The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the grass is lush and green and a soft breeze stirs the leaves—it’s a perfect day for golf. After a winter of grey skies, bone-chilling cold and snow that never seems to go away, we in Michigan have a special appreciation for spring and summer days that give us the opportunity to get out on the links and follow the little white ball. In fact, Michigan boasts a grand total of 1,047 golf courses with 36 or so in the Lansing area alone.

The Country Club of Lansing

The Country Club of Lansing is one of the oldest, having been incorporated as the Lansing Golf Club on May 4, 1908. Its organizing statement was signed by the likes of J.W. Knapp, J.H. Moores (who owned the land on which the club was built), Edgar Cooley, William Prudden and R. E. Olds, all of whom played a role not just in the history of the club but of the city of Lansing as well.

The Country Club of Lansing is a member-owned facility, which is overseen by a board of directors. The club offers a wide-ranging calendar of activities for its members and also hosts meetings and social events such as weddings and banquets. With a banquet coordinator on staff, partygoers can rest assured that everything will go well.

According to Chris Freeman, general manager, “We currently have 535 members; we are steadily building our membership after a slight drop-off during the economic downturn. We are extremely pleased with the rate of growth and we see real potential going forward.”

Freeman has been general manager for over seven years; he was previously the golf pro at the club.

The current golf pro is John Lindert, who has held that position since April of 2002. As golf pro, Lindert gives lessons, manages the pro shop and works with the golf course superintendent to maintain the course.

The club is host to over 150 acres of gently rolling and pristinely maintained terrain; the course includes 54 white sand bunkers, a tree-lined fairway (over 250 trees have been planted since 1980), a pond on holes 14 and 17 and a natural ravine between holes eight and nine. Golf course superintendent Mark Magee, who maintains all this beauty, has been with the club for over 30 years.

The Country Club of Lansing offers a full range of golf instruction including both private and group lessons. Lindert says, “We have state-of-the-art equipment to help our golfers become the kind of players they want to be. We have two hitting bays which can be used year-round. We use video cameras to record and evaluate the golfer’s performance, and we are the only facility in the area that has a launch monitor, which collects data used to analyze the golfer’s swing and ball flight. Besides helping the golfer perfect his or her game, this aids us in helping them select the best equipment for their best game.”

During the spring and summer, there are numerous tournaments, leagues, golf outings and benefits; both the elegant clubhouse and the course are busy virtually every day of the week.

Freeman says, “We have a very active junior golf program at the club including golf clinics, junior play days and an elite junior golf academy for players who are either on high school teams or want to play tournament golf. We also offer swimming lessons and tennis lessons as well as the opportunity for our young players to join a tennis or swim team. Our three-day summer camps include activities like golf, swimming, tennis, crafts and games.

“While I wouldn’t say that business is conducted on the golf course, it is certainly a good way to build relationships and get to know people. After all, it’s four hours of one-on-one time.”

The club offers a calendar of social events including such popular offerings as a sweetheart dinner, circus nights, blues nights, wine dinner, cooking classes and “floats and flicks at the pool” to name just a few. Executive chef Scott Poff brings his years of experience at premiere facilities to the club and its range of dining options.

Freeman says, “Besides the excellence of the facilities here at the Country Club of Lansing, I’d have to say that our staff is what sets us apart. We have a great group of people employed here ¬and they all work hard to bring the best experience possible to our members.”

Lindert adds, “Our members feel at home here. Our staff knows them and makes them feel welcomed and appreciated.”

Grand Ledge Country Club

Take St. Joseph Highway west and you’ll find the Grand Ledge Country Club, a privately owned club which has been in existence for 52 years. Founded by Steve Lipkowitz, who also designed the course, the club is currently owned by his son and daughter-in-law, Jim and Ann Lipkowitz.

Featuring an 18-hole course with native woodlands and large pine trees, natural wetland areas, water and gently sloping land, the course is a true test of the golfer’s game while remaining eminently playable. This semi-private club has a large membership but is also open for public play. General manager and PGA pro Jeff Hilbert says, “We offer private and group lessons, tournaments, clinics and leagues for women, men and couples as well as a full schedule of opportunities for junior golfers to learn and play the game. We have a pro shop, a snack shop, a swimming pool and a club house. While we don’t have food service here, other than the snack shop, our clubhouse is available for rent for weddings and social events, and we also use it for our member events.”

Hilbert is a native of Minnesota but moved to the area in high school; he attended Western Michigan University, majoring in finance and biomechanics. After eight years working in healthcare in Florida, he decided to make a change and moved back to the area, soon completing his training to become a PGA professional. He has been at the Grand Ledge Country Club for 10 years. He spends winter months, during a time when the club has minimal activity, in California where he teaches golf to the likes of Justin Timberlake and former football player Jim Brown; he also plays in Pro-Am tournaments.

According to Hilbert, “In this economy, people are cutting back, but this is a very economical and accessible club. We spend time and energy planning special events for our members and provide good value for the money they spend here. Our membership has remained steady and we think that’s good news.”

Golfing icon Arnold Palmer has said: “Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening—and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.”

And Lansing is the perfect place to play “the greatest game.”