Kingsley, MI – Kingsley Club, the nationally acclaimed private golf retreat in Northern Michigan, has moved into the Top 20 among Golfweek’s 2015 Best Modern Courses.
A fixture among the best courses lists since it opened back in 2001, Kingsley Club moved up to No. 18 on the magazine’s prestigious list of the best courses from 1960-present.
Golfweek’s hundreds of course evaluators nationwide determined the ranking, which can be found in the recent March 16 issue. They submitted ballots grading courses all over the country on factors such as routing of the course, feature shaping, greens, variety and memorable holes, conditioning, maintenance and landscape management.
“For Kingsley Club to continue moving up and breaking into the top 20 among Golfweek’s best modern courses is a testament to the vision of our owners Ed Walker and Art Preston,” said Justin Mack, general manager at Kingsley Club. “They have created a unique national golf experience with a staff in place from course maintenance to golf operations that continues to maintain the club at the highest level.”
Kingsley Club has attracted a passionate national following, which is evident in that more than 80 percent of the club’s 200-plus members are from outside of Michigan. Golf aficionados, raters, and architecture pundits are all attracted to the golden age classic design created by Architect Mike DeVries.
DeVries, who worked for Tom Fazio and Tom Doak, and also worked on the nearby grounds crew at renown Crystal Downs Country Club while growing up, had plenty of experience and inspiration to draw upon for his first ever golf course design. It shows, too, in a design that could be mistaken for a modern day Dr. Alistair MacKenzie course like Crystal Downs or Royal Melbourne.
Kingsley Club is a big, bold thrill ride spread over 320 acres just south of Traverse City, Mich. It features a wide open front nine that gets started with a 600-yard par five featuring a split-level fairway guarded by big rugged bunkers. Holes 2-9 meander up and down rolling fescue fairways featuring sandy scrub areas with tall fescue grasses and rugged bunkering culminating with one of the great short par 3’s in America.
The excitement continues on the back nine, which offers a more traditional Northern Michigan wooded setting. The bold design features a great mix of memorable three’s, four’s and five’s, including one of the great short holes in golf. Measuring just over 300-yards, No. 13 is a drivable par four showcasing a green complex that rivals “The Himalayas” putting green at St. Andrews.
Every hole at Kingsley Club is an adventurous walk in the park created with strategies, nuances, and intrigue. Green site tilts and angles, along with visually deceiving bunker placements and alternate tee-boxes on several holes create a different experience for every round. Unlike most modern courses that can be one dimensional, Kingsley is multi-dimensional testing the broad spectrum of shot making skills and golfer imagination.
About Kingsley Club
Kingsley Club was the dream of Traverse City businessmen, Ed Walker and Art Preston, who wanted to create a national private golf retreat in the middle of Northern Michigan’s golf-resort region similar to places like nearby Crystal Downs or Nebraska’s Sand Hills. Fred Muller, the long-time head golf professional at nearby Crystal Downs, introduced young golf course architect Mike DeVries to Walker and Preston, and DeVries convinced them he could create their vision with a Dr. Alistair MacKenzie imprint.
Members and guests nationwide enjoy the traditional golf ambiance of Kingsley Club. The onsite golf cottages, including a new one scheduled to open in 2015, were designed to reflect Irish countryside charm featuring four bedroom/bath en-suites, kitchen and living room area, patio and grills, and other fine luxury amenities. Complimenting the spiritual golf experience, the Kingsley Club River Cabin, located on the beautiful Boardman River, provides a peaceful sanctuary with some of the best fly-fishing in the country. The Club does invite limited outside guests that can be arranged through local, regional, and national private club professionals.
For more information, visit www.kingsleyclub.com.
Contact:
Kingsley Club
Justin Mack – General Manager
(231) 263-3000
jmack@kingsleyclub.com
Fusion Media Strategies
Kevin Frisch
(989) 614-0241
kevin@fusionmediastrategies.com
