Drummond Island Resort: The Rock Reborn | MGL TV Special
It is not every day that we begin this program on a car ferry taking us to our featured destination. In fact, I don’t think we’ve ever done anything like this before, which is one of the reasons I’m so excited to have you along for the journey as we introduce you to a golf destination that has had new life breathed into it. Today, we are heading over there to Drummond Island, the home of the Rock and Drummond Island Resort. Straight ahead. Welcome to Michigan Golf Live Television. Shining the spotlight on the best places to play, stay, and celebrate the greatest game on earth. Stay connected to Michigan Golf Live 24/7 on Facebook X, Instagram, and our YouTube channel. and subscribe for free to our weekly for golfers network podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and everywhere podcasts are found. Hello friends and welcome into the show. It is great to have you with us. I’m Bill Hobson and as you can tell, we’ve decided to go off the beaten path just a little bit in honor of our feature destination today, which is also a little bit off the beaten path. I mean, it’s not every day you take a car ferry to get to a resort, but that’s the case here at Drummond Island Resort, the home of The Rock. Now, if all of that sounds familiar to you, it’s because several years ago, this place was owned by Tom Monahan, the founder of Domino’s Pizza and at one time, the owner of the Detroit Tigers. And since then, the property has really been in need of some revitalization, some rejuvenation. And that’s exactly what’s happening. So, we’ve got a really cool story to tell you in the moments ahead, and we’ll get things started by heading directly to the first tea on the rock as we introduce you to the first nine of a golf course that has been brought back to life. Watch out for that bump up ahead. What’s The Rock’s origin story? Well, The Rock was developed in 1989 by Harry Bowers. Uh, it was part of uh Drummond Island Resort’s creation, and this is the foundation of why the resort was put here. And over the years, the the reputation, I think, really grew for this resort, for this golf course, and then it probably grew in the wrong direction for a while. It did. It changed ownership hands a few times, and in that the the messaging kind of went away, and it was almost forgotten about within the state. And so, we are proud to reintroduce The Rock to Michigan. And we hope uh everybody down south when it’s hot and it’s crazy in the summer, you want to come up and visit us cuz today is about 70° and it it is absolutely perfect out here. What a beautiful start to your round on the rock. Hole number one is a super forgiving par five with a beautiful finish. You can let the driver eat off the tea. plenty of room to land your second shot and then you step up to that third and it’s it’s almost like a postcard unfolding before you. Once you finish hopefully making your birdie on number one, you slide over to number two T. It’s one of those classic moments that represents UPN North Golf. This setting on Drummond Island is unique in so many different ways. We could start with the seclusion and the solitude of it all, but there’s also just something different about Drummond Island. It’s spectacular. I love coming up here. You will see all sorts of wildlife on this course. The deer uh will walk right up to you. They’re super friendly. Uh they don’t really even get out of the way when you’re driving the carts around them. And and it it’s the history of Drummond Island as far as uh going back in time. This was all saltwater at one point. You find fossils all over the island uh and and shells all over the golf course when it was once underwater. It’s the number two largest freshwater island in the United States. How did the rock get its name? We are built on a rock uh to create this golf course. They use hundreds of tons of dynamite to be able to blow out to get all these holes exactly as they are. And so uh it is purely this is a rock. I say things are about to get interesting because when you step on to the third TE, it’s the first time that your game is challenged a bit with the ability to shape a T-OT. You’ve got to go a little bit right to left off of number three T. And if you do, you’ll set up a fairly short iron in. Then you step up to the fourth hole and you’ve got to go left to right. So, we begin to see some of the character of the rock really come through because not everything is just straight ahead. You’ll also notice really, really pristine playing conditions. Let me tell you, my friends, that is the result of a lot of investment and a lot of hard work. And the vision of the current ownership group of this resort is to really make it Michigan’s premier UPN North destination. And so, uh, they put a lot of money into putting this back into its current and original condition, uh, to make it something we can all be very proud of. Is it fair to describe the resort as rustic? It is rustic. It is charming. It has a little bit of something for everything and for everyone. If you’re on a guys group and you want a golf weekend, we’re the place to be. If you’re with a women’s retreat and you want to come up for that, there’s something