Fall colors come to life at Tullymore Golf Club in Michigan

STANWOOD, Mich. – The drive to mid-Michigan today was nothing short of stunning.

The fall colors have exploded in just over 24 hours. There are some trees still green, which provide a great contrast to all those with red, yellow and orange leaves.

This splash of colors looks even better on a golf course, especially one as good as Tullymore Golf Club (see the photo above). This Jim Engh design in the Canadian Lakes region a half hour west of Mount Pleasant has been considered one of the best public golf courses in Michigan ever since it opened. Scoring comes much easier on the front nine, which has three par 3s and two short par 4s. The back nine gets considerably tougher with three dangerous par 5s that rarely relent birdies.

The day ended with a thud, though, when my foursome caught the end of the Americans’ collapse in the Ryder Cup on TV inside Tullymore’s $7 million clubhouse. Thankfully, the spoils of a great meal made it a little more tolerable to take.

I’m currently staying just down the road from the clubhouse at the Carne Lodge, a modern, two-story building with 10 hotel-style bedrooms featuring two beds and individual bathrooms. The large common area features a kitchen and pool table. It’s a great place for a golf group of up to 20 players to rent out all to themselves. There’s enough space for privacy and to host a party at the same time.

Tomorrow, I’ll attempt to tackle St. Ives, Tullymore’s sister course. I just hope I don’t putt like Furyk or Stricker or Woods. Watching all those misses will be a haunting memory for the foreseeable future.