Lake Superior is so large and deep that it could contain all of the other Great Lakes plus three more the size of Lake Erie. As immortalized in the classic Gordon Lightfoot song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” Lake Superior can be unforgiving, with 100-foot walls of icy gray water pounding ships and shoreContinue reading “Greywalls in Marquette, Michigan: Nothing like you’ve ever seen“
Author Archives: kieltc
Tee UP: Island Resort and Casino’s Sweetgrass and Sage Run Golf Courses
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula – known as The UP – is thought of as a dense wilderness inhabited by more black bears, gray wolves, and white-tailed deer than people. There’s a reason for this: there are actually far more bears, wolves, and deer than people in the UP. So naturally, the UP is a paradise forContinue reading “Tee UP: Island Resort and Casino’s Sweetgrass and Sage Run Golf Courses“
Island Resort and Casino is a Sure Bet for Golf in Michigan’s UP
“Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circum spice” is Michigan’s state motto. If you don’t happen to read Latin, the English translation is, “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.” And a more apt state motto you will not find. No matter where you are standing in Michigan, you’re on a peninsula. The lower peninsulaContinue reading “Island Resort and Casino is a Sure Bet for Golf in Michigan’s UP”
The Forge at Palmer Hills: The family that putts together has fun together
The Quad Cities of Moline and Rock Island, Illinois, and Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, offer bountiful golf. Nearby Silvis, Illinois, even hosts a PGA Tour Event, The John Deere Classic, at the spectacular TPC at Deere Run. But the area’s courses don’t just cater to the core golf demographic. There are also plenty of opportunitiesContinue reading “The Forge at Palmer Hills: The family that putts together has fun together“
The future is bright for Kokopelli Golf Club in Marion, IL
Kokopelli Golf Club in Marion has seen its share of ups and downs over the past 25 years. The Steve Smyers design has seen multiple changes in ownership since its founding, including a group that included Smyers himself. The most recent owners are Rodney Cabaness and Shad Zimbro, local businessmen who have been at theContinue reading “The future is bright for Kokopelli Golf Club in Marion, IL”
Grand Geneva Resort and Spa: From bunnies to birdies
The Lake Geneva area of southern Wisconsin has been the preferred getaway for Chicagoans ever since 1871, when Chicago burned and industrialist families fled the remains of the city smoldering in the sweltering summer heat. The shores of Lake Geneva are lined with the “summer cottages” of families with names like Wrigley and Maytag –Continue reading “Grand Geneva Resort and Spa: From bunnies to birdies”
SentryWorld reasserts dominance in Wisconsin destination golf
Before Whistling Straits. Before Erin Hills. Before Wild Rock. Before Sand Valley. Before all of these Wisconsin “destination” golf courses, there was SentryWorld. SentryWorld debuted in 1982 in Stevens Point, when Sentry Insurance commissioned Robert Trent Jones, Jr., to build a course to cater to locals and business colleagues as well as attract golfers fromContinue reading “SentryWorld reasserts dominance in Wisconsin destination golf”
Honma TW757 Fairway Woods boast tradition and tech
Japan is a golf-crazed nation. The sport is associated with status, leisure, and wealth. When I lived there in the early and mid 1990s, I would sometimes spend $200 in an evening just at a driving range–and the range was packed with golf nuts like me. Honma is one of the top golf equipment companiesContinue reading “Honma TW757 Fairway Woods boast tradition and tech”
Bloodline Vale: Stand up for your putts
You’ve likely seen the infomercials for the putters that stand up behind your ball. This review is NOT about those putters. The Bloodline Vale (HPP) ($299) does stand up on its own, but there is no infomercial for Bloodline putters, the original self-standing putters. The Vale is Bloodline’s newest addition. It’s a mallet with aContinue reading “Bloodline Vale: Stand up for your putts”
Fyre Lake Golf Course is a magical place
PGA Certified Director of Golf Mark Krizic took over ownership of Fyre Lake Golf Course in July, 2020. Nearly two years later, his initial assessment of the Nicklaus-designed course has only grown more certain. “When I first came here, I said, ‘This is a top-10 Illinois course,’” remembers Krizic. “Look around at this property. There’sContinue reading “Fyre Lake Golf Course is a magical place”
Midwestern Golf 