Sept. 7-9
Muskegon CC
Muskegon, Mich.
This late-summer event on the Michigan Hickory Tour has become a favorite for many reasons.
There is the Friday (Sept. 7) pre-tournament round on Muskegon Country Club, a testing Donald Ross original – sometimes medal, sometimes Stableford, and maybe even match play this year. There is a convivial dinner following at the Muskegon CC restaurant. There is the Saturday play for The Cup, this year also at the Muskegon CC. There is the Saturday evening celebration at the McNabb Cottage overlooking Lake Michigan. And, if time permits and the spirit is willing, there is a Sunday a.m. round at theWhite Lake Golf Club, a 1916 Tom Bendelow course that winds through lovely wooded fairways. Casual trading/selling of clubs and golf memorabilia is encouraged.
The great Cup itself is, of course, enough to validate any golfer’s resume. It is played in the honor of the one who originally won it in 1927, Isabel McNabb. The Cup is a test of honor, of skill, of patience, and the ability to appreciate and celebrate golf’s great tradition of friendly competition. The 2018 Captain of the Cup, Mr. David Ramos, welcomes all who would challenge for this great trophy.
Here, in the lovely lakeshore communities of West Michigan, the contestants will not face 2-hour commutes to the course; nor must they face unchivalrous fans or dance to pointed media interrogations. All they must face down are their own fears and doubts as they step to the first tee, the great Cup and immortality in the balance. This line of thought does not daunt a true McNabb contestant. They have been tested before and, to a person, have not been found wanting, such is the steel of their desire for the champion’s mantle.
Plus, everybody seems to have a pretty good time.
An invitational letter is mailed in April. However, earnest contestants are encouraged to apply to The Cup’s secretary, James Davis. To date, the event’s August and Ancient Committee has turned no one away.
The fee is a mere $65 for the day of The Cup and the evening’s celebration. Other costs (additional golf, dinners, etc.) are extra.