Crushing Zuckerman. Topp's Travels - Northern Michigan

[Jason Topp]

      Some of you dedicated readers of Topp's Travels may have noticed that 2014 has been a light year.  My travel budget and time have largely been consumed by donations to the tuition department at Southern Methodist University and the costs of living on water.  I would like to wax poetic about the beauty of lake living but the reality of such a life is that most of your time and money is consumed with buying things, attempting to make them function and then breaking them.  

My most recent experience with the water has been associated with my daughter's sailboat - an as yet unchristened 1972 Yngling.  I don't know much about sailing but I recognize the gleam in the eye and obsession of those that do.  Golf and sailing are all consuming obsessions that are likely incompatible.

I provided strong support for this theory by attempting to "rig" or attach the mast, the sails and all the other associated stuff this weekend.  I failed once by attempting to "walk up" the mast from the wrong direction.  I instead performed the splits on the wet deck as a thunderstorm approached.  

I tried again the next day.  I can now report that if someone instructs you "do not let go of the halyard" you would do well to listen. A halyard is a rope that runs from the bottom of the mainsail to the top of the mast and then descends into the cockpit.  If you let go of it the bottom of the halyard it goes to the top of the mast and you are screwed.  

I learned this lesson the hard way and then saw another flash of lightning.   From the heavens a voice called out to me "ZUCKERMAN!"   I went inside to eat pizza and pondered my fate.

Fortunately, I had plans to meet Zuckerman in Michigan on Wednesday.  Sure he humilated me in South Carolina a couple of years ago but now he was coming to my area of the country.  He could not rely on cushy bermuda grass to prop his ball fairway and he would need to play in three dimensions rather than low country flat.

I warmed up by playing Lochen Heath in Traverse City. The Smyers design features some wacky but creative greens, a solid set of par threes and beautiful views of Lake Michigan.  After a very enjoyable round with General Manager Kevin O'Brien, I followed my gps to Kingley to meet Joel. The GPS was apparently angry with me because it sent me on a series of roads culminating in a five mile drive on a single lane dirt road.

Joel was in fine form and the day was lovely - dry air, 70 degrees, and a 10 mile per hour wind out of the north.

My plan worked like magic at the Kingsley Club - for four holes.  I was three up and Zuckerman got acquainted with the bunkers and native grass of the course.   Unfortunately, he found rythm about the same time I lost mine and an all out pillow fight erupted.  Joel played the redan 16th masterfully and then made par on 17 to send me packing.  Fortunately this is a multiday trip and I sense that a comeback is in my future.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Not even Tiger could overcome twin handicaps of SMU and a Yngling halyard. Well, until his back heals but anyway but it was inspirational of you to make a game of it for 17 holes.

Like TS Eliot wrote:
In the men's grill golfers come and go
talking of Jason Topp.

[Bill_McBride]

Jason, I know you'll beat Joel - eventually.  I'll bet you guys are loving Kingsley. 

[Jason Topp]

I finally put him down -,2nd round at Crystal Downs. I will provide a full report later. 

[Howard Riefs]

....I followed my gps to Kingley to meet Joel. The GPS was apparently angry with me because it sent me on a series of roads culminating in a five mile drive on a single lane dirt road.

Quite adventurous of you to take the back road via Mayfield Trail. That's a veteran move only attempted after years of practice navigating the Michigan wilderness. Luckily, the Michigan Militia remained at bay and you emerged unscathed. (I'm not kidding....)

Glad you enjoyed your round at Kingsley and good luck in finally topping Joel.

[Jason Topp]

It is 7 am on my 48th birthday and I awake to figure out I am already late meeting Joel to travel to Crystal Downs.  

Playing 45 holes of golf and then going straight to bed is apparently the best way for me to sleep soundly.  I call Joel and fuzzily try to explain I will be late.  After an initial moment of panic, Joel calms down and agrees to meet me at the course.  I check out of the Knights Inn and hit the road.

The drive to Crystal Downs from Traverse City is lovely.  What was not so lovely was the fact I had not turned on the sound on my phone which meant I was not getting voice directions from the GPS.  I missed the turn, detoured through some forests and found the place.  

We were privileged to play with head professional Fred Muller and three caddies on a lovely day with light breezes out of the North.  Unfortunately I lost all sense of coordination and Joel crushed me in our match.  I did however gain revenge in the afternoon to avoid being bagled for the trip.

I am not sure how much additional insight I can provide on the course compared to what has been written by others.  I found the bunkers to be unique in that they (1) featured a local sand that seemed to work well and seemed natural; (2) they were not overly deep but very difficult in part because they tended to slope with the natural surrounding land.  Hitting from uneven lies out of bunkers signficantly compounds the challenge.

The greens actually seemed a bit tamer than I expected and Mr. Muller kept commenting on how they were a bit slow that morning.  They seemed the perfect speed to me in that they were very difficult but the player had a chance with most putts to do something reasonable.  There was often a huge advantage available if one hit the tee ball on the more favorable side of the fairway, but the more favorable side usually involved overcoming danger in one form or another.

I took one picture, of the 17th - which is a hole that generates conflicting opinions.  I liked the hole - it plays around 330 yards and features three saddles into which one can place the tee ball.  From there you have a sharply uphill pitch to a green sitting at a high point that is essentially a tilted upside down cereal bowl.  



It was a great thrill to play Crystal Downs.  
  

[Jason Topp]

Day 3 was spent at Shanty Creek Resort.  We arrived on the night of the 5th.  The resort commands a beautiful view of a nearby lake (maybe Torch Lake) and sports several golf courses.  We played the Cedar River Course - a Weiskoopf design that is very beautiful and in great condition.  It has some of the flattest greens I have ever putted.  Perhaps they just seemed flat after playing Lochenheath, Crystal and Kingsley beforehand.  

In the afternoon we played the Legend course that has one of the strangest holes I have ever encountered.  The 2nd plays straight up a steep bank - a rise that seemed 50 feet or more,  You hit your tee shot to a narrow fairway and then need to clear a wetland to get to the green.  I wish I would have taken a picture but I am not sure a picture would accurately represent how severe of a hole it is.  Neither of us hit the fairway off the tee but Joel did hit a cart path and found a ten yard wide piece of fairway about 40 yards in front of the green.

I would have liked to have played the oldest course at the resort - the Summit, a Diddel design modified somewhat.  Fred Muller at Crystal Downs suggested that the greens on the course were outstanding and from my brief view of a few of them I suspect he is right.  The course does not look like much tee to green but to my eye I might have liked the course as much or more than the other two due to the greens.

Unfortunately, it appears that customers avoid the Summit.  It stood relatively empty while the other courses were packed.  They had big cups on the greens in addition to regular holes and were advertising foot golf.  For most of us, the 6200 yard length from the back tee is sufficient length to encounter an adequate challenge, but customers that would never dream of playing back tees seem to prefer playing from 5800 yard tees on courses with back tees stretching closer to 7000 yards.  I have no idea why.

Joel got lucky at Shanty Creek - narrowly beating me in the morning and crushing me in the afternoon thanks to being 2 under after 3 holes and even par after 6.