Northern Michigan's LochenHeath Transitions to a Private Club By Brian Weis

Northern Michigan's LochenHeath Transitions to a Private Club

By Brian Weis

LochenHeath Golf Club, one of Northern Michigan's premier golf destinations, announces the acclaimed property has officially transitioned into an exclusive private club experience. Beginning in 2021, local and national members and their guests will enjoy the club's exceptional array of privileges and amenities.

Founded in 2001 and designed by renowned course architect Steve Smyers, Lochenheath has been growing its membership steadily over the years, while allowing the public the opportunity to experience the scenic layout.
"We have always had the vision of LochenHeath becoming a private experience," said Brent Maitland, LochenVest Board Chairman. "With the investment from our owner group, strong leadership and service team, our commitment to maintaining world-class course conditions, and growing interest in the club membership, we feel now is the time to transition to a fully private experience."

Located just minutes from Traverse City, Michigan, and set along the shores of beautiful Grand Traverse Bay, Smyers brought his passion for the classical Alister MacKenzie, Donald Ross and A.W. Tillinghast design philosophies to LochenHeath. He has designed championship golf courses worldwide, including designs in England, South Africa, Portugal, Ireland and the United States.

Routed over a former 300-acre cherry orchard, the par-72 course, which is ranked No. 11 on Golf Digest's Best in State list, features rolling hills, native grasses and fun, well-contoured greens. The course plays firm and fast, making it an everyday engaging experience for members and guests. LochenHeath showcases scenic views of the Bay from 14 of its holes. Members will also be impressed by the expansive and modern practice facility.
"Lochenheath was always created to be a private club and residential experience and we are very excited to be able to complete this transformation," says general manager Kevin O'Brien. "With our location in beautiful northern Michigan, the dynamic views of the water, award winning golf, exemplary clubhouse and culinary experience, private modern cottages and our proximity to Cherry Capital airport along with everything the Traverse City region offers during the summer golf season, we are the perfect destination club for golfers across the country."

Lochenheath members enjoy a full lifestyle experience beyond golf through luxury amenities, including one of the finest restaurants in the region with unparalleled views of Lake Michigan, outdoor dining, firepits, nearby walking/biking paths, fishing, lake access and elegant cottages equipped with four bedroom/four bath suites that are perfect for member/guest getaways.

LochenHeath is accepting limited applications for private membership. For more information, please contact LochenHeath Golf Club at (231) 938-9800.

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Revised: 01/07/2021 - Article Viewed 9,345 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.