November 1, 2026 Golf News

 

Welcome to the November 2026

Golf Up North Newsletter

First things first. Congratulations to:

Alissa S.!

Your name was randomly drawn from everyone who responded to last month’s survey. Enjoy your Golf Up North schwag!

We had another great turnout for our survey about music on the golf course. And I have to say, the results didn’t surprise me much. Apparently, nobody thinks the entire golf course needs to hear your playlist.

Here is how you voted:

I love the idea of golfers learning basic etiquette before heading onto the course. What do you think the United States should do?

• 0% YES! You should be able to play your music as loud as  you want, wherever you want.

• 57% MEH! I don’t care if people listen to music while golfing, but they should be respectful of everyone else on the course.

• 43% NO! If you want to listen to music, wear earbuds or headphones. The golf course is not your car.

I’m firmly in the NO camp.

And I suspect that’s because my experiences with music on the course haven’t exactly been wonderful.

I’ve heard music blaring from fairways on the other side of the course. I’ve had carts pull up next to tee boxes with the music going full blast just as I’m getting ready to hit. Which is especially helpful when I’m already perfectly capable of messing up my tee shot without any outside assistance.

My home course has a couple of holes where the cart parking for one green is right next to the next tee box. I have yet to see someone pull up with their music going, notice golfers on the tee, and turn their radios down.

Not once.

I probably wouldn’t have an issue with music if everyone was considerate about it. But apparently, self-regulation isn’t working out so well.

And there you have it. I’m officially becoming one of those people who complains about the music being too loud.

At least I’m not yelling at kids to get off my lawn. Yet.

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Technically, the Season is Over ☹

Well, here we are. That dreaded time of year in Northern Michigan when golf courses start closing, the leaves are everywhere, and we begin checking the weather forecast for a possible 50 degree day like we’re waiting for winning lottery numbers.

Our home course closed last week, and I didn’t manage to get another round in after returning from Virginia. I’m pretty bummed about that.

Another course announced it would be closing in a week and offered a $55 special for 18 holes. That seemed a little steep for a course, likely covered in leaves with aerated greens, but I suppose when you’re running out of options, you start looking at things differently.

A few other courses have already closed, and more are getting ready to call it a season.

The good news is that Interlochen Golf Course is still open and has been known to open sporadically during the winter when Mother Nature cooperates. They have a full-service restaurant and winter activities, so someone is around throughout the year.

I’m hoping to sneak in another round or two, but I’m still catching up after spending two weeks in Virginia.

Speaking of which…

Visiting the Grandkids in Virginia

A few weeks ago, I loaded up the car and made the 16-hour drive to Virginia Beach.

I stopped overnight in Winchester, Virginia, which left me about four hours of driving the next day. I arrived in time to pick the grandkids up from school.

Remember last month when I mentioned that every time I visit Virginia, I seem to bring unusually cold weather with me? Well, apparently, I haven’t lost my touch! When I arrived in Virginia Beach, temperatures were in the upper 70s, and there was even a couple swimming in the ocean. By the next day, the wind had picked up, the rain had moved in, and temperatures were below normal. When we golfed at Kempsville Greens, we all brought hoodies! And wouldn’t you know it, when I headed home two weeks later, I needed the air conditioning in my car. Apparently, I don’t just visit Virginia. I bring Northern Michigan weather with me, then pack it up and take it home when I leave.

And I don’t think I got out of my car for the next two weeks. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. I did get out occasionally to sleep and eat.

I had forgotten just how much driving is involved when you have kids participating in sports and after school activities.

Anna is on her school’s robotics team two days a week. Bray stays after school those days too, playing dodgeball one day and participating in gym activities the other. At least that eliminates a couple of extra pickups.

Anna also plays softball, and she’s quite good at it. Bray plays on two baseball teams, including a travel team.

That leaves the other weekdays for practices and Saturdays, sometimes Fridays, for games.

One particular game day was a masterpiece of family logistics.

