Michigan Golf Journal November 2020

Michigan Golf Journal Benona Shores Saved at Oceana and he seemed a perfect fit. “My in-laws always intended this place to be a family friendly course. That’s why we are an executive course. A place where seniors, ladies, and little ones can come play without feeling overwhelmed.” Wenk, a 1998 Shelby High graduate played golf for the Tigers and eventually became a scratch golfer, although his handicap is far higher these days. He has a special affinity for Benona because he spent a lot of his youth staying at his grandparents’ cottage at Stony Lake. He would take his grandma’s hand-me-down clubs and ride his bicycle a mile north to the course. It’s the home of his one and only ace in his 30 years of golf. “The par 3, 110-yard sixth hole. With a 9 iron,” recalls Wenk. “The funny part was that it was kind of a bad shot. It missed the green to the right. It bounced off the mound onto the green and rolled right in the cup. So, my only hole in one trophy ball has a Benona Shores logo on it.” Always Improving at Oceana : Wenk also approved changes at Oceana Golf Club to utilize the huge hill that has supported the back tees of the par 5 fifth hole since being built in the 1960s, and added a tee box for a brand new downhill par 3 ranging from 100-180 yards with a green framed behind by towering pine trees. Construction began in early September and grass seed was soon after planted. The green is sloped back to front and left to right, with a large waste bunker to grab balls that go too far right to keep them out of the trees. Since then, construction began to combine the short par 4, Hole 7 and add it to the old par 3, 8 th hole to complete a new dogleg left par four that will tempt the longest hitters to cut the 90 degree corner. Both changes should make for some nice new updates and give every golfer some fun new challenges to try in 2021. Check out the original MGJ story about the hometown Wenk saving Oceana earlier this year at: https://michigangolfjournal. com/2020/August/10/ MGJ New Par 3 at Oceana