GRAND TRAVERSE RESORT - SPRUCE COURSE (800-748-0303)
Michigan Golf Course Review 8/01/07
The photos in this review are of the Spruce at Grand Traverse Resort.
General Information
The NEW Grand Traverse Resort in Acme is located just a couple miles east of Traverse City. NEW because of
the extensive 14 million dollar renovation that the property recently underwent - to make it the most upscale golf
resort in Michigan! On property are 600 well appointed guest rooms, three championship golf courses, a full
service spa and fitness area, Wi-Fi throughout the property, a grand lobby with lounge, magnificent beach club,
outdoor pool, indoor pool area with free form pool and large lap pool, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, locker
rooms with saunas, game rooms, fine and casual dining (6 restaurant/lounges), an array of retail stores including
a deli with Starbucks coffee, 85,000 square feet of flexible meeting/conference space - and free shuttle to the Turtle Creek Casino just a few miles away! For more information on Grand Traverse Resort - click here.
We spent 4 nights at the resort and played golf each day. It is an incredible convenience to have your clubs
stored and to simply walk to the pro shop each morning (perhaps grabbing a Starbucks along the way) - with
attendants having everything set up and ready for you to hit some balls and to enjoy a challenging round on one
of the three beautiful golf courses. Looking to tone up your game? The Jim Mclean Golf School is on property
with a variety of individual and group instruction and clinics available. The practice facilities are comprehensive,
with a spacious targeted grass range (stacked with complimentary balls), short game area plus putting greens.
The clubhouse includes a well stocked pro shop - with the latest in equipment, accessories and beautiful Grand
Traverse Resort logo attire. The service is outstanding as the attendants genuinely go out of their way to make
sure all is in place. Example - during our visit a young customer had forgotten to wear a collared shirt (which is
required) and the pro shop was kind enough to "loan" him a shirt so that he would not have to miss his tee time.
A restaurant/lounge is also part of the clubhouse, with a varied lunch menu on tap. The spacious outdoor patio is
a great meeting spot, with wonderful views of the opening and closing holes of the Bear. The golf carts are
equipped with ball and club washers, and the Kirby Marking System is in place, with measurements every 25
yards from 200 to 100 yards (250 on par fives). The Spruce also has sprinkler heads that are measured to the
center of the green. Scorecards have pin placement and green depth information, as well as diagrams of each hole.
SPRUCE COURSE
The Spruce is a beautiful William Newcomb championship design that is the original course at the Grand
Traverse Resort. The layout winds along rolling hills overlooking Grand Traverse Bay, and presents a fine resort
golf experience. There is a mix of fairly open and tightly tree lined holes, with several doglegs that demand careful execution off the tee and approach.
There are 57 soft sand bunkers strategically situated along the layout, and water hazards come into play on 11
holes. Golfers will need length and placement to score well here, and it is important to stay below the hole on the
medium size greens, which often slope from back to front. There are some doglegs on the back side that require
accurate placement, but there is nothing "tricked up" here. Three sets of tees play to distances and slopes
measuring 6304 yards/130 slope, 5696 yards/126 slope and 4726 yards with a slope of 125 for women playing from the forward sets.
Three 4 star (Golf Digest Places to Play) championship courses, great service, wonderful accommodations and
amenities and great location - we highly recommend a stay here! For more info, visit our page for the course, with direct link to their website by clicking here.
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