Bray had a morning game. Anna had a game around noon but needed new dance shoes. Patrick, who coaches Bray’s team, stayed at his game. But he is also the assistant coach of Anna’s team and he made it by the skin of his teeth. Lauren handled the snacks for Anna’s team. And Grandma took Anna shopping for dance shoes before getting her to her game.

Somehow, everybody ended up where they were supposed to be.

I think.

It reminded me of when my four kids were growing up and I was doing this kind of thing all the time.

Good times! Although I’m beginning to understand why I was always tired.

We also managed several Grandma sleepovers in my room, and surprisingly, we all slept really well.

But enough about my adventures as the family chauffeur. You’re here for golf, right?

And one of the reasons I drove instead of flying was so I could bring my clubs.

Patrick and I played Stumpy Lake Golf Course, one of our regular courses when I’m visiting.

I’ve played Stumpy Lake quite a few times, but this time I remembered to take pictures of every hole. So if you’re curious about what the course looks like, I’ve got you covered.

During our round, Patrick noticed something interesting.

I was hitting my 7 wood farther and more consistently than my 3 wood. So he asked a perfectly reasonable question.

Why do I keep using my 3 wood when I obviously hit my 7 wood better?

Well, Patrick, that’s a very good question. And I have absolutely no reasonable answer.

For some reason, I have this idea stuck in my head that if a club is called a fairway wood, it should be used for shots from the fairway.

All fairway shots.

Yes, I know. That makes absolutely no sense. I’ve mentioned before that I’m a little weird.

So I finally decided to listen to someone who apparently knows what he’s talking about and left the 3 wood in my bag. I started using my 7 wood and occasionally my 9 wood.

And wouldn’t you know it, things improved!

Of course, I’m sure that will last until the next round when the 7 wood decides it has done enough good deeds for the season and my 3 wood suddenly becomes the star again.

Golf clubs are funny that way.

Kempsville Greens Golf Course

We also played Kempsville Greens Golf Course with Anna and Bray.

Anna takes golf lessons there, so she was already familiar with the course. It was my first time playing it.

And yes, I took pictures of every hole there too.

The kids are playing really well, and we had such a fun time together. It’s pretty special getting to share a round with the grandkids.

One thing Kempsville Greens has plenty of is Canada geese. And these geese are apparently quite comfortable around golfers. They don’t seem particularly concerned about people or golf balls flying in their direction.

Which brings me to my unfortunate encounter with one of them. Yep. I managed to hit a goose with my golf ball. Right in the leg.

I felt terrible! The poor thing limped for a little bit, but thankfully seemed to recover and went about its business.

I have enough trouble hitting the fairway, and somehow I managed to hit a goose. Not exactly the kind of accuracy I was hoping for. I think I’ll stick to aiming for the greens. The geese would probably appreciate that too.

Anna and I were back the following day for her lesson.

And according to Anna and Bray, Kempsville Greens has the best burger around. I haven’t independently verified this claim, but they seemed pretty confident about it.

One thing I’ve noticed about golf in the Virginia Beach area is that you seem to have two main options: expensive private clubs and municipal courses.

The kids are playing really well, and we had such a fun time together. It’s pretty special getting to share a round with the grandkids.

One thing Kempsville Greens has plenty of is Canada geese. And these geese are apparently quite comfortable around golfers. They don’t seem particularly concerned about people or golf balls flying in their direction.

Which brings me to my unfortunate encounter with one of them. Yep. I managed to hit a goose with my golf ball. Right in the leg.

I felt terrible! The poor thing limped for a little bit, but thankfully seemed to recover and went about its business.

I have enough trouble hitting the fairway, and somehow I managed to hit a goose. Not exactly the kind of accuracy I was hoping for. I think I’ll stick to aiming for the greens. The geese would probably appreciate that too.

Anna and I were back the following day for her lesson.

And according to Anna and Bray, Kempsville Greens has the best burger around. I haven’t independently verified this claim, but they seemed pretty confident about it.

One thing I’ve noticed about golf in the Virginia Beach area is that you seem to have two main options: expensive private clubs and municipal courses.

