Grand Haven Golf Club

America’s Most Patriotic Golf Course

Grand Haven Golf Club is considered by many to be the Pine Valley of Michigan for its spectacular routing through the towering pines and rolling sand dunes along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Grand Haven Golf Club has another title worthy of your consderation as you plan your next golf excursion into Western Michigan. It may just be America’s Most Patriotic Golf Course.

This old club was designed and originally operated by its resident owners, the famed Michigan design family of Bruce Matthews, Sr. Since 1998 when the Rooney Golf Group LLC purchased the property, it has undergone a $4.5-million revitalization. A spectacular new clubhouse inspired by the beautiful Shinnecock Hills facility was constructed in 2002. A new irrigation system, new and extended tee boxes and cart paths were completed in 2006. 

The Rooney Golf Group is a family affair. It is led by Dr. John Rooney CEO, who is Regents Professor Emeritus of Geography at Oklahoma State University and co-founder of Longitudes Group LLC. and by President and Oklahoma Air National Guard Captain Dan Rooney. Dan brings an equal passion for great golf to his intense commitment to serving our country, whether by flying his F- 16s over the Middle East, or his involvement with the Fallen Heroes Foundation (see attached article). 

If Grand Haven doesn’t epitomize the very best in American golf, it should. It was ranked for over 15 years among the Top 50 Public Courses in America by Golf Digest. The course is classic Matthews, a gorgeous, yet natural feel that blends into the landscape and provides a stout challenge to the experienced player while ensuring the game is fun for the mid-to-high handicapper.

Two new holes (the second and 13th) take advantage of the spectacular sand dunes along Lake Michigan. You’ll likely hit four different clubs off the tees of these wind-influenced, widely-diverse par-3s. The par-5s at GHGC are beefy from the tips, but tantalizingly reachable from the middle tees, offering plenty of risk to go with the reward.

The finishing stretch of 14-18 is as good as you’ll find anywhere—a long but downhill par-4 followed by an uphill par-5 to the highest point on the course, an over-a-valley par-3 from an elevated tee, a 17th hole requiring a long second shot over water and a wonderful dogleg-right par-4 at 18 that’ll demand a precise approach to set up the final putts.

While the course is the star, it’s not the only reason to visit Grand Haven with your foursome, or larger group outing. The golf shop features a full range of top-of-the-line equipment and apparel. The brand new practice “amphitheatre” has one of the largest short-game areas in the region with over a half-dozen chipping greens. It features a series of target greens that allow you to practice every shot that you might encounter on the golf course. It is also the home of the Scott Janus Golf Academy that offers a variety of programs customized to fit your needs.

A full service bar and grill named the Falcon’s Nest, in honor of the F-16 fighter, is a treat for those who love gourmet golf food and drink.

A visit to Grand Haven might get you thinking of making it a more permanent home, and the Renaissance of Grand Haven is a growing residential community adjacent to the 10th and 18th fairways. The new Master Planned Golf Community is under construction. It is maintenance free with homes ranging from $300,000 to $750,000.