Southern Michigan

By Willie Simmons, Jr.

Southern Michigan has fantastic golf and it is a land of all types of non-stop recreation: hiking, water/snow/jet skiing, canoe-kayaking, surfing mountain/road biking, fishing, white water rafting, entertainment, the arts, shopping, food and wine. Whey! Before you jump into your vehicle, make sure you have your equipment (and appetite all packed and prepared.

Give-or-take a few, I highly recommend this trek for at least 7 days, giving yourself ample time for exploring some great courses inside of our borders while discovering the local flair of Southern Michigan.

Begin in South Haven, located on the Eastern shore of Micigan. You can treat yourself to a delicious meal at the Harbor Side Bistro and enjoy casual dining in the heart of downtown. For your first night, find comfort at the beautiful and historic Victoria Resort Bed & Breakfast inn located just steps away from Lake Michigan. Here you can borrow bikes or take a dip in the pool. The evening sunsets are a sight to behold. At morning, breakfast is a scrumptious mix of special locally produced sausage with eggs, potatoes and other delights. Best follow it up with a brisk walking tour of South Haven’s downtown shopping area.

Tee off mid-morning at HawksHead Golf Club, a part 72, Championship links-style course that’s part of Michigan’s Author Hills Golf Trail. You can enjoy a lunch of paesano bread, lobster bisque, crab cakes, a small nest of greens, and for the entrée, I highly recommend small catch grouper or the roasted tenderloin. For your sweet tooth, the chocolate chip ‘gooey’ cake is a tasteful wonder.

Friends are easily met, and you could find yourself at a beach party picnic dinner in front of the Mich-Mona-Mac Lakeshore Cottages. The refurbished cottages are perfect for a romantic getaway. For alternative lodging, check-in at the Inn at HawksHead. It’s a restored historic family-owned English Tudor revival-style mansion.

Lake Michigan Hills Golf Club (Benton Harbor, MI) is a gem of a course. It was designed by Charles Maddox, is names Southwest Michigan’s top public course and is located just 90 minutes from Chicago. The course will test your skills and reward you fairly.

Berrien Hills Golf Course (Benton Harbor, MI) was established in 1920 and it has been one of Southwest Michigan’s premium country clubs. For the first time during its 83 year history it is open to the public and offers traditional golf in a lush riverfront setting. Afterwards, reward yourself with a stay at the Boulevard Inn in St. Joseph, Michigan. It’s known for its top-rated lodgings.

Yarrow Golf Course

The Yarrow Golf & Conference Center (Augusta, Michigan) is a links-style course with wide fairways that is closely tied to the rolling natural topography and set amidst natural vegetation of Scotch pine, hardwoods and native shrubs and grasses. The property offers an excellent site to conduct golf tournaments, corporate meetings/retreats or have family reunions.

Yarrow Golf Course

Gull Lake View Golf Complex (Augusta, Michigan) features five championship courses, lodging, dining, event facilities. Be sure to play both the East and West courses. The East has 10 unique water holes while the West is a mix of fields, hills, valleys, woods and ponds. The resort is the oldest and largest in Southwest Michigan, and the greens are all lush and well groomed with breath-taking scenic views.

The Medalist Golf Club

Over at the Medalist Golf Club (Marshall, Michigan) you’ll discover a links-style course that features a landscape of almost 300 acres lovingly etched over rolling terrain with majestic trees. Here strategic shot-making is a requirement.

In Jackson County, play the Grand Golf Club. It is a mix of strategy and beauty with 18 memorable holes that have been honored by Golf Digest as one of the “Best New Affordable Courses in America.”

Pierce Lake Golf Course

Next up, you must play the Pierce Lake Golf Course (Chelsea, Michigan). Its rolling terrain, scenic vistas, quality amenities and reasonable fees will give you an exceptional golfing experience. Hole 18 (3 par) is considered the signature and hole 18 is noted for being one of Michigan’s great golf holes.

All of the golf courses I played during this road trip were championship caliber. They are highly rated by the United States Golf Association and at one time the State of Michigan had the distinction of having more golf courses per capita than any other state in the nation.

Willie L. Simmons, Jr.
is President and Founder of the Northern California Minority Junior Golf Scholarship Association based in Sacramento, CA and a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for the African American Golfer’s Digest.

He can be contacted at (916) 812-7744 or by email at norcaminorjrgolf@cs.com