Treetops' Darkhorse Bid Edges Out Boyne for 2019 Tournament!

Byron Center, MI--The James E. Vos Memorial Invitational tournament committee today announced the 32nd playing of its annual event will be held May 30 through June 1 at Treetops Resort. This is only the fourth time the Gaylord, MI resort has hosted the tournament. Treetops hosted the tournament consecutively in 2004 and 2005, and then again just three years ago in 2016.

Jones Masterpiece, Hole #6

Treetops was a dark horse for consideration this year as the tournament committee had previously determined to give strong consideration to Boyne Highlands, Gull Lake View, and Grand Traverse Resort, in that order, and based on input from the tournament's participants. The committee worked diligently with Boyne on several package options but the negotiated package price from Boyne eventually skyrocketed to over $600/person, putting Boyne out of the running for further consideration. Both Gull Lake View in August, MI and Grand Traverse Resort in Acme, MI were very interested in hosting, but were completely booked with large-scale events during the tournament's 2019 dates.

Two other dark horses emerged about the same time as Treetops: Tullymore/St. Ives and Charlevoix, MI area courses. Both bids and locations were intriguing as neither had ever hosted the James E. Vos Memorial tournament in the past. While these two options were being pursued, Treetops became proactive in getting the event back and, in the end, their bid was a full $120/person less expensive than either Tullymore/St. Ives or Charlevoix. That, plus the high caliber course rotation and a completely renovated Treetops Inn made Treetops the clear favorite over the other contenders.

While they didn't get the 2019 tournament, Grand Traverse Resort, Boyne, and even Charlevoix are intriguing options and will be given consideration for 2020 and beyond. In particular, the Charlevoix bid included a chance to return to Belvedere CC which remains tournament players favorite, despite having played it only once in the tournament's history (2010).

A preliminary course rotation has already been established for 2019 tournament. Plans call for the teams to face off Thursday morning, May 30 at 7:16am on the Jones Masterpiece course, followed by afternoon play at 1:24pm, also on the Jones course. Friday's (May 31) rotation includes the Rick Smith Tradition (most likely, the scramble round) in the morning (6:50am) followed by afternoon play on the Fazio Preimer (12:33pm). We are the FIRST tee times on both Thursday and Friday mornings. Saturday morning (June 1) finale singles matches will be played on the Fazio Premier (8:42am).

The committee has also received preliminary notice that additional early evening rounds on any of the resort's courses, including Threetops, are complimentary. Plus work is being done to receive special pricing for any golf played on Wednesday, May 29 before the tournament begins. This still needs to be confirmed but it looks good as of this writing.

The tournament committee is anticipating another strong turn out for the 2019 event. The field has been opened to 28 golfers. Invitations will be extended in the coming weeks with participants expected to accept in February/March with a $100 deposit, payable to the resort. Watch this website and your email for future notification and instructions to reserve your spot.

2019 James E. Vos Memorial Invitational Tournament Dates Announced

Byron Center, MI--The James E. Vos Memorial Invitational Committee today announced the dates for the 2019 tournament will be held one week earlier than its traditional Wednesday night through Saturday noon schedule. The tournament will be held beginning Wednesday evening, May 29 through Saturday morning, June 1, 2019.

The tournament has been selling out the last 4-5 years. Spots will be held for 28 participants. If you are interested in joining the 2019 tournament, please hold these dates in reserve on your calendars.

Finally, if you have suggestions for where the 2019 tournament should be held, please contact one of the tournament's executive committee members:

Thom Anema
Mark Rice
Jack Vos
Jim Warners

Final 2018 Tournament Details

Bellaire, MI--Looking forward to the 31st annual James E. Vos Memorial Invitational. Here are some final trip details for this year's participants.

1. Package price is $395. Your $100 deposit was due 5/6 with payment in full due on 5/24. These arrangements should already have been made by the resort. If you have not already made arrangements for these payments, please call 866-695-5004 to do so.

