Michigan Golf Journal October 2018

Fall Weddings fall,” said Carla Adams, Senior Banquet and Event Manager Ăƚ ĂŐůĞ LJĞ͘ ͞/ƚ͛Ɛ ŚĂƌĚ ƚŽ ŐĞƚ ǁĂƌŵĞĚ ƵƉ ĞĂƌůLJ ŝŶ LJĞĂƌ ďƵƚ Ăƚ the end of the summer it stays warmer longer into the fall.” Adams added that even while more weddings are taking ƉůĂĐĞ ŝŶ ƵŶŝƋƵĞ ƐĞƫŶŐƐ ǁŚĞƌĞ millennials don’t always wish to ĨŽůůŽǁ ƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶ ʹ ůŝŬĞ ŝŶ ďĂƌŶƐ Žƌ ŽŶ ďĞĂĐŚĞƐ ʹ Ăƚ ĂŐůĞ LJĞͬ Hawk Hollow they are holding ƐƚĞĂĚLJ Ăƚ ƌŽƵŐŚůLJ ϮϱϬ ǁĞĚĚŝŶŐ ƌĞĐĞƉƟŽŶƐ Ă LJĞĂƌ͘ Ƶƚ ĨŽƌ ƚŚŽƐĞ who do want a somewhat ƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů ĐĞƌĞŵŽŶLJ ƐĞƫŶŐ͕ Hawk Hollow built a wedding ĐŚĂƉĞů ŽŶ ƐŝƚĞ͕ ǁŚĞƌĞ ŝƚ ŚŽƐƚƐ an average of one ceremony ƉĞƌ ǁĞĞŬ ĂŶŶƵĂůůLJ͘ Holmes said that a lot of their inquiries are less and less for “the old brick and mortar wedding venue.” Holmes said that he came to the Golf Club at Harbor Shores from a large downtown venue where he ƚŚŝŶŬƐ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ĂƌĞ ƚƌĞŶĚŝŶŐ away from. “Although you have your ŽǁŶ ƉƌŝǀĂƚĞ ƐƉĂĐĞ͕ LJŽƵ͛ƌĞ ĂůƐŽ sharing it with thousands of ƉĞŽƉůĞ͕ ĚŝŶĞƌƐ ĂŶĚ ƐŚŽƉƉĞƌƐ ĂŶĚ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ŝŶ ƉĂƌŬŝŶŐ ƌĂŵƉƐ͕͟ he said about downtown weddings. ͞/ ƚŚŝŶŬ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞƐ ĂƌĞ ƉŽƉƵůĂƌ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ĂŵďŝĂŶĐĞ͕ the scenery – there’s a lot of ŐƌĞĞŶ ƐƉĂĐĞ͘ zŽƵ͛ƌĞ ŶŽƚ ƐƚƵĐŬ in a building with four walls. And there is the seclusion of it. A golf course feels more like it’s yours.” ,ŽůŵĞƐ ƐĂŝĚ ŵŽƐƚ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ƐƟůů ŐĞƚ ŵĂƌƌŝĞĚ Žī ƐŝƚĞ͕ ďƵƚ ƚŚĞLJ ĚŽ ŚŽƐƚ ĂďŽƵƚ Ϯϱ ƉĞƌĐĞŶƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ wedding services on site too. ͞dŚĞLJ Ăůů ǁĂŶƚ ƉŚŽƚŽƐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ͕͟ ŚĞ ƐĂŝĚ͘ ͞/ƚ͛Ɛ Ă ďŝŐ feature to be able to take them ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ϳ th hole overlooking Lake Michigan during a sunset. And ϭϰ ŽĨ ŽƵƌ ϭϴ ŚŽůĞƐ ŚĂǀĞ ǁĂƚĞƌ ƐŽ ƚŚĞƌĞ͛Ɛ Ă ůŽƚ ŽĨ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐ ĨŽƌ ƉŚŽƚŽƐ͘ /ƚ͛Ɛ Ă ďŝŐ ĨĞĂƚƵƌĞ ŽĨ ǁŚLJ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ǁĂŶƚ ƚŽ ďĞ ŵĂƌƌŝĞĚ here.” tŚĞŶ ŝƚ ĐŽŵĞƐ ƚŽ ƉůĂLJŝŶŐ ŐŽůĨ͕ ŝŶ ŵŝĚͲ^ĞƉƚĞŵďĞƌ ŽŶĞ ǁĞĚĚŝŶŐ ƉůĂŶŶĞƌ ŵĂĚĞ ϵ ƚĞĞ ƟŵĞƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƌŶŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ǁĞĚĚŝŶŐ ƉĂƌƚLJ͕ extended family and friends to get out on the links. ͞/ƚ͛Ɛ ǀĞƌLJ ƵŶůŝŬĞůLJ ƚŽ ŚĂǀĞ a wedding or a rehearsal ĚŝŶŶĞƌ ŚĞƌĞ ǁŝƚŚŽƵƚ ƉůĂLJŝŶŐ golf involved,” Holmes said. ͞dŚĞLJ ĂƌĞ ĂůŵŽƐƚ ĂůǁĂLJƐ ƟĞĚ together.”