Ah, Belvedere. The classic design from golf's Golden Age of course design. Belvedere has been a hidden gem to most northern Michigan golfers, but to lovers of golf history it is far from unknown. Our tournament committee had the privilege of sitting down with Belvedere's head pro, Marty Joy II.Marty has been playing golf since he was four and has been in the golf business for twenty years. His resume includes Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, FL and Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, PA.
We hope you'll find this interview as insightful as we did, and that it will peak your interest, excitement, and anticipation for playing Belvedere Golf Club in a few weeks.
James E. Vos Tournament Committee (JEV): Tell us about yourself? How long have you been in the business, and what brought you to Belvedere?
Marty Joy (MJ): I've been in the golf business for over twenty years, working assistant pro jobs at the Copperhead course at Innnisbrook Resort in Florida and before that at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, PA. Before coming to Belvedere I played some mini-tour events in the west until 1999 when I took the assistant pro job at Belvedere. I've been head pro since 2008. I currently play only hickory golf clubs--all of which were made in the 1920's. I also host a hickory event at Belvedere in June. Contestants come from all over North America to participate.
JEV: Tell us about Belvedere.
MJ: Belvedere Golf Club was founded in 1925. The course opened for play in 1927. The course was designed by Scotsman, Willie Watson and built with 150 men and five teams of horses over a year and a half. Watson hailed from non other than St. Andrews, Scotland. Among Watson's other designs are U.S. Open sites The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Olympia Fields in Chicago, Interlachen, and Minikahta in Minnesota. Watson also designed Harding Park Golf Club site of the 2009 President's Cup.
You would call Watson's design a minimalist design as he really focused on the natural topography of the area and did not try to turn his designs into something unnatural. The creek that meanders through the front nine at Belvedere is used effectively with relation to the tees shots off of holes #2 & #3, and again comes into play on your second shot on #5. Belvedere holes #1, #11 and #16 are featured and written about in by George C. Thomas in his seminal book on golf course architecture: Golf Architecture in America.
The 16th hole is one of the best short par 4's in golf and is Tom Watson's favorite hole on the course. The long narrow green, built into a hillside slope, leaves the aggressive player scrambling back up a steep hill and the non-aggressive player who bailed out way left will find their third shot most difficult to stop on its way by the hole.
If you ever have a chance to play hickory golf clubs at Belvedere you will soon realize that the bunkering is precise and troublesome for the equipment of the time. Modern equipment can sometimes overpower Belvedere, however, the subtle green and thick rough can prevent the established player from going low.
The view from the #9 tee overlooking the entire front nine is wonderful. Belvedere means "beautiful view" and from #9 tee you can see why.
JEV: What attracted you to Belvedere? What is it you most like about the course?
MJ: I grew up in Charlevoix and was lucky enough to come back home after years on the road, and even luckier to get one of the best jobs in the business. I played Belvedere as a child and through high school, have grown up with many of the current members and have established solid and rewarding relationships with all the membership.
Belvedere is such an historic place. I love the history of golf and there is plenty of history at Belvedere. The course is so well maintained and designed that it has become a favorite of generations of golfers. Short walks from green to the next tee makes walking Belvedere a pleasure. The course doesn't over punish. The best golfers in the world can play here and compete and have a wonderful time and so can the 40 handicap. Open green fronts allow the high handicappers to roll the ball onto the green without being over penalized by deep pot bunkers or unfair green complexes. It truly is a club that you can play every day and not get tired or discouraged of its features.
Favorite hole? 15, 3 & 9 are rewarding to my game. Getting par on holes 4, 12 & 18 are necessary to post a good score. I've had only one hole in one at Belvedere, on #8.
JEV: Belvedere has such a rich history. Most people aren't aware what a hidden gem it is. What stands out to you about the course from a historical perspective?
MJ: Belvedere is steeped with tradition and history. From the first days that it opened for play in 1927 it was marked as one of the finest courses you could play in the entire Midwest. People came by train from St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Nashville and Cincinnati to vacation in Charlevoix and play the Belvedere. With over 100 caddies, golfers put on their plus-fours and overcoats and thrashed away at the most modern golf club of its time.
Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Tommy Armour, Horton Smith, Bobby Jones, Leo Diegel, Denny Shute--all the major champions of the time--competed and enjoyed Belvedere. Later, Sam Snead, Ken Venturi, and Tom Watson were sent north to check out Belvedere.
Ty Cobb played with a minor league team in Charlevoix and would play Belvedere when the team was in town. He would play here with fellow Georgian and Altanta's East Lake Club member, Bobby Jones when they both would be in Charlevoix.
Golfers of 1920's and 30's--Hagen, Sarazen and Amour--were playing in a transitional period of golf where the sport, having always been considered the finest amateur game in sport, was changing into a professional money game. Jones remained an amateur his entire life and thought that money would ruin the game, however, influential characters like Hagen brought the crowds to the golf course circuit that were willing to pay to watch the best players in the world play golf. Void of an actual PGA Tour, these characters would board trains and play money exhibition tournaments at various locations through the summer months. The Great Lakes Open was the name of such a stop at Belvedere and was played there for over five years.
Belvedere hosted the Michigan Amateur for 38 consecutive years: from 1930 to 1988. In hosted its 39th Michigan Amateur in 2003 and will host again in 2014.
JEV: What's the current course record? Who set it? What's your lowest recorded score there?
MJ: The course record is 64 held by Chuck Kocsis in 1964. Walter Hagen shot 65 the first time he visited Belvedere in 1933 (he bogeyed holes 7 & 13), and held the course record until Kocsis beat him in '64. During the 2003 Michigan Amateur, Andy Ruthkowski (MSU golf team) shot 64 to qualify for match play competition. This was quite a round as the greens were quite quick, fairways tightened considerably, and the rough 8 inches.
Personally, 67 is my best round; 73 with hickory shafted clubs.
JEV: Tom Watson grew up playing there as a kid in the summers when his family would vacation at Walloon Lake. Tell us a Tom Watson story. When was the last time he paid a visit?
MJ: Tom's dad, Ray Watson would spend a month every summer at a cottage on nearby Walloon Lake. They played Belvedere often. Tom considers Belvedere one of his favorite courses in the world to play right alongside Augusta and Pebble Beach. Tom is considered an honorary member and he really loves northern Michigan.
When Tom does come to northern Michigan he walks one round at Belvedere, fishes Walloon Lake, and goes to one of the many fine restaurants in the area such as Argonne Supper Club. His last visit was in 2004. With his resurgence on the PGA and Senior tours, it may be a while before we see Tom Watson again.
The last time Tom was here, he was teeing off on the par 5 15th hole when one of our ranger's grandson's was teeing off on the par 3 14th. The grandson made his first ever hole-in-one...witnessed by none other than Tom Watson. Tom walked to the 14th green, shook the kids hand, signed his golf ball and posed for a photo. Tom is exactly as he seems on TV: gracious, polite, and a true gentlemen.
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