Michigan Golf Journal March 2021

Editor’s Letter Spring Will Soon Be Sprung It’s already March. That means, despite some record snowfall amounts, by the end of this month golfers could very well be out on the links in southern Michigan. Does life get any better than that idea? One of the more recent hot topics in golf was the announcement by the USGA and R&A that those two organizations feel a need to dial back golf equipment, including the golf ball. We have four stories this month related to the DISTANCE DEBATE . One is about golf courses needing to consider how much older the golfing population has become (despite the fact youth are entering the game at a nice pace) and they need to think about installing senior tees that would be ahead of the current forward tees – and that many seniors should not resist using them. A second piece in our distance debate is about how everyone at every golf skill level can use easy math to calculate the correct tees to play from. Then we have two guest columns on why the USGA and R&A need to leave equipment alone for the 99.9% of us, and if they truly fear Tour pros making tournament golf courses obsolete then the game of golf needs two sets of equipment rules. No Golf Shows, No Problem, We’ve got the Deals: This March issue also is loaded with golf course deals that our patrons would normally find at the West Michigan and Novi Golf Shows that were canceled by Covid-19. You can cash in on the savings when you click on Michigan Golf Journal sponsor pages which link to golf show specials at Black Lake, Michaywe Pines, Gaylord Country Club, Treetops, Gull Lake View Resort and Grand Traverse Resort. If you cannot wait for the temperatures to rise in Michigan, make sure to review our cover story (page 12) about golf in the state of Alabama. What a wonderfully rich state it is for golf. The northern tier is like northern Michigan’s rolling landscape but is only a day’s drive away from the Mitten. The Gulf Coast portion of Alabama has true white sugar sand beaches along the Gulf of Mexico – I have walked them myself. My thanks go out to each reader every month for supporting this mission of uncovering great golf news in the Great Lakes State – it’s a true pleasure to provide it. Hit ‘em straight. Tom Lang Publisher/Editor Cover image: Kiva Dunes Golf & Beach Resort, Gulf Shores