Starker-Mann Duathlon - May 11 - 13, 2012
[ May 11, 2012 to May 13, 2012. ] Friday 7pm 1 mile Seed sprint - Starkermann jr. 5k seed run - Starkermann Saturday 9am 2.2 mi.run, 20k bike, 400m swim - Starkermann jr. 4.4 mi run, 30k bike, 400m swim - Starkermann Saturday 5pm 20k Time Trial - Starkermann jr. 40k Time Trial - Starkermann Sunday 10am 1mi. run, 10k bike, 2mi. run - Starkermann jr. 5k run, 30k bike, 5k run - Starkermann All [...]

Wings Over Gaylord! - June 16 & 17, 2012
[ June 16, 2012 to June 17, 2012. ] Gaylord Regional Airport Presents "Wings Over Gaylord - 2012" @ the Gaylord Regional Airport, June 16th and 17th, 2012, Featuring the Aero Stars, Yankee Air Force, and more! Our 2012 event promises to be Bigger Better and Faster. It will be the Best Ever with something to do for everyone in the family! Enjoy the wide [...]

Gaylord Alpenfest - July 17 - 21, 2012
[ July 17, 2012 to July 21, 2012. ] The Gaylord Area Chamber of Commerce presents Alpenfest ®. Expect five days of festivities including a parade, carnival, kid's games and contests, pancake breakfast, ethnic food, stages with live entertainment and the World's Largest Coffee Break. This is a true community celebration! Gaylord, a vacation destination in central northern Michigan, [...]

FARMFEST 2012 - August 10 - 12, 2012
[ August 10, 2012 to August 12, 2012. ] Farmfest is a four-day traditional music festival. Mooosical Magic happens at Farmfest...it's a musician's playground. Gates open on Thursday. Main stage music begins on Friday. Drum Kiva, Fire Circle Jams, Dance Pavilion Events, Parkin' Lot Pickin', Candle Light Labryinth Walk, 2nd Stage Open Mic, Blow-Your-Face-Off Harmonica Contest, Kids-Kids-Kids Stuff!, Workshops, [...]

Treetops Ladies Golf School Escape 2012
No frills, No fluff, just fun, instruction, and unlimited golf! The reinvigorated Treetops Ladies Golf School is open to all ladies, from beginners to seasoned players and is now part of the Rick Smith & Jason Guss Golf Academy. Instruction will focus on the short game and full swing while improving each student’s overall knowledge of [...]

Pine Cone Accommodations - Custom Gaylord Golf Packages
Gaylord Area Courses Are Open!!! Come Stay & Play with us in Gaylord 2 Nights/ 2 Rounds Opening Until May 25th Only $180* per golfer *Based on course selection and availability. What Are You Waiting For? Book your golf outing today by calling: 1 (866) 731 -1887 Visit Pine Cone Accommodations Website >>>>

The Tribute - Otsego Club & Resort - Gaylord
By Jim Barnes When The Tribute opened in 2002, it turned Otsego Club & Resort from one of northern Michigan’s oldest golf resorts into one of its most exciting. The thousand-acre property the course is built on is the same rugged Sturgeon River Valley terrain that flows away from the resort, beginning with downhill ski slopes, [...]

Elk Viewing in the Pigeon River Country Elk Range
The Pigeon River Country State Forest and surrounding land is home to the largest free-roaming elk herd [...]

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Visit Starker-Mann Duathlon Website >>>>

Gaylord Regional Airport Presents “Wings Over Gaylord - 2012” @ the Gaylord Regional Airport, June 16th and 17th, 2012, Featuring the Aero Stars, Yankee Air Force, and more!

Our 2012 event promises to be Bigger Better and Faster. It will be the Best Ever with something to do for everyone in the family!

Enjoy the wide variety of vintage warbirds, modern military aircraft, high speed passes, aerobatics, civilian general aviation aircraft, and military and emergency ground vehicles. Lots to see, do and eat!

Sunday the 17th kicks off the day with the EAA pancake breakfast - courtesy of EAA Chapter 1095!

