My Year in Pictures - 2025

Spring 2025, 4 tee and it's always great seeing our snow mold sprays working as planned.

The spring GCIP site visit.

The spring irrigation start up.

Our last cherry tree on the property and it is doing extremely well.

Sutton's Bay Plant Masters always rocks our planters!

Six weeks of sold out weekly camps!

Brat Fest 2025!

Year five of the Secret Garden and great work to Peg and Michelle Buday!

Our grounds staff summer party at the Pit Spitters game!

An early fall sunrise.

Our weed and milkweed free fescue on 15.

A great way to start the Perry Hannah August Invite.

The sun or the moon?

The "Sunday Bag" invite favor.

The day before the GCIP construction starts.

GCIP day 1, starting on the 11th green expansion.

It happens, but actually, not after an outing.

We had three families of deer this fall, two large bucks too.

My team always enjoys the artwork for special events.

11 green ready for greens mix.

17 green is also ready for greens mix.

Fall turf conditions.

Three green ready for greens mix.

The third green doubled in size, what a putting green!

The site visit to Kalamazoo Country Club picking out which greens our contractor will cut and ship to Traverse City!

Two green ready for greens mix.  We had to add some mix so we could keep it mowed.

GCIP committee chair, Mike Meindertsma addresses the large crowd of members supporting the open ceremonies.

Thank you for the support!

The start of sodding the 3rd green and collar with Kalamazoo greens.

One more piece, the install crew started at 7:30 and finished sodding the third green at 4:30.

Mike inspecting the new irrigation heads on 3 green.

My team installed the Kalamazoo sod on our new nursery green.  This sod will be used on our new 6th green next fall.

Cutting up the 11th green.  The sod was stacked then installed two days later with the 17th green back on 11.

11 green being sodding.

Mike showing new pin locations on 11.  

New tees on 2.

The first players on the new IV tee on 12.

A new club event, tour the course with the super!  Lots of history shared with the group and we discussed the renovation process.

The new IV tee on 3.

The new I tee on four.

The GCIP committee also approved some "0" tees like this one on four.  More of a tournament tee for GAM or PGA qualifiers and the back tee group.

A Christmas present, our last board approved capital purchase has arrived.  This replaces our 1992 Toro Workman, it was a real work horse for decades!    

                    

               Took this one the first week of December                       showing 3-6, 12 & 13. 

   

 My three boys, Evan 26, Elliott 20 and Luke 23.

Happy New Year to you all and I am really looking forward to 2026! 

                            Steve Hammon

The Cross Country Trails are Open - Temporarily Closed 12/15/25

Closed - Will reopen when we have snow to groom.

12/15/25

The classic style cross country trail loop is open as is the skate ski trail. If you want to go on a golf course winter walk, please use the larger skate ski path not the classic groomed tracks.   We groom the trails everyday it snows by 10:00 am.  

Please scan the QR code located on the map on ten tee for the 2 mile loop but it does bring you back to 10 tee.  

 

The First Round of GCIP Drone Pictures

I finally made some time and the weather was right to launch the drone and get some GCIP pictures.  

The shot into 12 green is even more intimidating to me without the two trees left and right of the green.  The three spruces removed behind the green really show off how sloped the green is from back to front at ground level.  

The fairway bunker was enlarged to the north which always showed the bunker was there in the past.  Having the maples removed from right side of that bunker and removing four pines on the left side really opens up the drive and a better view from the tee for all.

The new IV tee on 12.

The left maple on 12, one of the best trees on the property.

Hard to see from this view but a slightly sloped grass path was created on the right side of the I, II tee on 12 for easier access to the II tee area.

There was a great deal of discussion regarding a I tee location on 12.  I have been a no from the beginning on the principles of saving that amazing walnut tree behind the tee.

The first green we sodded with the Kalamazoo Country Club grass.  I am not going to miss those three bunkers on the right, such a tough shot when you were in there.

The putting surface on two went from 2,800 square feet to 6,400!

A great view of the new four tee complex.

The II, III and IV tees on four.  It's been discussed that the 14th tee will have four separate teeing areas and will look similar to the new tees on four.

The new tees on three.

The Gem on the Hill, love the water views with the drone.

The 17th green is all Kalamazoo sod.  A lot to look at here.

Such an improvement to 17.

Number two, the new short par 3 and that is the I tee on 18.  The view from the tee with just one majestic oak remaining looks amazing.

Now even a more demanding finishing hole for all players.

Two green and approach expansion.