Lee Houtteman of Glen Arbor to tee off at the Senior PGA Championship

The field at the Senior PGA Championship, set for the Golf Club of Harbor Shores May 24-27 in Benton Harbor, will feature 156 players from around the world.

Germany's Bernhard Langer, recovered from 2011 thumb surgery and making his impact felt again in senior golf, heads a list of 36 international players, representing 18 countries, in the 73rd Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. But there will also be a Michigander among them. Lee Houtteman of Glen Arbor (see photo above) qualified as one of the 35 club professionals. Houtteman, who is a teaching pro in Traverse City, will have his work cut out for him just to make the cut. His resume is a solid one - see below - but he hardly has the experience of some of the game's top over-50 players. Houtteman's career includes:

* Northern Michigan PGA Teacher of The Year 2005
• Northern Michigan PGA Player of The Year 2005, 2006, 2008
• Northern Michigan PGA Chapter Champion 2005
* Las Vegas Nevada PGA Chapter Champion 1999
• Qualified PGA National Club Professional Championship 1995, 1999 2004, 2006, 2008
• Member Fuller Cup Team 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
• Multiple Top Ten finishes in Michigan Open, Michigan PGA, Michigan Section Match Play
* U.S. Open Local Qualifier Medalist, Birmingham Country Club 2006

There's plenty of star power teeing it up at the Jack Nicklaus course. Langer, 54, missed the Senior PGA Championship a year ago after a freak left-thumb injury suffered in an off-season biking accident. That mishap delayed his return to play until mid-June. Prior to the injury, Langer had finished among the top 25 in three consecutive Senior PGA Championships, including a runner-up finish in 2008. This year, he has posted six top-10 finishes, including two runner-up and one third-place performance.

Defending Champion Tom Watson, who grew up playing summer golf in Northern Michigan, headlines the list of seven past champions playing, including Michael Allen (2009); Jay Haas (2006, '08), Denis Watson; Mike Reid (2005); Hale Irwin (1996, '97, '98, 2004); Tom Lehman (2010); and Tom Wargo (1993).

The Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid is the oldest event on the Champions Tour, originating in 1937 at Augusta National Golf Club at the invitation of the legendary amateur Bobby Jones. The Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid will feature 12 hours of live television coverage on NBC and The Golf Channel, with viewership in more than 130 countries and territories worldwide. Tickets to the 73rd Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid are available by visiting SPGA2012.com.

Champions for Change set to air 2 p.m. Saturday on CBS

This weekend is sure to be must-see TV with The Masters.

But be sure to get in front of the tube Saturday before tournament coverage to check out the coverage of the Champions For Change, the cool charity shootout last summer at the Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor. There's a good chance you'll see me lurking in the background at some point, taking pictures and keeping a close eye on this legendary foursome.

The special -- which airs at 2 p.m. Saturday on CBS -- will highlight the friendly shootout between course designer Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Johnny Miller, as well as the transformation underway in the Benton Harbor and St. Joseph communities in Berrien County, spearheaded by the Harbor Shores development.

Collectively, the foursome boasts 199 PGA TOUR wins and 35 major championship victories, teed off together for competitive play.

Following the golf, all four players took part in An Evening for Champions at The Mendel Center Mainstage at Lake Michigan College. The roundtable discussion gave guests the opportunity to interact with the four legends as they discussed their past battles on the golf course, the state of the game of golf and how Harbor Shores will serve to revitalize the Benton Harbor community.

The day of events was a celebration of the transformation and rebirth of Benton Harbor and a true example of how golf is being used as an enabler for social and economic revitalization. The tournament resulted in a $1 million donation to the Benton Harbor Boys & Girls Club and the First Tee, as a part of a capital campaign initiative launched in the summer of 2010.

Michigan's golf season winds to an end

I've got my last round of golf scheduled, do you?

I'm planning to play this week not for fun but for work. I've had a few review products show up at my door that need to be tested before the weather turns sour.

I just got a facebook message that Manitou Passage is closed for the season. Most courses up north can't be far behind.

Now's the time to reflect on what's been a great season. Both the spring and fall weather was good enough to extend the season a couple weeks on either end, a pleasant surprise for courses that have been starved for revenue a couple years in a row. Boyne USA Resorts reported last week that this has been the longest golf season in its history. Several Boyne courses are scheduled to stay open until the end of the month.

