Shanty Creek Resorts Adds Permanent 8-Inch Cups to One Course

The Schuss Mountain course, one of four at the northern Michigan property, will now have the larger cups on each hole along with traditional-sized cups, to encourage more play by children and beginners. Another course is adding a new set of forward tees.

Shanty Creek Resorts (SCR) in Bellaire, Mich. has added 8-inch cups on each hole of its Schuss Mountain course, in addition to traditional 4 ¼-inch cups, as part of new efforts to make golf fun, faster and easier for children, beginners and less-experienced players.

“Guests will have an option every day to play either the regular tees to the traditional cups or move to the forward tees and play to the 8-inch cups,” explains Brian Kautz, the resort’s PGA Professional and Director of Golf. “We have four golf courses at our resort, so this was the perfect opportunity to convert one of our courses and implement this unique and unprecedented program. Hopefully, this will help grow the game of golf.”

SCR has taken the initiative as part of the “Golf 2.0″ campaign that Jack Nicklaus has been urging members of the PGA to adopt to restore fun, particularly for women and junior players, to the game. Earlier this year, Nicklaus hosted a 12-hole event at his Muirfield Village Golf Club where that club also implemented 8-inch cups.

“If you are a beginner or a family with young children and want a fun and non-intimidating experience with the game of golf, this new program on the Schuss Mountain course will be a perfect opportunity,” Kautz says.

Shanty Creek Resorts is also hoping to spur increased participation by promoting the “Tee It Forward” initiative, which encourages players to move up at least one tee box. As part of this, the property is also developing a new set of forward tees, ranging from 95 to 125 yards, at its Summit Golf Club course.

To further encourage more children, women, and families to play at the resort this season, children under the age of 17 will be able to golf for free with a paying adult on the Schuss Mountain and Summit Golf Club courses seven days a week. Children will also be able to play free on SCR’s other two courses, The Legend and Cedar River, on Sundays after 2 p.m.

“Our [overall] goal is to grow the game’s appeal by making it easier, less time-consuming, and fun,” Kautz says.

Tags: 8-inch cups Bellaire Mich. Brian Kautz Cedar River Golf 2.0 Jack Nicklaus Muirfield Village Golf Club Schuss Mountain SCR Shanty Creek Resorts Summit Golf Club Tee it Forward The Legand