The (New) Welcome E-Mail
Or: The Re-Welcoming
I’ve only recently learned that I should be sending a great, informative e-mail when someone subscribes to Great Lakes Loops, rather than the generic “make sure to check your spam” message that is sent automatically. So I didn’t really give myself a proper introduction to the 285 people who currently subscribe. The new welcome e-mail has been crafted, but those 285 people obviously won’t be able to see it. So using this space, allow me to re-introduce myself (but my name is not Hov).
This is not the welcome e-mail itself, but it does go a little something like this. Rest assured, if you are tired of me talking about myself, I am even more tired of it. I’m actively working on new golf content that will go up soon.
What’s in today’s newsletter:
How I Got Here
Get Caught Up
How to Support Great Lakes Loops
Where Else to Follow Along
How I Got Here
I got into coaching basketball almost 20 years ago now. I started small (7th grade B-team), then worked my way up to the men’s basketball team at Eastern Michigan University, and after a Hail Mary, found myself working for the coaching staff of the Detroit Pistons. I suffered through a lot of losing at every level, but I persisted and kept trying to improve. Thanks to the loyalty of Joe Dumars, I was able to hang on for not one, not two, but three different coaching changes over five seasons in Detroit. It could have been more, as Stan Van Gundy also offered me a job, but the writing was on the wall at that point. I wasn’t dedicated enough to giving up everything outside of the sport - especially golf.
Even with that said, in the height of my coaching career, never could I have imagined someday switching over to writing about golf in Michigan. And yet, perhaps it is not surprising at all. Even as I pursued my love of basketball, I never lost my love for golf, and always wished I was playing more often.
After turning down that opportunity to continue my coaching journey just over 10 years ago, I transitioned into the sports technology world and a role that allowed me to continue working with basketball clients. In the little bit of extra free time that I gained in this new profession, I began diving into the world of digital golf course creation. That gained me some followers, and led to some unexpected places - such as a feature in The Golfer’s Journal (requires login).
A small part of my digital golf hobby was due to living in Chicago, a place where I found it exponentially more difficult to get out and golf, certainly more difficult than in Michigan. The time I couldn’t spend outside on the golf course, I spent instead creating digital courses. When I finally moved back to the state in 2020, I couldn’t wait to dive back into the golf scene and find out what I had been missing. It was incredibly disappointing, then, to find out that the supposed top resources for golf coverage in the state were featuring all of the same places as when I left. The same big resorts, the same towns, the same overpriced and overhyped layouts.
Even worse, they consistently force feed us the same paid coverage for out-of-state destinations, as well. I literally could not care less what these media members have to say about the RTJ Trail, or French Lick, Indiana, or Branson, Missouri (all wonderful places, I’m sure).
Since I couldn’t find the coverage that I wanted, I decided to make it myself. That’s the stuff of all origin stories, right? I began writing the Great Lakes Loops newsletter in June of 2021, unsure if anyone would read it. I had enough of a following by the summer of 2023 and leads on some digital rendering projects to warrant creating an LLC. I still liked the comfort of having a reliable paycheck and a full-time day job, however.
Recently the company I worked for was unexpectedly acquired by another company, leaving me unprepared to come to grips with potentially not having that day job. That change in perspective, however, was absolutely the push that I needed. And now here we are.
Get Caught Up
These are some of my favorite and most-viewed posts at Great Lakes Loops:
Beulah: Northern Michigan’s Most Affordable Golf Trip
Andy Johnson of The Fried Egg put me (and a lot of other people) on to the golf at Pinecroft and Champion Hill. This is a recap of my first golf trip to the area, a trip that we are still taking four years later.
Reimagining Public Golf at Wolf River Golf Park
A perfect complement to the Beulah article, just down the road is Wolf River, where a remarkable and affordable transformation has taken place. I’m happy to say that I returned the favor and was able (through the grapevine) to put Andy Johnson on to this place in 2024.
Loop Links, no. 6: “We didn’t do anything wrong”
Revisiting the disastrous construction story of Arcadia Bluffs, and examining how erosion still plays a big role at the course today.
The Lost Pebble Beach of Coore & Crenshaw
I document the plans for a Coore & Crenshaw golf course on a fantastic site on the Pacific coast in Santa Barbara. The 1990’s project was ultimately derailed due to environmental regulations, but in this two-part series I bring the course to digital life and show what it would have looked like.
Loop Links, no. 18: So Much Drama in the LBC
In this zany story that sort of fell in my lap, I investigate four mysterious golf holes appearing on the map in Charleviox, and uncover a contentious and downright odd fight over zoning restrictions. Includes helicopter buzzings and one of the most awkward interviews I’ve ever seen.
How to Support Great Lakes Loops
As a subscriber, you will automatically receive free posts from Great Lakes Loops. I don’t want all Great Lakes Loops content to be behind a paywall, so I am committed to making sure that free subscribers are able to access most posts, and stay in touch with what is happening in Michigan golf. For those who would like to help me take my coverage even farther and make a bigger impact on the game of golf in Michigan, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to show your support.
Paid subscribers will receive the following benefits:
Access to every free post
Access to special posts for paid subscribers
Weekly office hours chats, where you can pitch story ideas that you want to see, or discuss happenings in Michigan golf. This will be on a trial basis early on to see how it works, but I think it could be fun.
A member gift, albeit very small. In the future, I would love to expand this either to a bigger gift, or potential first access to future merchandise options, or a paid subscriber discount on merchandise.
Where Else to Follow Along
You can find me on Instagram, Threads, and BlueSky under the handle greatlakesloops. While you are there, join me every weekday to participate in the #MIGolfCourseAerialOfTheDay. Here we dig deep through different layouts all across the state and in the most remote corners to see how many you can guess. Courses are revealed around 3pm each day.
You can also play along in the Substack app:
