Belvedere Golf Club, Charlevoix, MI

Belvedere stands the test of time...

By Brian Weis

Belvedere Golf Club's website sums it up best, "Take a walk into history and play golf as it was meant to be."

The Belvedere is one of the most storied golf courses in Michigan including hosting 39 Michigan Amateur Championships. A walk thru the quaint golf shop is like viewing a pictorial "Who's Who" Directory. Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Tommy Armour, Sam Snead, and Ken Venturi have all carded rounds on this hallowed ground.

Designer Willie Watson, known for his minimalist course design, opened the course in 1925. While Watson maximized the lands topography it still took nearly two years and a crew of 150 men to build the course.

At 6,713 yards the course is short by today's standards, however the green complexes will test even the best of putters. Playing around at Belevedere is like taking a stroll in a park - relaxing and enjoyable. And isn't that the way golf was meant to be played?!

Two time Masters Championship winner, Tom Watson vacationed in the area during his childhood. Recently, Tom Watson relived his youth and after his round, pronounced Belvedere one of his favorite courses in the world. "Most people playing here probably don't understand why this is truly a great course," he said.

Famous Hole

As the story goes, former U.S. Open champion and TV commentator Ken Venturi drove to Northern Michigan to play Belvedere Golf Club based solely on Gene Sarazen's recommendation. When the pro asked how he had heard about the course, Venturi replied that Sarazen said he he had to play the 16th hole.

Initially the hole looks benign, a straight away 346 yard parkland style hole. Approaching your second shot, you start to see the amazing contouring flowing from the hill through the green and into the rough and fairway. Pay particular attention to pin placement and stick your wedge close. A long putt on this undulating green could spell disaster. Anything less than 3 putts is a moral victory.

The Skinny

4 Tees: 6713, 6542, 6102 and 5444 yards
Slope/Rating: 126/72.3
Rates: $79 in season, $50 off season

Belvedere Golf Club
5731 Marion Center Road
Charlevoix, MI 49720
(866) 547-2611
www.belvederegolfclub.com

Article Tags: Belvedere Golf Club, Charlevoix, MI

Revised: 01/14/2011 - Article Viewed 33,859 Times

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the Publisher of GolfTrips.com, a network of golf travel and directory sites including GolfWisconsin.com, GolfMichigan.com, ArizonaGolfer.com, GolfAlabama.com, etc. Professionally, Brian is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA) and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG). In 2016, Brian won The Shaheen Cup, an award given to a golf travel writer by his peers.

All of his life, Brian has been around the game of golf. As a youngster, Brian competed at all levels in junior and high school golf. Brian had a zero chance for a college golf scholarship, so he worked on the grounds crew at West Bend Country Club to pay for his University of Wisconsin education. In his adult years, his passion for the game collided with his entrepreneurial spirit and in 2004 launched GolfWisconsin.com. In 2007, the idea for a network of local golf directory sites formed and GolfTrips.com was born. Today, the network consists of a site in all 50 states supported by national sites like GolfTrips.com, GolfGuide.com and GolfPackages.com. It is an understatement to say, Brian is passionate about promoting golf and golf travel on a local, regional, national and international level.

On the golf course, Brian is known as a fierce weekend warrior that fluctuates between a 5-9 handicap. With a soft fade, known as "The Weis Slice", and booming 300+ drives, he can blast it out of bounds with the best of them.