{"id":4472,"date":"2026-06-25T16:05:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T16:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/?p=4472"},"modified":"2026-06-25T16:51:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T16:51:23","slug":"white-knight-eagle-eye-hosts-the-michigan-amateur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/golf\/personalities\/4472\/white-knight-eagle-eye-hosts-the-michigan-amateur","title":{"rendered":"‘White Knight’ Eagle Eye Hosts the Michigan Amateur"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Eagle Eye hosts the Michigan Amateur on June 29 to July 3<\/p><\/div>\n

Hosting the Michigan Amateur in any year is a major commitment and sacrifice for any course. Usually, the conversation about holding the state’s oldest championship occurs several years in advance. But once in a while, special circumstances dictate otherwise. Like this year. Eagle Eye GC in East Lansing graciously agreed to host the Amateur, beginning on July 2, after Western Golf & CC in Redford Township was forced to withdraw.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Due to upcoming major municipal construction work around and on its property, Western had no choice but to postpone its commitment to some future date. As a result, Ken Hartmann, GAM’s Senior Director of Competitions, sought a white knight to rescue a damsel in distress. It didn’t take long before Eagle Eye, which hosted the Amateur in 2016, decided to host the prestigious championship. It only asked that the week-long tournament begin before and through the 4th of July holiday, when the course is less busy.<\/p>\n

Ok, then, why did Eagle Eye step up?<\/p>\n

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Luke Thode<\/p><\/div>\n

“We’re proud of our association with the GAM; in fact, our courses are hosting three GAM tournaments this year,” said Luke Thode, Eagle Eye’s Director of Operations. But in our recent conversation, Thode revealed a deeper motivation to be involved with the GAM and the Amateur.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“Personally, I’m indebted to golf organizations like the GAM, which are advancing the game. Locally. I took advantage of Lansing’s junior golf program growing up, which allowed me to play the game at the city’s courses at a reduced rate.” Later in high school, Thode began working at Eagle Eye washing carts.<\/p>\n

In a bit of serendipity, Eagle Eye is a home course of Caleb Bond, the defending champion of the Michigan Amateur. A standout player for Michigan State University, Bond won the tournament last June at Belvedere in Charlevoix. One of the perks of the title was an exemption into the U.S Amateur held at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. And he played well, making the cut for match play. One of his matches even got some national television exposure.<\/p>\n

“That was a very special experience, and I was happy to have played well that week,” said Bond, who’ll graduate from MSU this summer with a degree in Economics. “And it probably wouldn’t have happened if not for Belvedere. It set my golf career on a nice trajectory.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When asked what it took for him to claim the title last year, Bond replied: “It’s a long week and I was thankful for all of my support from family and friends.” Specifically, he mentioned his younger sister and his coaches. “My sister caddied for me and kept me loose and relaxed. She’s light-hearted and a lot of fun.”<\/p>\n

As often heard on the PGA Tour, Bond, 22, is grateful for his “team of coaches,” who are committed to sharpening his game. As a junior and prep player, he relied on former MSU player Chris Mory to guide his game. Later, he leaned on his MSU coach, Casey Lubahn. “Coach Lubahn knows my swing and tendencies.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Caleb Bond is set to defend his title at Eagle Eye, his home course<\/p><\/div>\n

He also cited Spartan teammate Ashton McCulloch. “Ashton kicked my butt in short game friendly matches, but he also taught me a lot. And I wasn’t afraid to ask questions.”<\/p>\n

One learned nuance of the short game is evaluating the lie before executing the shot. “A short game coach I’ve seen in Arizona says a big part of being a better chipper is understanding the lie and then visualizing whether it requires a low or a high shot.”<\/p>\n

And Eagle Eye, a celebrated Chris Lutzke design in collaboration with his mentor Pete Dye, will demand a complete game\u2014from ball-striking to short game to course management. Its rolling links-like terrain and large green complexes will test Michigan’s best amateurs.<\/p>\n

And the GAM will have a few surprises regarding how the course will be set up.<\/p>\n

“It’s always fun to look at a course like Eagle Eye and see what can be done to challenge these players,” said Barry Babbitt, the Chair of the Championship Committee and a Governor of the GAM. For example, \u00a0the par-five 9th hole will be played as a par-four during stroke play. “We looked at a longer tee for keeping it as a five-par but at the Big Ten Championships it worked well playing it as a par-four.”<\/p>\n

And when the final matches begin on Thursday and Friday, expect some special tees on the 9th and 18th holes. “To bring the water more into play off of the tees on those par-5s, we’ll be using the 18th tee for the 9th hole and the 9th tee for the 18th hole,” said Babbitt. “These tees are used when Eagle Eye hosts its annual ‘strong man’ outing in the fall, and they were well-received.”<\/p>\n

Indeed, it’ll take another strong player, like Caleb Bond, to hoist the trophy after the final match.<\/p>\n

For more information about the Michigan Amateur, visit www.gam.org<\/a><\/p>\n

For more information about Eagle Eye, visit www.eagleeyegolfclub.com<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

photos courtesy of Eagle Eye, Terry Moore and the GAM’s Greg Johnson<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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