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Visit Wings Over Gaylord Website >>>>

The Gaylord Area Chamber of Commerce presents Alpenfest ®. Expect five days of festivities including a parade, carnival, kid’s games and contests, pancake breakfast, ethnic food, stages with live entertainment and the World’s Largest Coffee Break. This is a true community celebration! Gaylord, a vacation destination in central northern Michigan, will be hosting its’ 47th Annual Alpenfest ® on July 17-21, 2012. Alpenfest ® attracts not only local residents but also frequent vacationers enjoying the beautiful Michigan summer days. Additionally, it is Gaylord’s unofficial annual homecoming weekend, with former residents returning to enjoy the festivities.

The weekly entertainment features the traditional Alpenfest ® Queen’s Pageant,

Then our four nights of free entertainment on the Main Stage. Starting off with:

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012 - 8:00 P.M.
ENDLESS SUMMER - Back by popular demand

THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 - 8:00 P.M.
CONFEDERATE RAILROAD - Straight from Nashville.

FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012 - 8:00 P.M.
PAUL KELLER JAZZ BAND - Some great music

SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012 - 7:00 P.M.
THE RETURN - An awesome Beatles
tribute show through the years

Click Here For Complete Schedule!

Visit Gaylord Alpenfest Website >>>>

Farmfest is a four-day traditional music festival. Mooosical Magic happens at Farmfest…it’s a musician’s playground. Gates open on Thursday. Main stage music begins on Friday. Drum Kiva, Fire Circle Jams, Dance Pavilion Events, Parkin’ Lot Pickin’, Candle Light Labryinth Walk, 2nd Stage Open Mic, Blow-Your-Face-Off Harmonica Contest, Kids-Kids-Kids Stuff!, Workshops, Great Food, Sacred Land.

Farmfest 2012 is bound to be another record breaking year. SO many Michigan musicians are finding sponsors. Get your tickets before June 1st via snail mail. We are still the best bang for your buck when it comes to Michigan festivals. $50 for your weekend pass. This includes camping. $65 if you get them at the gate.

Volunteers get in for free. If you come to the gate and want to volunteer, you are required to pay the full amount, work your two 4-hour shifts sometime throughout the weekend…THEN get refunded. Volunteers are welcome to come set up camp on Wednesday.

DID WE MENTION PETS? PLEASE NO NO NO PETS ! PLEASE !

Till the cows come home! …(and there ain’t no cows folks)

Admission to Farmfest 2012 - $65 per person suggested for full event but not required. Daily fee which is $25.00 (Ages 12 and under admission free.) This is the best deal for Michigan Festivals 2012 BY FAR!

Farmfest
P.O. Box 456
Johannesburg, MI 49751
Phone: 989-786-3273

Visit FARMFEST Website >>>>

No frills, No fluff, just fun, instruction, and unlimited golf!

The reinvigorated Treetops Ladies Golf School is open to all ladies, from beginners to seasoned players and is now part of the Rick Smith & Jason Guss Golf Academy. Instruction will focus on the short game and full swing while improving each student’s overall knowledge of the game of golf. Our instructors also go on-course with every lady to help with course management and give tips on types of lies.

Judy Mason, Lead LPGA Instructor, continues to lead the instruction. She along with Jason Guss (one of America’s Top 20 Instructors under the age of 40) and the rest of the Rick Smith & Jason Guss Academy Professionals work hard to create a non-intimidating environment that promotes better, easier learning.

Classes are limited to 24 students per school with a student to teacher ratio
of no more than 4:1 and often times less.

New this year - take home DVD with Golf Swing Analysis!

Visit the Treetops Resort Website For More Information >>>>

Gaylord Area Courses Are Open!!!

Come Stay & Play with us in Gaylord

2 Nights/ 2 Rounds
Opening Until May 25th
Only $180* per golfer

*Based on course selection and availability.

What Are You Waiting For?

Book your golf outing today by calling: 1 (866) 731 -1887

Visit Pine Cone Accommodations Website >>>>

We are so excited to be offering Dog Sledding again in 2011-12…Here’s the scoop (no pun intended)

We are partnering with the Iditarod Sled Dogs of OCM Mushing this winter and will bring you to opportunity to experience Dog Sledding at its finest. Each journey takes place on the scenic trails of the Robert Trent Jones Sr. Masterpiece golf course with its blanket of snow.