2. Package includes three nights lodging in the Lakeview Hotel (2 double beds), unlimited golf for two days (Thursday and Friday) and 18-holes of golf on Saturday morning, use of practice facility and range balls, unlimited use of the Fitness Center, complimentary shuttle service, and all taxes and local fees.

3. Tee times, competitive format, and courses are as follows:

Ryder Cup-style competition. Each competitive match is worth one (1) point. Team with the most points at the end declared the tournament winner.

Thursday, June 7
Morning - Cedar River
7:00am-7:50am - 2-man best ball (match play)

Afternoon - Cedar River
1:10pm-2:00pm - 2-man best ball (stroke play)

Friday, June 8
Morning - The Legend
7:00am-7:50am - 2-man best ball (match play)

Afternoon - Summit
2:50pm-3:50pm - 2-man scramble (stroke play)

Saturday, June 9
Morning - Schuss Mt.
8:00am-9:00am - Singles (match play)

4. Team Pairings, Matches, and Team Names

Teams have already been selected and sent out In addition, all the matches for the tournament have also already been created. This is being done to save time and create efficiency when we have a group this large. A pairings sheet will be sent directly to all participants in a private email.

The reigning MVP (Cam VanKoevering) normal selects his team's name (either Recovery Shots or Fairway Finders) at the Wednesday night Gathering. However, Cam is unable to play this year so another means of selecting team names will be determined and announced later. Scorecards for day one of the tournament will be handed on Wednesday night. Every evening, the next day's scorecards will be handed out.

Meals are not included this year. There are several options for dinners and we will figure this out as we go. A group our size is always difficult for any restaurant to handle and we may have to split up. We'll play it by ear from day-to-day. One night we typically have pizza brought in. The other nights we typically all end up at a local restaurant/bar for supper in Bellaire. There are two great spots in Bellaire: The Bellaire Bar and Shorts Brewing Co. There are also restaurants/bars on property including in the Lakeview restaurant, located right in the hotel where most of the guys are staying.

5. Wednesday Golf, Hotel Check-In, and The Gathering

Wednesday is a non-tournament day. We have secured three tee times on The Legend beginning at 12:30pm on Wednesday at a rate of $49 per player. Currently, there are ten (10) players signed up for this, leaving one twosome open. If you wish to join the last twosome, let Mark Rice know. Pay in The Legend pro shop.

Check-in is officially not until 5pm. However, you are welcome to call the front desk on your way up. I am told we are welcome to call the front desk at 866-695-5010 on the way up to inquire if you are able to check in early, or inquire when you arrive. No guarantees your room will be available.

The Gathering. If you are able, please plan to meet as a large group for a bit on Wednesday night. At this point I'm not sure where we'll meet. There is a common area (not extremely large however) located just off the wing that our group is lodging in at the Hotel. It is a public space so we can’t guarantee it will be available but we are welcome to use it, according to hotel staff. We will try to meet there or somewhere in the Lakeview hotel Wednesday night for this brief meeting. This has become a nice little pre-tournament gathering where we greet each other, welcome the rookies, go over the pairings for matches, and go over other tournament details. We'll start this meeting around 9:00pm and try to wrap by 9:30pm. It's important to not miss this. Please do your best to be on time.

If you have any questions, please call or text Mark Rice. Cell number is 616-826-8232.

See you in a few days!

2018 Teams Announced

Bellaire, MI--The tournament executive committee today announced the teams for the 31st playing of the James E. Vos Memorial Invitational, now just a week away. The executive committee made the decision to select the teams in advance to save time and create event efficiency in what will be a very busy weekend with tight schedules.

In announcing the 2018 teams the executive committee made a bold, somewhat unprecedented, and perhaps even controversial decision to move away from the tradition of keeping families together and having complete family units play together against other complete family units. Instead, the 2018 teams break some family units apart, putting them on opposite teams, facing off against each other. Vos' will now play against Vos'; Tanis' against Tanis', and so on. How interesting it will be to see Dave Tanis and his grandson, Owen, face off against his son, Jeff and other grandson, Dirk. This year, we will get to find out.

