Lochenheath Golf Club

Insider Review: LochenHeath Golf Club

An Insightful Interview With Kevin O'Brien, General Manager

By Brian Weis

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with Kevin O'Brien who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
LochenHeath is a semi-private course welcoming limited outside play. LochenHeath is meticulously carved from a 300-acre cherry orchard that hugs the coastline of Grand Traverse Bay. A true rarity in northern Michigan, the Scottish links-style golf course offers sweeping views of Grand Traverse Bay. Recently recognized by Golf Digest by being named to its "Best In State" list debuting at #12 of all private, public and resort courses in Michigan.

To hone your game, there is a comprehensive practice facility highlighted by a short-game area that is known as one of the finest in the Midwest.

The Restaurant at LochenHeath finishes off a great experience as one of the finest restaurant in northern Michigan.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
LochenHeath provides the highest quality experience in northern Michigan. The vistas at LochenHeath are extraordinary with great movement of the land with elevation changes of 85 feet that overlook Grand Traverse Bay. The condition of golf course is exceptional. Finish your day dining at one of the finest restaurants in Traverse City overlooking the bay. LochenHeath is a full day of quality experiences.

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
The fairways are wide but it is important to play the right set of tees for an enjoyable experience. Pay attention to the pro pointers sheet provided on the cart, especially the information on the slopes of the greens. Look at your putts from both sides of the hole. Greens are usually fast so pay attention to the downhill putts.

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
Named to Golf Digest's, "Best In State" list and debuting in 2015 at #12 of all courses (private, public and resort courses) in Michigan).

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
#6 & #7

#6 is a great short par 4 that runs along the Bay. This provides the opportunity to drive the green but if the shot is not pulled of danger lurks. A great risk and reward hole with an incredible vista.

#7 a straightway par five that drops in elevation by 70 feet. the view from the tee is one you just take your time and take it all in. It provides an opportunity to get home in two if you challenge the right side or you can play it safe up the left side. You are not finished when you reach the green as if you get above the hole you have a very fast putt. Make sure and look back and you will see the elevation change.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
#14

I love the combination of beauty and challenge.

You will want to keep your drive as close to the creek on the right side as you're comfortable, which leaves a shorter shot into the green. The green slopes from front to back so land your shot on the front of the green and let it release. If this second shot is pulled off it is very gratifying which is why we play this great game, "to hit shots that bring us joy and sometimes torment."

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
A must, Chef Joseph George provides a culinary delight. If you just have time for and appetizer have the signature Fire Cracker Shrimp. If you chose to stay for dinner the whitefish is one of the best in northern Michigan. Our signature drink is the LochenHeath Lemonade which is a great refreshing way to finish your round on our patio.

Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
Ryan Brehm-65 from the tips on a cold windy May day. Ryan currently plays on the PGA Tour Canada. He won the Michigan Open in 2014, 2010, and 2009. One of his playing partners shot 66 with a double bogey.

Back Tee Stats
Par: 72
Yardage: 7280
Slope: 148
Rating: 77.2

More Information
LochenHeath Golf Club
7951 Turnberry Circle
Williamsburg, Michigan, 49690
231-938-9800
www.lochenheath.com

Revised: 06/23/2015 - Article Viewed 32,011 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying 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), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.