Welcome to our January Newsletter!

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Cranes showed up between the 7th & 8th holes on the Loon Golf Course at The Loons Golf Resort

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Countdown Begins

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday. We are over one hump and getting closer to the 2024 Northern Michigan golfing season. This is the time of year where I get incredibly antsy about wanting the courses to open. For me, the real countdown begins the day after the Super Bowl.

The time between my last Northern Michigan round of 2023 and my first of 2024 is going to be considerably shorter this season. We had an unseasonably warm weather in December. Many Northern Michigan courses announced available tee times on the warmer days. The 2024 season may not be as far away as it normally is this time of year.

Christmas Magic

Golfing in December at Interlochen Golf Course - Golf Carts and bonfireOn the weekend of December 15, 16, 17 some Christmas magic happened. Several golf courses in Northern Michigan opened up tee times and invited folks to come and golf a round. I saw several social media posts for courses in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, Northeast, and Northwest Lower Peninsula. My son was able to snag a 2pm tee time at Interlochen Golf Course for 9 holes on Saturday. I was excited since my last time golfing was the Loon in late September. A couple of courses opened up during the Christmas weekend/week as well.

No carts and Momma ain’t walking in the cold!

We got to the course and checked in and found they did not have any available golf carts. Now we know that Interlochen is always well equipped and was surprised that they would accept tee times knowing that they would have already sent out all the carts. Because of my hip/back issue walking the course was not an option. I was so disappointed, and I think my son felt bad since he was the one that made the tee time. Well, he went out to the 9th hole and asked the group if they were playing 18 and they were not. They brought us their carts to use, crisis averted.

Golfing in December at Interlochen Golf Course - Just a little snow on the courseConsidering I am always whining about being cold I was not. I had my Arcadia Bluffs sweatshirt, my driving (car) gloves and a couple of drinks and I was good to go.

It is funny that I was able to golf with my driving gloves because I absolutely hate wearing golf gloves. I find golf gloves sweaty and uncomfortable; my driving gloves are smooth and did not feel bulky like golf gloves do.

So Much Fun

We had a blast and I only blew up one hole, a par 3 which I ended with a triple bogey. I ended up shooting a 46 which is pretty darn good for me, especially when it is chilly. Because I love the warmth, I golf my best golf when it is hot and humid. Supposedly hot golf balls drive further after they have been warmed by the sun. I never researched it and choose to believe I golf better because I have the sun beating down on me keeping me warm and I love the heat.

More Christmas Magic!

Golfing in December at Interlochen Golf Course - Just a little snowA week later Interlochen Golf Course announced it was opening up again. One of my sons drove by on Christmas day and said it was packed. At one point during the day, he suggested he should run home and check on his dogs and we all laughed that we knew where he was actually going. He ended up not going anywhere. 😊

The day after Christmas found me and my 3 sons (the Virginia kid and his family were here for Christmas) out on the course playing 9 rounds in chilly mist. I cannot remember a time that I golfed with all 3 of my boys together. We had so much fun, and I shot a 48.

Interlochen, where it all began

Interlochen is the course that Guy taught me to golf with his old clubs at. We only did 9 holes that day and I got an 84 the first time I golfed 9 holes.

Golfing in December at Interlochen Golf Course - Just a little snowI called my kids with my score after that and for a split second they thought I got an 84 for 18 holes. I was going to let them think that for a while but they quickly figured out there was no way it was for 18 holes. Even my brother joked that either I miscounted or it was for 9 holes.

Seeing how far I have come is amazing. I do not practice; I may not be as serious as other golfers but still I have shown some great improvement.

Never thought I would be golfing in Northern Michigan in December let alone twice ten days apart. The latest before this was mid-November. At this rate, outdoor golfing in Northern Michigan could become a year-round event, at least at a few courses. This is a good segue to my next topic.

Indoor Golf

Traditional golf participation has continued to grow after the surge during the COVID pandemic. As more indoor simulators have opened golfers are finding that not only is there a place to golf when the weather is not cooperating, but they have a wide choice of golf courses to golf at. Pebble Beach, St. Andrews, PGA National and more were available to choose from.

An estimated 6.2 million Americans used golf simulators within the past year, marking a significant 73% surge compared to previous years. This increase reflects the growing popularity of golf simulators both in commercial venues and homes, indicating a widespread adoption of this technology for entertainment and practice purposes.

Recent studies have shown that when golfers use simulators to improve their game, they are more likely to play more on an actual course. According to the National Golf Foundation, “Only 2% of simulator golf users said they play less on an actual course compared to 29%who indicated they play more”.

Swing Theory

Swing Theory TC LogoI had mentioned in last months newsletter that I was invited to check out Swing Theory TC, a new indoor golf facility in Traverse City before it opened. We met with Tyler (owner) on a Friday evening on our way to visit Guy’s brothers and friends on that side of town. I figured it would be a quick stop to look it over and head on out.

