Saint John’s Resort Soon Open for High-End Public Golf
By Tom Lang
The anticipation has been long in coming.
Since closing down in early 2022 for a total renovation, the Saint John’s Resort at the corner of Five Mile and Sheldon Roads in Plymouth is scheduled to open to the public in June. Situated on the beautiful grounds of the original 1940’s Catholic Seminary, the former Inn at St. John’s 27-hole community golf course was transformed by Michigan course architect Ray Hearn into a new 18-hole championship course worthy of high-level state or national tournaments, plus a short course of 7 holes, and a huge 2-acre putting course.
All three are open to the public and will be a tremendous accompaniment to the resort’s wedding ceremonies, corporate gatherings, family reunions, concerts and other such uses. It’s all part of a $50-million-dollar resort transformation that began in 2021, that includes major building additions, under the property’s new ownership group, the non-profit Pulte Family Charitable Foundation. All proceeds of the property eventually go to non-profit charities.
It’s been about two decades since a new ‘high-end’ public course has opened in metro Detroit.
“We believe the area is prime for a new high-end golf product, and we are very happy that we have elevated the golf experience to match our resort transformation,” said Paul Wegert, CEO of Boutique Hotel Professionals and managing director of Saint John’s Resort, in a news release. “Our golfers and guests, who visit from all over the country, will be excited when they see it.”
Hearn partnered with LaBar Golf Renovations to completely alter the golf property. LaBar Golf is widely respected in the industry for its renovation work at internationally revered private golf clubs like Merion Golf Club, Muirfield Village Golf Club, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Winged Foot Country Club and more locally, Oakland Hills Country Club.
From my experiences with the project and after touring and playing the course a couple times, it seems very intentional all along that Saint John’s has been renewed and revitalized to have a private golf club look and feel, yet is 100 percent public.
The Cardinal at Saint John’s Resort sits on 200 acres of rolling land where the original 27-holes were removed to build the new course. The golf course was re-routed in all directions factoring in elevation, wind, terrain, and scenic beauty to provide a fun and strategic golfing experience. The course also takes full advantage of the flow of the land and the beautiful century-old trees that were saved. This outcome provides a classic design aesthetic from the golden age of golf course architecture.
In writing about this property before I have mentioned that it’s appropriate that a Catholic Seminary was the original use of the land, because it sure feels like ‘God’s Country.’
“The land, with its natural glacier forms and beautiful hundred-year-old trees, was a great foundation to work with,” Hearn said. “We were able to save many of the old mature trees and create a routing that kept them in play around green sites and along fairways, which is a bit unique in today’s golf course architecture that focuses more on tree removal. Our goal was to create a fun golf experience and I believe we have achieved that and then some with this project.”
In addition to the golf course development, the resort and hotel transformation includes updated rooms, a 6,200-square-foot pavilion, 17,000-square-foot grand ballroom, new wedding pavilion, wine bar, and other interior upgrades throughout the resort.
For more information on the new golf course project visit https://www.saintjohnsresort.com/plymouth-michigan-golf-course-st-johns
