Text: Greg Johnson
The Sundance course at A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort in Kewadin, Michigan is at the highest elevation of the popular resort’s four courses, which officially opened for the season in mid-April 2019.
The Antrim Dells course and the Charlevoix Course at Charlevoix Golf and Fitness is now open for the 2019 season, and the classic Torch course will be open as well by Friday, May 3.
“We have golfers out there right now,” said Chris Hines, director of membership and instruction at A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort, and lead for the First Tee of Northern Michigan chapter now located at the resort. “The golfers are coming in and saying it is in great shape—the greens are rolling well.”
A-Ga-Ming Resort is less than 30 minutes of easy driving time from Traverse City, Petoskey, or Charlevoix, and located near beautiful Torch Lake. As a resort playing destination, it offers its foursome of popular golf courses at three sites all within 25 miles.
The original Torch course overlooking Torch Lake and the modern Sundance course are located at A-Ga-Ming’s main resort property in Kewadin; while Antrim Dells is near Ellsworth and Charlevoix Golf and Fitness—previously Charlevoix Country Club—is located just outside of Charlevoix.
A-Ga-Ming Resort is currently offering early season rates through Mother’s Day on May 12, 2019 for those seeking to plan an early round of golf this year.
Mike Brown, owner and general manager at A-Ga-Ming, said in January that there are plans for new construction of a permanent pavilion starting in the fall, a pro shop for the Sundance course, and a new A-Ga-Ming clubhouse in 2020. There are also plans for additional lodging at the main resort, which currently has condominium and townhouse lodging, such as the 45 units that can sleep up to 190 guests located on natural bluffs on the property. At nearby Charlevoix Golf and Fitness, a new clubhouse, bar, and grill have opened for business as of this spring.
For the courses themselves within the A-Ga-Ming portfolio, one of the key attractions for players is the breadth of experiences offered. Sundance is a modern fit-the-land course with sweeping open holes through natural grassland areas, as well as elevation changes and holes cut into stands of towering trees. It is regarded among the best work by Michigan-based Architect Jerry Matthews.
The Torch course overlooks its namesake lake, and great variety is offered in the layout in addition to the stunning vistas. Traditional smaller green-settings make for the challenge of the course that is fit into the rolling land left by the glaciers long ago.
Antrim Dells is some older work of Matthews, and yet true to his signature, fits the land as it rolls through an area once dominated by rolling acres of orchards. Charlevoix offers variety as well, from traditional parkland style golf holes to pure northern Michigan holes cut through the trees as well as some open looks and water the golfer must navigate.