Experience the thrill with these options:

1/2 hour tours - $75 per (up to) 4 person sledload
1 hour tours - $140 per (up to) 4 person sledload
NEW THIS YEAR
Driving Experience - $175 per (up to) 3 person sledload. You will drive the team with the assitance of a musher.
Sprints - $15 per child 12 and under OR $20 per teen or adult 13 and older. Various days through the season, you’ll find the dogs on the slopes at Treetops conducting 100 yard sprints. You’ll be amazed how fast 1 dog can pull you when there’s a cookie waiting for him/her.

Each ride typically consists of 2 adults and 2 small children. During your experience, you’ll learn interesting facts about the dogs, their racing history, lifestyle, vet needs and the lifelong bond between the dogs. You’re in for an unforgettable experience….but space and dates are limited.

Saturday, December 17th Season pass holder Sprints 11am—3pm
Tuesday, December 27th—9am—5pm
Thursday, December 29th—9am—5pm
Thursday, December 29th Kids Sprints—6pm—8pm
Saturday, December 31st—9am—5pm

Saturday, January 14th—9am—5pm

Saturday, February 18th—9am—5pm
Saturday, February 18th Sprints—6pm—8pm
Sunday, February 19th—9am—5pm

Saturday, March 3—9am—5pm
Saturday, March 3 Sprints 6pm—8pm

Call 989-732-6711 or 888-Treetops to begin your experience
Chose your dates and reserve your spot before it fills up. Advance reservations are required (excluding Children Sprints)
A deposit of $25 is required to reserve and is refundable with a 24 hour cancellation notice.

For more information or to book your sled dog experience before it’s too late, please call 1-888-Treetops or 989-732-6711. For specific answers to questions, please contact our Director of Guest Activities, Allen Ballard at aballard@treetops.com or 989-731-8815.

Visit Treetops Resort Website >>>>

Get any 3 people together and save big. Now until October 16th when you purchase 3 or more ski passes for ages 9 and up (8 and under passes are only $10) you get each pass for only $122 which is over a 30% savings off the regular price.

Purchase online by clicking here! Or call 1-888-Treetops or stop out and see us at either the golf shop or the Front Desk to purchase the best ski pass value in northern Michigan.

And now even a better value as our planned opening (c’mon Mother Nature) is December 9th, and we’re planning on skiing and riding 19 days in December weather permitting.

October 16th Preseason party
4:30pm - 6:30pm

Join us October 16th for a spectacular party to celebrate the coming of ski season.

Final Day to purchase passes at the special Fill a Triple price

Enjoy golf on any of our golf courses for only $25 per person…..if you’ve already purchased your season ski pass or if you purchase on this day, you can play for only $10

Take a look at our new seasonal lockers and find out how to get first dibs on yours.

Take a tour of the new happenings and locations in store this winter at Treetops

Treetops Resort is offering one fan on Facebook the chance to win a 2011-2012 Ski Pass. Click here now to become a fan, and enter for your chance to win!

Visit Treetops Resort Website >>>>

Forbush Corner, a unique cross country experience. Enjoy miles of rolling, wooded trails that are carefully designed for all levels of ability and immaculately groomed by the largest fleet of nordic only grooming equipment in the midwest. Combine that with the Frederic micro climate of early and frequent snowfalls, and it adds up to FUN! Instruction available from beginner to expert. Call or email for details.

• Enjoy miles of trails groomed for both skating and classical
• Largest fleet of nordic only grooming equipment in the midwest
• Lessons & Rentals
• Performance Ski Shop
• Weekend Limited Food Service
• You’ll Be Glad You Came!