Looking back, the summer weather was stunning. I read somewhere it was the fifth-warmest summer on record in metro Detroit. Most of the weekends were rain free. The weather stayed consistantly wonderful ... 80 to 85 and sunny from June to September.

There were some cool first-time events that I'll never forget, too. The grand opening of the Golf Club at Harbor Shores was as good as any event we've had in Michigan (Just as good as the 2008 PGA Championship and 2004 Ryder Cup if you ask me). Watching Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer was a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.

Meeting Butch Harmon at the Loon Golf Resort in Gaylord for the opening of his golf school there was another treat. There's a chance he and Natalie Gulbis could return to the resort next summer, so stay tuned.

I even got the chance to play The Bear in its 25th anniversary. The legendary Jack Nicklaus design that spearheaded the growth of northern Michigan as a golf destination is as good as ever.

Speaking of bears, this blog will go into a bit of a hibernation mode as winter settles in.

But if big news breaks -- like if the PGA Tour decides to come back to Michigan in 2011 -- I'll post an update.

Nicklaus, Palmer, Miller and Watson wow the crowds in the Champions for Change at the Golf Club of Harbor Shores

Forget the Buick Open.

Michigan golf fans wouldn't miss the PGA Tour if they could experience more fantastic events like the Champions for Change, the charity shootout that served as a grand opening celebration for the Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor.

The 3,600 fans lucky enough to secure tickets witnessed quite possibly the most star-studded foursome ever assembled for a charity event. Jack Nicklaus, the course designer, hosted Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Johnny Miller in a scramble skins shootout that delivered both great shot-making and fun-loving banter between the four legendary friends.



They've combined to win 35 major titles and 199 PGA Tour titles in one foursome, folks. Incredible.

I heard one African-American golf fan exclaim: "I can't believe Jack Nicklaus is in Benton Harbor. I walked from my house to see Jack Nicklaus."

Watson, 60, was on form, showcasing the shotmaking that almost won him the 2009 British Open. Playing with Arnold Palmer as his partner, he eagled the 14th hole on his own ball. Even with Nicklaus playfully interupting his routine to remind him that the putt on the 18th green was for the match, Watson stepped up and sank it without a moment's doubt.



Miller, the lead golf analyst for NBC, had his moments, but it was Nicklaus, even at age 70, that looked like he could still compete on the Champions Tour. In the most memorable moment of the day, Miller was all set to hit a lob wedge from the lower tier of the green on the par-5 10th hole when Nicklaus stepped in trying to save his course's green from getting a chunk ripped out of it. Nicklaus promptly holed his improbable putt up and over a severe slope, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

"For it to go in was pure freakin' luck," Nicklaus said afterward. "That was what I got the biggest kick out of today."

The tournament was my first look at the 6,861-yard, par-71 course. It's a beauty. The three dune holes at No. 7-9 are gorgeous and challenging. Boaters watched the action from the holes that touch the Paw Paw River -- No. 3 and 14-15 and No. 18. Nicklaus' chief designer Chris Rule added some unique touches like two greens on the sixth hole, a shorter one without the long carry over the river and one across the water.



And let's not forget that the whole event and course came to be for one purpose: To revitalize the economy in the sister communities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph. The 530-acre non-profit Harbor Shores project could eventually build out to include a hotel, marina, a town center and shops, a fitness center and nearly 800 different residences. For more, visit harborshoresresort.com.

"What I would like to see in 10 years, I'd like to see the course have success, to create jobs, to create housing and a tax base," Nicklaus said.

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.

Golf Club at Harbor Shores to host 2 Senior PGAs, charity shootout

I knew the Golf Club at Harbor Shores would be special, but I didn’t know it would be THIS special.

The 6,981-yard, par-71 course, roaming through the forest and dunes of Benton Harbor, rocked the Michigan golf scene with a pair of stunning announcements last week. The course, set to open all 18 holes July 1, will host a charity shootout featuring designer Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Johnny Miller on Aug. 10, bringing much needed excitement to a tournament golf scene in Michigan sorely lacking any luster.

