Written By: Greg Johnson
FRANKENMUTH – The Fortress Golf Course, part of the Zehnder’s popular family resort destination, will once again host what has become two tournaments when the 5th GAM Net Two-Person Scramble is played on Monday and the 5th GAM Two-Person Scramble with gross scoring is played on Tuesday.
Both competitions are presented by the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.
The Fortress is consistently ranked among Michigan’s top public and resort destination courses. Dick Nugent designed it 1992 inspired by Scottish golf design, which is evident in the natural fescue areas and the 75 bunkers on the course. It plays just over 6,800 yards with multiple tee position options.
The facility also includes a practice putting green, chipping green with a practice bunker, and a target-oriented driving range.
State high school championships and qualifiers and tournaments for the GAM, Michigan Section PGA and other golf associations are regularly hosted by the Fortress.
Kyle Martin is the head golf professional, Scott Sabgash is the superintendent, and Nick Shelton is the director of golf operations.
The GAM Net Two-Person Scramble on Monday has 42 two-person teams entered, and the GAM Two-Person Scramble with gross scoring on Tuesday has 41 two-person teams entered. Men’s teams, women’s teams and mixed gender teams are part of the same competitions playing from four different tee positions.
Those GAM members playing in the Net Scramble on Monday have a percentage of their GAM/USGA Handicap Indexes figured into the scoring. The Scramble on Tuesday is gross scoring but is limited to players with a 10.4 GAM/USGA Handicap Index or less.
In Scramble format, two competitors play as partners. Each partner plays from the teeing ground. After each player completes a stroke, partners select the ball from which they wish to play their next stroke from. This process is repeated until the ball is holed.
Last year at The Fortress, brothers Matt Ostby of Kingsley and Paul Ostby of Westland emerged as champions of the gross scoring title and Tzu-Li Chang of Dearborn and Kurt Wissman of Livonia won the net titles. Chang and Wissman are returning to defend this year, but the Ostby brothers are not entered.
