The Grande Golf Course - Hole #11

Golf Destination Jackson County Michigan

By Brian Weis

The following is an interview with Jennifer Hill, Marketing Manager, with Experience Jackson.

Tell me a little bit about Jackson County and why should the traveling golfer add it to his/her bucket list?
Jackson, Michigan has over 60 miles of fairway and features beautiful, challenging courses at unbelievably low rates. Golfers of all skill levels will be hard-pressed to locate a better deal, with courses as equally tailored and well-managed, than those found in Jackson.
A golf getaway in Jackson allows the traveling golfer to reconnect with friends and enjoy plenty of golf without breaking the bank. Also, Jackson features many options to taste and see allowing each player to check multiple things off their bucket list.

If a group is planning a 8-12 guy buddies trip, what is a perfect itinerary for a long weekend?

DAY 1 - Friday
9:15 Tee Time Hills Heart of the Lakes
1:30 Lunch Downtown Village of Brooklyn
3:00 Quiet World Sports Kayak Rental/Lesson
7:00 Dinner Steaks Eatery
9:00 Return to Super 8 Brooklyn

DAY 2 - Saturday
10:00 Tee Time Concord Hills
4:00 Appetizers and Beer & Wine Sampling at Grand River Brewery/Sleeping Bear Winery
6:30 Dinner Downtown Jackson
9:00 Return to Super 8 Brooklyn

Day 3 - Sunday
8:30 Tee Time Grande
1:00 Lunch on Clark Lake
2:30 Depart for home

*Remember for groups of 8 or more reservations are usually required and always appreciated.

If my wife gave me the out of jail free card for the long weekend, with the boys? What local item I should bring home to say thanks?

Wine, Chocolates from Gilberts or AG Chocolates, jewelry or art from one of the Downtown merchants

Conversely, if you were planning a couples getaway, what is a perfect itinerary for a long weekend?

Couples Stay, Play and Enjoy
Couples Stay, Play and Enjoy
DAY 1 - Friday
9:00 Tee Time Grande
1:30 Lunch & Wine tasting Sandhill Crane Vineyards
3:30 Wine tasting and hanger tour Chateau Aeronautique Winery
6:00 Dinner Knights Steak House
8:00 Light and Music show at Cascade Falls
10:30 Return to Hankerd Inn

DAY 2 - Saturday
8:00 Breakfast
9:00 Tee Time Hankerd Hills
1:30 Lunch Hankerd Hills Club House
3:00 Self-Guided Tour of Cell Block 7 Prison Museum
4:30 Shopping Downtown Jackson
6:00 Candlelight Dinner Concert at Lone Oak Vineyard Estate
9:30 Return to Hankerd Inn

DAY 3 - Sunday
9:00 Breakfast
10:00 Tee Time Calderone
2:30 Late Lunch Hard Knock Grill
3:45 Depart for home
*Remember for groups of 8 or more reservations are usually required and always appreciated.*

Any off course recommendations for women who may not golf or want a break from the course? (spas, shopping, etc)
Several wineries that surround Jackson form the heart of the region's Southeast Michigan Pioneer Wine Trail, which extends for miles in each direction around Jackson. Accordingly, Chateau Aeronautique Winery, Cherry Creek Winery, Lone Oak Vineyard Estate, Sandhill Crane Vineyards and Sleeping Bear Winery(inside Grand River Brewery) are all must-sees.

What are the must play courses in the area?

The Grande
Calderone
Cascades
Hills Heart of the Lakes

Best under rated gem or value course?

Arbor Hills has some very nice greens with a traditional layout and Concord Hills is very cheap with an "up north" feel.

Where is best place to do trip planning?

Check out www.ExperienceJackson.com/golf

Do you provide travel assistance or packages?
Experience Jackson provides hotel block assistance for groups of 24 golfers or more. For information on all the available courses please visit ExperienceJackson.com/golf.

Revised: 03/18/2013 - Article Viewed 31,314 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.