Bay Valley Resort; A Quick Look

By Tom Lang

    An awakening has taken place by new investors who are rejuvenating a golf resort that was built 53 years ago, right along I-75 between Saginaw and Bay City – Bay Valley Resort.

    The course design is by Desmond Muirhead, who might not be widely known in Michigan because this is his only design located in our state, but he is credited for nearly 50 course designs in states and countries ranging from Connecticut to Florida, and from California to Georgia, plus Canada, Australia, Japan, Korea, Spain and Dubai.

    Muirhead has been credited by many as an artistic genius who was also brilliant at maximizing planned communities and resorts. Bay Valley opened in 1973 and the artistry he incorporated more than 50 years ago is similar to design cues found in many more recent course builds as the industry has grown bigger and better. It’s as if the up-and-coming course designers of more recent years reviewed his work. 

    Its location is on the east fringe of central Michigan, being close enough that Bay Valley and Buck’s Run (east of Mt. Pleasant) pair up to offer packages.

    I gave Bay Valley Resort a try in early August. The holes are very creative for the time period they were built and still hold great value.

    Hole 1 and 2 are relatively straightforward par fours to get golfers off to a fair start. No. 3 is a hard dog leg left to right that goes over a stream – a stream where the hole keeps wrapping around as it turns right. It’s a little hard to visually pick up the 3rd fairway from the tee box the first time you play it, but there’s not much trouble other than the water.

    No. 4 dog legs left with a choice to lay up or try to clear the same little stream approximately 225 yards out as it runs further through the course.

    The stream as a water hazard transitions on the course into a large assortment of ponds on property – to the tune of 13 holes of the 18 at Bay Valley having water in play – starting on the front but dominating more on the back nine.

    This is a great comeback story in that the new investors and the golf team know that the course has needed more TLC than it received in the past decade or so under prior, multiple owners. More than 180 sprinkler heads have been updated to supply better irrigation, and more modern grass care is being implemented. 

    Director of Golf Doug Temple is also well-known in the region for youth golf development, and even more so for bringing golf to Veterans, mostly via the PGA HOPE program. So, those programs are now running strong at Bay Valley (and at Currie Golf Course under his development) since Temple joined Bay Valley back in February.

    So much more needs to be explored and shared regarding Bay Valley’s grand history and its promising future, that we are making it the October cover story. Come back then for more – and in the meantime: https://www.bayvalley.com/