{"id":1134,"date":"2014-08-16T08:41:59","date_gmt":"2014-08-16T15:41:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theaposition.com\/herbgould\/?p=1134"},"modified":"2014-08-18T07:11:16","modified_gmt":"2014-08-18T14:11:16","slug":"1st-michigan-foray-an-eye-opener","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/herbgould\/travel\/1134\/1st-michigan-foray-an-eye-opener","title":{"rendered":"First Michigan foray an eye opener"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"No.<\/a>

No. 7 at Cedar River, a Weiskopf design. This par 4 bends around a pond.<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s pretty simple. In Chicago, we\u2019re either Cubs fans or White Sox fans. And when we pile into the car for a getaway, we\u2019re either Wisconsin fans or Michigan fans.<\/p>\n

I came by my Wisconsin preference naturally. Growing up in Deerfield, a northern suburb, Wisconsin was practically right around the corner. We often took family day trips to Lake Geneva and Milwaukee. We even saw the Cubs play the Braves when I was really young.<\/p>\n

When it was time for college, I went to the University of Wisconsin, a decision that easily ranks among the top two or three in my life.<\/p>\n

Even though my wife, Liz, grew up in the south suburbs, she\u2019s also a Wisconsin person, from family camping trips to Devil\u2019s Lake, near Baraboo, when she was young.<\/p>\n

As adults, we have become Door County regulars.<\/p>\n

In short, everything about us is Wisconsin.<\/p>\n

That said, I\u2019ve known for a long time that Northern Michigan is an amazing place for golf. And I like to play golf.<\/p>\n

Geographical note: My Michigan friends tell me that the northern portion of lower Michigan is “Northern Michigan.\u2019\u2019 Even though the Upper Peninsula is farther north, it\u2019s apparently the U.P., not Northern Michigan. It works for me.<\/p>\n

\"With<\/a>

With colors like this and a leaf rule, the upside of fall golf in Northern Michigan is boggling.<\/p><\/div>\n

I\u2019d read and seen many things about the splendors of golf in the Gaylord and Traverse City areas. But my Michigan golf experience had been confined to the I-94 corridor, where Heritage Glen, in Paw Paw, and Lake Michigan Hills, in Benton Harbor, have been popular stops on my way to Ann Arbor and East Lansing.<\/p>\n

That all changed recently, when I joined a Pure Michigan tour of the Traverse City area.<\/p>\n

A big hurdle for Northern Michigan tourism is figuring out a way to convince Chicagoans to make that initial drive through the city. Although Wisconsin is more of an open-road deal for many suburbanites, the actual travel distance to Northern Michigan is very favorable when compared with some popular Wisconsin Northwoods destinations.<\/p>\n

Our treks to Sister Bay, in Door County, Wis., are about 4-1\/2 hours, half an hour closer than Traverse City, which is about the same travel time from Chicago as Rhinelander, Wis.<\/p>\n

And while Wisconsin has world-class golf, notably with Whistling Straits, Blackwolf Run and Erin Hills, those are different experiences from a family vacation standpoint, or even a buddies trip.<\/p>\n

\"With<\/a>

With a view like this, why leave Lochenheath’s clubhouse? An inviting golf course.<\/p><\/div>\n

Both have their pluses. A big lure of Northern Michigan golf is its abundance, and the multitude of ways to set up a trip with so many value-conscious lodging and activity options.<\/p>\n

We played the Bear and the Wolverine, two of the three courses at Grand Traverse Resort, which has a 17-story high-rise tower to house its many golfers. The 238-room tower has spectacular views, especially from the 16th<\/sup>-floor Aerie Restaurant. We played impressive and difficult Lochenheath. Also on the list were A-Ga-Ming Sundance, which might have been my favorite. And finally, we played three remarkable courses at Shanty Creek Resort, a sprawling ski-and-golf property that has a Palmer course, a Weiskopf course, the Schuss Mountain “dogleg\u2019\u2019 course and the Summit course.<\/p>\n

Bottom line: It was all as good as advertised.<\/p>\n