Getting To Know: Pohlcat Golf Course By Brian Weis

Getting To Know: Pohlcat Golf Course

An Insightful Interview With Dan Pohl, Director of Golf Operations

By Brian Weis

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with Dan Pohl who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
Since opening in 1992, PohlCat continues to be ranked alongside the top public golf facilities in Michigan. Nestled among century old oaks,stately white pines, natural wetlands and the ever-present Chippewa River, the PohlCat sets itself apart from other Central Michigan courses. This Dan Pohl designed course is meant for everyone to enjoy, no matter their level of expertise. In addition to the course, PohlCat offers the area's most expansive practice facilities.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
The Pohlcat offers a great golf experience at a very competitive price. A fully stocked Pro Shop, great food and drink, along with the First Class service you deserve makes Pohlcat the place to be!!

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
Not really. PohlCat is right there in front of you!! No hidden trouble, no tricks. Hit a good shot, you're rewarded, a bad shot, ugh.

Any recent changes to the golf course? Or any upcoming changes?
Except for some tree removal, and clearing back some overhanging limbs, no changes occurred this year. We continue to evaluate turf conditions and play areas and feel the best award we can receive are the accolades of the golfers who take the opportunity to enjoy a round of golf at the Cat.

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
Pride comes to those who work hard to bring the best golf experience to our patrons. Our maintenance staff, pro shop staff, den/ beverage cart staff make the Pohlcat proud ever day.

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
#17 at the Pohlcat fits the bill for a true signature hole. Although a few tweaks have been made over the years to bunkers, and adding some green space last year, one thing remains the same!! This "beautiful " par 3 sets high above the meandering Chippewa River with a green site framed by bunkers and nestled against the hillside, the 17th offers a perfect Kodak moment. With distance varying from 90- 185 yards I promise you the 17th hear at the Pohlcat will not disappoint!!

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
Favorite hole you ask? Well I have 18 of them!! But, from a players point of view then a designers eye, here's 2 I would pick out. First, #12, is a 441 yard beauty!! Featuring water down the right side, stacked bunkers that create some visual noice some 100 yds short of the green, and a green site that will challenge those 2nd shots, give all the reasons why this hole is the toughest rated on the back nine and the #2 handicap hole overall. Par here is a good score!! Now, a hole that is fantastic to the eyes. # 16 here at the PohlCat is a wolf in sheep's clothing. At 510 yards from the tips please do not let the yardage fool you. A great risk reward hole if you decide to take on the wetlands carry off the tee. By laying back off the tee it now becomes a 3 shot hole. But with the monster pine trees dissecting the Fairway, how courageous will you get with your 2nd shot? Trust me, it matters. With a 3 tiered green and tough hole locations galore you'll want a short iron into this green, if possible. Think well on the 16th my friends, it could save you a shot or two.

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
Before or after your golf experience here at the Pohlcat, I recommend all our food, but, my favorite has to be the Chicken Fajita Wrap, with either our famous French Fries or onion rings!! Washed down with your choice of domestic beers or one of our many IPA choices, you will truly enjoy the tastes at the Cat.

For the traveling golfer, do you have lodging onsite or partner with any area hotels?
Pohlcat does not have lodging on site. But, does do packages other area golf courses and hotels.

Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
No course record has been established by a tournament round. Ryan Brehm and myself have unofficially shot 64's. I believe unless it's under tournament set up and the pressure to finish the round, a course record is just a # to shoot at. Come give it a go!!

Back Tee Stats
Par: 72
Yardage: 6954, 6258, 5769, 5039
Slope: 140 black, 133 white, 127 silver, 128 red
Rating: 74.2, 71.1, 69.0, 70.5

More Information
Pohlcat Golf Course
6595 E. Airport Rd
Mt.Pleasant , Mi, 48858
989-773-4221

Pohlcat.net

Revised: 07/08/2021 - Article Viewed 2,554 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.