The Otsego Club & Resort
| The Otsego Club & Resort | |
|---|---|
| Location | Gaylord, Michigan |
| Nearest City | Traverse City, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 45°01′40″N 84°39′19″W / 45.0277°N 84.6554°WCoordinates: 45°01′40″N 84°39′19″W / 45.0277°N 84.6554°W |
| Golf | |
| The Classic | |
| Designed by | William H. Diddel |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,347 feet |
| Course Rating | Back 69.8 |
| Middle 69 | |
| Forward 71.5 | |
| Slope Rating | Back 121 |
| Middle 119 | |
| Forward 113 | |
| The Tribute | |
| Designed by | Robbins/Koch |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,347 feet |
| Course Rating | Championship 74.1 |
| Back 71.9 | |
| Middle 70.0 | |
| Forward 60.0 | |
| Slope Rating | Championship 134 |
| Back 130 | |
| Middle 125 | |
| Forward 115 | |
| Ski | |
| Top Elevation | 1430 feet |
| Base Elevation | 1049 feet at lowest chairlift,
1360 feet at Main Lodge (ski area is a valley) |
| Skiable Area | 11,000 |
| Longest Run | 360 feet |
| Lifts | 5, 1 High Speed Quad |
| Terrain | Nordic and Alpine Trails |
| Average Snow | 155.7 inches (2012–13) |
| Snowmaking | Yes |
| Lessons Available | Yes (private and youth group) |
The Otsego Club & Resort is a year round golf and private ski resort in Gaylord, Michigan, near I-75.
The Otsego Club opened in 1939 and is America's oldest private ski club. Founder Donald McLouth hired architect Hugh Keyes (who had designed McLouth's mansion in the suburbs of Detroit) to build a ski lodge in the Swiss Chalet style. The Otsego Club (formerly known as Hidden Valley) ski area consists of 31 slopes, 5 chair lifts including a high speed quad, and both alpine and Nordic ski trails.[1]
The Otsego Club offers two championship golf courses - The Classic, and The Tribute, designed by Rick Robbins and PGA Tour Professional, Gary Koch. [2]
History
Built in 1939 by Detroit-area steel magnate Donald McLouth (of McLouth Steel)[3] as a Tyrolian-style ski resort for Detroit industrialists (including the families of Henry Ford, William Durant, Walter Briggs, C. Thorne Murphy, Alvan Macauley, David Wallace, Gordon Saunders, and Lang Hubbard[4]), Hidden Valley Resort was the first private ski club in North America.[5] Keyes incorporated bow-fronted, symmetrical Palladian wings into the design of his “Hansel-and-Gretel-look lodge.” The log lodge inspired an alpine theme throughout the nearby village of Gaylord.
Alan L. Gornick, a former general counsel for Ford Motor Co., bought Otsego Club in 1955 from the estate of steel magnate, Donald McLouth. Alan turned the Otsego Club into a year round resort by building the "Classic" golf course, a William H. Diddle designed championship track.
In 1981, Keith H. Gornick purchased the property from his father. Under the Gornicks, Otsego Club grew from 60 rooms on 500 acres to 105 rooms on 4,000 acres.
In 1991, the stylish Pontresina Restaurant, which affords diners a view of the Sturgeon River Valley, opened. The Pontresina is open to the public and has recently received the prestigious Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, one of the only eight restaurants in Michigan to receive it.
The Otsego Club's increased its presence in the golf industry by adding the "The Tribute", designed by Rick Robbins and PGA Tour Veteran, Gary Koch. This course spans 1,100 acres of the Sturgeon River Valley and was recently named a Top 10 Best New Course by Sports Illustrated, a Michigan Top Ten Golf Course by Michigan Golf Magazine, and is a featured course on Microsoft's Links 2003 Video Game.
In 2006, Osprey Recreation Property of Osprey SA Ltd. bought The Otsego Club & Resort and owned it until 2012.
In November 2012, the Otsego Club was purchased by Mission Point Management, LLC – a group of current & long time Otsego Club Members. [6]
Golf courses, scorecards and maps
The Otsego Club & Resort features two courses, The Classic and The Tribute.
