Michigan Golf Journal November 2021

Soph i s t i cat i on and moder n comfor t come t oge ther at our l andmark four-d i amond re sor t wi th go l f cour s e, 5 i ve St eakhous e, heat ed and covered dr i v i ng range wi th Trackman , and the ar eas l arge s t re t a i l go l f s tore - Car l ’s Go l f l and . For s t ay & p l ay package s , re sor t re s ervat i ons and t ee t ime s ca l l 734-414-0600 or v i s i t the i nnat s t j ohns . com. 44045 Fi ve Mi l e Road Pl ymouth , MI 48170 is owned and operated by the proud people of the Hannahville Indian Community . It’s no surprise that utilizing and caring for the land is their top priority – making a good match for Albanese, who incorporated legends and tales about the Potawatomi Tribe into every hole. “It’s my own philosophy and the Native American philosophy that we always try to make the design fit the land, and truly allow it to reflect the principles of Native Americans’ respect for the land,” said Albanese, a Michigan transplant from east coast Harvard and now a Plymouth resident. “This also worked as inspiration for stories to share throughout the course. We put some wooden posts in the side of a hill (along the fairway) that are representative of (the remains of) a fort, from the 1650’s,” Albanese said about one of the design elements at Sweetgrass. “And the green complex itself worked out very nicely to be a redan style green. And a redan is the French word for fortress .” The growing popularity of golf, gaming and concert entertainment at Island Resort has driven the demand for a $30 million expansion with more than 100 new hotel rooms bringing the location’s total to 454. They have added a high-end dining venue and convention space and a pool with water park features. Multiple restaurants are onsite, and on the casino floor, guests can enjoy over 1,200 slots, a poker room, craps, blackjack, Spanish 21, three-card poker, let-it-ride, roulette and bingo. For more information visit islandresortandcasino. com. MGJ Course of the Year