Shanty Creek Resorts Fall Golf Specials – 2011
Golf Specials starting Monday, October 3rd. The scenic fall colors are an added bonus to SCRs course designs and conditions.
Crystal Mountain – October highlights harvests, haunts and the hits of Motown
Haunted hikes, fall colors from the Crystal Clipper chairlift, wagon rides to the pumpkin patch and even the soulful sounds of Motown should make for a fun October at Crystal Mountain.
Haunted Forest, October 15, 22, 29
Countless thrill seekers will once again summon the courage for the frightful forested frolic where ghouls and goblins wait at every turn and the Headless Horseman approaches. The Haunted Forest is open from 6:30-9:30pm (Saturday-only), costs $8 per person and is suggested for those ages nine and up.
Crystal Harvest Days, October 22 & 29
A celebration of all that makes fall in northern Michigan such a spectacular time of year, Harvest Days includes chairlift rides ($5 per person; 8 and under, FREE) with beautiful views of fall colors, wagon rides to the pumpkin patch, pumpkin carving, bonfires, petting zoo, scarecrow building, costume parades and more. On October 29 several locations within the resort village will be open for Trick or Treating (FREE and open to the public).
Triple the Thrills Pass
This special pass includes one admission to the Haunted Forest, one chairlift ride and two climbs on the Vertical Edge Climbing Wall for $15 ($6 value). Plus, add a one-hour session of paintball for $10.
Motown on the Mountain, October 29
A celebration of the style and music of the Motown era, the event is a fundraiser for Mrs. Mullen’s Closet, a project providing clothes to Benzie and Frankfort elementary students in need. The evening includes dancing, food and a live/silent auction. Tickets, $25 per person, must be purchased in advance (call 800.968.7686, ext. 3355).
Ski Swap, October 29
With ski season less than a month away, Crystal Mountain’s Ski Swap (9am-4pm) on October 29 will be a chance to unload old equipment and get a deal on some new gear. Even better, 25% of the proceeds benefit ski teams in Benzie, Manistee, Frankfort and Glen Lake. Equipment can be dropped off in the lower level of Crystal Mountain’s conference center on Friday, October 28 from 5-7pm and picked up on Saturday from 4-5pm.
Shanty Creek Resorts Fall Golf & Lodging Specials – 2012 – Starting at $87
The scenic fall colors are an added bonus to SCRs course designs and conditions.
Manitou Passage Golf Club – A Northern Michigan Adventure
By Jim Barnes
It may seem unthinkable, even sacrilegious, to make any changes to a course designed by the great Arnold Palmer. Originally opened in 1998 as King’s Challenge, the course languished a bit when Sugar Loaf Mountain Ski Resort closed (the course is built alongside the ski hill), so it needed some rejuvenating and updating. The new owners, headed up by Robert Kuras of The Homestead Resort, have done an excellent job.
From the first turn in the drive and glimpse of the renovated clubhouse, the place feels welcoming. Once you’re on the 1st tee, nestled among trees, natural landscaping, and that big looming “mountain,” you know you’re in for a classic “up north” golf adventure.
Palmer said during the course construction that it was one of the most dramatic sites he’s ever worked with, and he made full use of the extreme terrain. After a few fairly flat holes, he takes the track up the side of the mountain, perches a few holes up on the plateau, and then plunges back down to dramatic effect. The redesign has increased playability by enlarging many of the tee boxes, taking some severity out of a few doglegs, and widening some landing areas. The excellent bunkering throughout the course has been cleaned up and re-cut, giving it the crisp look such a monumental design deserves.
One of the most noticeable and dramatic changes is the No. 8 tee box, where some earth was moved to raise the surface and give golfers a better view. Now, a glimpse of Lake Michigan between Pyramid Point and South Manitou Island is visible, the namesake Manitou Passage. Those who know the historical significance of the Passage and its nickname “the Graveyard of the Great Lakes” can treat this as a sign to “batten down the hatches” and not let their round get shipwrecked.
It’s a beautiful view to begin the course’s signature and probably most challenging hole. The downhill par 5 drops like a black-diamond ski slope, and when it finally flattens out, the dogleg reveals a water-guarded green — with your approach shot dead into the prevailing wind coming onshore from the aforementioned Passage. The pond is teeming with plants and wildlife, you can see the “mountain” in the background, and landing your approach shot dry is a major accomplishment and a great finish to one of northern Michigan’s most exciting golf holes.
Maybe the most striking thing about this course is the variety — of terrain, of fairway slope, of green shape — there is always a surprise and always an interesting feature. On No. 4, you break out of the woods with a sweeping dogleg right that ends at a huge amphitheater green — not a tree in sight. The next two links-style holes are high and dry, a brief respite before you duck back into the forest.
If you’re looking for a golf adventure in one of the most unique settings in northern Michigan, this is the course for you. Be prepared to cast off, trim your sails, and have a rollicking good time navigating this great Arnold Palmer creation at Manitou Passage.
Manitou Passage Golf Club Photos (Click on photos for slideshow view)
Cherry Tree Inn and Suites – Views of the Bay
JUST A REMINDER: It’s the second week of August and there is still plenty of summer left to take your Traverse City “beach vacation”. If you need some inspiration, here are some of our favorite balcony views of East Grand Traverse Bay from Cherry Tree Inn & Suites….
Cherry Tree Inn and Suites – View of the Bay – Photo Gallery (Click on photos for captions & slideshow view)
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The Homestead – Watercolor Painting Workshop with Edee Joppich – October 4 – 7, 2010
Monday through Thursday, October 4-7, 2010
Students will create a series of 3 to 9 small paintings on a specific subject. These works will be mounted on a full sheet of watercolor paper with related wash painted on it. The subject could be a barn. Each small painting is a view or detail of it. These are arranged on a large paper prepared with a wash of barn texture. Other suggestions are trees (leaves, twigs, blossoms, etc.) birds, animals, fish, people, etc.Edee encourages originality and will demonstrate many of her traditional as well as innovative ways of creating beautiful effects with watercolor. In-depth critiques along with color and design instruction make an Edee Joppich workshop an invaluable opportunity for serious painters at every level of experience.
Edee Joppich graduated from Marygrove College with graduate studies from Wayne State University. Her inspirational classes are widely sought after. Edee’s work is in corporate and private collections. She is a signature member of the International Society of Experimental Artists. www.edeejoppich.com.
Tuition: $325/members/$350 non-members for the four days (9am to 3pm). Accommodations not included in tuition. Special accommodation prices are available at The Homestead.
For workshop registration e-mail info@glenarborart.org or call 231.334.6112.
For accommodations at The Homestead call 231.334.5100.