Saint John’s Resort: A Slice of God’s Country
Metropolitan convenience with rural feel
By Tom Lang
Most golfers are always trying to get good at the game.
Better yet, there is a unique place in metro Detroit you can play golf for good – the good feeling and positive results of supporting non-profit charities whenever you tee it up.
The Cardinal at Saint John’s Resort in Plymouth is that place – every time.
The Pulte Family Charitable Foundation runs this property/business so that any profits made, after all operational costs are paid, go toward both local and worldwide charities.
And oh my, the golf experience is better than good; it’s great.
Over the last several years, I have followed the wonderful transition of this former 27-hole golf course and Catholic Seminary dating back to the 1940’s at the corner of Five Mile and Sheldon Roads. In fact, the Archdiocese of Detroit’s Adam Cardinal Maida still lives here.
I’ve always said that the Catholic Church made the right call at Saint John’s, as the beauty and tranquility of the property simply feels like ‘God’s Country.’
The Cardinal 18-hole championship course at Saint John’s Resort is one of my favorite places to play golf in Michigan. I lived in Livonia for two decades and would often play the former three nines known as the Matthew, Luke and Mark. Then in 2022-23, the Pulte Family Foundation decided to up their game and bring in lauded ‘golden-age’ Michigan architect Ray Hearn to redesign the golf property.
“The land, with its natural glacier forms and beautiful 100-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.
“This also allowed me to draw on my inspiration from previous Donald Ross, Tom Bendelow, and Willie Park Jr. projects as well as one of my favorite courses, Park’s The Old Course at Sunningdale. Our goal was to create a fun golf experience, and I believe we achieved that and then some.”
The remainder of the site was redeveloped to serve the golfing masses by adding a 7-hole short course for families, youth and beginners (the Little Cardinal) – and a huge ‘Himalaya’ putting green good for entertaining families, people at weddings, corporate outings, and golfers who want to work on their short game.
This multi-purpose golf entertainment venue wraps around the driving range and Carl’s Golfland, one of the top golf retailers in the country. The short course offers an interpretation of some of the game’s most famous green complexes like the Punch Bowl, Redan, and Biarritz to name a few, while the putting course drew its inspiration from great putting courses at St. Andrews and Pinehurst.
A new food and beverage venue near the putting course makes it an even better gathering place for families, wedding parties, and corporate events.
I know from personal experience having had two volunteer and local charity appreciation events held at Saint John’s. They were widely praised as a huge hit filled with great food and activities.
The transformation from the former 27 holes to The Cardinal today was not lost on a media friend (formerly of Sports Illustrated Golf) who joined me in early August.
“Because they could incorporate a lot of the vistas, previous routings and the trees that were already there, when the course reopened it looked like a much more mature course that had been there for a long time – because it was,” Janina Jacobs told me. “But it was done with a different routing; and I thought the shape it’s in is incredible.
“I think most women would enjoy it…if not for the playability, but for the beauty of it too.”
Playing The Cardinal:
The first three holes allow golfers to get a good warm-up without becoming distraught. Number one is a straightforward shorter par four going downhill. Number 2 is also a straighter par four in which many people will try to drive that green. It does go uphill though, so that makes it play a little longer than what the scorecard says.
Number 3 is mostly what you saw before the rebuild. It’s a good poke over a nice pond, all trimmed and beautiful rock formations, to a green that is very receptive.
Holes 4 and 5 are back-to-back par fives. Hole 4 features an extremely wide-open fairway corridor. A small creek (the same one that runs across Hole 2) runs across the fairway about 60 yards short of the green that makes club selection optimum.
Hole 5 is completely different. Starting with the tee shot over a small water hazard, a pond covers the entire left side as the hole dog legs to the left wrapping around the water, to a beautiful green complex of challenge and nice aesthetics, including the marsh area to test golfers bombing it there in two.
Hole 9 features the famous “church pew bunkers” on a pretty thin fairway but it’s a short hole to a smaller green complex that’s tight with bunkering.
Holes 11 and 12 are another set of back to back par five dog legs that mirror each other side-by-side. Hole 11 turns left and has a deep valley right in front of the green that adds extra challenge for any ball that comes up a little short. Hole 12 goes right, and also dips in front of the green, but not as drastically, for more of an elevated run up.
Hole 14 is a par three that’s definitely the signature hole for pictures, featuring an elevated tee down to a very large green over water protected by bunkers on the right front. Even before Hearn’s property redesign it was a signature hole – yet it only got better.
The finishing 18th is 100 percent different than the original. The tee boxes used to be to an uphill par 3. Now golfers still go uphill, but the fairway carries onward to a massive green complex that is guarded by water on the left approach shot and behind the green. The pond generally does not have to come to play, but if you’re reckless it will. From the forward tee, a longer hitting woman can reach it.
After the round, Doyles’ Irish Pub, is a super high class ‘19th hole’ that’s two stories tall with lots of food and drink options to delight anyone’s tastes.
From my observations of Saint John’s Resort, the staff and ownership have been very intentional in their quest to renew and revitalize the property to have a private golf club look and feel, yet it’s 100 percent designed for public enjoyment.
“Playing here at Saint John’s Resort feels like playing a parkland course, or being up north, but you’re in the middle of a metropolitan area that you can be almost anywhere in southeast Michigan in 30 minutes,” said Nick Becks, Director of Golf. “We’re proud of the excellent conditions golfers will experience here.”
Location, Amenities and Charity Support:
With its placement in western Wayne County near major freeways, Saint John’s Resort is an ideal spot for Metro Detroit Airport flyers who want to come in for a weekend getaway, or make it the first, or last, stop on a trip to Michigan when visiting other golf locations.
And with the family amenities like The Little Cardinal and the putting course, opportunities for guys’ or gals’ trips or bringing the whole gang, Saint John’s Resort offers many relaxing options. The onsite Humanitarian Hotel lodging – a sister property to the Pulte Family Foundation’s Inn at Stonecliffe on Mackinac Island – is an amazing experience in luxury and comfort.
“Everything on the property, from weddings to rooms, to our golf course, to dining – 100 percent of our profits go to charities,” said Sarah Carr, Director of Marketing. “We see it every day, we live it every day. You come here and get a luxury experience, and great hospitality, but you’re also spending your money somewhere that is going back to doing good for others.”
In addition to golf options at all player levels, the resort and hotel transformation includes updated rooms, a 6,200-square-foot pavilion, 17,000-square-foot grand ballroom, wine bar, Irish pub and other interior upgrades throughout the resort are perfect for holding major fundraisers and charity events.
While the much-publicized LIV Team event for 2026 did not come to fruition, the one-time pro golf show-stopper held at Saint John’s Resort last year was a huge hit for the pro golfers, their families and the fans.
At the 2025 tournament, I spoke directly with Kevin Doyle, COO of the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation. He told me that the tournament was emphasizing the very essence of what Saint John’s is designed to be – “where you can do a bunch of different events and activities all at the same place, all throughout the week,” Doyle said.
“We designed this entire resort with the golf course, restaurants, hotel, to be a place that could be a one-stop shop – to do an event without ever having to leave the property and it was very rewarding to hear the feedback from LIV and their players that this is exactly that type of setting to them.”
For more information visit https://www.thecardinalgolf.com/
