A Midwest Summer Excursion - Day 1 - Stop 1

When Sugarloaf Social Club made a post about organizing an golf event at the Culver Academies Golf Course, I jumped on the opportunity to create a trip around the event. Ian Gilley, of Sugarloaf, has highlighted some of the incredible features of the course at Culver over the years that peaked my intrigue. A friend of Hannah’s grandparents was the chaplain at Culver for a number of years, and a college friend of mine went to the summer camp at Culver so I had a small familiarity with the school. After seeing the campus and the course for myself, and getting a chance to play the course with Ian, I certainly have a greater appreciation for this classic Langford & Moreau design.

The trip included two incredible rounds of golf at very unique courses (as well as two loops round the putting course), a night in South Bend, IN, a night in Chicago, IL, an MLB game featuring the Cardinals and White Sox, and a few cold drinks with a friend who I forgot moved to Chicago recently.

I flew from Charleston, SC to Chicago, IL on the first flight out of town on a Monday morning which had me in Chicago by 6:30 AM, with a full day of adventure ahead. After flying in to Chicago and picking up a rental car, I made my way over to Three Oaks, MI by way of New Buffalo where I caught a glimpse of the Dunes Club, which was Mike Keiser’s first course development. Mike went on to redefine resort golf with his creation of Bandon Dunes on the Oregon Coast. After taking a peak there, I stopped in to the Journeyman Distillery where I rolled some putts at Welter’s Folly. This was an incredible first stop after an early flight out of Charleston. The old fashioned made with their last feather rye whiskey was delicious! They have a barrel of classic Acushnet putters ready for you, and the fee includes a day pass to putt, as well as a logo ball. For lunch, Redamak’s came highly recommended and I had one of the better burgers I’ve ever tried.

Per the sign by the putting green behind the distillery:

”Welter’s Folly is a 30,000 sq. ft. public putting green inspired by the ‘Himalayas’ putting course in St. Andrews, Scotland and was constructed at Journeyman Distillery in 2017.

After a wee dram or two of Journeyman Rye, Welter’s Folly was conceived by Distillery Owner Bill Welter and longtime friend, golf course architect and builder Craig Haltom. Welter and Haltom both lived in Scotland and felt the putting green brings a small piece of Scotland to Three Oaks. Their hope is that it will inspire our town’s youth to pursue the greatest game invented.

Welter’s Folly is also a tribute to George Crump, who while building the Pine Valley Golf Club in Clementine, New Jersey in the early 1900’s, faced financial ruin from the project and tragically died before the course opened.

Pine Valley was at the time considered by many to be ‘Crump’s Folly’. To this day, it remains the greatest golf course ever built in America.

Raise a glass to golf and Welter’s Folly!”