News Around The Web

Dave Forbush and the Art of Grooming
By Jim DuFresne

Easy Access - Just a quarter mile east of I-75 at the Lewiston/Frederic exit (264)

Forbush Corner Cross Country Skiing
4971 County Road 612
Frederic, MI 49733
989-348-5989

Visit Forbush Corner Website >>>>

Read more

By Jim Barnes

When The Tribute opened in 2002, it turned Otsego Club & Resort from one of northern Michigan’s oldest golf resorts into one of its most exciting. The thousand-acre property the course is built on is the same rugged Sturgeon River Valley terrain that flows away from the resort, beginning with downhill ski slopes, and continuing north through what has to be some of the most dramatic golfing ground this side of Arcadia Bluffs or Whistling Straits. In a word, The Tribute is stunning.

With terrain like this, you get big elevation changes, ravine crossings, blind shots – to use another word: excitement. Dramatic, but fair, also comes to mind. As with many great courses, the holes can sometimes look more intimidating than they really are, and this extreme terrain feeds that effect greatly. Breathe deep, think about each shot (the course guidebook comes in very handy), relax and enjoy yourself.

The dramatic No. 3, a 430 yard par-4 that drops over 100 feet from tee to green, is a prime example. It’s easy to get psyched out, but use all that downhill momentum to your advantage. Pick your spot…nice and easy…keep it in play…Challenging, yes, but never unfair. Fairways are generally wide and spacious, and greens are large and accepting, forgiving from at least one angle, so that short hitters can make their way around without frustration. Like the Otsego Resort itself, this course is designed for maximum enjoyment. You are out there to have a good time, reveling in nature, on a truly special golf course.

The course took eight years to build, and during that time Otsego’s owner Keith Gornick and course designer Gary Koch (of NBC-TV golf announcing fame) both lost their fathers. At that point, the course was christened “The Tribute” in honor of both men, and a plaque on the first tee describes how the course is a tribute to the fathers and to “the love of the land and the game of golf that they imparted to their sons.”

How cool is that? Reading the plaque gave me shivers, and it set the tone for revelatory day on the links, remembering how my own father started me out in golf, and about what a great sport it is, especially when played in a dramatic natural setting like this.

Looking for a challenge? There are four sets of tees to choose from, stretching to 7,347-yards at the tips. The par-3 ninth plays 240 yards from the back tees, and the carry over a big marshland makes it feel even longer. At this point you’re so far out in the wilderness that you feel eyes peering at you from the forest as you make the turn back towards civilization.

This is one of those courses you just have to see to believe. The Otsego ski hill is for club members only, so being able to golf the property gives you a sense of entitlement. It’s a place you really feel privileged to set foot on the first tee. 18 beautiful holes and seven miles of cart paths later, you may just have rediscovered your own love of the land, and how well it can be utilized to bring challenge and excitement to the game of golf.

The Tribute - Otsego Club Photos
(Click photos for slideshow view)

 
Related Articles

• An Afternoon at the Jason Guss Golf Academy - A Revelatory Golf Experience

Visit Otsego Club & Resort Website >>>>

By Jim Barnes

“Forget about the ball,” said the golf instructor. “The last thing you want to think about right now is the golf ball.” And, he was right. The six of us in the clinic had just been filmed swinging at balls, and it wasn’t pretty. If we wanted to fix these ugly golf swings, we were going to have to start concentrating on our bodies, not the golf balls.

The instructor is Jason Guss, a young professional who spent 11 years working under swing guru Rick Smith at Treetops, with teaching stints in Florida and Australia. Golf Digest magazine is already featuring his lessons, and the buzz around the golf world is that he is one of the hottest, up-and-coming teachers in the game today. I’m here on a beautiful July day to preview the new Jason Guss Golf Academy at the Otsego Club in Gaylord, Michigan.

Jason is equipped not only with vast knowledge and experience, but with the best technology available today: the Trackman Pro swing and ball flight analysis machine is the technology all the pros are using, and V1 Pro video analysis software allows you to monitor improvements and even see your swing side-by-side with various PGA professionals.

Back indoors, watching our golf swings on the computer monitor, it was evident Guss would need great skill to fix them. But, after spending just five minutes filming each of us and reviewing the video, he now had core lessons and swing tips for everyone, which he succinctly explained to each of us. Now it was time to return to the practice tee and put Jason’s advice to work.

