“Find Game for Golfers and Gamblers in Mt. Pleasant, MI”
On the prowl for exciting golf in Michigan! Mt. Pleasant offers two terrific courses that are a “must play” in the Midwest. Golfer, gambler or the gambling golfer will find fun and options to fit their game. The charming town welcomes visitors with a busy downtown area and plenty of accommodations, restaurants and shops.
Seeking the experience of Michigan golf, Mt. Pleasant is our second stop in the “palm”. About 1.5 hours from Detroit, the town has much to offer. Home of Central Michigan University there is a small college town feel. But the town boasts and hosts other venues of great golf courses plus a casino. Tracking down the two terrific courses of Buck’s Run and PohlCat, we are thrilled with each. Evenings we visit the Casino to try our hand at Black Jack and the slot machines. The courses challenge our golf skills and the casino tests our luck.
Buck’s Run Golf Club is an excellent semiprivate course. The clubhouse, a rustic lodge style, has a veranda with spectacular views of the lake, once a rock quarry. The scenic finishing holes of No. 9 and No. 18 wind around the lake to the clubhouse. Blooming flowers and rock bordered beds add to the beauty of the course. It is an upscale course that compares to a private course from challenge, course condition and the clubhouse. The Pro Shop has very good selection of golf attire for men and women.
The course is in superb condition. A demanding golf course that also boasts, “a design to ensure that golfers of every skill level will feel like champions at the end of the day.” Holes have varied and dramatic terrain requiring long shots to cross wetlands, lake edges and the Chippewa River. The course winds through woodlands with wide fairways and rolling hills. It is a windy day affecting our club choices and accurate shots to negotiate the course. Playing with some local players is very helpful as they provide excellent recommendations with their course knowledge.
All of the Par 3’s have water hazards and the need for finesse shots to large undulating greens. Of the Par 3’s, No. 8 requires a long shot, for men and women, to carry the corner of the lake, while No. 17 needs a soft yet solid shot over the Chippewa River. The fairways have generous landing areas with long club-grabbing rough. Just as we think we determined the line of the putt, the ball rolls the opposite direction. Quick greens mean very light-touch putts to avoid rolling the ball well past the hole. A dramatic finishing hole, No. 18’s elevated tees look down to a wide sloping fairway that follows the contour of the lake. Precise shots are necessary to reach the huge peninsula green that feeds all putts toward the water. The perfect ending to a great day of golf, I par No. 18 making a long downhill 30 foot putt!
Buck’s Run has a very good practice facility with driving range and putting green. There is even a fun 18-hole, par 53, green grass putting course. In our pursuit for great golf courses, Buck’s Run definitely exceeds our expectations.
PohlCat Championship Golf Club a log cabin style clubhouse with a good Pro Shop and a very friendly accommodating staff. A relaxing outside porch allows views of golfers on the dramatic or for me the dogmatic No. 18 finishing hole. The course has varied terrain from flat open areas surrounded by high grass to woodland bordered fairways with greens tucked in alcoves. The Chippewa Rivers runs through the course becoming a water hazard to cross on five holes. We make sure to check the graphics on the score card to determine when and where the River will divide the fairway. Errant shots are quickly lost in deep thick rough or the tall wheat like grasses which need power to get out. The Pro shared earlier that they are letting the heather type grasses grow to add extra challenge and more Scottish appearance to certain holes. Having recently had an event the greens are fast, needing a gentle putting stroke. A few holes have bowl-shaped greens feeding the balls to the lowest area. Well placed bunkers add to the exciting.
Playing in the afternoon as a twosome behind a scramble event, the pace of play is initially slow. Wisely using the time we enjoy the course and its layout. Once the scramble finishes the pace is perfect. The fairways are wide and in excellent condition. The first hole is a scenic par 5 dogleg left with lakes on either side as we approach the green. The opening holes have a links feel while later holes go into the forest. Finding a couple of holes and greens with blind shots, we think we have a good shot to find we ended up in trouble. On No. 16 a par 5, we each hit our second shots over the Chippewa River which crosses the fairway about halfway down. Feeling good about the shots we arrive to find three tall pine trees in the middle of the fairway in direct line for the next shot to the green.
A formidable finishing hole, No. 18 has elevated tee boxes requiring a power shot for both men and women to cross the wide Chippewa River. The sloping fairway with its hillside lies ascends to the green above us, creating blind shots to this huge fall-away green. Finishing the hole and looking back we have an even better appreciation for its challenge. After stalking the Cat, we reflect on our enjoyable afternoon of golf at PohlCat with its varied terrain and challenging greens.
Fairfield Inn & Suites provides excellent accommodations for our stay in Mt. Pleasant. It is located adjacent to Central Michigan University. Our room is a King Suite with a modern décor. The room is divided between a very nice sitting area with TV in a modern wall unit, couch, chair and desk and the large bedroom area with a king bed, plus another TV. The complimentary breakfast is good with a varied selection including fresh made waffles. The staff is consistently very helpful, even making waffles for us. Wireless Internet is free. The value is very good for this hotel and its location.
Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort is a major attraction in Mount Pleasant. A full casino, it features 70 tables of the hottest games and over 4,000 slot machines. Their slots are even in two locations, the Resort Casino and the Slot Palace across the street. The casino is huge and boasts the “hottest action in the Midwest for Casinos”. Since we are not big gamblers, we only play the slots and the video Black Jack. The video Black Jack has players sitting around a traditional Black Jack table then the cards are dealt on a large video screen with various dealers. While there are various food venues, primarily buffets and fast food choices, we opted to have appetizers at the Water Lily, a more upscale restaurant. The quieter setting and service was a relaxing respite from the noise of the Casino.
Pleasant has several good choices for restaurants. We enjoy the Grand Traverse Pie Company for a savory Chicken Pot pie with awesome flakey crust. Mountain Town Station is another very good choice for dining. In the old train station, it has a fun atmosphere, lots of activity and an old time décor, plus a varied menu and good food.
Our Mt. Pleasant trip is a success in our hunt for great Michigan golf. While the visit is a short, we are still impressed with the town and its many activities.
If you go: Golfers of all skill levels will enjoy each of these courses. Ladies these are fun courses but be prepared for plenty of challenge on some holes with others being much more forgiving.
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, 2525 University Park Drive, Mount Pleasant, MI 48858;
989.775.5000; http://www.marriott.com/fairfield-inn