St. Ives Resort |
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The Inn at the St. Ives Resort near Stanwood in central Michigan opened in 2002 and Director of Golf Operations Kevin O’Brien says that along with the accolades the resort has received for its two great golf courses (both rating 4-1/2 stars from Golf Digest’s Places to Play) he also gets many favorable comments on the exceptional quality of the pillows, sheets and towels in the 44-room (17 of them suites) Inn. A connection between the two? You bet (something you can do at Soaring Eagle Casino, a half-hour free shuttle ride away from St. Ives).The St. Ives Resort is just a short drive west of Mount Pleasant. The St. Ives course, the older of the two was laid out by renowned Michigan architect Jerry Matthews in 1995 and takes advantage of the dramatic elevation changes to create breathtaking views.
Returning golfers will notice, and likely approve of, changes that slightly soften the two toughest holes on the course. A widened fairway at the #1 handicapped third hole gives you a bit more margin for error and the extended landing area at the #2 handicapped 14th offer players a little more room to breathe. At 6,700 yards from the tips of the four-tee layout, St. Ives might look eminently beatable. A 140 slope rating from there, and a 131 slope from the 6,250-yard blues would suggest otherwise. Tullymore has received off-the-charts reviews since it opened as Golf Digest’s #1 New Upscale Public Course in America for 2002. Jim Engh, maybe the hottest golf course architect in the business right now and Golf Digest’s Architect of the Year in 2003, weaved his first Michigan masterpiece through 800 acres of woods, wetlands and water. While a little less dramatic in its elevation changes than St. Ives, Engh “pushes the envelope”(his words) in his intricate bunker designs that are balanced with run-up areas to allow you to get your ball onto his irregularly-shaped greens. The challenge of the 7,100-yard back tees keeps Tullymore on Golf Digest’s Top 25 Public courses list, but its five-tee setup and 4,700-yard forward tees also keeps it in the Top 50 of Golf for Women’s best courses. The 478-yard par-5 18th is considered the most photogenic as you try to steer the ball between a lake, bunkers and trees on the left and mounding along the right. When you finish your round, visit the award-winning pro shop, one of Golf World’s Top 100 golf shops in America. Homes, condos and homesites are still available around either golf venue in St. Ives Resort, but whether its forever, or just for a weekend, know that the fairways and greens will be as immaculate as the sheets and towels at the Inn. For more information on the St. Ives Resort, call 800-972-4837. |
You probably don’t pick a golf resort by the quality of the linens and pillows in your room, or should you? Sure its not likely at the very top of you’re list when planning a golf getaway, but maybe that attention to detail is exactly why you’ll want to go back again.
