TPC of Michigan still one of the state's best

The Tournament Players Club of Michigan has unfortunately fallen off the radar a bit after losing its signature Ford Senior Players Championship in 2006.

But as I found out recently, the host of 16 Champions Tour majors is just as dramatic and thrilling to play these days as it was during its heyday. The private course was purchased by The Heritage Golf Group of San Diego in 2007, joining four other TPCs under the Heritage umbrella – TPC Eagle Ridge, TPC Prestancia, TPC Tampa Bay and TPC Piper Glen. All five are excellent facilities that continue to earn status as Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries.

The service you come to expect from a TPC property trickles from the top down, led by General Manager Lee Woodruff, who has had stints working at Garland Resort and the Detroit Golf Club. Assistant head professional Nate Matejek recently earned his Class A membership from the PGA of America.

Woodruff says the TPC is unique because most of its memberships are corporate in nature. Traditionally, the course is busier during the week with corporate events and small outings, he said, than it is on the weekend.

Thanks to two corporate partnerships, the Jack Nicklaus course is accessible as a stay-and-play package with the MGM Grand Detroit, downtown’s most luxurious casino resort.

The “Tee” golf package at the MGM, costing $399, includes two rounds, transportation to and from the course and one night to experience all the wonders of MGM. If only one person in the room is a golfer, the other round can be converted into a 50-minute massage at MGM’s stunning Immerse Spa and Salon, a two-story urban loft inspired by the world’s most calming element: water.

How ironic … considering that water tortures almost every golfer at the TPC. If you get the chance to tee it up here – either by joining as a member or as a member-for-a-day during a corporate outing or with a stay-and-play package – don’t turn it down. This is one of Michigan’s most prestigious tee times.

The TPC of Michigan has always had a reputation for being too tough for many high-handicappers but that caught my fancy about the place. The narrow fairways twist through mounds and around intimidating water hazards. You have to be precise or be wet.

It’s easy to pucker up anywhere on the sixth hole, a short par 4 that requires a steady 3-wood and short iron to avoid the water. The approach shots on the par-4 14th, requiring at least a 160-yard blast over wetland to the green, and the par-5 17th, guarded by water up the entire left side, are equally intimidating.

After the round, golfers can enjoy the spoils of a 28,000-square-foot clubhouse that serves great food. Or just a short distance away is Andiamo Ristorante, a casually elegant haunt on Michigan Avenue serving succulent prime rib, steak, seafood and pasta.

Visit www.tpcmichigan.com for more.