Gaylord Golf Mecca Courses Among Golf Digest America's Greatest Public
Four courses also among the top 25 in Michigan
Gaylord, MI – When it comes to premier summer golf destinations, few places are as beautiful with the quantity and quality of golf than northern Michigan’s Gaylord area. Known as America’s Summer Golf Mecca, the popular golfing area had two of its golf courses listed among Golf Digest’s elite list of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses. Black Lake Golf Club was ranked No. 44 on the list while Elk Ridge was No. 69.
The publication’s biennial review of America’s top courses appears in the May 2011 issue. Golf Digest used over 1,000 members of its Course Ranking Panel and asked each to submit ballots based on such areas as shot values, resistance to scoring, design variety, memorability, aesthetics, conditioning, and ambience.
In addition to America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses, Black Lake and Elk Ridge were ranked No. 13 and No. 19 respectively among the top 25 in Michigan. Also joining them among the states top 25 from Gaylord were the Robert Trent Jones Masterpiece at Treetops Resort, ranked No. 14, and the Tom Fazio Premier at Treetops was No. 23 on the list.
Black Lake Golf Club, designed by Rees Jones, is an 18-hole facility cut from a 1,000-acre forest retreat owned by the United Auto Workers. Jones, who has become known as "The U.S. Open doctor" for his restoration of classic layouts selected by the USGA for U.S. Open sites, brought some of that classic "feel" to Black Lake. Holes mesh seamlessly with the surrounding terrain, cranberry bogs, sand quarry, and dense tree lines. Black Lake’s greens are located largely on plateaus, with bunkers recessed into the faces, giving the course an old-fashioned northeastern look.
The award winning Elk Ridge, designed by Jerry Matthews, is located on the eastern outskirts of the Mecca. This is a big rolling course with elevation changes, magnificent stands of red and white pine trees, wetlands, streams, and tough undulating greens. Elk Ridge is also home to some of Michigan’s largest elk herds.
Robert Trent Jones Sr. started it all at Treetops in 1987 where he created one of the most scenic courses in America. Jones spent a great deal of time on the site, one of his last designs. He coined the name "Treetops" as he looked out over the deep drop to the green of the popular par 3 6th-hole, which offers spectacular views that stretch over 30-40 miles of northern Michigan. Tom Fazio followed Jones and his Premier course remains the only Tom Fazio design in Michigan. Fazio designed a wonderful player-friendly course that sweeps in and out of valleys and along ridges with beautiful elevation changes throughout.
The Gaylord Golf Mecca, which will celebrate 25-years of excellence in 2012, is one of the most successful golf destination marketing efforts in the country. With five world-class resort destinations, 21 top public courses, together with fine and casual dining, the Gaylord area is an experience that golfers of all skills and tastes can enjoy.
For more information, visit www.gaylordgolfmecca.com or call (800) 345-8621.
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