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Bob_Garvelink

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Greywalls & U.P. courses
« on: March 13, 2014, 07:33:43 PM »
Gents,

It looks like this will finally be the year that I make the trek to play Greywalls.  The remoteness and topography have me loosing sleep at night and I can't wait to play another one of Mike Devries tracks.   I plan to play at least 36 holes at Greywalls but am wondering what others have to say about Sweetgrass and Timberstone.  A friend of mine wants to play all 5 rounds at Greywalls which I can't argue with although I feel we would be missing out on some other U.P. gems.  I understand that Greywalls is the creme of the crop but want some feedback on the other courses I listed.  Would you play 5 rounds at Greywalls or should we add in Timberstone and Sweetgrass as well?

Cheers!

Bob
"Pure Michigan"

Carl Johnson

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Re: Greywalls & U.P. courses
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2014, 08:31:29 PM »
Gents,

It looks like this will finally be the year that I make the trek to play Greywalls.  The remoteness and topography have me loosing sleep at night and I can't wait to play another one of Mike Devries tracks.   I plan to play at least 36 holes at Greywalls but am wondering what others have to say about Sweetgrass and Timberstone.  A friend of mine wants to play all 5 rounds at Greywalls which I can't argue with although I feel we would be missing out on some other U.P. gems.  I understand that Greywalls is the creme of the crop but want some feedback on the other courses I listed.  Would you play 5 rounds at Greywalls or should we add in Timberstone and Sweetgrass as well?

Cheers!

Bob

Personally, I would not play five rounds at GW.  It's a quirky course, neat, but quirky.  Hey, try their (Marquette GC) older course, the Heritage, or some of the others you mention.  My only experience has been at GW, but once was enough - for me.  Also, I want to add that the folks at the Marquette Golf Club were great, from the people in the shop to the members I hooked up with to the dining.

Tyler Kearns

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Re: Greywalls & U.P. courses
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2014, 08:38:33 PM »
Bob,


Greywalls is fantastic, Mike DeVries showed a lot of restraint in his design and let the landscape speak for itself.  I'll echo Carl's statement, try and play the Heritage as well.  Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but 9 of the 18 are Langford/Moreau holes, and those greens looked like a lot of fun!  Mike gave us a tour when we were there, but unfortunately, the course was busy and I wasn't able to squeeze in a round, definitely a regret.  Not sure if they have attempted any restoration work on the Heritage, but the bones of a good 9 holes are certainly there.  I'm not sure who designed the other nine of the Heritage, but they did not seem to hold half the interest of the original nine.

TK

Brian_Sleeman

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Re: Greywalls & U.P. courses
« Reply #3 on: March 14, 2014, 09:04:00 AM »
You should play Greywalls at least twice - the first time around will be a learning experience and there is an awful lot to take in.  The views are incredible on top of the golf course, so you'll want to have the second go around for more than just the quality golf.

It is true that nine holes of the Heritage were designed by Langford & Moreau, though those nine are mixed in with the nine added by David Gill in the 60s.  The current numbers of the original Langford (in the order they originally played) are 10, 11, 7, 8, 4, 5, 6, 12, and 13.  It is a very enjoyable course and the superintendent, Craig Moore, really gets it and has begun to slowly bring back more of the original design.  He's already pushed at least one or two of the green edges out to the original size, making use of the high shoulder settings.  The Gill holes are also nice, particularly in the challenging topography of the valley behind the golf shop.  Holes 14 through 18 are especially good.

I haven't played Sweetgrass, so I can't really comment on it, only to say that it's something I hope to play in one of my trips back home.  Timberstone is a resort course with a fair amount of eye candy and some incredible views, but the style and golf are entirely different than Greywalls.  The appeal of packaging them together is that all three are very different and in a large group, all three will be the favorite of somebody.

A few other UP courses to consider:

Indian Lake GC in Manistique (near US-2).  If you're headed to Marquette from the lower peninsula and have some extra time, it may be worth a stop.  The original nine is very, very cool, and the back nine was added by Mike Husby about 20 years ago.  It is usually a ghost town.

