Newest Amenity of the Island Resort & Casino (Upper Peninsula) Honors Potawatomi Culture
(HARRIS, Michigan) – The Island Resort & Casino today announces course and slope ratings for the brand new Sweetgrass Golf Club have been determined. Owned and operated by the Hannahville Band of the Potawatomi Nation, Sweetgrass opened for play in July.
The United States Golf Association determines the slope rating as a measurement of the difficulty of a course for bogey golfers relative to the course rating, which tells scratch golfers how difficult the course will be. Slope does not relate specifically to strokes played at a course, while rating does. The minimum slope is 55 and the maximum is 155. The slope rating for a course of average difficulty is 113.
Like course rating, slope rating is done for each set of tees on a course, and a course may have a separate slope rating for certain tees for women. The course ratings and slope for Sweetgrass Golf Club are:
Men
Championship: 75.2/143
Back: 73.3/137
Middle: 71.3/134
Forward: 67.5/120
Women
Front: 69/123
“Sweetgrass Golf Club offers amazing, panoramic views of the surrounding and has proven to be all the golf any player could ask for,” says General Manager Tom McChesney. “While the course can be a real bear from the tips, multiple tee boxes cater to every playing ability.”
Unfolding over acres of unspoiled earth, the windswept fairways – lined with flowing fescues – and undulating greens at Sweetgrass please the eye while testing the best game. The par-72 course stretches to 7,300 yards from the tips, while the forward tees shrink the course to a more beginner-friendly 5,000 yards. Five tee boxes per hole provide a welcome challenge to all levels in between.
Designed by Paul Albanese, Sweetgrass features tribal legend on every hole. An island green, which fit within the parameters of the land and jibed with the resort’s name, pays homage to the turtle – a creature Indian legend holds in high esteem for its longevity and wisdom.
In addition to the island green, Biarritz and Redan greens await golfers and fans of golf course architecture alike. Sweetgrass also features a pair of majestic waterfalls splitting the fairways of the ninth and 18th holes, which culminate on a massive shared green – measuring nearly 22,000 sq. ft.
Off the golf course, the resort recently introduced the luxurious Palm Tower that adds 162 spacious, well-appointed rooms and luxurious penthouse suites to the existing Sun Tower’s 113 rooms. Additionally, the Island Showroom hosts national acts, Club Four One nightclub and the Beachcomber Restaurant & Bar welcome guests looking to dine or quench their thirst, and the Vegas-style gaming floor was expanded with an additional 500 slot machines.
Located in the unspoiled beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Sweetgrass Golf Club is easily accessible via a pair of regional airports in Escanaba and Marquette.
For more information on Sweetgrass Golf Club and Island Resort & Casino visit www.islandresortandcasino.com or call 800-682-6040, ext. 2125.
About Island Resort & Casino
Offering Las Vegas-style gaming, the Island Resort & Casino – located 1 hour south of Marquette, Mich., and 2 hours north ofGreen Bay, Wisc. – is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and features Craps, Blackjack, Let-It-Ride Bonus, Spanish 21, Roulette, Three-Card Poker and Four-Card Poker. In addition, there are more than 1,400 slot machines, Live Poker and Live Keno. The Bingo Hall is open 7 days a week. The Island Resort and Casino offers 275 rooms, ranging from standard to luxurious suites. The Island Showroom seats more than 1,300 people for headliners such as Martina McBride, Gretchen Wilson, Merle Haggard, Blues Brothers and Huey Lewis & the News. Dining options include the Firekeeper’s Restaurant, Beachcomber Restaurant & Bar, Coral Reef Grille and Bingo Snack Bar. Live music in the lounge, a swimming pool and conference center are other popular resort offerings.
Contact:
Rob Thomas; Buffalo Communications
330.696.1476; rthomas@billycaspergolf.com
Dan Shepherd; Buffalo Communications
703.891.3320; dshepherd@billycaspergolf.com
www.buffalocommunications.com
