In This Issue V O L U M E 23 • F A L L 2 0 0 5 • N U M B E R 3 h t t p : / / m i c h i g a n g o l f e r . c o m 4 Wales Golf by Jack Berry MICHIGAN GOLFER Vartan Kupelian Brian Manning Tournament Wrap-Up: Publisher/Editor Jim Neff Art McCafferty Norm Sinclair 12 Singh, Jacobsen, Harris and DalCorobbo [email protected] Michael Patrick Shiels Ron Whitten Headline Summer Champions Editor Emeritus Gary Holaway by Kelly Hill Terry Moore Janina Parrott Jacobs Herschel Nathanial Managing Editor Bernice Phillips 14 U of M’s Harris Wins 88th Detroit Kelly Hill Scott Sullivan Newspapers Michigan Open [email protected] Marc Van Soest Phil Winch by Michael Patrick Shiels Chief Information John Wukovits Officer Jennie McCafferty Photo/Video 17 Sault Tribe Takes Inaugural Native Mike Brown American Cup Internet Service Kevin Frisch Provider Dave Richards 18 Harris Wins Third Tournament of Pat & Rick Rountree Carter Sherline Dundee Internet Clarence Sormin Champions in Playoff Services, Inc. Joe Yunkman by Michael Patrick Shiels Director of Director of 19 Video Editing Accounting Lovemark Earns Historic Victory in 103rd Catherine Jones Cheryl Clark Western Amateur [email protected] Michigan Golfer by Gary Holaway Writers is produced by Susan Bairley 21 30 Year Return at 103rd Western Amateur L’anse Bannon Great Lakes Sports by Scott Sullivan Mike Beckman Publications, Inc. Vanessa Bell 22 Kelly Cavanaugh Makes Miichigan Jack Berry GLSP Advertising & Craig Brass Business Office Women’s Open Her First Win Rick Coates 3588 Plymouth Road, by Michael Patrick Shiels Jason Deegan #245 Tom Doak Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Mike Duff 734.507.0241 24 Harris Wins Bay Mills Open Marty Henwood 734.434.4765 FAX by Marty Henwood Greg Johnson [email protected] Bradley S. Klein glsp.com 26 Golfing Indian River Country Michigan Golfer is published online four times a year by by Jack Berry Great Lakes Sports Publications, Inc., 3588 Plymouth Rd, #245, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-2603. 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M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E • FALL 2 0 0 5 3 d ourist Boar ales T tesy of The W Photo cour Aberdovey WWalesales GolfGolf By Jack Berry Now say “Ian Woosnam” and Whiskey-makers Jack Daniels you might think golf but Wales hen I say “Wales”, what and Evan Williams trace Welsh doesn’t resonate like Scotland and do you think of? roots as does zillionaire J.P. Ireland when you think golf. The W Morgan. Architect Frank Lloyd Welsh would like to change that. Catherine Zeta-Jones? Tom Wright? He named his Wisconsin They’ve been playing the game Jones? Robert Trent Jones? home and Arizona winter head- about as long as anyone. They just Charlotte Church? Richard Burton? quarters Taliesin, after the Welsh haven’t boasted about it despite Coal? How Green Was My Valley? poet. having the third oldest golf union The Prince of? in the world and Dr. Frank 4 F A L L 2 0 0 5 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E Stableford first used his unique Country Hotel in Harlech, and 12 green mountains, it’s become scoring system at Glamorganshire million sheep to three million peo- cheaper to import it so Wales had Golf Club in Penarth in 1898. ple. Excellent food with emphasis to begin looking for new business on lamb, seafood and Welsh Angus and to promote its natural features. Matter of fact, the Welsh just beef. But they don’t fly their gold don’t seem to boast at all despite on black Cross of St. David flag Led by Sir Terry Matthews, the having some of the most beautiful the way the white on blue Cross of first Welsh billionaire, Wales has land in the British Isles, great St. Andrew flies everywhere in its eye on golf and golf tourism. green mountains, picturesque val- Scotland. Matthews was born on the property leys and villages, bordered by the where the 2010 Ryder Cup will be Irish Sea, twisty roads, small, Coal was king in Massachusetts contested, was educated in Britain stick-shift cars (no SUVs or F-150s -size Wales until the mid-1980s, and then, after making his fortune at $8 a gallon), fast-running during Margaret Thatcher’s reign in Canada in telecommunications, streams, wonderful small hotels as premier. Long strikes closed the returned to Wales and built five- like the Penhelig Arms in mines and while there still is plen- star 400-room Celtic Manor, the Aberdovey and Maes-y-Neuadd ty of the mineral beneath those largest hotel and golf resort com- d ourist Boar ales T tesy of The W Photo cour Celtic Manor M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E • FALL 2 0 0 5 5 d ourist Boar ales T tesy of The W Photo cour Royal Porthcawl plex in Europe, just two hours west of London’s property into part of the complex, and while in Heathrow Airport. Florida happened to meet an American golf course architect with Welsh family roots – Robert Trent Matthews turned the former maternity hospital Jones. He hired Jones to design a championship 6 F A L L 2 0 0 5 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E course and it opened in 1999. It has been home since teurs. The losing American Walker Cup team in 1995 2000 to the Wales Open on the European PGA Tour. included Tiger Woods. Padraig Harrington was on the winning side. Reminiscent of last year’s Ryder Until Matthews lit the fire, about the only course Cup? traveling American golfers had heard of was Royal Porthcawl overlooking the Bristol Channel, a short Porthcawl, founded in 1891 and at its present loca- drive from Cardiff, Wales’ capital and largest city. tion since 1895, was described by Bernard Darwin, Porthcawl has hosted six British Amateurs plus the acknowledged as the finest golf writer of all time, as Walker and Curtis Cups between America and Great “very excellent links…the genuine thing – the sea in Britain and Ireland, the best male and female ama- sight all the time, and the most noble bunkers.” d ourist Boar ales T tesy of The W Photo cour Royal St. David M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E • FALL 2 0 0 5 7 d ourist Boar ales T tesy of The W Photo cour Nefyn unchanging as the magnificent the best, most memorable links are Michael Williams, of more links.” Aberdovey and Royal St. David’s, recent vintage, said Porthcawl each dating to the 1890s and never “epitomizes that which is best As good as Porthcawl is, there victim of a bulldozer’s blade. about the game even down to a are nearly 200 courses in Wales, Along with Porthcawl, Golf Digest creaking clubhouse that is as many of them seaside, and two of this year ranked them among the 8 F A L L 2 0 0 5 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E best 100 courses outside of the others are 173, 188, 202 and 218. because of his 6-2 height, uncom- United States. None are over great stretches of monly tall in the Middle Ages), water, like so many American par had a knack for castles. He built an The Cambrian Line railroad 3s. Instead there are humps, “Iron Ring” of five of them in borders each, and when the two bumps, mounds, bracken, golden Wales to quelch Welsh national- clubs had matches, their members gorse (in the spring), rabbit holes ism. And today, among many could board a train next to their and, of course, bunkers. Welsh, there’s still a certain ani- own course, ride to the other, step mosity toward England, one reason off and walk to the first tee. Aberdovey has three par 5s and they’ve held onto their language, the par 3s and par 4s offer wonder- one that uses vowels but not where It always seemed to me that ful challenges with the big green of you’d expect them. They share the great British courses were bor- the 173-yard third at Aberdovey their little distaste of England with dered by rail lines and Aberdovey hidden from the tee, sunk among the Scots – Edward thrashed Mel and Royal St.