Greg Johnson’s Favorite Foursome of 2025 Mecca Moments
By Greg Johnson –
2025 was filled with memorable Golf Mecca moments. Here are my top four:
#1
The Gaylord Golf Mecca member courses and lodging partners did what they do best following the historic ice storm of April 2025. They worked together by sharing ideas and brainstorming how to make golf great for its annual visitors. Limb and tree damage was extensive across the region. Mecca members rolled up their sleeves and went to work on their courses. Amazingly, the golf courses opened in May, remarkably close to on schedule for most, and they offered golfers the fantastic conditions that have made the Mecca the nation’s favorite summer golf destination. Paul Beachnau, executive director of the Mecca, said he was surprised at how quickly the golf courses responded to what appeared so devastating at the start. “But I wasn’t surprised at how everybody pitched in and helped each other,” he said. “That’s been the reason the Mecca has worked for more than three decades as a cooperative marketing group. There is a great commitment that working together helps everyone be successful.”
#2
Black Bear Golf Course became the newest member of the Gaylord Golf Mecca and wowed me with its transformation. The rolling green course was purchased by longtime Gaylord area business owners Olivia and Rob Smith, and they immediately started making dramatic improvements. Course conditions improved. The Bear Bourbon Bar was added, and the Bear’s Den Restaurant installed golf simulators. A new deck was built, and that’s just a few of the improvements. Golfers noticed, too. In the Golf Advisor surveys, Black Bear was named the most improved course in the country. Yes, No. 1 Most Improved U.S. Golf Course in 2024. “We’re really proud of that,” Olivia Smith said. “It’s been a lot of work, and it’s great to know the golfers are noticing.”
#3
Garland Lodge & Golf Resort debuted a new course in 2025, joining the par 3 course trend with a bang. The Sawyer course, named in reflection of the area’s rich lumbering history, is a reversible layout that offers nine holes playing in one direction, and 10 in the opposite direction via multiple tee areas and angles. It features one set of greens, including one 9,000 square-foot double green with a dramatic dividing tier. Like the four 18-hole courses at the property, Reflections, Monarch, Fountains and Swampfire, The Sawyer offers a great golf experience. Dave Sanderson, the general manager at Garland and the idea man behind the course, felt the 10 acres close to the golf shop was a perfect site. “It’s walking-only, and you can play with different sized groups and have a good time,” Sanderson said. “You can work on your short game and take just three or four clubs and have some fun. It’s another thing we can offer our resort guests and members.”
#4
It wouldn’t be a golf season without a hole-in-one story, and 2025 offered up a doozy from Mike Robertson of Grand Rapids at Treetops Resort. Robertson, in 25 years of playing golf, had never had a hole-in-one. He had come close a few times but had started to believe it might never happen for him. That changed dramatically when he played with a group of 16 golfers at Treetops on the Signature Course. Robertson made two holes-in-one, not just on the same golf trip, or on the same day, or even in the same 18 holes, but in the same nine holes (holes 2 and 8). The odds tell us it’s nearly impossible, as in a one in 65 million chance to get two aces in the same round. “I paid for some drinks, but to be fair, they took it pretty easy on me,” Robertson said of his playing partners and group. “It was just an amazing day. I’m still not believing it.”
Plan your 2026 golf trip to the Gaylord Golf Mecca to create your own favorite memories. Packages and specials are being added to the website regularly, making planning a breeze.
