'Z E s/>> ʹ ĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ƐƚĂŶĚĂƌĚƐ ŽŌĞŶ ŝŶĚŝĐĂƚĞ ƚŚĂƚ most small businesses fail in ƚŚĞŝƌ ĮƌƐƚ ĮǀĞ LJĞĂƌƐ͘ Not only has Maple Hill Golf in Grandville ŵŽƌĞͲƚŚĂŶ survived – but it has thrived ďĞLJŽŶĚ ŝŵĂŐŝŶĞ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ůĂƐƚ ϰϬ LJĞĂƌƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ŽǁŶĞƌƐŚŝƉ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ <ŝƚĐŚĞŶ ĨĂŵŝůLJ͘ ŶĂƟǀĞ ŽĨ ĂƐƚ ĞƚƌŽŝƚ͕ ZŝĐŚ <ŝƚĐŚĞŶ ǀĞŶƚƵƌĞĚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ 'ƌĂŶĚ ZĂƉŝĚƐ ĂƌĞĂ ƚŽ ƉůĂLJ ĐŽůůĞŐĞ ŐŽůĨ at Grand Valley State. He later ůĂŶĚĞĚ Ă ũŽď Ăƚ DĂƉůĞ ,ŝůů 'ŽůĨ Course and eventually, at age Ϯϳ͕ ǁĂƐ ĂƐŬĞĚ ďLJ ƚŚĞ ŽǁŶĞƌ ŝĨ ŚĞ ǁĂŶƚĞĚ ƚŽ ƉƵƌĐŚĂƐĞ ŝƚ͘ tŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬŝŶŐ ŽĨ ŚŝƐ ƐŝŶĐĞͲ deceased father, Ron, the deal ǁĞŶƚ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ŝŶ ϭϵϳϴ ĂŶĚ ZŝĐŚ has never looked back. Now Ăƚ ĂŐĞ ϲϳ ZŝĐŚ ƐƟůů ƌĞƉŽƌƚƐ ƚŽ work every single day during the golf season – the same way he raised his sons. Those two sons, Andy and Bob, handle the daily ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŵĂƐƐŝǀĞ merchandising arm they built ǁŚŝůĞ ZŝĐŚ ƐƟůů ĨŽĐƵƐĞƐ ŵĂŝŶůLJ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ϭϴͲŚŽůĞ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ ĨŽƌ LJŽƵƚŚ ĂŶĚ ĂĚƵůƚƐ͘ ͞/Ŷ ƚŚĞ ĞĂƌůLJ LJĞĂƌƐ / ĚŝĚŶ͛ƚ know if my sons would want to be involved in the golf business,” Rich said. “But MAPLE HILL GOLF AT 40 By Tom Lang