Grand Traverse Resort & Spa.

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Grand Traverse Resort & Spa
Traverse City, Michigan

The 600-room, 900-acre Grand Traverse Resort & Spa is Michigan’s premier resort, and is owned by the Grand Traverse
Band of Ottawa
& Chippewa Indians.
The resort was home
to the Michigan PGA’s
Michigan Open
Championship for
28 years from
1981 to 2008,
and hosted the
1990 Ameritech Senior
Open won by Chi Chi
Rodriguez.






J. Michael DeAgostino, the resort’s public relations manager, talked with RPGM about the
resort’s features.

Tell us a little about the history of your course and resort.

Grand Traverse Resort & Spa opened in 1980 as the 240-room, six-story
Grand Traverse Hilton Hotel with one golf course. A year later, the
property became independent and the name changed to
Grand Traverse Resort.

Through the years, a Jack Nicklaus course was added, condominium complexes and
private homes were added around the property, the 186-room Tower was
constructed, along with the 20,160-square foot Governors’ Hall, a
100,000-square foot health club with five indoor tennis courts, and a
beach club on Grand Traverse Bay. In 1999, we added a Gary Player
course, converted four racquetball courts into Spa Grand Traverse,
and changed the property’s name to Grand Traverse Resort & Spa.

What are the resort’s various courses and features?

The resort’s premier course is a Jack Nicklaus signature course. The Bear opened
in 1985 and is credited by many as the spark that ignited the golf course
building boom in Northern Michigan. The course has received many accolades
in its history.

In 2007, Golf Digest named it the 17th most difficult course in the USA.

A Gary Player signature course, The Wolverine opened in 1999 along with a new clubhouse

that serves all of three of the resort’s golf courses.

The Michigan Open Championship was played on The Bear and The Wolverine
in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Our original course, now named Spruce Run, may be the most modified course in all
of Michigan. It opened in the early 70s as the nine-hole Acme Public
Golf Course.

By 1979, it had been transformed into an 18-hole, par 72 course and was redesigned by Bill Newcomb.

Jack Nicklaus tweaked some of the course bunkering during construction of
The Bear.In the early 90s, it was renamed from The Resort Course to
Spruce Run, a reflection of the many spruce trees that surround its
fairways. One hole was shortened in the mid-90s to allow
for resort development. Then, during construction of The Wolverine,
the three holes were significantly modified, par was reduced from
72 to 70, and all the holes were renumbered.

Do you have a golf academy/school on site?

The Midwest location of the Jim McLean Golf School has been at Grand Traverse
Resort & Spa since 1997 with Jason Jenkins as its director of instruction.

The school is open from mid-May to mid-September.

During the winter, the golf school facility becomes Grand Traverse
Resort & Spa’s Winter Golf Center, operated by the resort’s
Head Golf Professional Scott Hebert, who is the 2008 PGA
Professional National Champion, and a
six-time Michigan Open Champion.

Is your course open to the public?

All of our courses are open for public play. Our typical golf season goes from
mid-April until the end of October. We welcome golf groups and also have a
very strong club membership program for men and women. Our fees vary by
season, course, and time of day. We offer discounts for resort guests,
juniors, and groups. All fees include gas or electric golf car.

What are the best times of the year to come stay at your resort to play and stay?

Between Memorial Day and Labor Day is the most popular time, although some
people prefer spring and fall when rates are lower.

To find out more visit Grand Traverse Resort & Spa

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