Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor breathing life back into Manitou Passage GC

Bob Kuras has always dreamed of having an 18-hole golf course at his beautiful Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor.

Kuras, president of the resort, fulfilled his dream with the purchase of the former King's Challenge course in nearby Cedar last year. Since then, he has poured his money, energy and spirit into reviving the Arnold Palmer signature course that had fallen into disrepair.

Now that the newly named Manitou Passage Golf Club is in a better place, he can joke about the challenges along the journey. He compared the revival of the course to a home remodel. And we all know how painful those can be, both emotionally and financially.

"You know when you paint the bathroom and it makes the bedroom look bad?" he told a small gathering of golf writers at Monday's media day. "And when you paint the bedroom, the kitchen looks awful. ... Every time we thought we were making progress, we found something else to do."

Unfortunately, I never played the former King's Challenge, but from what I've witnessed during a tour of the course last June to today, the facility has had a complete facelift. The new clubhouse, which was all torn up during my last visit, is now a delight. There's a little library area that honors the history of the "Manitou Passage," the narrow body of water visible from the stunning eighth tee. The cozy bar and grill serves quality food that is best enjoyed on the new multi-tiered patio overlooking the 18th green and a colorful bed of flowers and landscaping. The pro shop is stocked with logo gear.

During media day, I teed it up with Stefan Carlsmith, a longtime instructor with the Dave Pelz Golf School at The Homestead. He was an excellent tour guide who went into greater detail on many of the course changes.



Most of the work focused on the tees and bunkers. Several tees, notably on the fourth and 16th holes, were moved to soften dog legs and give players a better angle to the fairway.

A new tee was added on No. 18 to transform a murderous par-4 into a go-for-broke 492-yard par-5 that longer hitters can eagle if they safely navigate the pond guarding the right side. The course now plays a slightly longer 6,668 yards from the tips.

Dozens of bunkers were reshaped while others were moved or filled in.

Even the signature hole, the par-5 eighth, was extensively reworked. The fairway used to be a hog-back shape that repelled shots into the woods. It was leveled to reward good play.

Overgrown trees and weeds were removed throughout. For example, a fairway was added to the par-3 third hole. The changes were all made to make a tight course play a little friendlier. It still plays much harder than its yardage from the blue tees (6,257 yards) imply.

The course conditioning is just beginning to round into form as well. The grounds crew has aerated the greens nine times within last year, bringing them back to life. They roll true.

Once newly planted fescue grows in to define a number of fairways, the course's visual appeal should jump off the charts.

"The changes have all really helped the golf course," Carlsmith said.

Kuras has talked about bringing world-class golf to the Leelanau Peninsula. He's well on his way to making the dream a reality.

For tee times visit manitoupassagegolfclub.com or call 231-228-6000.

King's Challenge now called Manitou Passage Golf Club

First came the chocolate golf ball in the mail, a mysterious gift signaling something was brewing on the Michigan golf scene.

The next day, the mystery was solved when another package arrived ... a Manitou Passage Golf Club hat revealed the new logo and name for the former King's Challenge Golf Club in Cedar.

The changes officially signal a new era for the club, which was purchased last year by a group of investors, led by Bob Kuras, the president of The Homestead, a fabulous resort in Glen Arbor.

I was the first golf writer to visit the site for a tour of the potential changes (read more here) to the course last June, while construction of the new clubhouse was in full swing. The plans were ambitious but necessary to revive the neglected property. The course opened last July but continues to undergo changes, and more TLC, to enhance the Arnold Palmer-designed course.

"While working on the new tee boxes for No. 8, we discovered a view of Lake Michigan's Manitou Passage," Kuras says. "Immediately, we realized that name was the tie to Leelanau County."

The new Web site, manitoupassage.com, is still under construction, but a message on the front page hints at a grand opening this summer and a $5,000 sweepstakes to celebrate the event.

Those who attend the Grand Rapids Golf Show this weekend can stop by The Homestead booth for the club to find out more about tee times and rates this summer.

King's Challenge a work in progress

I'm not surprised the King's Challenge is just now opening in Cedar, the newest amenity of the fabulous Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor.

When I visited the resort in May, the course, purchased by a group led by Homestead president Bob Kuras, was just starting to awaken from a long winter of neglect, both from the wicked weather and the previous owners. New superintendent Brad Stowe was working overtime to hack down all those dandelions and try to breathe life back into the greens with the ultimate goal to be on track to apply for Cooperative Sanctuary status from Audubon International..

I've still never played King's Challenge, but a drive around the Arnold Palmer layout with new director of golf Logan Price got my juices going to give it a go. It has all the wonders of northern Michigan in place: the elevated tees, the scenery, the tree-lined corridors void of houses. It looks tight and challenging in some spots, so I can't wait to see how my nerves will hold up with a driver in hand.

The clubhouse was in even worse shape during my visit, torn up and being completely renovated, but the pictures circulated by the resort shows that the effort has paid off. The building, which will pursue LEED certification for its new environmental-friendly features, now offers a nice outdoor patio overlooking the pond surrounding the 18th hole. The flow has improved with a little library just inside the door. The pro shop, on the right, and the bar, on the left, are big enough to be roomy, yet small enough to be intimate.

Bigger plans are in the works for the course. Palmer's architects are committed to helping King's Challenge retool any tees that might need to be repositioned or brought back to life.

A grand opening, with a brand new name, could happen as soon as next June. In the meantime, if you're interested in a tee time, visit kingschallenge.com or call 231-334-5900. I recommend you play it now, then come back next summer to marvel at its ongoing transformation. Only then will players realize how committed Kuras is to great golf at his resort.