What’s interesting is that many of the municipal courses are operated by private concessionaires rather than directly by the city. So even though they’re municipal courses, the maintenance, pricing, and amenities can vary quite a bit.

It makes exploring different courses interesting because you never quite know what you’re going to find.

A Little Food Along the Way

Before leaving Virginia, Patrick and Lauren treated me to dinner at Rigoletto Italian Bakery and Café.

I had an amazing gluten free Chicken Marsala and a gluten free cannoli that tasted every bit as good as my Momma’s. That’s saying something!

Lauren has celiac disease, so when we go out to dinner, I usually order something gluten free. That way, if I have leftovers, they can enjoy them too. I even shared half my cannoli with Patrick. See? I can be generous.

And before leaving, I picked up some pizzelles from their bakery to bring home and devour. Those were fully glutenized and absolutely delicious!

On the drive back to Michigan, I stopped overnight in the Youngstown/Canfield area of Ohio.

If you’re ever in that area, Azteca Mexican Restaurant served me some of the best chicken and steak quesadillas I’ve ever had. Get the sampler so you can try both.

I may have originally planned this trip around golf, but I certainly managed to eat pretty well along the way.

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Did You Know?

The break is the amount a golf ball moves left or right from a straight line as it rolls across a putting green because of the contours and slopes.

It can also refer to the slope of the green itself.

I once joined up with a gentleman in his 80s who was recovering from back surgery and still driving the ball more than 300 yards from the back tees.

Seriously.

We met at the turn, and since we were both playing alone, he invited me to join him.

This guy was amazing. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d played on the PGA Tour at some point.

He was kind enough to try teaching me how to read greens. He would point out the slopes and explain which way the ball was going to break.

And I would look at the green. Then look at him. Then look back at the green.

Nope. Still couldn’t see it.

He really tried, bless his heart.

I don’t know if this is related, but I’ve always had a strange issue with magnifying glasses and binoculars. Things appear upside down to me. So maybe my eyes just see things differently.

Or maybe I’m simply an odd duck. We’ve already established that possibility.

My current putting strategy is to look at the general slope of the green, aim a little toward the high side, and hope for the best. It’s a highly scientific system.

Occasionally, it even works

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Timber Wolf Golf Course

As most of you know, this summer was filled with family activities, including my daughter’s wedding in the Upper Peninsula.

Other than that trip, I didn’t get away for any golf adventures.

So in August and September, I decided to shake things up a bit and visit a few courses I’d been wanting to play. These were courses about 45-60 minutes from home, and I wasn’t meeting up with the Up Mid Kid.

First on my list was Timber Wolf Golf Course, located along M-72 between Kalkaska and Grayling.

And boy, am I glad I went.

Don’t Judge a Golf Course by Its Clubhouse

If you’ve driven past Timber Wolf, you might not have given it much thought. From the road, it doesn’t look like anything particularly special. The clubhouse and pro shop appear to be in an old farmhouse.

Timber Wolf was designed by W. Bruce Matthews III and opened in 1998.

Guy remembers when it was built and said he played there quite a bit back in the day. He hasn’t been back in years.

With so many well-known golf courses in Northern Michigan, I can see how someone might overlook Timber Wolf.

That would be a mistake.

Especially if you enjoy a fun, challenging round without spending a small fortune.

When I played, 18 holes with a cart ran about $45 to $50. They also had a senior special Monday through Thursday for $40, including a hot dog and a bag of chips.

I took advantage of the senior discount but skipped the hot dog because I wasn’t hungry.

I know. Free food and I turned it down. Apparently, I’m getting old.

You all know by now that I’m not the person to give you a detailed technical review of a golf course.

I’m not going to analyze every green complex, fairway contour, or architectural feature.

My main question is pretty simple.

Did I have fun?

And at Timber Wolf, the answer was absolutely yes.

The course was challenging for me and based on some of the better golfers I’ve played with, I think they’d find a few holes challenging too. There are some pretty good-sized bunkers. The kind that seem to attract golf balls.