Iron River CC in Iron River (near the Wisconsin border).  Coming up through Wisconsin, this would be worth a look.  It's a nine hole Langford design, with two sets of tees so that it can be made to play as an eighteen holer.  The usual Langford features are easy to spot, though as has been the case with most of his courses, they have softened a little and/or been altered over the years.

Pictured Rocks GC in Munising (near M-28).  Although it sadly offers no views of the amazing Pictured Rocks (which ironically can be seen from the 1st tee at Greywalls some 30 miles away), it is a fun little local track with some good holes.

Pine Grove CC in Iron Mountain (not far from Timberstone).  Some very, very good holes on an underrated track that is always in great shape.  Another nine holer that saw expansion 20-30 years ago, the flow of the course is remarkably consistent and for generations it was considered the best of the UP.  If you're going to spend some time at Timberstone and check out the town of Iron Mountain, it's worth playing here as well.

All four of those are also incredible bargains.

For my money, when I go home to Marquette, that's where I stay.  The golf is unparalleled in the region and the town is easily the most attractive in all of the UP (though I may be a bit biased).  It's got a great downtown district right on the shore of Lake Superior, neat restaurants and boutiques, a couple of great microbrews, and no end to the list of outdoor things to do.  Climb some ancient volcanoes, kayak around Presque Isle, run the endless miles of beachfront, or just poke around town.  And when you want to feel like you're in an entirely different world, head out to Greywalls.  Marc Gilmore and his staff will take excellent care of you and you'll have a blast.
« Last Edit: March 14, 2014, 09:07:12 AM by Brian_Sleeman »

Bill Seitz

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Re: Greywalls & U.P. courses
« Reply #4 on: March 14, 2014, 10:58:02 AM »
Bob,

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but 9 of the 18 are Langford/Moreau holes, and those greens looked like a lot of fun!  Mike gave us a tour when we were there, but unfortunately, the course was busy and I wasn't able to squeeze in a round, definitely a regret.  Not sure if they have attempted any restoration work on the Heritage, but the bones of a good 9 holes are certainly there.  I'm not sure who designed the other nine of the Heritage, but they did not seem to hold half the interest of the original nine.

TK

I'll echo what Brian said.  I toured the Langford holes with Craig (the Supt.) last fall, and he was very excited about the work he was doing to gradually restore the Langford greens to their original sizes.  In some cases this has required taking the greens out beyond sprinkler heads that were added over the years.  Craig also has put additional plaques on the original nine which explain where that hole was in the original routing (see photo).



For my money, I could play all five rounds at Greywalls and be completely content, but I haven't played anything else in the area.  If you're playing different courses and it's still feasible, I'd try to play my Greywalls rounds on different days.  The greens are completely wild, and if you only spend a day there playing multiple rounds, you won't experience all they have to offer.  #17 alone can feel like three different holes on three different days. 

Terry Lavin

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Re: Greywalls & U.P. courses
« Reply #5 on: March 14, 2014, 11:02:07 AM »
I'd take a day off golf and spend it at Tahquamenon Falls.  One of the most beautiful spots in America, IMHO.
Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.  H.L. Mencken

Brian_Sleeman

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Re: Greywalls & U.P. courses
« Reply #6 on: March 14, 2014, 03:37:42 PM »
I'd take a day off golf and spend it at Tahquamenon Falls.  One of the most beautiful spots in America, IMHO.

Nothing wrong with that, either.  On the way out from Marquette to the falls you could stop by Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore and also check out the amazing dunes of Grand Marais.  If you're a real adventurer and into hiking you might want to venture up into the Keweenaw Peninsula to check out Brockway Mountain and the surrounding areas.  It is stunningly beautiful up there and is a huge expanse of virtually untouched wilderness.  More and more people are discovering it, but it is still very quiet.

Criss Titschinger

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Re: Greywalls & U.P. courses
« Reply #7 on: November 30, 2020, 10:32:11 PM »
2021 will hopefully be my Greywalls trip. Have 3 rounds on Greywalls plus the Langford 9 planned.

