Michigan set to lose another course gem, the Thornapple Creek Golf Club in Kalamazoo

The 2017 golf season will be the last for the Thornapple Creek Golf Club in Kalamazoo.

The course will close for good Nov. 5 after being bought by a new owner, according to the course website. The site has a countdown clock until closing and notes: "Thornapple Creek Golf Club has been sold and will not be a golf course next year. Our last day of operation will be November 5th, 2017. The golf course will be kept in great condition throughout the year. Please come out and play while you still can!"

Al Jones of MLive reports the 194-acre property will convert to private use by members of Daniel Scheffers' family.

I haven't played Thornapple Creek in two decades, but I do remember thoroughly enjoying my round with some college buddies years ago. It's got a nice log-cabin clubhouse and scenery galore among the ponds and rolling hills. The course gets mostly four and five stars from reviewers at Golf Advisor.

Golf Advisor reviewer AllenNoell was nostalgic of the course in his review:

I have many great memories of this course and i was very sad to hear it will close after the 2017 season. I sorta feel like i am losing a member of my family. I know it sounds silly, but it's true. I suggest playing here before it closes, it's a beautiful clubhouse for a 19th hole beer...

Southwest Michigan also recently lost a good golf course in Yarrow Golf & Conference Center, which closed in 2015 to become a mental health and drug rehab center. The good news for golfers in southwest Michigan is that these losses will be offset by this summer's opening of Stoatin Brae, a new course in Augusta about 15 miles from Kalamazoo that is part of the Gull Lake View Golf Club & Resort. Stoatin Brae, translated from Gaelic meaning 'Grand Hill', was built by the Renaissance Golf Design associates of famed architect Tom Doak on the highest point in Kalamazoo County. Golf Advisor users have had mixed feelings early on about the new design, giving out two-star, three-star and five-star reviews.

"I left thoroughly pleased," wrote user 'smith851' in his five-star review. "Wind howled all day and made for a very difficult scoring round, but still had a great time. Highly recommend it.

Jason Scott Deegan has reviewed and photographed more than 1,100 courses and written about golf destinations in 25 countries for some of the industry's biggest publications. His work has been honored by the Golf Writer's Association of America and the Michigan Press Association. Follow him on Instagram at @jasondeegangolfpass and Twitter at @WorldGolfer.
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Michigan set to lose another course gem, the Thornapple Creek Golf Club in Kalamazoo