SHELBY TOWNSHIP – Cherry Creek Golf Club is one of Michigan’s most popular public golf course facilities and is a perfect fit to host and celebrate family golf with the Father & Son and Parent & Child Championship on Monday.
The Golf Association of Michigan is presenting the traditional Father & Son tournament for the 80th time. In addition, the tournament has included for the last several years a Parent & Child division that opens the tournament to GAM member mothers, fathers, daughters and sons of all ages in combination.
Cherry Creek’s golf course, designed by PGA Tour star and television commentator Lanny Wadkins with Mike Bylen plays from 4,729 yards to 6,833 yards with multiple tee positions and has been voted the “Best Public Course in Detroit” by Hour Magazine readers.
The modern parkland course rolls over gentle terrain through a variety of oak, ash and cherry trees. The facility also includes an award-winning 50-station practice range with multiple target greens as well as two putting greens and three practice greens for putting and chipping work.
Erle Webber is the managing partner at Cherry Creek, Will Hewett the director of golf and Tim Jenkins the superintendent.
Golfers will play in two shotgun rounds (8:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m.) with the morning round including the Parent-Child division. Lunch and awards for gross and net scores in flights will follow. The afternoon shotgun will be followed by a dinner and gross and net awards as well.
The format for play is a form of alternate-shot (modified Chapman) in which two players as partners each hit from their appropriate teeing ground, then select the ball they wish to continue to play and finish the hole alternating shots.
The tournament was not presented last year due to pandemic concerns, but almost 150 golfers will play Monday. Generations of families have participated for 50 years or more on many of Michigan’s best golf courses in the championship, and youngsters are introduced to the annual competitions each year. As always, family tradition will be reflected as teams often dress in the same colors and fun is the order of the day.
Many of the golfers make a point to play each year like GAM volunteer and former governor Gary Adelman of Grand Rapids, who has played in pairs as a grandson, son, father, and grandfather. This will be the record 60th time, with 59 of those being consecutive before last year’s cancellation.
