Some photo highlights of my trip to Belvedere

[Bart Bradley]

Belvedere has been discussed on here on several occassions and I was intrigued by the course.  So, my son and I journeyed to Charlevoix after two wonderful days at Kingsley last weekend to check it out.  I will say that I really enjoyed my day there and so I thought I'd share some photo highlights.  Overall, the course has very nice width and some interesting greens.  Some of the holes have some really great natural land movement and are really standouts.   Some of the holes lack these contours and are not quite as compelling.

Enjoy.

The small pro shop where visitors check in:





The Members Clubhouse:




The# 1 tee -- par 4 steeply downhill  370 yds:



The #4 green viewed to the left from #1 tee:




Looking back up #1:




#4 227 yd par three with a very good green, from short of the green:



from right of the 4th green:




#7 (sorry massively overcast at this point) a FABULOUS 435yd par 4.  Here is the tee shot:



looking back down #7:



#11 390 yd uphill par 4 with nice countours:




Approach on #11:




#12 422 par 4 with another wonderful fairway with interesting fun countours:



further up:



and still closer to the green:





#13 389 yd par 4 another super hole with great natural land movement tee shot:



the approach:




from left of the green:



#16 short fun par 4 with interesting greensite:



approach to #16:




I enjoyed Belvedere.  It is a very fun place to play.  The par 5s are on the short side for the modern player and there are holes on flatter ground that are slightly less interesting.  I hope you like the mini-tour.

Bart

[Steve Lang]

  You've caught the essence pretty well..

? favorite par three ..  #4 by default?

[Chris Buie]

Very nice Bart.  It looks like a charming place all around.

[Bart Bradley]

You've caught the essence pretty well..

? favorite par three ..  #4 by default?

Steve:

Yes.  Number 4 was the best, but 17 is pretty good and sits on decent land....my photo is not the greatest...the flag lines up directly with a tree in the background and I thought 8 could have been a cool skyline green if they cut the down the tree in the background.

Bart

[John Mayhugh]

Thanks for sharing your photos, especially of the pro shop. I failed to take one of the building and it nicely sums up the essence of the course.

Get rid of some trees and Belvedere looks much like some of the courses that Sean Arble introduces us too.  And that's a good thing!

[JC Jones]

Thanks for the call, Bart.....even though our place is 7 minutes from the first tee, don't worry, I was busy.....

I'm glad you enjoyed it, your pictures do a good job at capturing what Belvedere is about.

[Adam Clayman]

Bart, Did you check out the old aerial in the pro shop?

After seeing it, I told the pro, if he would let one of the more sensitive architects restore those bunkers, I'd ask for a membership application on the spot.

He then informed me of the intricate details in becoming a member. Sadly, it's elaborate.

[JC Jones]

Bart, Did you check out the old aerial in the pro shop?

After seeing it, I told the pro, if he would let one of the more sensitive architects restore those bunkers, I'd ask for a membership application on the spot.

He then informed me of the intricate details in becoming a member. Sadly, it's elaborate.

Work was supposed to begin this year on restoring 3 bunkers short/right of the 16th green.  As you can see from the pictures, it has not begun.

[Bart Bradley]

Bart, Did you check out the old aerial in the pro shop?

After seeing it, I told the pro, if he would let one of the more sensitive architects restore those bunkers, I'd ask for a membership application on the spot.

He then informed me of the intricate details in becoming a member. Sadly, it's elaborate.

Adam:

I did see the aerial and yes, it looks great.  I did not discuss membership.  Tell us the story, it sounds interesting.

Bart

[JC Jones]

BTW, the course could also benefit from a major tree removal.  As you saw in the aerial, there were very few trees on the course back when that aerial was taken.  Unfortunately, a knee jerk reaction to a dutch elm kill off and some tree loving members of the greens committee cluttered the place for most of the middle 20th century.

[Richard Hetzel]

Great pics, I was up that way a few years back and could not play the day I was nearby; I played Dunmaglas as a substitute. Since I will be in Traverse City next week I might try and play it. With tree removal, I am sure the ambience would be even better! Nice pics!