The Classic was designed by William H. Diddel, and became the founding course of the Gaylord area. The traditional, "Country Club" design of The Classic provides a no gimmicks honest approach to the game. The Classic sits in a parkland setting overlooking the Sturgeon River Valley one mile from downtown Gaylord.
The Tribute, recently named the 8th Best Public Golf Course in Michigan by Michigan Golf Magazine, is a Robbins/Koch design. Four to six tee boxes accommodate all levels of play. Yardages range from 5085 from the forward tees to 7347 from the tips.[7]
Mountain statistics
Season dates
- December 26-Mid March
Snowfall
- 2012-2013 155.7 inches
- 2011-2012 107 inches
- 2010-2011 127.5 inches [8]
Elevation and acres
- 390 feet
- 11,000 acres
Trails and lifts
- 31 Slopes
- Beginner 25.8%
- Intermediate 16.1%
- Advanced 32.25%
- Terrain Park 9.7%
- Glade Skiing 16.1%
- Longest Run 360 feet
- 6.2 miles Nordic trails
- 5 Chair Lifts
- 1 High Speed Quad [1]
Other features and facts
- Ski and Snowboard School
- Highest point in the famed Michigan Snow/Sun Belt
- In 2010 the Otsego Club built an Olympic size half pipe (22 foot high, 500 feet long) to accommodate a training facility for snowboarders from 12 different countries for the Vancouver Olympics.[9]
- The headwaters of the Sturgeon River flow through the Otsego Club property. The Sturgeon is a high gradient blue ribbon trout stream that begins in Gaylord and empties into Burt Lake.[10] The River can be seen throughout the club's ski area, and the club's coffee shop, the Headwater's Cafe, is named in its honor.
Lodging
There are 117 guest rooms and suites on property, including five different lodges, two chalets and suites.
Meetings and events
There are 12 meeting rooms with a total of 17,000 square feet to accommodate many size groups for meetings, weddings and other events. Audio and visual equipment along with other meeting and event equipment is available for use. [11]
Restaurants and bars
The Duck Blind Grille- The main dining and bar facility at the Resort serves breakfast, lunch and dinner during the winter ski season and breakfast and dinner in the summer golf season. Patio dining available during the summer.
The River Cabin - Only open during the winter season and for private events, the River Cabin is set on the head waters of the Sturgeon River. In the winter months, there is regular bar & food service with the house specialty being rum & cider, otherwise known as a "Broken Leg".
The Logmark - Located at the top of the Sturgeon River Valley overlooking Otsego Club's ski slopes and the 9th hole of The Classic golf course. The Logmark serves cocktails and a variety of domestic and imported beer a large fireplace, a complimentary pool table and a big screen TV.
The Stubli - Located in the main Lodge. Serves Fondu and traditional Swiss fare. Great for groups.
The Pontresina - Located in the main lodge. The Award winning fine dining and unmatched wine list.
References
- 1 2 "Trail Map". Otsego Club. Retrieved 2013-11-29.
- ↑ "Golf". Otsego Club. Retrieved 2013-11-29.
- ↑ http://www.dbusiness.com/September-October-2009/Peaks-and-Valleys/
- ↑ Eckert, Kathryn Bishop, ‘’Buildings of Michigan’’. Oxford University Press, New York, 1993. p 440
- ↑ http://www.dbusiness.com/September-October-2009/Peaks-and-Valleys/
- ↑ "History". Otsego Club. Retrieved 2013-11-29.
- ↑ "Course Map & Info". Otsego Club. Retrieved 2013-11-29.
- ↑ "Winter Weather Briefing Page". Crh.noaa.gov. 2013-11-19. Retrieved 2013-11-29.
- ↑ "Olympic Training Hot Spot Has Emerged". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
- ↑ http://www.huronpines.org/projectinfo.asp?pjt=av&aid=24
- ↑ "Otsego Club & Resort - Gaylord, Michigan Resort | Cvent Supplier Network". Cvent.com. Retrieved 2013-11-29.