Especially mine. I swear I could aim 50 yards away from one and somehow still find it.

The course has some blemishes, and you’re not getting Augusta National greens. But you’re also not paying Augusta National prices.

It’s a scenic, enjoyable course built on former farmland, with enough interesting holes to keep things fun.

I’m already looking forward to bringing Guy back next year so he can see how the course has changed since he last played it.

Sometimes It’s the Little Things

Another reason I’ll return is the staff.

Everyone I encountered was friendly and welcoming. And I really appreciate that, especially when I show up to play by myself.

I had forgotten my insulated golf cup, which I mentioned to the bartender while getting my front nine cocktail. She disappeared into the kitchen and returned with an insulated cup. She poured my drink into it and told me to enjoy my round. And the cup was mine to keep!

She explained that they save cups left behind by golfers for situations just like this. How nice is that?

When I stopped for my back nine cocktail, there was a different bartender, and she was every bit as friendly. Turns out her husband was the grounds superintendent. Just a nice, welcoming atmosphere all around.

But the best part of my day was still to come.

Meet Karl and Paul

As I was leaving the clubhouse to start the back nine, two gentlemen were sitting on the patio enjoying their senior special hot dogs.

They apologized if they’d been holding me up. I told them not to worry about it. It was a beautiful day, I was happy to be outside, and I certainly wasn’t in a hurry. Besides, when I was waiting behind them, I’d been trying to stay in the shade.

We chatted for a bit, and by the time we finished talking, they had finished eating.

Then they invited me to join them for the back nine. I figured, why not? 

And I’m so glad I did.

Now, I’m pretty sure Paul was the longtime golfer and Karl had recently returned to the game after retiring.

If I’ve got that backward, sorry guys! The memory isn’t quite what it used to be.

They’d discovered Timber Wolf the previous week, enjoyed it so much, and liked the price enough that they came back again. They said they planned to keep coming.

The two had been friends for more than 20 years, if I remember correctly.

And here’s the fun part.

They originally met because their kids married each other.

I had such a good time listening to these two. The friendly ribbing, the stories, the laughter.

It’s the kind of thing you miss when you usually golf alone. They had me cracking up.

And then things got even more interesting.

It’s a Small World. A Really Small World.

Somehow, our conversation turned to where we grew up. I mentioned that I was originally from Union Lake, now part of Commerce Township, and had grown up on the lake. Karl said he was from West Bloomfield and, if I’m remembering correctly, grew up on Cass Lake.

Well, that’s interesting. Two people from the same general area of Southeast Michigan meeting on a random golf course in Northern Michigan.

But wait. There’s more.

Karl asked which high school I attended. I told him Walled Lake Central, class of 1977. He immediately asked if I knew his cousin, Bob T.

Of course I did! I hadn’t seen Bob since high school, but I certainly remembered him.

Karl had spent time around Union Lake growing up, so we started talking about old places and familiar stomping grounds.

There I was, somewhere between Kalkaska and Grayling, enjoying a beautiful afternoon of golf with two guys I’d never met, and suddenly I was taking a trip down memory lane.

How can you not love this game?

But the story doesn’t end there.

After my round, I posted on my personal Facebook page about meeting Karl and Paul and discovering the connection to Bobby.

A high school friend, Linda, commented that Timber Wolf was just down the road from her cabin. Then she asked if I knew that another high school classmate, Mark, had a sister and brother-in-law who owned Timber Wolf.

Seriously? What are the odds?

And while we’re talking about small world connections, here’s another one.

I recently changed hair stylists for my daughter’s wedding and started going to the stylist my daughter uses. During one appointment, we got talking about where we grew up.

I mentioned Union Lake. She knew exactly where it was because her Uncle Jerry lived there.

Guess who went to high school with Uncle Jerry?

Yep. Me.

Apparently, I can’t go anywhere without running into someone connected to my high school years.

