Welcome to our March 2026 Newsletter!
Congratulations
Chris H.
You are the winner of the February Newsletter
You correctly answered:
Which golf course superintendent responded to our questions about winter course preparation?
That would be Mike Osier, Golf Superintendent at Northern Michigan University Golf Course.
Chris, thanks for including your address. Your schwag is on the way.
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❄️Still Winter. Very Much Still Winter.
I could honestly copy and paste last month’s weather paragraph, and no one would know the difference.
As I sit here writing this, it is snowing. Again. Windy. Cold. The kind of cold where you start checking long-range forecasts like they owe you money.
BUT…
By the time you are reading this, if all goes according to plan, I should be sitting poolside at an Airbnb in Ft. Lauderdale with the Virginia and Grand Blanc kids. Sunshine. Warm air. No snow shovel in sight.
Golf? Probably not.
As much as I love a good round, the grandkids win this one. I am hoping I can pack a little sunshine in my suitcase and bring it back north with me. Hoping that courses will start opening in late March or early April.
Open for the Season
The last few years we have seen several Northern Michigan courses open in March and April.
With fingers crossed (and maybe a small weather dance), we will be turning the Open for the Season pages back on soon and updating them daily. As opening dates get announced, we will share those on social media too.
Maybe… just maybe… if we all wish really, really hard, we will be teeing it up before April.
I have got my clubs mentally ready. Physically? That is another story.
Did You Know?
Time for this month’s “Did You Know?”
A few years ago, Guy had this happen repeatedly out at The Dunes Golf Club.
A “goldie bounce” is when your ball smacks into a tree deep in the rough… and somehow kicks back out onto the fairway.
Pure skill. Obviously.
I have a couple of kids who could benefit from a regular subscription to that particular tree.
Evergreen Resort – The Spruce Course
If you have driven north on 115 years ago, you probably remember the old McGuire’s Resort billboard. Tartan and all.
At some point, the billboard disappeared. Life went on.
It was not until I was building my overly detailed Excel spreadsheet of Northern Michigan golf courses (yes, the one I mentioned last month) that I realized the resort had sold and was now Evergreen Resort.
Evergreen is home to:
- The 18-hole The Spruce Course at Evergreen Resort
- The 9-hole The Norway Course at Evergreen Resort
Evergreen Resort Spruce Course Hole 1
It had not really been on my radar. Guy and his buddies had not played it. I had not heard much chatter.
Then last fall, Alex wanted one more round while he was at the cottage.
We booked 18 holes on October 4th around 9-ish.
Fall golf is always a gamble. You might get leaf-covered fairways and numb fingers. Or you might get lucky.
We got lucky. Warm. Calm. One of those “this is why we live here” days.
Slightly Annoying
The only thing that briefly annoyed me? There was a wedding later that day, and for some reason we were not allowed to drive the cart near the first hole. We had to park and walk. You can see the chairs were just left of the fairway.
Would I have appreciated a heads-up when booking? Sure.
Was I being a little petty? Also sure.
I got over it quickly. Perspective is a beautiful thing.
Evergreen Resort Spruce Course Hole 13
The Course Itself
The course was in fantastic shape.
I will admit I had made some assumptions based on location, age, and the lack of chatter. I was wrong. It was a great find.
There are several challenging holes. I personally struggled more on the par 4s than anything else. A few triples. Several doubles. One proud par on 12.
My final score? 101.
There are quite a few bunkers and water features. I am not blaming them… but I am also not not blaming them.
Most holes are fairly straight, with only a few noticeable doglegs. It is playable for beginners, but still interesting enough for more advanced players.
Which is exactly why it came back into the conversation for June.
Alex has a large group descending on him and Danielle in early June at the cottage. He said he wanted to sneak away and golf and invited me and Guy (never going to say no to that). Guy immediately suggested we go back to The Spruce Course.
Evergreen Resort Spruce Course Snack Shack Hole 11
Turns out Guy will be in Wisconsin that weekend with some of his golfing buddies, so I pivoted and invited my newly golfing daughter and her soon-to-be husband instead. It feels like the perfect fit. Welcoming enough for newer players, but still interesting enough that nobody gets bored.
So yes, we are officially planning a return trip in June.
A Quick Heads-Up
The turn between 9 and 10 is not near the clubhouse.
They do have a snack shack near 11, but ours was not open that late in the season. Completely reasonable, we just did not know.
So, stock up before you head out or confirm it will be open.
Even with that 101 and light dehydration, we all agreed we would be back.
Evergreen Resort
The Resort
From the outside, the resort looks a little dated but well maintained.
When we first started talking about the June golf day, we planned to book a weekend and stay at the resort. That was the original idea.
Then we remembered Guy’s Wisconsin trip and scrapped that idea. I am not staying there alone. But it is still on my list for later this summer.
Some places deserve a proper weekend, not just 18 holes and a quick goodbye. Plus, it will give us a chance to play the 9-hole course as well.
👉 See all the pictures from our round at The Spruce Golf Course at Evergreen Resort here.
Golf Quote of the Month
Since I briefly let wedding logistics rattle me…
I can honestly say butterflies have never cost me a putt.
Other things? Yes.
Butterflies? No.
Change of Summer Upper Peninsula Golf Plans
I mentioned in a previous newsletter that since my daughter is getting married in Marquette this summer, we were finally going to do the Perfect Foursome the week prior.
Well.
I definitely started planning that without thinking it through and I made a lot of assumptions.
I assumed the Virginia kids would fly into Marquette. Honestly, that was not a smart assumption.
Of course they are flying into Traverse City. As are the groom’s parents from Germany, his sister from England, and several guests from other parts of Europe.
The Virginia crew has a vacation home here. They are arriving a week before the wedding and staying a couple weeks after. We will only be in Marquette Wednesday through Sunday, and most of that will be wedding activities.
YES, we will golf at least one course in the Marquette area. We have priorities.
But the full Perfect Foursome the week before? That is not happening this year.
Could we still go up early? Technically, yes. But I am not willing to miss time with the grandkids and family who are flying in from everywhere. And the week after my daughter’s wedding, Guy’s brother is getting married.
Between two weddings, Guy’s golf trips, and general life… the Perfect Foursome may be a 2027 project.
We will see.
If any of you have done the U.P. foursome, I would love to hear what you thought. It is still very much on the list.
🌀 Check Out Our Latest Blog
I have watched Guy and his buddies build their bags one club at a time. Meanwhile, I have always bought complete sets.
We did add a 7 and 9 wood to mine, and I have zero regrets. Those clubs have saved me more than once.
Guy is talking about a new driver again this year. (Shocking.)
It got me wondering if he would be better off just buying a complete set. I did some research. While he is not going that route, for some golfers, me included, a full set makes a lot of sense.
If you have ever wondered which way to go, it is worth reading.
That’s it for March’s Newsletter.
May your snow melt quickly.
May your opening day come early.
And may you get at least one goldie bounce this season.
See you on the course!
Click here to see all the pictures we have taken of courses over the years.
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