Amazingly, we all improved. His suggestions were spot-on, helping each one of us solve a key problem, be it weight shift, swing path, stance — he nailed them all. Starting us out with half swings, making us concentrate on our prescribed changes, we all began marveling about the solid contact we were making and how straight we were hitting. Now we could start concentrating on the ball. I pulled out my driver and hit the sweetest draw of my life.

I realized I was in the presence of a master teacher. Me hit a draw?!? Later that day, my new swing led to a tap-in birdie on a 180-yard par 3, after one of the sweetest 3 irons I’ve ever hit. Since then, I purchased a new oversized driver, and a week later carded my first eagle. I have a whole new attitude about my game and my swing. Do I owe it all to Jason Guss? Let’s just say I’m really glad I attended that afternoon clinic, and I’m totally convinced of Jason’s abilities. Yes, we are very lucky to have him here in Northern Michigan.

But wait, there’s more! Not only is Jason Guss an out-of-this-world golf instructor, the Jason Guss Golf Academy is located at an other-worldly resort, the Otsego Club, with its killer 25-acre practice facility, some of the most charming dining and overnight accommodations in the North, and also some of the best golf: The Classic course and The Tribute are both on site, and the affiliated, Tom Doak-designed Black Forest is a short drive away. (See a review of the Gary Koch-designed Tribute course HERE.)

A wide variety of Golf Academy programs and individual lessons are available, the most intriguing of which are the two and three day packages that allow you to getting totally immersed in improving your game, combining lessons, practice and playing, all day long. The room I stayed in was a totally charming, log cabin-themed room with a patio about 100 paces from the practice tee. Working on your golf game sure is fun when you’re in a beautiful setting with a relaxed atmosphere. With this great facility, Jason’s teaching skills, and the Trackman and video analysis there to record your progress, your game is sure to improve — and you’re bound to have one of the great golf adventures of your life!

Jason Guss Golf Academy Photos
(Click photos for slideshow view)

 
Visit Otsego Club & Resort Website >>>>

Alpenfrost celebrates the heart of the Winter season in the Alpine Village.

For several years, Gaylord celebrated a Winterfest event, spearheaded by local business-men Jim Lappan and Dave Baragrey, that included an ice fishing derby, ice and snow sculpture events, kids games, contests and more.

Alpenfrost, a term coined by committee member Cindy Akans, is a rebirth and evolution of this exciting winter celebration in downtown Gaylord, combining anchor events such as The Polar Plunge and a Craft Beer and Wine Festival at Treetops Resort, with a flurry of downtown activities, games and merchant sales. Worthy of vintage Norman Rock-well painting, the Alpine Village will unveil an open-air ice skating rink on the Courthouse lawn during Alpenfrost.

As with Alpenfest, a unique annual Alpenfrost pin will be available that will offer pin wearers special discounts throughout the event. It’s about Winter, adventure, and having fun in the Alpine Village.

Visit Gaylord Alpenfrost Website >>>>

Benefiting the Special Olympics and in conjunction with Alpenfrost

We have lots of snow and more in the forecast, so with fantastic ski conditions coupled with the festivities, this weekend is sure to be a great one! Call us now to book your package and take part in all of the fun that Treetops has to offer and add to that fun with games, activities and food events in downtown Gaylord too as we celebrate the 1st Annual Alpenfrost Winter Festival!

Check out the spectacular beer, wine, food and entertainment offerings we have lined up for your this weekend…

Visit Treetops Resort Website >>>>

Based on the Emmy award-winning reality series airing on CBS, Treetops brings back its own version of the Amazing Race. This is the 7th annual event at Treetops, which was highly successful in past seasons as 12 teams of four raced across the resort and into downtown Gaylord having an absolute blast.