In another rarity, it is also the first year in quite some time where the three remaining founding members--Thom Anema, Jack Vos, and Mark Rice--and several of their college roommates and friends will play together as teammates--a reunion of sorts.

Pre-tournament round at Chase Hammond  Golf Club
(l to r: Thom Anema, Jack Vos, Mark Rice, Tony Vroon)
circa May 1989

As usual, very few strokes separate the team handicap totals, but as we've seen in the past, that rarely matters. Grit, determination, who's playing well that week, and luck play a huge role in determining the winning team. Who will it be this year?

Herewith the teams for the 2018 James E. Vos Memorial Invitational.

Team A/Handicap (final team name tbd; see below)
Anema, Dick, +28
Anema, Thom, +17
Baker, Jim, +20
Elenbaas, Ben, +6
Elenbaas, Steve, +15
Rice, Mark, +13
Tanis, Dirk, +11
Tanis, Jeff, +12
VanderWal, Dan, +13
Vos, Jack, +20
Vroon, Tony, +25
Warners, Bob, +22

Team B/Handicap (final name tbd; see below)
Anema, John, 26
Mulder, John, +22
Rice, Rodger, +22
Tanis, Dave, +13
Tanis, Owen, +18
Terpstra, Ken, +18
Topliff, John, +16
Vos, Jon, +10
Vos, Max, +9
Vos, Sam, +13
Vroon, Anthony, +27
Warners, Jim, +15


Team names will be selected at the Wednesday evening Gathering event (approx. 9:00pm Wednesday evening, details to follow in another post). It is a tournament tradition the reigning MVP retains the right to select his team's name between either the Fairway Finders or the Recovery Shots. Alas, the 2017 MVP, Cam Van Koevering, is unable to participate in this year's tournament. We will have to devise another method for choosing this year's team names.

2018 Handicaps: Up, Up, and Away

Byron Center, MI--As expected, and as has been the case historically, the 2017 tournament courses at Garland were brutal on scores and handicaps. Almost every player in this year's tournament who also played last year saw their handicap indexes go up--some significantly so. A few players remained even, and only two players saw their indexes drop--a truly remarkable achievement given the brutality that is the Monarch and Swampfire courses at Garland.

Jim Warners has been a model of consistency for a long time.

Since 2015 Jim's index has never fluctuated more than one point, always bouncing between +15 and +16. The tough Garland courses had no affect on him, as he proved by being one of only two players dropping his index that week, going from +16 to +15. Congratulations JW!

The only other player to drop his handicap index is, of course, the ageless Dick Anema

Uncle Dick entered the 2017 tourney with a sizeable index (+30) which was a full six strokes higher than his 2016 index. Nonetheless, playing at a +30 in 2017, Dick managed two scrape a full 2 strokes of his 2018 handicap index. He enters the 2018 tournament at +28. Sheesh, who is this guy?!

Every other player either went up or stayed the same, some suprisingly so and it is important to note them, perhaps as warning signs for those who will face them day one of the 2018 tournament.

Most surprising, perhaps even shocking, is Master Samuel Vos.

Like Jim Warners, Sam has been a model of consistency. Since the 2015 tournament, his index has never gone above +5. Perhaps that's why his 2017 scores of 89-91-88-85 are so shocking--even hard to believe. Nonethelss, his 88 average puts him at a +13 going into the 2018 tournament. Woe to everyone who has to deal with this beast on day one of the 2018 tourney.

In like fashion, Dan Vander Wal, fresh off a 2017 hip replacement surgery, entered the 2017 competition +9. While medically cleared to play, he was advised to swing easy (a term Dan has zero concept of) and play from white tees, which he did. Danno gets hero status for even playing and his scores reflected his healing hip. His 89-97-93-92 gave him a 93 average and a +17 index. Dan will move back to his normal blue tees for the 2018 tournament, but still, Danno on fresh hips at a +17 from the blue tees. Ouch.

Sam and Dan: enjoy tournament day one. Day two will be a different day....!

There are other notable upswings. Players will be wise to watch out for:

Jim Baker, who moves from +14 to +20
Tony Vroon, who moves from +20 to +25
Bob Warners, who moves from +17 to +22

These are three exceptional players who are always dangerous, especially with higher than normal handicap indexes. Beware.