At this rate, I’m expecting to find my old algebra teacher working the beverage cart somewhere. Which, honestly, I would love! I still think about Mr. Aeschliman occasionally. Partly because he was a great teacher, but also because he was incredibly good looking. 😊

I love when these connections happen.

Back to Timber Wolf

I suppose I should get back to the actual golf course before this turns into a Walled Lake Central class reunion newsletter. Which, by the way, we will be celebrating our 50th next year. And yes, there will be golf! ⛳

Timber Wolf was fun, scenic, affordable, and welcoming.

Was everything perfect? Of course not.

But there wasn’t anything that would keep me from returning.

Even the 45 minute drive was enjoyable.

Little traffic, beautiful weather, and the radio turned up. Although, based on my opening rant about music, I should clarify that I was in my car. Not driving down the seventh fairway.

I’m already looking forward to playing Timber Wolf again.

And Karl and Paul, if you’re reading this, I haven’t forgotten about coming to Bellaire next summer to play your home course. I’ll give you a heads up. Maybe Guy and I can join you for a round. Just be prepared. My 7 wood may or may not be cooperating by then.

👉 See all the pictures from my round at Timber Wolf Golf Course on the Timber Wolf Picture Page.

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Golfing with the Up Mid Kid

Well, it looks like golfing with the Up Mid Kid is over for the year.

Unless…

We get one of those wonderfully strange Northern Michigan winters where December forgets it’s supposed to be December.

If the mild winter, they’re predicting actually happens, maybe we’ll squeeze in another family golf tournament over Christmas break. We know Interlochen has opened during winter warm spells before.

Of course, this is Michigan. We could be golfing in December or shoveling two feet of snow off the driveway. Possibly in the same week.

Otherwise, we’ll look forward to next season. And hopefully, the cottage maintenance projects will have slowed down enough so that we can spend a little more time on the golf course. Although I’m beginning to suspect cottage maintenance is a year-round sport.

Just without the score card.

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Quote of the Month

This month’s quote comes from someone you might not expect, but I think she has the right idea.

Guy isn’t retired yet, so I don’t get to spend all day hanging out at the golf course with him.

Instead, I apparently drive around Northern Michigan looking for random people my age to golf with.

I’m kidding. Mostly.

I usually enjoy playing alone, but my afternoon with Karl and Paul reminded me just how much fun golf can be when you’re sharing it with good company.

Sometimes it’s not about your score. Sometimes it’s about the people you meet along the way.

And occasionally, those people turn out to know half your high school graduating class

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Latest Blogs

A while back, I played in a charity golf tournament and referred to it as a Best Ball tournament. I was gently corrected.

Apparently, it was a Scramble. Who knew?

Well, probably most of you.

But that got me thinking about all the different golf tournament formats and how they’re played and scored. So I did a little digging and put together a guide to some of the most common formats.

If you’ve ever wondered about the difference between a Scramble, Best Ball, Match Play, Stableford, and a few others, this one is for you.

📍Common Golf Tournament Formats

At the very least, maybe it’ll save you from confidently calling your next tournament the wrong thing. Not that I would know anything about that.

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Leaves are Falling

I hate to say it, but golf season is winding down quickly here in Northern Michigan. Courses are closing faster than the leaves are falling.

A few are hanging on for another week or two, weather permitting. So if you’re hoping to squeeze in one more round, it’s worth making a phone call.

I still have two more courses I played in August and September that I want to tell you about.

I’ll be sharing those in the December and January newsletters.

And who knows? Maybe I’ll have another late season round to sneak into one of those stories.

Before we know it, March will be here, and we’ll start putting together our annual list of courses opening for the season. Every year, a handful of courses surprise us by opening during those early warm spells when the snow starts melting.

And when we hear about them, we’ll let you know.

Until then, I hope you get at least one more round in before the snow flies.

May your drives find the fairway, your putts somehow find the hole, your golf balls stay out of the leaves, and may Mother Nature bless us with just a few more days when we can trade the snow shovel for a golf club.

Happy Golf! ⛳

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