Gaylord Golf Mecca Wows Another Group of Golf, Travel Writers
By Greg Johnson
Eight golf writers, photographers, radio talents and even a social media producer visited the Gaylord Golf Mecca on a Familiarization (FAM) Trip that was FAMtastic recently via Pam Shaheen and her company Crossroads Marketing.
They played seven courses over five days – Threetops and the Signature at Treetops Resort, Black Lake Golf Club, Indian River Golf Club, Gaylord Golf Club, The Tribute at Otsego Resort and The Natural – including a rainy day where they managed the gnarly stuff like surfers, smooth and easy.
The Mecca has 17 member courses and 21 lodging partners. Their digs for the week were at Treetops Resort and Otsego Resort, and they hit great restaurants like Big Buck Brewery, Bennethum’s Northern Inn and the Sports Bar at Treetops, had a cookout at Otsego Resort, caught the movie Top Gun: Maverick and even toured beautiful Gaylord. They let me tag along, too.
There were miles of smiles across the great green expanse of golf in Gaylord. We can’t wait to read, listen and look at what they thought of the place.
Keep an eye on the internet for stuff from our visitors – Randy Tantlinger of Golfin’ Around Radio & Magazine in Pittsburgh, Tim Corser of 517 Golf in Michigan, Dave Finn of Canada and Golf Travel and Leisure/Leading Courses, David Glasier of Cleveland and The News Herald of Northeast Ohio, Fred Altvater of Golf Journals in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, Peter Mumford of Ontario and Fairways Magazine, Len Ziehm of Len Ziehm on Golf, the Chicago Daily Herald and Golfers on Golf Radio, and Joy Sarver, a photographer for Len Ziehm on Golf.
Tantlinger, who goes by the name Tank on his radio show Golfin’ Around Radio Hour, is a bit of a character with a loud booming voice, but he said he was seriously impressed with the Gaylord Golf Mecca.
“It’s not that far from Pittsburgh and it’s worth the trip,” he said. “I was surprised every day with the courses we were playing, the resorts where we stayed, everything. This really is a perfect buddy trip spot.”
Testimony from the others was similar, just not as loud and booming.
“I’m going to get back to the Mecca soon,” offered David Glasier of the News Herald of Northeast Ohio. “It obviously takes more than one trip to play all these courses but having played seven of them and being so surprised and happy with the experience, I have to see the other 10.”
Go to gaylordgolfmecca.com and see what they are talking and writing about. Then visit. It promises to be FAMtastic.