7th Annual Amazing Race

March 12 - 13, 2011 - Sponsor Packages

Presenting Sponsorship - $1600 (a $2600 value in ski, golf and food alone) One Kid’s team entry and one Open team entry into the races (8 racers of your choice)

• Lift tickets and ski/snowboard rental for each of the eight racers on the days of the race
• Sixteen (16) additional 1-day lift tickets or 3 season passes valid during the 2010-11 ski season (fully transferable) available immediately after agreeing to be the presenting sponsor
• Eight (8) rounds of golf valid during the 2011 season on your choice of any Treetops course
• T-shirts for each racer
• Prominent Logo and/or Business name on your team’s T-shirts
• Logo on the back of every T-shirt denoting you as the PRESENTING SPONSOR
• Food & Beverage for the team during the race
• Lunch banquet at the conclusion of the race on Sunday, March 13^th for each racer and a guest as well as twelve (12) additional lunch tickets for you and your guests
• Opportunity to speak at the lunch banquet
• Sign with your logo and/or business name at the start and finish of race denoting you as PRESENTING SPONSOR (the sign will be brought to the banquet as well)

• Ability to designate $200 of your sponsorship to a school of your choice. If your team wins either the Kids race OR the OPEN race, that designation will be $500.
  • Deadline for PRESENTING SPONSORSHIP is February 20, 2011

Banquet Sponsorship - $1000 (a $1500 value in ski, golf and food alone)

• One team entry into the race in the division of your choice (4 racers of your choice)
• Lift tickets and ski/snowboard rental for each of the four racers
• Twelve (12) additional 1-day lift tickets valid for the remainder of the 2010-11 ski season (fully transferable) available immediately after agreeing to be the dinner sponsor
• Four (4) rounds of golf valid during the 2011 season on your choice of any Treetops course
• T-shirts for each racer
• Prominent Logo and/or Business name on your team’s T-shirts
• Logo on the back of every T-shirt
• Food & Beverage for the team during the race
• Lunch banquet at the conclusion of the race on Sunday, March 13^th for each racer and a guest as well as eight (8) additional lunch tickets for you and your guests
• Sign with your logo and/or business name at the lunch banquet denoting you as BANQUET SPONSOR
• Ability to designate $100 of your sponsorship to a school of your choice. If your team wins either the Kids race OR the OPEN race, that designation will be $500.
  • Deadline for BANQUET SPONSORSHIP is February 20, 2011

Team Sponsorship - $340

• One team entry into the race in the division of your choice (4 racers of your choice)
• Lift tickets and ski/snowboard rental for each of the four racers
• Four (4) additional 1-day lift tickets valid for the remainder of the 2010-11 ski season (fully transferable) available immediately after agreeing to be a team sponsor.
• Four (4) midweek rounds of golf valid for the 2011 season.
• T-shirts for each racer
• Prominent Logo and/or Business name on your team’s T-shirts
• Logo on the back of every T-shirt
• Food & Beverage for the team during the race
• Lunch banquet at the conclusion of the race on Sunday, March 13^th for each racer as well as two (2) additional lunch tickets for guests.
• Sign with your logo and/or business name at the start of race
• Ability to designate $50 of your sponsorship to a school of your choice. If your team wins either the Kids race OR the OPEN race, that designation will be $500.
  • Deadline for TEAM SPONSORSHIP is February 20, 2011

Detour or Roadblock Sponsorship - $100

• Four (4) lift tickets valid for the remainder of the 2010-11 ski season
• Four (4) midweek rounds of golf valid during the 2011 season
• Banner with your logo and/or business name at Detour or Roadblock site
• Two (2) lunch tickets for you and your guest.
• Logo on all Team T-shirts
• Ability to designate $50 of your sponsorship to a school of your choice.
  • Deadline for DETOUR/ROADBLOCK SPONSORSHIP is March 5, 2011

Detour or Roadblock Host

• Host a Detour or Roadblock in your business
• Racers, spectators and those watching on YouTube will be exposed to your business.
• A limited number of hosts will be chosen based on the following criteria
  • Location
  • Feasibility of the task
  • Level of support your staff can offer during the task
• Contact Kevin McKinley 989-731-8480 directly to be considered
  • Deadline for DETOUR/ROADBLOCK HOST is February 13, 2011

ALL CHECKS SHOULD BE MADE PAYABLE TO OUR 501© - Treetops Amazing Race Proceeds of the Amazing Race will be donated to the Athletic programs of the schools of your choice. Use the following link to check out the 2009 Treetops Amazing Race http://michigangolfer.tv/miskier/season_8/amazingrace/

Visit Treetops Website >>>>