2021 McNabb Cup

Sept. 24-25
Muskegon CC/White Lake GC
Muskegon and Whitehall, Mich.

This late-summer event has earned a singular reputation on the Michigan Hickory Tour.

Perhaps it is the Friday pre-tournament round on Muskegon Country Club, a testing Donald Ross original – sometimes medal, sometimes Stableford, and maybe even match play this year. A convivial dinner at the Muskegon CC restaurant (the MCC Chef is one of the best) follows Friday’s golf.

It may be the Saturday play for The Cup itself, in 2021 planned for the Tom Bendelow-designed White Lake GC (1916) that winds through lovely wooded fairways. Of course there is the now legendary Saturday evening celebration at the McNabb Cottage overlooking Lake Michigan. Casual trading/selling of clubs and golf memorabilia, and spirited story telling is heartily encouraged.

The great Cup itself is enough to validate any golfer’s resume. It is played in honor of the one who originally won it in 1922, 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 2020 Captain of the Cup, Mr. Lloyd Slinglend, whose duties have carried over to 2021, welcomes all who would challenge for this great trophy.

Here, in the lovely lakeshore communities of West Michigan, the contestants will not face two-hour commutes to the course; nor must they face unchivalrous fans or tedious 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 tempered in the fire of this great competition and, to a person, have shown true mettle, such is the steel of their desire for the champion’s mantle. (Not to mention the stream of endorsement offers that accrue to the champion, or so we have been told.)

Plus, everybody seems to have a pretty good time. (Click here for an account – all true! – of the 2019 tournament.)

An invitational letter is mailed in April. However, earnest contestants are always 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 $80 for the day of The Cup (golf, cart, food and drink) and the evening’s celebration. Other costs (golf and dinner on Friday) are extra. There are several very reasonably priced local hotels and B&Bs for the traveling pilgrim who wishes to experience both days of play.

Please do advise the Secretary of your intent to play no later than the deadline of Aug. 23, 2021. Payments may be made by check to: James Davis.

Address all inquiries to McNabb Cup Secretary James Davis.

Accommodations
Accommodations in this second year of the pandemic are yet restricted, though a few guests of the Committee will be housed in the McNabb Cottage. Our tradition is that the winner of The McNabb Cup from the previous year is offered the luxurious suite known as “Grandmother’s Room.”

Water’s Edge Lodge
The lodge is a very short walk down the hill from the McNabb Cottage toward the White Lake Channel to Lake Michigan. The Water’s Edge has been a popular family and guest vacation choice for many dozens of years. Owner Frank Hollister is a man of amiable disposition. Two or three room choices range from modest to large. Frank Hollister can be reached at 231-894-4331 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.  Or email at fhollister@hotmail.com.  The website is  www.hollisterswatersedge.com

The Weathervane Inn
This place is at the far end of White Lake, just across the White River bridge where it empties into White Lake. It is in Montague, about 7 miles away. I have never stayed here, but it looks like a great place. Rates, from the website, appear to range from $128 to $205.
https://theweathervaneinn.net     888-382-9861     231-981-7325