here for everybody to really come and enjoy what we have to offer. You and I are showcasing the reality that you can have a great deal of fun with golf clubs in your hands, but there’s there are some other ways to have fun here. Yes. your golf game is better than mine and so we’re having a great time with watching you hit all the fairways and and greens. But we have sporting clays, we have off-road vehicle parks. The amount of miles that you can go through with the off-road vehicle parks uh is is just you it’s endless fun. Harry Bower has really displayed some creativity with the design of this course. It’s a championship golf course and it’s hopefully those who were here years ago will come and rediscover how good it is. It is it’s it’s it plays fairly long. Uh it is it is very uh challenging and you have to you have to hit some great shots. At the same time, there’s a lot of really open holes and you can come out here and have some fun. Well, there’s your first look at the Front N on the Rock. a beautiful golf course and I hope it’s helped you gain an appreciation not only for the quality of the design but also for the amount of hard work being poured into it on a constant basis to help bring that course back to what it should be. You know, speaking of hard work, with all of the standup paddle boards and kayaks that I’ve been in lately, I think my canoe navigational skills have really suffered. So, I’m going to take a couple minutes to work on that. And when we come back, we’ll introduce you to some of the offc course fun you can have during your visit to Drummond Island Resort, the home of the Rock. We’ll be right back. Welcome back into the program as we continue our exploration of Drummond Island Resort, the home of The Rock. And we’ll get back to the golf course in just a few moments. But first, when you come to a setting like this, you got to take some time to kick back and relax and enjoy the beauty of Northern Michigan. Here we are out on Panagan Bay, part of Lake Hiron, which runs right up to the beach at Drummond Island Resort. A fantastic setting. And whenever you would make the journey over here to Drummond Island, it’s not just a come and go in the same day kind of trip. You want to stick around for a while. And you’re probably asking yourself, “What are my lodging options at the resort?” That’s the question we’re about to answer. We are in the Sparky Anderson cottage, which is a special cottage and in our rental pool. So, this is one of our available options. We have about 14 other cabin style lodge options as well, which gives uh a little more space for everybody, a little more of a sort of resort cabin feel for your vacation or your getaway. But we also have lodge rooms which are wonderful and feel very rustic but um have all the modern conveniences. So we have a couple great lodging options for people to enjoy. fire pits which are wonderful outdoor seating, outdoor decks or patios. So again, we are at a resort that’s on Drummond Island which gives you a very rustic feel. You want to be outdoors whether it’s in the fall looking at the color tours or in the summer enjoying all the fun outdoor activities you can do. But these are pretty special places. Detroit Tiger fans perked up when you said Sparky. This was his cottage that we’re sitting in. Cottage. There’s still some memorabilia that you can see and experience. It’s pretty great. Much like the golf course, the entire resort and all the lodging has is is undergoing a complete renovation and upgrade as well. Can you walk us through what might be different about the lodge rooms versus 10 years ago? Yeah. So, we just finished um renovating the bathrooms completely, so those are all like new and the vanities. We redid the floors, so those are all hardwood, but they’re refinished to be like new. It’s all new bedding, but they still have a nice charm. You have the exposed wood walls and some original paint detail that was kept. Um, and the ceilings have wood, but a lot of the paint was done with a light finish, so they feel open and airy and welcoming. It’s important to us to keep the feel of a lodge experience instead of feeling like you’re you could be anywhere on the side of the highway or in a parking lot. We want it to feel special. We want you to feel like you’re somewhere different. All of the things we’re talking about here with Drummond Island Resort take place in the context of this very cool setting on Drummond Island. And here to tell us more about that are a couple of experts from the Drummond Island Tourism Association. So, first of all, Christina, what is it about this resort that is meaningful and important to Drummond Island? Well, look at it. It’s beautiful. It’s gorgeous. And I have to say, we get about 75 to 80 people per day right now at the tourism, you know, coming into the visitor center. And probably 50% of them are inquiring about the resort. And Ashley, on a broader scale, what’s special about a trip to Drummond Island? I feel like no matter how busy the island gets, uh, there’s times where you won’t see a single soul. And I feel like that really makes the getaway a getaway. Also, that and sometimes you don’t have cell service, which means you won’t have your work pestering you on