Sweetgrass Golf Club at the Island Resort in Harris, Michigan: An Upper Peninsula gem
HARRIS, Mich. -- Sweetgrass, one of four traditional medicines used in Potawatomi ceremonies, is a purifier that is said to clear the mind and attract positive energy. And there is much positive energy at Sweetgrass Golf Club, part of the Island Resort & Casino.
Opened in 2008, Sweetgrass was an immediate hit thanks to its immaculate conditions and varied layout, shaped from farmland in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The links course stretches to 7,275 yards, plays to a 75.2 rating and a 143 slope and annually is the toughest on the Symetra Tour. But for less skilled players, Sweetgrass also has rare playability with its wide fairways and generous greens.
The course is full of cool stuff that makes a round here memorable. The parallel, par-5 finishing holes play to the same double green. There's a par 3 with a biaritz green (no. 12) and another with an island green (no. 15) in the shape of a turtle. At no. 13, there's an eagle carving overlooking the green. Framing a greenside bunker at no. 8 are pylons in the shape of the letter "Z," a tribute to Zoie Brozowski who donated the land to the Hannaville Indian Community, which owns and operates the resort.
And the best news about Sweetgrass is that a second golf course is on the way, which promises to enhance the Island Resort & Casino's ability to attract golfers.