By Richard Vaughan
There is one special day each year when the manicured lawn at the Inn at St. John’s is transformed from a venue where ladies and gentlemen compete at golf to one where they compete on automotive style and beauty of line.
That is the day when the Concours d’Elegance of America, one of America’s most prestigious car shows will take place on the links, Sunday, July 28, in Plymouth.
While it is true that the Concours is a venue where, as comedian Jay Leno says, “ordinary millionaires can compete with billionaires on an equal playing field,” it is also true that the show has evolved into an event that has something for car enthusiasts of all ages and automotive interests.
The show is the opposite of stuffy.
It’s families in shorts and t-shirts with young children riding in strollers and enjoying ice cream. 
It’s young gearheads with telephoto lenses photographing their dream cars from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s.
It’s senior citizens reminiscing about the cars of their youth. There’s even a beer tent.
Over the last decade, Concours organizers have worked hard to expand the concept of the show so that and all kinds of vehicles from every era can be seen and enjoyed. If you like cars or motorcycles on any level, this show has something for you. The event features everything from brand new multi-million-dollar hypercars and supercars to one-cylinder horseless carriages from the late 1800’s – and everything in between.
The diversity of cars on the field is always exceptional, but what all of the cars and motorcycles have in common is that they are the best or most interesting examples of that genre and almost all of them have just as interesting stories.
The 2019 Concours celebrates Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, and the 100th anniversary of Bentley Motors. Showgoers will be able to see some of the best examples of those cars to be found anywhere on planet earth.
One collector, John Groendyeke, will be bringing 96 cylinders of Cadillac power from his personal collection. Ninety-six cylinders, but only 6 cars. That’s right, each of the six cars has 16 cylinders! It may be an unrepeatable opportunity to see six 16-cylinder cars in one place.
The History of Alternative Power will showcase almost all of the powertrain ideas that have been explored prior to today. This circle of cars will showcase coal-fired steam cars, wood-fired steam cars, electric cars, Wankel cars, Diesel cars, turbine cars, and gazogene cars. Yes, gazogene.
The Drag Cars class will feature a dozen of the most incredible cars from the history of drag racing. It is not to be missed. In addition, there will be a Formula One class, an Oddities class, and a class called American Power, Foreign Styling.
Modern Collectibles has become one of the more popular features of the show. These are the greatest cars of the 70s, 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Many of them are still affordable for the average enthusiast.
Whatever your interest in cars or motorcycles, the Concours has something for you to see that will blow your mind.
See it all at the 41st Annual Concours d’Elegance of America at the Inn at St. John’s, Sunday, July 28th. For more information go to www.ConcoursUSA.org.
The Inn at St. Johns is 27 Holes of Fun and Beauty.
The Inn at St. John’s
There is a reason the property used to be a full-time Catholic Seminary and chapel dating back to the 1940s – one could literally call the landscape God’s Country.
The beautiful, rolling land surrounding the seminary-turned-high-end hotel and retreat center is the current-day setting for the 27 holes of the Inn at St. Johns Golf Course in Plymouth. Picturesque, tree-lined, and filled with wildlife not as often expected in a densely populated area.
I have played all three 9s over the years, but mostly recently took on the ‘Matthew’ course (holes 19-27) that maxes out at 2,900 yards. ‘Mark’ (1-9) is a little bit longer, and the ‘Luke’ course (10-18) from the tips is still only 3,209 yards. In other words, manageable and not too long.
In a nutshell, the three golf courses seem to be ideal for leagues and outings. Staff have always been professional and courteous, and with three separate nines, leagues can rotate each week and have a variety of experiences all at one location. And speaking of location, with its proximity to M-14 at the Sheldon Road exit and the numerous commercial and residential properties around, lots of golfers likely live or work close by.
What I like about the three nines is that they each have their own personality but are also similar in shot-making requirements due to the type of land and water features. Luke and Mark have a few more open areas, with Matthew having a few tighter fairways. Trees are a main feature throughout, no doubt.
My favorite stretch of holes on the Matthew course is 20-22. Hole 20 is a solid par 4 dogleg right. The fairway landing area is open and flat, with a valley to navigate on the second shot to an elevated green that is one of the more undulating putting surfaces. Hole 21 rolls and dips through two valleys that slope hard left to right, before reaching a green even more elevated than the previous par 4.
The Inn at St. John’s
Then the signature hole is the par 3 No. 22. It’s a picturesque downhill shot over a pond to a spacious green with tons of pin options.
All three nines come in contact with the halfway house, an area that’s very relaxing and serene and typically displays the great effort by the grounds crew with nice landscaping. Some of that effort has been delayed this year due to the challenge all crews are facing statewide with more spring rain than normal in 2019, thus shifting their time and resources to keeping courses playable for us golfers.
Rates are very favorable to all budgets, and the value is worthwhile to the experience. Having Carl’s Golfland and its driving range next door is another bonus for golfers needing equipment or other game adjustments.
The overall St. Johns property began with nine holes, added another nine in the late 1970s when it became open to the public, and added yet another nine in the 1990s when the property was redeveloped and refurbished into the current Inn at St. Johns Conference Center. The restored property features inspirational Romanesque architecture throughout, including a grand ballroom space for up to 450 guests, an exquisite chapel available for weddings, two ballrooms with 25-foot ceilings, a two-story atrium and 22 meeting rooms.
More information: https://www.theinnatstjohns.com/golf.htm