emails. Can you disappear up here? Pretty much. Yes. That sometimes is a very good thing. Yes. As we talk about things you can do on Drummond Island when you don’t have golf clubs in your hands, one of them is what we’re doing right now at a place called Turtle Ridge. Sam joins us to fill in the blanks. Sam, what is Turtle Ridge? Yeah, Turtle Ridge is our OV park here at the Drummond Island Resort. Uh where you’re able to bring out your side by side four-wheeler, dirt bike, uh Jeep, Bronco, big pickup truck, you name it and test your skills for some very uh easy trails all the way through some real expert rock climbing. This doesn’t seem like one of those trails you’d want to go through very quickly. Uh no, you can uh only go as quickly as you’re willing to break it. Many a muffler has been left uh here along the side of the course. Along with this kind of fun off-roading, I know you’ve got some other opportunities to improve your marksmanship and have a little fun both with ski and some paintball if I have that correct. Yeah, we have a full paintball range uh here at the resort as well as ski shooting with aerial and uh the rabbit sporting clays. Giving a nice challenge for any shotgun enthusiast. So for folks who have their own side by sides or their own other vehicles that would be good on this, they can just bring them and use them through the resort. Correct. Yeah, you can bring them, enjoy them on the resort. We have very large parking lots of the resort. A lot of people like to trailer up the vehicles like this and we have plenty of space to accommodate them. All right. So, Sam, if I were to give you your choice of ranging from board game to ski shooting to off-roading like we’re doing now, where’s where’s Sam coming in? For me, I would uh start out with golf in the morning, shoot some uh ski for the afternoon, and enjoy a nice campfire uh with my friends in the evening. I like that. It’s a pretty good master plan. And the beauty of all of this is that you all can choose your own menu of fun on and off the course. Drummond Island is gorgeous. Um the scenery is breathtaking. The variety of terrain is is incredible. There’s, you know, from mild to wild, as they say. You can bring a a Jeep that you just bought right off the parking lot up to Drummond Island, take it into the off-road park, and there’s something for you to do. or if you’ve got, you know, a Jeep that sits on tires yay high, there’s something for you to do. Uh that’s that’s part of it. The challenge, the terrain, the scenery. Um and having a, you know, for us with the Jamberee, having a partner like the Drummond Island Resort is just absolutely incredible. The way the facilities they offer here, the golf course, the lodge, the cabins, um it’s it’s just a perfect package where you can put together an event and know that your folks are going to be taken care of start to finish. We have a lot of golfers watching who love to explore when they’re not playing the game. The quality of the trails here, I would have to think, is a key component of the jamboree and your love of the outdoors. How do you kind of gauge and rate the quality of off-road fun here on Drummond Island? There’s some of the most challenging trails in the state. There’s nowhere else in Michigan you’re going to go and get the experience that you get here, both in the amount of trails and the type of trails. Um, it’s like I said, it’s it’s everything from mild to wild. And typically when you run into a situation uh where you do have a more challenging obstacle, there’s usually a bypass or a different line. So, you know, if somebody’s not familiar with the outdoors, I typically wouldn’t recommend going by yourself. But, if you’ve got two or three people in a group that you want to take out your Jeep or your side by side, you’re not going to run into problems here on Drummond Island. And the whole time you’re, you know, you’re going through some of the most beautiful scenery and, you know, land that the state has to offer. Now, I am much more comfortable hitting a little white dimpled ball that is not moving, but this looks kind of fun. So, I’m going to give it a crack. See how we do. Ready, pull. Ready, pull. No pigeons were harmed in the production of this particular moment. So, we’re going to go to break. I’ll keep working on my skills here. And when we come back, we’re showcasing the back nine of the rock here at Drummond Island Resort. Welcome back into the program. As we continue exploring Drummond Island Resort, the home of the Rock Golf Course, and tell the story of rejuvenation at this really cool destination, I thought I’d come into the kitchen and try my hand at building a pizza. Meat lovers, of course, vegetables ruin pizza. We all know that. And we are going to put this inside the brand new brick pizza oven, which is phenomenal. It produces some really good pizza at the end. And you won’t believe how fast this thing kicks out the pizza. Remarkable. And while you’re salivating over this, let’s take a moment to explore the rest of the culinary side of your Drummond Island experience. We have a couple great um food and beverage options. We have Pins Bar and Grill, which is where we are right now. Um, we have the biggest bar in Northern Michigan’s