Greetings from Mid-Michigan!

[tlazzol]

  Hello fellow golfers!  Have followed this site for a while and am impressed with the knowledge and courtesy shown by the members.  I will try hard to do the same.  I have been playing golf for about 35 years (out of 66 years of existence) and am trying to become more competitive in the B flight of the Michigan Amateur  West Tour.  I believe joining this forum will help me to do so.

[iacas]

Welcome to the site. Hardy guy, showing up in mid-December from Michigan.

[mcanadiens]

Hello.

 Poke around and you'll find at least a few other TST members from that state up north.

Incidentally, I've been doing some reading and am starting to think a trip to Northern Michigan may be in order next summer. Any recommendations?

[bkuehn1952]

Welcome from another denizen of the Frozen Mitten.  We have put our clubs away for the year but that shouldn't stop us from yakking about golf! 

[tlazzol]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

Welcome to the site. Hardy guy, showing up in mid-December from Michigan.

  Hi, iacas.  Yeah, I have a lot more time now to talk about golf for the next 3-4 months.  We were playing in good weather until the end of November and then it nose dived.  I won't even think about going to Michigan State's heated range in this cold.  

 

1 hour ago, mcanadiens said:

Hello.

 Poke around and you'll find at least a few other TST members from that state up north.

Incidentally, I've been doing some reading and am starting to think a trip to Northern Michigan may be in order next summer. Any recommendations?

  Hi, mcanadiens.  If you're asking about courses in the U.P. I have never player there.  In the upper half of the lower state Arcadia Bluffs on the west coast is my favorite high end course.  Prime rate for 2017 is $190.  Seniors (55+) pay $100 on Tuesdays.  Center of the state is Treetops near Gaylord. They have 5 courses and the one designed by Fazio is a challenge.  Are you looking for resort courses or something in a particular area of the state?

[mcanadiens]

8 minutes ago, tlazzol said:

Center of the state is Treetops near Gaylord. They have 5 courses and the one designed by Fazio is a challenge.  Are you looking for resort courses or something in a particular area of the state?

Treetops was certainly one of the ones that I was looking at.

Doesn't haven't to be fancy, but a place to stay for a couple of days and play some decent courses.

[dennyjones]

Welcome to the forum.    This is a great place and most everybody behaves.  

I was out your way this year and played Forest Akers - West.   Loved it.

 

@mcanadiens - if you do plan of playing in northern Michigan, Treetops is a must, especially the par 3.   You won't believe the course, it is amazing.   The elevation changes are thrilling.  We stayed two days and played 27 the day we arrived and 18 the next.   There are two additional courses we didn't get a chance to play.   There are great courses near Boyne, Gaylord, Cadillac and points in between.    The new reversible course in Roscommon may be worth check out too, it got rave reviews in Golf Digest.  

[JonMA1]

Welcome to The Sand Trap @tlazzol

On 12/15/2016 at 2:37 PM, mcanadiens said:

Incidentally, I've been doing some reading and am starting to think a trip to Northern Michigan may be in order next summer. Any recommendations?

There are many mid-range courses up here I'd suggest - none would compare to Arcadia Bluffs which I'm told is just beautiful.

If the Traverse City area is north enough for you, there is an abundance of nice courses.

[tlazzol]

On 12/15/2016 at 5:01 PM, mcanadiens said:

Treetops was certainly one of the ones that I was looking at.

Doesn't haven't to be fancy, but a place to stay for a couple of days and play some decent courses.

If you do go to Treetops there are other courses just south of Gaylord (10-15 mi.). The Natural, and Loon Golf Resort which consists of the Loon, the Lakes and the Ridge.  Have not played them.  Have stayed at the American Express hotel in Gaylord.  Clean and quiet.  And on the "Stay and Play" page of the Natural's web site a Facebook post states that 2017 is the Natural's 25th anniversary.  The greens fee with cart on the 25th of each month in 2017 is $25.  I think this old retiree will pay a visit.  

[mcanadiens]

2 minutes ago, tlazzol said:

If you do go to Treetops there are other courses just south of Gaylord (10-15 mi.). The Natural, and Loon Golf Resort which consists of the Loon, the Lakes and the Ridge.  Have not played them.  Have stayed at the American Express hotel in Gaylord.  Clean and quiet.  And on the "Stay and Play" page of the Natural's web site a Facebook post states that 2017 is the Natural's 25th anniversary.  The greens fee with cart on the 25th of each month in 2017 is $25.  I think this old retiree will pay a visit.  

Thanks guys. Definitely thinking going north for vacation this summer may be the way to go.

[tlazzol]

On 12/15/2016 at 6:22 PM, dennyjones said:

I was out your way this year and played Forest Akers - West.   Loved it

Hi!   Yeah, the West is a nice course.  It has some holes that demand a particular strategy from the tee; makes me think.   I'm lucky there are great courses to play in the Lansing area.  

[RandallT]

On 12/15/2016 at 4:52 PM, tlazzol said:

Yeah, I have a lot more time now to talk about golf for the next 3-4 months.

Yah, I'm real good at talking about golf. Playing, not so much. Anyway, welcome!

[CarlSpackler]

Welcome to the site!

[Casey 5-Strokes]

Hey there, sorry you are stuck without playing.  I think I'm going out on Thursday in 42 degree weather with some rain.  Will you be doing any golf activities this winter to keep your game up, or do you take these months off?

[tlazzol]

JonMA1, RandellT, and CarlSpackler , thanks for the welcome.  Sorry for the late response.  Just before Christmas life just blew up with hospital visits and illnesses.  Things have just now settled down some.  Everyone is getting better.  Hope your holidays went well.

On 12/20/2016 at 11:05 AM, Casey 5-Strokes said:

Hey there, sorry you are stuck without playing.  I think I'm going out on Thursday in 42 degree weather with some rain.  Will you be doing any golf activities this winter to keep your game up, or do you take these months off?

Well, I was just going to take just December off but I slipped on some ice and did something (not good) to my lower back.  It almost feels normal now.  My plan in February is to start doing stretches and core exercises.  Then I'm going to join SnapFit and do basic weight workouts.  My wife works out with one of their trainers there so I will probably end up doing that also.  I might go to Michigan States's outdoor range if the temperature is close to 40 Deg.  My arthritis does not like cold weather.