Text: Greg Johnson
Choice Hotels International Inc., Summerside Properties LLC, and more than 20 area golf courses have partnered for the eighth consecutive year to offer custom golf packages for players and guests in the Traverse City, Michigan region.
The collaboration, which comprises the three, award-winning Choice Hotel properties of Cambria Suites, Best Western Plus, and Comfort Inn, as well as a variety of area golf courses, is intended to offer different price points, according to Ron Robinson, director of operations at Summerside Properties.
“We can do any course up here,” Robinson said. “If you have 20 people or eight people and they want to play five courses in five days and stay four nights, and they know the courses they want to play and have a list or if they need recommendations, we make it happen. If it’s a couple and the husband wants to play golf and the wife wants to do other things, that’s the best part about being in Traverse City. There is so much to do.”
Robinson noted a big addition in the last two years was the direct flight established from the Dallas and Fort Worth area in Texas to Traverse City. Shuttle service is also available for the golfers from the airport to the lodging partners involved.
“Basically, the golfer or golfers come to check-in, we give them their vouchers for the booked trip, and we take care of the settling things up with the courses,” Robinson said. “It’s really worked well for us and makes it easy for the golfers.”
Robinson said the courses range from the smaller golf facilities in the area to the many resort destinations.
“We’ve worked with Grand Traverse Resort, Arcadia Bluffs, Bay Harbor, A-Ga-Ming, Manitou Passage, Mistwood, The Crown, and Elmbrook,” Robinson said. “We work with everybody really who has public access, and with some of the places we have negotiated discounted group rates. We suggest you make a list of where you want to play and we will see what we can do.”
The Cambria Suites has been selected as Hotel of the Year eight consecutive years by Choice Hotels International. The Best Western has won three consecutive MK Guertin Awards, which is the Best Western brand’s highest honor. The Comfort Inn is also a six-time Platinum Award Winner from Choice Hotels International and in 2018 received the Owner’s Excellence Award Winner as the No. 1 Comfort Inn in the system.
Information on the three lodging properties is available and links at The Golf Explorer: Michigan’s Journal to Incredible Golf can also provide additional assistance. Deb Kresnak, director of sales at Summerside Properties can be reached to book and gain information at 231-778-9100.