UP, which is fun. Lots of u music playing in the evening, a great beer list. We have some fun games for kids and adults. It’s just a really fun casual vibe, handheld sandwiches, great pizza, fast out in a couple minutes, salads, lots of fun things for golfers, lots of fun things for kids. So, it’s a good all-around pick and menu. A menu that’s a little more robust than most sports bars. Yeah, we have a few additional things that um we think make it a little special. The white fish dip being one of my favorites. Um and the salads are always fresh and great, which is a nice healthy option. Instead of just having fried food, you get a few good um handmade items, which makes it kind of nice. There’s a cool history to literally the furnishings in pins. How does that go back in history? So when the property was originally open, this was a bowling alley. So a lot of the things got saved from that and then reimagined into different pieces of furniture to kind of try and keep the history of what the property used to be. So if you sit up at the bar and you think this looks like it could have been something else, it it was it probably was. Yeah, absolutely. So from pins, we can go down by the water, right? And enjoy an entirely different experience. Yeah. Very different feel. Um that’s Bayside and we have that open seasonally which is just a little more of an elevated experience for um you know dinner only but it’s a really beautiful spot right on the water. Really great service. Food is more entree styles versus um pins which is a little more casual but it’s a really fun nice experience for guests. Gives them a couple choices. Most guests are here for a couple of days or a week, so you’re not just stuck eating the same same thing every night. You get a lot of fun variety, which is great. And you can sit outside down there and look at the water, which is kind of what you’re up here in the UP of Michigan for. You know, Ryan was so impressed with my pizza making skills that he asked me to stick around and help out around the kitchen for just a little bit. I’m honored by that. Right. All right. So, I’ll leave the kitchen and go to where I belong, which is back on the golf course. As we showcase the back nine of the rock, as soon as you set foot on the 10th Tox here at the Rock, you’re reminded of what a masterful job architect Harry Bowers did in crafting this beauty in the northern Michigan woods. Because throughout the round, you’ll be required to work the ball either left to right or right to left. And number 10 is a good example of that. Then you move over to the picturesque par 3 11th hole which has the wild flower kind of valley off to the left side and really fills in the beauty of that hole. And then we come to number 12. A beast of a par five that requires accuracy off the tea. A wellplaced second shot and hopefully a third shot that gets you closer to a birdie look than I’ve managed to do here. Can we get one all the way there? Oh, so close. And all of this, the green lush fairways, the smooth rolling greens, and every part of the experience of playing on the rock is all part of a fantastic restoration concept that is well underway here. And how much work has been done to bring the rock back to where it should be. Yeah, Bill, we’re really pleased to have you here. This is such a special course, the natural environment that we get to enjoy all the wildlife and you know for years it it did fall on hard times and the current ownership and the grounds crew are so dedicated to really bringing back this jewel of the upper peninsula. We saw earlier in the show on the front nine how beautiful everything is looking. that doesn’t happen easily and here we are now on the back and those same conditions are in play. Can you speak to the just the the dedication, the investment and the hard work that goes into all that? Yeah, our crews have worked really hard for just the constant constant work on improving the course. They’re have an annual plan and they’re working on all the tea boxes really getting them up, you know, into great playing condition. As we make our way through this back nine, I’m reminded of what Harry Bowers did with this property when he designed it and what a special golf course this is from a design standpoint. What is it that your team hopes to hear from guests who maybe are returning to Drummond Island after several years away? Yeah, we want them to feel impressed that it is better than they remember it and improved upon really stepping up the golf here on Drummond Island. We also think about the value proposition in a trip to Drummond Island because it does take some intentionality to head over to detour and on the car ferry and to the resort. How is your team working to make sure that the value side of it is as strong as can be? Well, and where some of that remoteness is a challenge in getting here, it’s also part of the experience. You get to ride on that car ferry, drive up here and all the natural beauty of the up and where golf throughout Michigan has gotten fairly expensive. golf here on Drummond Island. Once you’ve gotten here and you’re really settled in and enjoying, it’s also not that expensive of a round. It’s a really great place to play multiple rounds