Belvedere Golf Club - Michigan

[ed_getka]

John,
   Thanks for taking the time to add the photos. An interesting thread.

[John Mayhugh]

Ed,
The fun part about posting the pics is it provides a chance to relive the experience.  Some really memorable holes there, at least for me.

Jack,
Maybe next time!

[Chuck Brown]

Having now read Tom Doak's brief comments on Bruce Hepner's work there, I can sort of vouch for what Tom may have been too modest to say about a real renaissance for Belvedere.  These recent pictures have me tremendously excited about going back to Belvedere this summer.  The pictures indicate to me, as Tom suggests, that the charming but crusty old Belvedere from Michigan Am days is now a much more sleek, beautifully restored classic.

[John Mayhugh]

I should also mention that there are many, many good photos of Belvedere on Frank Pont's site.
http://www.golfarchitecturepictures.com/Web%20Galleries/USA/Michigan/Belvedere/index.html

[Brian Cenci]

3 JACK?

Come on!  With my skill with the flatstick from off the green....tap in birdie.

[Tim Bert]

I only have one picture of the 17th green.



John wouldn't have to ask for a rescue package if I wasn't so amazingly lazy about labeling my pictures and sending them following this trip.  We're going on 4 months now.

[John Mayhugh]

John wouldn't have to ask for a rescue package if I wasn't so amazingly lazy about labeling my pictures and sending them following this trip.  We're going on 4 months now.

Yeah, but how many pictures did you take that week?  I had never labeled mine from Belvedere and kind of figured it out as I posted. But I wasn't industrious enough to go ahead and label the ones on my hard drive at the same time.

Thanks for posting this one.

[George Freeman]

Thanks for the pics John and Tim.

With the exclusion of holes 2, 3, & 5, Belvedere has a great set of holes, full of intrigue, charm and strategy.

With some restoration/renovation work and a little bit of tree removal, I think Belvedere could be REALLY good...

- George

[JC Jones]

The original bunkering at Belvedere was supposed to have been done by Billy Bell. Was he involved at Olympic?

Ralph,

I wasn't aware of Bell's involvement at Belvedere, but after seeing your aerial I'm not surprised.

Do you know much about the history of Charlevoix GC, where Watson also is credited, although my understanding is that golf was played there as early as 1898.

Thanks!

Charlevoix GC is a 9 hole muni split by 31(the main road heading from Petoskey to Charlevoix).  I played it a bunch of times as a kid but none since.  I remember it being extremely flat and unremarkable.  Maybe I'll play a quick nine there this summer and report back.  It will be easier on the wallet than 9 at Belvedere.

Mike.  Turns out that Charlevoix GC used to be the Chicago Club.  The Chicago Club as a neighborhood club/association still exists, it sits opposite round lake to the Belvedere Club (the club that owns Belvedere Golf Club).  The neighborhood is directly south of the golf course between the course (as it stands today) and Lake Charlevoix.  The Chicago Club was, at the time Belvedere was created in 1925, 18 holes and Willie Watson was the head pro and also the architect.  Apparently, in addition to being the head pro of the Chicago Club, he was a part-time architect doing Olympic, Harding, and Interlachen in Minneapolis (which was subsequently completely re-done by Donald Ross). 

Thats what I found out today.  Belvedere has a couple old books in their pro-shop that are "memoirs" written members.  They are 99% about the Belvedere Club but do have some info in there about the Golf Club.  I spoke with the recently retired head pro today and he mentioned that he and the current head pro have considered writing a history of the Golf Club.  I encouraged such a venture, obviously.

[BCowan]

5 Weeks away!!!   

[JLahrman]

When will you be there? I'm going to try to play there sometime between July 10 and 13.

[BCowan]

Sorry, the week before. 

[Bill_McBride]

When will you be there? I'm going to try to play there sometime between July 10 and 13.

Great time to be away from Austin!   

[Steve Lang]

When will you be there? I'm going to try to play there sometime between July 10 and 13.

Great time to be away from Austin!   

We recommend being out of TX july through august!

.. and catching JC Jones singing / crooning (?)  with country music bits along the 40th parallel..

[JLahrman]

When will you be there? I'm going to try to play there sometime between July 10 and 13.

Great time to be away from Austin!   

Si senor. My wife's family is in Michigan and we need to take the new baby on the obligatory family tour. Trying to build up some goodwill so that I can play golf for a few days in the Traverse area. I'm a fantastic guy, so it shouldn't be too hard. We will be staying in Charlevoix, really looking forward to trying Belvedere.

[Russ Arbuthnot]

I'll be up in Charlevoix in the middle of July (13th-18th). Definitely planning on playing Belvedere again. Loved it the first time I played it two years ago, and really wanted to play it last year, but didn't. Won't be making that mistake again this year.

BCowan, I didn't know you were going up there. Hope you enjoy it.

[Matt Bosela]

I'm planning on taking a trip to Northern Michigan just after Independence Day weekend (July 5th to 9th) - I'll definitely look into Belvedere...

[Russ Arbuthnot]

A couple (processed) pics.

Practice bunker overlooking the 5th, practice green, clubhouse


First hole tee shot.


Charlevoix GC first fairway

[JLahrman]

Is anybody NOT going to be in the area playing Belvedere in July?

Guys, I am staying in Charlevoix with a whole truckload of my wife's family from the 10th through the 13th. Let me know if you'll be around and maybe we could try to meet up, either on or off the golf course.

[Jud_T]

Hopefully by then the course will be up to snuff.  Apparently they had a very rough winter...

[Ryan Taylor]

Let's hope as they are hosting the Michigan Am on June 16th!

[Richard Hetzel]

I played Belevedere a few years back with JC and I thought it was a very solid golf course. You definitely cannot go wrong playing a round here. Northern Michigan golf in the summer almost can't be beat.

[Steve Lang]

   Heck, if flat Charlevoix GC is included... how about something hilly on the north side of Lake Charlevoix, just west of Hemmingway's old haunts?

[JLahrman]

So we had a bunch of guys (including me) playing Belvedere lately, but no updates to this thread?

I really enjoyed the course. I haven't played much in the area so comparisons are difficult, but it was a fun course with a great atmosphere.

The course started slow, I liked #1 but #2 through #5 were too flat and not overly interesting. Starting at #6 things picked up, with an uphill approach to a contoured green. #7 through #9 are solid holes as well.

On the back nine, the 11th hole had a nice sloping fairway and green. #13 sits very nicely into the land. #10, and #14 were not too memorable. #12 was OK, I was way left on my tee shot; the approach is probably pretty interesting but I was punching out from the wrong side of the trees down the left. But the finish of the course was very solid. #15 is a unique hole, there seemed to be many ways to play it. I loved the 16th hole, what a devilish green in the side of the hill. I also liked the 17th hole, a great bunkerless par-3 with the hill waiting to repel an ball that goes left (though the green was not as interesting as I'd like). And #18 was a good solid hole with possibly the most interesting green on the course.

I was fortunate enough to be staying in Charlevoix and having Belvedere only a couple of miles away makes it an easy choice to play. If you've come to get your fix at Kingsley I'm not sure I would detour an hour to play Belvedere, but I hope to be staying in Charlevoix again in the future and if so I will definitely try to return.

[Jeff Bergeron]

I would play Belvedere without hesitation. Fun, interesting and a true classic!