New for 2006: Traverse City joins the package game

By Brandon Tucker,
Senior Writer

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — For Traverse City's golf courses, its biggest competition in a saturated northern Michigan market has often been said to be - Traverse City.

"Gaylord and Boyne Falls are recognized as golf destinations," said John Jessup of the Traverse City Visitors Bureau. "There's so much to do in Traverse City, people often forget about the golf."

So Jessup, who was brought in to help try and boost the golf offerings of the area, is trying to use one of northern Michigan's most popular destinations to golf's advantage.

"The great thing is you're on the water," Jessup said. "There is fishing, art galleries ... it's a nice area for restaurants, nightlife, there are two casinos and many wineries, which are just humming.

"In Gaylord and Boyne Falls, everyone plays maybe 36 holes and then drinks or plays cards at night. For some that's exactly what they want, but we've got more than that."

This is the first season that the Traverse City CVB is teaming up with 15 area courses and a dozen hotels to offer stay-and-play packages, something the heavyweights in the industry — including Treetops and Boyne Falls — have capitalized on for quite some time now.

"Gaylord had about a 15-year head start on us," Jessup said, smiling. But the CVB is hoping its primary audience, which includes vacationers from all of Michigan as well as Chicagoland and Ohio, will begin to look at the area for their summer golf trip.

The biggest name involved in the packages is the Grand Traverse Resort, which boasts one of Michigan's most difficult courses, Jack Nicklaus' The Bear. Without a package, The Bear runs $140 in the high season, but is just $100 in a package.

Places to play

There's a wide variety of courses offered within the packages, from cheap classics to four-star newbies. Keep in mind that "Traverse City Golf" encompasses a radius of about 25 miles in each direction.

Two-lane highways dominate the area, but are often deserted and always scenic. Courses are usually marked with blue signs but markers are sometimes a little too subtle so keep your eyes open. Have a detailed map handy and note your cell phone will be out of range in many areas.

Grand Traverse Resort: This resort includes three top-of-the-line selections and The Bear is probably the most acclaimed course in the area. The Michigan Open is held here yearly and hosts the finest pros in the state. Before your consider bringing your 30 handicap to The Bear, consider the property's other two courses however: The Wolverine and Spruce Run.

A-ga-Ming: North of Traverse City and about 20 minutes north of the Grand Traverse Resort on Highway 31 is A-ga-Ming, which just opened its new 18-hole course, The Sundance. The Sundance is a 2005 Jerry Matthews design that will get better with age, as it's still a baby. If you can only play one course at A-ga-Ming, consider the old-school original, now dubbed the Torch. There are better Torch Lake views on this course, way more character and Nos. 7-10 are the best stretch of holes on the property.

King's Challenge: You've got Nicklaus on the Bear in Acme, then there's Arnold Palmer's design at King's Challenge, about a half-hour northwest in Traverse City. It's a short design, but plenty tight, and the eighth hole is one of the most challenging par 5s in the area. Nearby is local favorite Leelanau Club as well.

Stay and play

Bayshore Inn: This is an old-style, elegant inn on the shores of the bay within walking distance to downtown Traverse City. Most rooms have balconies overlooking the bay — that is sure to get anyone out of bed for an early tee time in the morning.

Grand Traverse Resort:This place has it all, so its location about 10 minutes from downtown can be forgiven pretty quickly. Just about everything from restaurants, to spas to bars are on location, and there are shuttles to nearby Turtle Creek Casino.

Holiday Inn Express: For those not looking to pay four-star money, Holiday Inn Express has a fine location in Acme, closer to Traverse City than the Grand Traverse Resort and a good place to stay if you want to go to A-Ga-Ming.

May 31, 2006

Brandon Tucker is a Senior Writer and Special Projects Editor for the WorldGolf.com Network, where he contributes not only golf and travel articles, but photo essays, videos and more. His golf travels have taken him across the U.S., including more than 50 Myrtle Beach-area golf courses, and to such destinations as Scotland, Wales, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany and Malaysia.