Welcome to our May 2025 Newsletter!
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Bill P. of Swartz Creek
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I had Mac & Cheese at the Cadillac Grill
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A lot of Northern Michigan Courses are Open
Our incredible Northern Michigan courses are waking up from their winter naps and rolling back the tarps. It’s go-time for many of the courses, spring golf is here!
In the meantime:
- Course Openings: We’re updating GolfUpNorth.com constantly—keep checking!
- Golf Confessions: Got a nemesis hole? Let’s hear about it on social media. Golf misery loves company.
- Gear Check: Clubs, shoes, towel (bonus points if it no longer smells like 2019)—ready?
- Shop Local: Our Northern Michigan courses need love, not just swings. Let’s show up for them.
You can check for courses that are open by visiting Golf Up North and scrolling down the home page to just below the search boxes. There you can click on the region you are interested in and if any courses are open they will be listed there. Remember it is early in the season and many of the open courses are on a day to day basis. If you see any missing or incorrect info, let us know at contact@golfupnorth.com.
From the Couch to the Course… Sort of
You ever yell at your TV because the announcer jinxed your favorite golfer mid-putt? Yeah… same here. Up until a few days ago, that was pretty much the peak of my spring golf action.
Northern Michigan in May is like nature’s version of a prank show for golfers—sunny one minute, ice storm the next. I wish I could say I’ve been out racking up birdies, but honestly, I’ve logged more hours watching golf from the couch than actually swinging a club. Progress report: I did get outside for our first round of spring golf, even if there were icicles dangling from my nose.
Good news? I’m at least yelling at the TV with a little more vigor these days thanks to a revamped fitness routine.
Yep, I finally ditched the “workout until you break something” method. After years of trying to outrun the weight I packed on when I quit smoking, I found a rhythm that doesn’t involve needing a medic: shorter workouts, smarter eating, and—shocking plot twist—it’s actually working. My hips (a true gift from my Italian ancestors) are swinging freer, and my drives are stretching out a bit. Not Tiger Woods long, but solid enough that I’m not immediately reaching for my 7-iron after every tee shot.
And let’s talk irons—because apparently, I’m a gal with irons now. It’s night and day compared to last year. Chipping, however… that’s another story. I’ve been ping-ponging across some greens like I’m auditioning for Wimbledon. On the plus side, it’s terrific cardio.
The biggest victory so far? My putting, they are either going in or getting darn close. Every year I randomly improve one part of my short game—this year, it’s putts that actually go in the hole. Progress!
First Rounds of Spring Golf
No new course adventures yet. Have only hit courses we have golfed at so far this year. We had a quick 9 at Elmbrook in the evening that was just getting the rust out.
Our first full round of the season wasn’t until last Saturday when the Up Mid Kid and I met at Eldorado Golf Course. I know I talked about our fall round in last months newsletter. But this time I didn’t have any Cherry Whiskey and I remember the whole course!
The weather report promised mid-50s (which I can tolerate) but—surprise!—it was high 40s and windy enough to knock the stripes off a candy cane. Still, can’t turn down a tee time with one of the kids. Borrowed a windbreaker from Guy, layered up, and off we went.
Spoiler: It eventually warmed up… but not before I needed a front-nine cocktail to survive. (Side note: The bar didn’t have Captain Morgan, so I settled for Bacardi. Good thing I watched the bartender closely—she almost handed me vodka. I love surprises, but not that kind.)
Five-Hour Tour (Cue the Gilligan’s Island Theme)
As we headed to tee off, we noticed the six guys who had been hanging around the clubhouse were now teeing off together. Six. Guys. On one hole. I could hear the slow-play sirens wailing in my head.
Add in cart-path-only rules from overnight rain, and it was clear this round was going to be slower than molasses in January. By the time we finished the first hole, 35 minutes had passed. Total round time? A breezy five hours. (We usually knock out 18 in three.)
Even worse, the Magnificent Six ahead of us ignored the cart-path rules entirely and left tire tracks and ruts all over the fairways. Real classy. If that’s how they treat their home courses, I shudder to think about their behavior at other courses.
On the Course
One hole (15), though, was downright sneaky. It looks straightforward: a big wide fairway, a gentle dogleg…but don’t be fooled. The smart play is to aim over toward the gnarly scrub on the right—land just before it, then cross the swamp to the green. Miss the angle? Welcome to Bogeyville.
I actually stuck the landing perfectly after my drive. All I had to do was get over the swamp. Alex told me, “Swing with everything you have,” and boy, did I. The ball was soaring toward the pin… then a tiny gust of wind popped up and knocked it straight out of the air like a cartoon anvil. Unreal. Red lines in image shows what my ball should have done but didn’t do. This image is also great for showing the amount scrub/swamp that you have to hit over.
Final score: 52 on the front, 52 on the back. Lots of doubles, a couple of triples, but hey—consistency! The guys didn’t have their best days either, but if you ask them, it’s because of their new clubs (courtesy of Costco’s wedge pack and a shiny new set for Jacob). Fun fact: with handicap factored in, I ruled the day. 😊
I would like to come back in the summer when it is green and warm and see how the course is then and with Alex wanting to meeting up this summer we may hit this course again. Our first round of spring golf, really kicked my butt, I want redemption.
Word to the Wise
A heads-up if you book Eldorado early in the season: rates are steep. I paid $89 per round for 3 of us online, which was a bit shocking for May. A fourth joined us, and there was some confusion about pricing errors on the website. The price should have been $65 (still pricey for spring golf). Since I hadn’t paid for Jacob yet, we called it even.
Long story short, I will be calling for tee times. I was told that you pay more per round using Golf Now or Golf Pass. I know I have paid a $5 convenience fee in the past, but I did not realize there were different rates depending on who you booked through.
Did You Know?
Did you know that there have been 5 hole in ones on a Par 5?
The first recorded hole-in-one on a par 5 happened in 1962, when Larry Bruce pulled off the incredible feat. Instead of following the fairway around the dogleg, he took a bold shortcut — hitting his driver over a stand of pine trees straight toward the green. His gamble paid off: the ball not only reached the green but rolled right into the cup! This historic shot took place on the 480-yard 5th hole at Hope Country Club in Arkansas.
Golf Quote of the Month
HaHa! I had to. I LOVE this movie!
Happy Gilmore is a fictional character played by Adam Sandler in a movie by the same name. He was talented hockey player with anger issues. He had a very power golf drive (golfed like he was hitting the puck) and decided to join the PGA tour to make money to save Grandma’s house. I won’t spoil the ending but it is worth watching even if you already have seen it. It never gets old – especially the Bob Barker fight. That fight won the 1996 MTV Movie Award for Best Fight😊 Happy Gilmore 2 will be out July 25th with Adam Sandler on Netflix.
More Than Just Newsletters
Sure, we send out a newsletter every month — but I’m also writing 1–2 blog posts each month. Check out Golf Up North News to read all the blog posts and catch up on past newsletters. The latest post is 10 Golf Tips That Might Actually Help — emphasis on might. I’m rocking a 20+ handicap, so you probably should take my advice with a golf ball sized grain of salt. 😂
Here’s to longer drives, fewer chips (literally), and the hope that by June, I’m spending more time on fairways than furniture.
See you out there. Soon. Probably. Hopefully.
Happy Golfing!
Click here to see all the pictures we have taken of courses over the years.
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