The move by KitchenAid, a division of Benton Harbor-based Whirlpool Corp., to sponsor the Senior PGA Championship from 2011-2014 no doubt sealed Harbor Shores’ bid to host the prestigious Champions Tour major in 2012 and 2014. That’s three must-watch tournaments added to the Michigan golf calendar in the near future to complement the 2012 U.S. Senior Open at Indianwood Golf & Country Club in Lake Orion.

Michigan might not have enough sponsorship dollars available to attract the PGA Tour, but these events help fill the void. Last summer, the Buick Open folded last year after a 51-year run in the state. And it seems even the great Oakland Hills Country Club might not be active at all as a tournament venue this decade.

The love from the old guys should help soften the snub by the world’s greatest players. The Champions Tour is becoming more popular all over again, thanks to the competitive fires still burning within former major champions Freddy Couples, Nick Price, Mark O’Meara, Tom Kite and others.

And the charity event featuring a skins format featuring rotating two-man teams should be the coolest “exhibition” to hit Michigan since the 2004 Arnold Palmer Turning Point Invitational that featured dozens of former U.S. Amateur winners at the Country Club of Detroit (although the Par-3 Shootout at Treetops was also fun to watch). It will serve as the course's official "grand opening."

The legendary foursome of Watson, Palmer, Nicklaus and Miller offer a combined 199 Tour wins and 35 majors. This could be the last time spirited rivals Nicklaus and Palmer tee it up together. And Miller, the controversial voice of NBC, never plays “competitively” anymore. A limited number of $50 tickets will be sold with access to the course and a clinic. In addition, an Evening for Champions “roundtable” discussion will be held at the Mendel Center Mainstage at Lake Michigan College from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Tickets are available for $25 at HarborShoresChampions.com.

“I consider Arnold, Tom and Johnny among my closest friends in golf, so I not only look forward to getting together with them again but also having them with me as we celebrate the opening of The Golf Club at Harbor Shores,” Jack Nicklaus said in a statement. “The Harbor Shores Champions for Change event is a great opportunity to highlight how golf is being used as a vehicle for social and economic revitalization, particularly in the Benton Harbor community.”

All of these events will be a boon for Michigan’s beleaguered economy, both financially and emotionally. Money from all over Michigan, not to mention Chicago and Indiana, should pour into Benton Harbor during these tournaments. It’s clear that golf and the real estate and resort development at Harbor Shores is the best thing to happen to Benton Harbor in decades.

For tee times, call 269-927-GOLF or visit harborshoresgolf.com.

Visit by Jack Nicklaus generates excitement for Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor

There was a rare Golden Bear sighting in Michigan last week.

A site visit by Jack Nicklaus to his Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor on June 29 created a sense of reality to the Harbor Shores Development, a $450-million, 530-acre real estate, recreation and redevelopment project that has been more than five years in the planning and more than 20 years in the making.

The 6,981-yard par-71 Nicklaus course, one of just three in Michigan, will open nine holes for preview play on July 15, with a complimentary 10th hole, for greens fees of $75. The course winds through a former superfund sight where more than 117,000 tons of toxic debris and soil have been removed. At a press conference, Nicklaus marveled that defunct factories and dilapidated buildings have been replaced by the beauty of green fairways and white-splashed bunkers. The Paw Paw River flows through several holes.

"I saw the property (several years ago) and thought, 'Where will you put a golf course?' All I see are buildings and roads," he said. "... That will be one heck of a golf course. It's beautiful. It plays nice, flows nice."

Jeff Fettig, the Chairman and CEO of Whirlpool Corp., which owned much of the land, said the site looks better every time he sees it.

"If you didn't see what was there before, you never realize how spectacular this is," he said.

Nicklaus made the trip to give his final blessings on the layout, paying special attention to holes No. 6-9 that are still in the early stages of construction, delayed by several lawsuits that oppose their proximity to the beach and Jean Klock Park. The seventh tees sit as islands among a large wetland with the green atop a sand dune. Nicklaus took out three bunkers and reduced the size of another to make the par-4 eighth more player friendly.

Nicklaus even made the brave prediction that his layout will rival nearby Point 'O Woods, a venerable private layout considered one of the top 20 courses in Michigan.

"I don't want to say what is better, but I have my opinion," he said, drawing laughter from the crowd of media and local VIPs gathered at the M-TEC building that will serve as the course's temporary clubhouse.

For a tee time, visit harborshoresgolf.com.