Innovative Fox Hills named national course of the year
PLYMOUTH, Mich. -- The family-owned and operated Fox Hills Golf and Banquet Center, in Plymouth, Mich., has been named "Golf Course of the Year" by the National Golf Course Owners Association.
The Course of the Year Award honors a member demonstrating four criteria: exceptional quality of the course, exceptional quality of ownership and management, outstanding contribution to its community and significant contribution to the game. Fox Hills makes an outstanding contribution to the game of golf in its market and are model operators to their peers, according to the NGCOA.
Fox Hills is a 63-hole public golf complex that caters to every golfing demographic and players of varying skill levels.
"The dramatic growth of number of golf courses and the relatively stable number of golfers over that same period has shown us that we must act to develop players," said Sandy Dul Mily, co-owner of Fox Hills along with her sister Kathy Aznavorian. "This award is special because it affirms our belief that we needed to build courses that serve golfers with different playing abilities and different price points. We've also added a course where families and children can play together and have fun."
The Classic Fox, Golden Fox, and Strategic Fox courses, each with a separate clubhouse, including an expansive practice facility, plus special events, outings, tournaments and banquet facilities have made Fox Hills a genuine gathering place. Like a Cineplex, each course is a different experience.
"Kathy and Sandy are outstanding operators. At NGCOA gatherings, their peers look to them as a wealth of knowledge and experience in how to run a top-notch operation. There were many fine candidates for this award, and the board is very pleased to recognize Fox Hills," said Mike Hughes, Executive Director of the NGCOA.
"We want to do the right things as we think about the legacy we leave to our children," says Kathy Aznavorian. "We have also wanted to be good stewards of the land we manage and care for." Fox Hills was the second course in Michigan to be awarded status as an Audubon Sanctuary.
The Dul family has owned Fox Hills since 1974, when they began reconditioning the original 18-hole golf course, now called Fox Classic, buying adjacent land, and expanding according to their innovative vision for the future. They employed noted golf designers Arthur Hills and Ray Hearn to build a premium course - Golden Fox - and a shot-making learners course -Strategic Fox, complete with a whimsical, welcoming clubhouse for children and learners.
The Fox Hills vision is now a working golf community - and the NGCOA Golf Course of the Year.
November 15, 2002