and enjoy an entire day or multiple days with your friends and family. There are some golf destinations that are just golf destinations, and that’s great. But there are some that offer a wide menu of things to do when you don’t have clubs in your hand. That’s what’s happening here, isn’t it? Yeah. here on Drummond Island. If you are into jeeping and four-wheeling, if you’re into shooting, if you’re into fishing, if you’re into just laying by the pool and enjoying the day, uh there’s just countless activities to really get out and enjoy or just hiking in the woods and all the wildlife, some of which we’ve seen today. Uh it’s just abundant here on Drummond Island. There are some people in our audience who last visited Drummond Island and played the rock 10, 15, 20 years ago. What would you like them to know about where it is now and where it’s headed? I think if you came out here this year, you’d be very pleased. But I think if they’re here in the future, this is going to be special. This is hands down one of the top five golf courses in the UP in my eyes. it has to be taken back to that level. But when we start saying that, that makes us extremely special, especially in the eastern part of the upper peninsula. There are very few golf courses of this caliber, if any, in this part of the state. It has been such a pleasure to make my way all around the rock and see all the work that’s been poured into bringing this course back to where it should be. And the Harry Bowers design still holds up after all these years. This is a really challenging and beautiful golf course. Now, as you’ve watched Mike Zorn and I play, you may have noticed something. Not many putts have gone in so far. Well, that changes right now as both Mike and I close out with birdies on 18. Guaranteed almost. Okay, Mike, I have failed miserably. Your turn, Bill. I love the confidence. I’m going to give it a go. Give us one. It’s in. Good. Back spin on a putt. That’s very impressive. Hey, thanks for spending time with us and introducing everybody to all the hard work being done here at the Rock. I have to imagine there are a lot of people at home thinking time to get to Drummond Island. It is, Bill. Thank you for spending the afternoon exploring this beautiful resort. For those at home, we can’t wait to welcome you to the Drummond Island Resort very soon. Before we wind down our time here at Drummond Island, I thought I’d take a moment to give you proper instructions on how to make a samore the right way. First of all, the marshmallows must be on fire. And the other key is way, way too much chocolate. You’ve got to have a chocolate sandwich with a little bit of marshmallow in between. Kudos to the entire team here at Drummond Island Resort for the work they’ve done on the entire property and of most interest to all of you, what they’ve done to revitalize the Rock Golf Course. For some of you who haven’t been here in 20 years, it is time to come back and see this place as it should be. For those of you who have never been, set your sights on Drummond Island. Bring your golf clubs. Stop by Cabin 12 if you have some time. Maybe join us for some s’mores. All the information you need is at drummond island.com. We’ll see you in Northern Michigan down the road.
Welcome to a special episode of Michigan Golf Live TV, hosted by Bill Hobson, as we take you to one of Michigan’s most breathtaking destinations—Drummond Island Resort.
Nestled in the heart of the Upper Peninsula, this episode highlights the ultimate blend of golf, life, and fun, with a special focus on the refreshed and rejuvenated Rock Golf Course.
*The Rock: A Championship Course Transformed*
The Rock is not just another golf course—it’s an adventure. Set across lush forests, rugged limestone, and rolling terrain, The Rock offers 18 holes of pure Michigan beauty. Recently revitalized, this championship layout now shines with enhanced fairways, improved greens, and a focus on showcasing the natural landscape that makes Drummond Island truly unique. Every hole is a visual masterpiece, providing both challenge and enjoyment for players of all skill levels.
*Beyond Golf: A Pure Michigan Getaway*
While The Rock is a highlight for golfers, Drummond Island Resort is a destination that offers something for everyone. With its incredible mix of outdoor activities, serene landscapes, and comfortable accommodations, it’s the perfect place to combine recreation with relaxation. From kayaking and hiking to off-roading and exploring the island’s natural wonders, every moment here feels like a true escape.
*The Drummond Island Experience*
Whether you’re teeing it up at The Rock or soaking in the views across the island, this episode captures the essence of everything that makes this destination stand out. From its untouched beauty and welcoming atmosphere to the passion of those who make it all happen, Drummond Island Resort is more than just a place to stay—it’s an experience you’ll remember forever.
If you love golf, travel, and stunning destinations, this episode is a must-watch. Hit play and join us on an unforgettable journey to one of Michigan’s most remarkable golf resorts.
More info: https://www.drummondisland.com/
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