By Scott Kramer
Golf and beer go hand-in-hand, for many golfers. And that’s reason enough to descend upon Grand Rapids. This growing southwest Michigan town with a population of nearly 200,000 is part hipster, part traditional, very artsy and all lively. Since anointed America’s Best Beer City in both 2012 and 2013 online polls, its officials have promoted the culture. With good reason: There are 80-some breweries in the immediate area, as well as three dozen courses (several of them highly rated). I decided to check out both the golf and beer scenes, while visiting my home state last week. Instead of bringing along a bulky digital SLR, I armed myself with LG’s new G7 ThinQ smartphone and its highly touted cameras for all of the photos below. I’ll post a full review of the phone later this month.
I was able to play four courses in town. Late spring and early summer are ideal for golf here, as the courses tend to be lush and green while the mosquito population is minimal. Thornapple Pointe, a nice public layout over by the Gerald Ford International airport, seems to get a lot of play — and rightly so. There’s a lot of gorgeous scenery on site, including on the signature 541-yard, par-5 13th hole that’s flanked down the entire left side by a river. The course is tight in some areas and on this day was in great shape — despite hosting a tournament that consumed it all morning. Our group happened to play very fast, which is how I like to negotiate every course. Mind you, we had nobody in front of us because the tournament had just ended. But I get the feeling by the flow of the holes that this course frequently plays quick — even though there’s plenty of water that comes into play. It’s well thought-out, with respect to playability.
Ravines Golf Club — about 35 minutes from downtown in Saugatuck — is an Arnold Palmer Signature design that plays more than 7,000 yards from the tips. The course name aptly describes what golfers will encounter during their 18 holes. There are plenty of barrancas to hit over. But at the end of every fairway is a green in superb condition — with subtle-yet-fair contours and graceful undulations. This course earned four stars from Golf Digest, and it was easy to see why: I scored right to my 5-handicap and felt both challenged and in control on every hole.
Pilgrim’s Run, a 20-year-old layout in nearby Pierson, was my clear favorite in town — and not just because I eagled one of the par-4’s. Designed by architect Mike DeVries, the course was initially slated as an exclusive private club but eventually went public. It’s stunning, serene and an overall excellent 7,093-yard challenge. The par-5 6th is rated one of Michigan’s 18 most-picturesque holes by residents. And that’s saying something, as the state is a mecca of beautiful golf holes. Locals claim this course is perpetually in ideal condition. The greens have a lot of breaks but read true. There are surprisingly great elevation changes on some of the holes. Most of the fairways are tree-lined. But they’re also wide enough so that decent tee shots and follow-ups aren’t penalized. As my playing partner said afterwards, there is not one bad hole on this course. I truly could play it every day and be a happy guy. And an added plus, the staff is extremely friendly.
The Mines is a municipal hotspot less than 10 minutes from downtown. It’s built 150 feet above old gypsum mines. I could definitely see evidence of that around the property, including an old brick pump house near the opening tee. This course is also a DeVries layout. It’s a remarkable test of golf that may well require you to use every club in your bag. Here’s the thing: It’s very hilly. Yet not until the 17th hole did I ever have a sidehill lie. Make no mistake, though: The hills make it an ass-kicker. I scored okay on the front but was no match for the backside that I thought was demonstrably tougher from the back tees. Bring extra golf balls — you may well need them.
ON TAP
I admit I’m not much of a beer drinker. But I do enjoy the novelty of brewery ambience. Several places I visited stood out. New Holland Brewery’s The Knickerbocker is a two-year-old offspring location on the west side’s Bridge Street — an up-and-coming brewery hub where old factories, warehouses and even a funeral home are being converted to beer houses and eateries. A lively atmosphere here includes a main dining room that must be 100 yards long with a three-story open-air ceiling. The specialty: Dragon’s Milk Reserve – a cherry chocolate stout with 11% alcohol that’s bourbon barrel-aged. This place also distills its own gin. The pinwheel appetizers are bread knots stuffed with cheese and pepperoni. Served with red sauce, I made an entire meal out of them.
City Built Brewing Company is near downtown across from the Monroe Street Movies — an outdoor movie theater where people plant themselves down with lawn chairs and blankets, to take in recent blockbusters. City Built has a Puerto Rico-inspired food menu, unique beers (including glitter beer that sparkles), and speed euchre — a Michigan card game that takes me back to college.
Next door to the hockey arena downtown, Grand Rapids Brewing Co. has a large game room, replete with arcade games, pinball machines and shuffleboard — all for free. Founders Brewing Co., the brewery that put Grand Rapids on the map as a beer destination, offers tours where you can see several six-story beer vats: You’d need to drink a six pack every day for 226.4 years to drain each one. A really great vibe here.
Scott Kramer is veteran, Southern California-based writer primarily versed in golf and personal technology. Studying Computer Sciences in college, and then working as a programmer/software engineer for about a decade, triggered my passion for today’s high-end, high-tech gadgets. I can’t help myself whenever I see any kind of cool new personal technology. I feel compelled to further check it out and see what it’s all about. And even if I have no use for it personally, I’m always thinking who it might best suit. There are exciting new innovations emerging daily that are shaping the future and simplifying life. And I hope to be your eyes to that world, through the words of this column.