[Adam Clayman]

Bart, it's been a few years but as I recall membership involved owning one of the houses nearby. It may not be as simple as that either. Since there are homes on the course it wasn't clear to me which houses. Maybe someone more familiar will chime in?

[Gary Slatter]

Good pictures Bart, course looks great.   
I was hoping to find photos of the great Belvedere GC on PEI but pleasantly surprised.

I think the majestic elm tree was designed for golf course duty! we lost too many in Ontario in the 60s and 70s.

[JC Jones]

Bart, it's been a few years but as I recall membership involved owning one of the houses nearby. It may not be as simple as that either. Since there are homes on the course it wasn't clear to me which houses. Maybe someone more familiar will chime in?

Belvedere is a golf club that is owned by the Belvedere Club.  The Belvedere Club is a neighborhood association/club dating back to the early 1900's.  It is a grouping of summer homes that share a beach, boat club, etc. on Lake Charlevoix. Ownership of a home in the Belvedere Club gives you the option of being a member of the golf club (though it is not required).  At the time the golf course was built, there was another such club in Charlevoix known as the Chicago Club.  The area of Charlevoix/Petoskey was basically built as summer resort towns for wealthy Chicagoans.  The Chicago Club actually had a golf course first (though only 9 holes remain and it is now a muni for the city of Charlevoix) and the designer and head pro of the course was Willie Watson.  So, at the time The Belvedere Club wanted to build a course (around 1925) they had Willie Watson layout the course on some farm land a couple miles away from The Belvedere Club.

The Chicago Club still exists and I believe they also have the option to join the Belvedere golf club.  I heard as recent as last year that membership may be open to outsiders (people who don't own a home in The Belvedere Club or The Chicago Club) but I did not dig further as I am not presently in the market to join a club.

[JC Jones]

Great pics, I was up that way a few years back and could not play the day I was nearby; I played Dunmaglas as a substitute. Since I will be in Traverse City next week I might try and play it. With tree removal, I am sure the ambience would be even better! Nice pics!

Send me a PM if you can work it into your schedule; I'm up for a round.

[jonathan_becker]

Thanks for the photos, Bart.  I'll be making my first visit to Belevedere next month and I'm really looking forward it.  Many of the greens look like a stiff challenge.

[Richard Hetzel]

Here are a few aerials of the Charlevoix muni course nearby, which was formerly the Chicago Club. Interesting how one succumbs as a club, and the other thrives....PM sent JC!

[Peter Pallotta]

Thanks much, Bart. I never tire of seeing photos of Belvedere. It is, it seems to me, all the golf course that any reasonable man should ever want or need.

Peter

[Sean_A]

Its been far too long since I played Belvedere.  As Pietro wrote, its all one should need in a course.  Thanks for the pix Bart.

Ciao

[Tom MacWood]

Bart
Excellent picture, I love the topography and the way the course is laid out on it.

JC
That is a very interesting history...thanks for sharing it.

[BCowan]

Bart,

  Excellent photo tour.  I'm excited for this is the first summer in about 3 years I'm actually going to play Belevedere.  Great photo tour.  The place has a great Genius Loci feel to it, just through the many photos I have seen. 

[Wade Whitehead]

I love the boards listing staff names.  Really adds an air of hospitality.

WW

[JLahrman]

Thanks for the pics Bart, I can't remember seeing any (or very many) before.

I played one round at Belvedere, two summers ago. I agree completely about the course. There are some real standout holes (I liked #6, #7, #10-#13, and #16-#18), and some parts of the course that were not as interesting - flatter land and nothing particularly noteworthy about the holes. Par 5s were on the short side, though I also didn't play from the very back tees. But it's a really charming place and I'd be happy to play that course regularly.

If I had a summer cottage in Charlevoix, a nice little boat to take out on the lake, and membership at Belvedere, I'd be one happy dude. Or maybe I should say, even happier than I already am.