All this sets up for a terrific 2017 tournament. Indexes and tee assignments are below. Tees assignments indicate the tee played in the last tournament to achieve the current handicap index (with the exception of Dan Vander Wal). Rookie handicaps are estimated.

Name, Tee, Index
ANEMA, DICK, Red, +28
ANEMA, JOHN, White, +26
ANEMA, THOM, Blue, +17
BAKER, JIM, White, +20
ELENBAAS, BEN, Blue, +6
ELENBAAS, STEVE, Blue, +15
MULDER, JOHN, White, +22
RICE, MARK, Blue, +13
RICE, RODGER, Gold, +22
TANIS, DAVE, Gold, +13
TANIS, DIRK, Blue, +11
TANIS, JEFF, White, +12
TANIS, OWEN, White, +18
TERPSTRA, KEN, White, +18
TOPLIFF, JOHN, Blue, +16
VANDERWAL, DAN, Blue, +17
VOS, JACK, White, +20
VOS, JON, Blue, +10
VOS, SAM, Blue, +13
VOS, MAX, Blue, +9
VROON, ANTHONY, White, +27
VROON, TONY, White, +25
WARNERS, BOB, White, +22
WARNERS, JIM, White, +15

2018 Rooming List Announced

Bellaire, MI--The tournament committee today announced the rooming list for 31st annual James E. Vos Memorial Invitational. Participants in the 2018 tournament will be staying in standard 2-bed accommodations in Summit Village at the Lakeview Hotel and Conference Center.

The Lakeview Hotel is at the heart of Shanty Creek and offers offers million-dollar views of Lake Bellaire, miles of pristine hardwood forests and out-the-door access to The Legend and Summit Golf Courses. The guest rooms also have walk-to access to The Lakeview Restaurant, Arnie’s Grill, The Spa at Shanty Creek, indoor and outdoor pools. Standard rooms include: two queen beds, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, balcony/deck.

Herewith the rooms and participants assigned. The numbers assigned to each grouping are actual room numbers. If you wish to switch room assignments from what is below, work that out directly with the resort staff, not with the executive committee.

Rm. 2208
John Anema
Dick Anema

Rm. 2201
Thom Anema
Dan Vander Wal

Rm. 2211
Steve Elenbaas
Ben Elenbaas

Rm. 2220
John Mulder
John Topliff

Rm. 2207
Mark Rice
Rodger Rice

Rm. 2209
Dave Tanis
Owen Tanis

Rm. 2204
Jeff Tanis
Dirk Tanis

Rm. 2210
Jon Vos
Max Vos

Rm. 2203
Jack Vos
Sam Vos

Rm. 2202
Tony Vroon
Anthony Vroon

Note: Jim Baker, Jim Warners, Bob Warners, and Ken Terpstra are staying in Ken's condo in Schuss Village.

2018 Tournament Invitations - CLOSED

Byron Center, MI--The James E. Vos Memorial Invitational executive committee today announced applications are no longer being accepted for 2018 tournament. From Anema to Warners, twenty-four participants have accepted the tournament's invitation. Registrations are now closed.

The 2018 tournament will once again feature its eclectic mix of well-loved regulars, old friends returning, our Tall Timbers, and has been the norm, rookies.

The executive committee welcomes back tournament co-founders Jack Vos and Thom Anema. The Vos and Anema families have been linked to the tournament's history since the beginning in 1988.

Thom Anema - 2015 MVP

Tournament co-founder, Jack Vos

Both Thom and Jack are tournament MVPs. Thom is a 2x winner (2000 & 2015). Jack shared the honor with Dirk VanZee in 2007. Jack has never missed a tournament. Thom, who lives in Colorado, attends as often as he is able, and now returns for his fourth consecutive year.

