Michigan Golf Journal March 2020

15 March 2020 www.michigangolfjournal.com Michigan Golf Journal Cover Story: UP Golf 1 college tournament that featured MSU (with medalist James Piot), Purdue, Kentucky, Central Florida and team winner Liberty University, among six other collegiate teams. Sage Run was built as part of an $8 million renovation including the addition of a full-service spa, renovation of the bingo hall and a new sports bar that would rival the nearest Buffalo Wild Wings with massive TVs and a thrilling sports-centric atmosphere – something golf groups cherish on most evenings. The truth was, after the great golf combination of Sweetgrass and Sage Run, they had me at “sports bar.” We utilized the new website (www.islandresortandcasino. com) and package offerings and made the call to book our group on a three-night, four-round golf package. On this trip we decided to stay on property, but golfers could also choose the “Perfect Foursome” package to include Greywalls in nearby Marquette, and Timberstone in Iron Mountain – both exceptional courses produced by award- winning Michiganders Mike DeVries and Jerry Matthews, respectively. Tony Mancilla, the IRC general manager, was willing to take a little risk with developing Sage Run. He re- hired Albanese to dream up a rough and rugged concept located on a totally different type of landscape. “If you were to take away all the golf course furniture out there – the flagsticks and tee markers – I don’t think you’d realize it’s a golf course,” Albanese told me. “It looks like a landscape. Yet you throw a flag and a few tee markers in and now it becomes a golf course. The way it is integrated into the updated its food options and Spa amenities in recent years to attract new guests. The resort built its first go lf course, Sweetgrass, in 20 09, designed by Michigan-ba sed architect Paul Albanese. Sweetgrass ranks among Golfweek’s Best Courses and has earned recognitio n by GOLF Magazine and G olf Digest as a Best in State. Sweetgrass features an open layout with some of the game’s most exciting greens to putt. In addition, the course showcases some wonderful strategic holes including the famous island green No. 15, and its spectacular duo par 5 holes running parallel and finishing the front and back nines – sharing the same, expansive green complex. In a review for the Detroit Free Press many years ago, I wrote this: ‘The only hole on the course completely framed by trees from tee to green, No. 17, has many photogenic features to explore. Playing the back tees first requires a trip over one of the course’s five reclaimed road/train bridges from across Menominee County. A significant water carry starts the adventure. The landing area (from all tees) is littered with bunkers and a sandstone rock formation to avoid. For the final approach, the green is framed by tress not in play as a nice backdrop to the slightly elevated green. The hole is named Wisdom, and the sandstone represents a turtle, which embodies wisdom in the animal world.’ The description above shows that the rest of the course is pretty wide open with a more prairie-style ergonomic feel to the design. Sweetgrass is fun, with wide fairways and some of the most fun greens you can putt on including a Redan, Biarritz, Island, and the double-green finishing holes of 9 and 18. Sweetgrass is also part of the “Road to the LPGA” with its Symetra Tour Island Resort Championship featuring the future of LPGA professional golf. A few years ago, the resort embarked on its latest golf development after demand for more golf had become evident among golfers. The Sage Run course, which was also designed by Albanese, provides a different and fun golf experience traversing up and down, in and around a large bluff that runs through the property about six miles from the hotel (free shuttles). The new course opened full time in May, 2019 – and in the fall hosted the first-ever U.P. Div. Continues on next page >> Sage Run 10 th hole Sage Run 9th hole Sweetgrass island green