We ended up staying a couple of hours. Tyler was a great host and showed us around and of course offered us a go at the simulator. Guy is never one to say no to golf. He had his clubs in the car hoping he would get to try it out. Swing Theory TC uses the Trackman brand of simulators. We had heard of them, but never used what I am told is the gold standard for simulators.

Guy Loved It!

Guy had a great time and one of his league friends visited and had nothing but great things to say about Swing Theory TC. For me, although I have fun the first few swings I am quickly bored.

Guy swinging a golf club at a simulated screen at Swing Theory TC indoor golfI am not one to hang out on a driving range, putting or chipping greens and I never do practice swings on the course. I just do not have the patience to do the same thing over and over and over again. For those that have been subscribing to our newsletter since the beginning, you will remember that I preferred sitting on a bench reading while my family hit balls at the local driving range.

Swing Theory is open 6 days a week until 10pm (closed Monday). There are 3 bays, and it is recommended you reserve 1 hour per golfer in your group. Each bay can support 8 golfers, but it is recommended that you limit it to 4. They will be offering alcohol in mid-January when their liquor license is expected to become active.

Indoor League Play

Swing Theory Simulator Bays - 2 bays side by side with counter/bar and stoolsSwing Theory TC will be hosting two public leagues come mid-January and may add more if there is demand. They will also allow players to host private league but will not be the score keeper. I am not a league player so what they are offering does not mean much to me. I am assuming that many of you will understand it.

Tyler said the league play they will be offering will be:  

  • Duo-Drop-In League: 16 teams, 2 vs 2, Match Play Scoring, 9-hole rounds, 12 weeks, 6-day long play coordination window.

  • Individual League:  Net score, 9-hole rounds, 12 weeks, organized weekly league night.

Lessons Available

Lessons and training will be available in January. A PGA Tour Golf coach will be the director of the program overseeing other PGA coaches. Watch for more information and announcements on their Facebook Page.

Indoor golf is not something that I would seek out on my own. But, the consensus with the guys who have already checked it out is that Tyler is doing it right and the fact that he is using Trackman is a huge plus.

One of my kid’s dream is to have a Trackman simulator in his house. He just has to convince his wife that the guest quarters should have the roof raised and furniture removed. 😊

More Indoor Facilities in Northern Michigan

I would be remiss if I did not include that there are 4 other indoor facilities in the Traverse City area. Plus another 6 indoor golf facilities in the rest of Northern Michigan. All offer different amenities from league play, memberships, food & alcohol and more.

Visit their websites for additional information.

Trackman Golf Ball on indoor teeWe have visited 2 of the above facilities. Guy had some issues with the atmosphere of one of them. The other was when he was buying clubs and did not get the full experience. For me when I bought my new clubs it did not matter if I was hitting towards a simulated golf course or a blank screen. My goal was making sure the club felt right for me.

What do you think?

I would be interested to hear from you all if you have used a simulator and what you thought. You can either email me at marisa@golfupnorth.comor visit our Facebook group Golf Up North and join the discussion.

Based on a very informal poll of golfing friends, most find value in using golf simulators. They say they have a lot of fun while doing so. They all visit indoor facilities during the off season and a couple have done leagues.

More party than golf

I have been to Top Golf a couple of times and the atmosphere was more hitting few balls towards a target and socializing than actually practicing/playing golf. I did have a goodtime and I would go again. Top Golf is not really golfing, it is more like horsing around with friends and family for me.  

The golfers I talked to say there is a time and place for the party atmosphere. They are not opposed to it, but if they are there to practice or play a course on their bucket list, they do not want the distractions of a sports bar behind them.

Simulated golf course using TrackmanWorth trying

I do think if you are given the opportunity to try a simulator, you should. All of our friends think I am weird that golf simulators are not fun for me. I am fine with being an odd duck and am more than happy to tag along with a good book in my bag and watch them have the fun. 😊

Full Disclosure: Neither myself, Guy or any other member of Up North Entertainment Group was offered any form of compensation for my writing this article about Swing Theory TC. A mutual friend suggested that Tyler reach out to me for some feedback. After visiting I thought Golf Simulators would make a good topic for our newsletter. It made sense to time it when Swing Theory TC was open.

Golf Quote of the Month

This quote from Pete Dye seemed appropriate for this newsletter. It may have been chilly; it may have been lightly raining one of the days, but we were not missing a chance to golf in December.

The ardent golfer would play Mount Everest if somebody put a flagstick on top. - Pete Dye

 

Pete Dye (real name Paul Dye Jr. December 29, 1925 – January 9, 2020) was an American golf course designer. His father was a golf course designer and Pete married Alice Dye and amateur champion and also a course designer. Pete designed more than 100 courses. He and his wife are best known for the “island green” – the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. One of the most photographed holes in golf history.

Click here to see all the pictures we have taken of courses over the years.

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We hope you enjoyed our latest issue of The Golf Up North Newsletter. Click here to see all the pictures we have taken of golf courses over the years.

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