Families have always played a huge part in the tournament. The tournament's rich history includes such long-standing family names as Anema, Vos, Warners, Tanis, Van Zee, VanderWal, Vandenberge, Rice, Mulder/Rosema, and so many more. Fathers, sons and brothers have been represented since the tournament's inaugural year when Jack Vos played alongside his dad, James E. Vos, Sr.--the tournament's namesake. In 1989 Thom Anema was joined by his brother, John. In 1990 Thom's dad joined. And on it goes.

This year is no different. No less than seven families will represent. The executive committee, as always, is grateful for the small armies that are the Tanis and Vos tribes, both of whom bring their own foursomes to the 2018 event.

Tall Timber, Dave Tanis

Led by Tall Timber, Dave Tanis, the Tanis tribe once again includes son Jeff, and grandsons, Owen and Dirk. Welcome back!

Sam Unleashes!

Joining the Vos foursome are co-founder Jack, son Sam, brother Jon, and tournament rookie, Max Vos, Jon's son. WELCOME MAX!

Just short of a foursome are the Anema's. Joining Thom are his brother John, and his dad, the ageless Dick Anema. Dick Anema is the oldest of the tournament's Tall Timbers at 88 years old. He, along with Dave Tanis (78) and Rodg Rice (80) are the tournament's real stars. Relentless, tough as nails and, most of all, gentlemen through and through. We all aspire to become men like them.

Rounding out the families are the great friends of the tournament: the Warners, Vroon's, and Elenbaas'. Brothers Bob and Jim Warners have been been permanent fixtures on the tournament for years. Jim serves on the tournament executive committee and Bob was the 2015 tournament MVP.

Bob Warners, 2015 MVP

The executive committee is thrilled Tony Vroon is returning for the fourth consecutive year and he will once again bring his son, Anthony "A-Dog" Vroon. Longtime friend, Steve Elenbaas also returns and this year we get an Elenbaas two-fer. For the first time ever, Steve brings his son and tournament rookie, Ben. WELCOME BEN!

Steve Elenbaas

Last, but certainly not least, this year's singles include:

-The incomparable Dan VanderWal--the tournament's ONLY 3x MVP (2002, 2009, 2013) and fresh off two hip surgeries within the last seven years.

Gimpy VW

-The hard-hitting, competitive, yet always gracious, Jim Baker.
-Tenacious, tough as nails, yet also always gracious Ken Terpstra.
-The man with the big heart, John Topliff.

And, finally...

with hearts full of thankfulness to our Creator, the tournament welcomes back with cheers, high-fives, and a loud "WOOT!", our own dear, Dr. John Mulder. Most of you know Doc John is one year removed from lung transplant surgery. One year ago we were praying for a body that wouldn't reject its new lung, let alone a return to this tournament. Doc John is the 2014 MVP, our tournament's official photographer, our tournament physician, but most of all...our friend. Welcome back, my friend. We missed you.

Doc John

Dandy Shanty

Byron Center, MI--The James E. Vos Memorial Invitational tournament committee today announced the 31st playing of its annual event will be held June 6-9 at Shanty Creek Resort. This is only the third time the Bellaire, MI resort has hosted the tournament. Shanty Creek first hosted the tournament in 2001 and again in 2010.

The 2001 tournament is historic on many levels. It was one of the tournament's worst weather years--just terrible. Sadly, it was one of tournament co-founder, James E. Vos, Sr.'s last recorded rounds. And, sadly, it was the last year of the Spoelhof family. More on that in another post.

A preliminary course rotation has already been established for 2018 tournament. Plans call for the teams to face off Thursday morning, June 7 at 8:00am on the Cedar River course, followed by afternoon play on at 2:00pm also on the Cedar River course. Friday's (June 8) rotation includes The Legend in the morning (7:00am) followed by the traditional 2-man scramble round on the Summit course (2:50pm). Saturday morning (June 9) finale singles matches will be played on the Schuss Mountain course (8:00am).

The tournament committee is anticipating another strong turn out for the 2018 event. The field has been opened to 28 golfers. Invitations will be extended in the coming weeks with participants expected to accept in February/March with a $100 deposit, payable to the resort. Watch this website and your email for future notification and instructions to reserve your spot.