Was looking at coming in a day early to check out something else. Sweetgrass looks worth the play. Anybody play Sage Run yet? I'll be flying into Marquette, and would have to go out of my way to play those. I'm sure I could get extra rounds on Greywalls and Heritage and be happy, but these two look worth checking out.

I know of Iron River (L&M), but not sure I want the 1h45m drive for a good not great 9 holer; unless I should be convinced otherwise.

Steve Lang

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Re: Greywalls & U.P. courses
« Reply #8 on: December 01, 2020, 11:25:53 AM »
 8)  1 round on Heritage, to warm up, then one GW round in a day works and followup next day on GW should give you a good taste, perhaps wanting more perhaps not, versus checking out the others within reach... for confirming what to do when you return.   Definitely have some fresh whitefish in town for lunch or dinner, some good spots in town to enjoy.
Inverness (Toledo, OH) cathedral clock inscription: "God measures men by what they are. Not what they in wealth possess.  That vibrant message chimes afar.
The voice of Inverness"

Ken Fry

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Re: Greywalls & U.P. courses
« Reply #9 on: December 01, 2020, 11:53:59 AM »
2021 will hopefully be my Greywalls trip. Have 3 rounds on Greywalls plus the Langford 9 planned.

Was looking at coming in a day early to check out something else. Sweetgrass looks worth the play. Anybody play Sage Run yet? I'll be flying into Marquette, and would have to go out of my way to play those. I'm sure I could get extra rounds on Greywalls and Heritage and be happy, but these two look worth checking out.

I know of Iron River (L&M), but not sure I want the 1h45m drive for a good not great 9 holer; unless I should be convinced otherwise.
Criss,

I haven't played either Sage Run or Sweetgrass.  If you're interested, you may want to consider flying from Detroit into Escanaba to play one or both courses then drive up to Marquette.  I had an issue getting to Marquette one year and they routed me to Escanaba.  The drive up to Marquette from there is easy.

I'm a big fan of Greywalls and could play it on a continual loop, something I've done at Kingsley numerous occasions.  Don't miss the chance to play the Heritage Course though.  Craig Moore and crew have done a lot of great work to remove trees and expand the green pads on the Langford & Moreau 9.  They also have the Langford/Moreau 9 split with the Gill 9, they use to be intertwined.  Bring hickories and really go old school at Heritage!

Ken

Criss Titschinger

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Re: Greywalls & U.P. courses
« Reply #10 on: December 01, 2020, 08:11:01 PM »
Criss,

I haven't played either Sage Run or Sweetgrass.  If you're interested, you may want to consider flying from Detroit into Escanaba to play one or both courses then drive up to Marquette.


I hadn't considered this route, but this might offer me the best itinerary. The flight gets in early enough that I think could sneak 36 on Sage Run and Sweetgrass that day thanks to long daylight, then hit up Timberstone in the morning before doing Marquette all weekend. Also a later flight back home so I wouldn't have to rush. Thanks for the advice!

Sven Nilsen

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Re: Greywalls & U.P. courses
« Reply #11 on: December 01, 2020, 08:48:15 PM »
Greywalls would be a good candidate for the "Truly Unique" thread.
"As much as we have learned about the history of golf architecture in the last ten plus years, I'm convinced we have only scratched the surface."  A GCA Poster

"There's the golf hole; play it any way you please." Donald Ross

Bill Seitz

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Re: Greywalls & U.P. courses
« Reply #12 on: December 02, 2020, 02:22:56 AM »
Greywalls would be a good candidate for the "Truly Unique" thread.


I was thinking the same thing.  The back nine is fairly standard, but with DeVries greens (11, 13, 14, 17, and 18 in particular).  The front nine is otherwordly in my opinion.  I've never lived in a place where exposed rock is normal, so 1, 4, 5, 6, & 7 are really breathtaking, especially 5.  I've tried to describe the first impression to people by saying "imaging driving into a normal parkland style golf course, checking in and paying your fee.  Then you get into a cart, drive through a maintenance yard, into the woods, and a minute later you emerge in Narnia."  It's hard to believe you're on the same general piece of property as the Heritage Course.  I really gotta get back there.