Riverwood Resort: A Bastion of Peace and Quiet

By Kiel Christianson, Senior Writer

Mt. Pleasant, MI - Mt. Pleasant is an interesting place, one which has been known over the past 70 years as an oil town, a university town, a Native American Reservation town, a gambling town, and, most recently, a thriving golf town.

The one Mt. Pleasant golf course to have been part of this storied history from the oil boom days to the present casino boom is Riverwood Resort, which, in one form or another, has always been one of the major golf centers in Mid-Michigan as well as a proving ground for many of the state's best players.

Mt. Pleasant's first glory years came at an unlikely time: The Great Depression. While most of the country withered, Mt. Pleasant blossomed thanks to the discovery of oil east of town. Local development exploded as the newfound wealth drew people and businesses to the area.

In the early 1930s, local businessman Ray Moss and his two sons harnessed their team of horses and broke ground on what would become first Cedar Springs Golf Course and then Moss Golf Club. In the 1940s, the Moss boys expanded the course to 18 holes, and it became the only 18-hole course for many miles.

In 1960, the aging course was purchased by the Figg family, who renamed it Riverwood, evoking both the Chippewa River, which flows through the course, and the plentiful cedar and hardwood trees that define so many of the golf holes.

Over the subsequent 40 years of family operation, Riverwood C.E.O. Dick Figg and his family have renovated and developed the course into an idyllic, cozy resort that draws golf purists from many states with its promise of great, inexpensive golf, spacious, affordable lodging, and gourmet food.

The economic boom that Mt. Pleasant is experiencing today is due to the remarkable success of the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, located just 10 minutes from Riverwood. Soaring Eagle is the largest casino resort between Atlantic City and Las Vegas, and is situated on the Chippewa-Saginaw Indian Reservation.

As new golf courses and hotels spring up in the city to accommodate the throngs of tourists drawn to the spectacular casino, Riverwood Resort remains a town within the city, much like the Reservation itself remains a nation within a nation. This golf haven even has its own wind-driven power generator that powers the pro shop and ensures that it and the kitchen refrigeration units keep running, even during power outages.

Unlike many "golf" resorts, Riverwood Resort is devoted entirely to the game: Outside its borders lie all manner of diversions, but inside the peace, tranquility, and passion that is golf reigns supreme. The Figgs have reworked the course and expanded it to include 18 championship holes along with a 9-hole executive course. They have also built eight spacious villa units, a fully-stocked pro shop, gourmet kitchen and restaurant, and a bowling alley (for rainy days).

The serene, homey atmosphere is perfect for couples who want to get away with friends for a few days of golf, or families who enjoy playing the game together. Junior clinics are offered throughout the summer, and each year Riverwood hosts the State Junior Golf Tournament, several winners of which have gone on to successful careers on the PGA and LPGA Tours, most notably Cindy Figg-Currier, youngest daughter of Dick and Betty Figg and LPGA Tour winner.

Above all, Riverwood Resort offers incredible value for serious golfers. The all-inclusive packages include deluxe villa housing, unlimited golf, 18-hole golf cart use each day, gourmet dinner and full breakfast, discounts in the pro shop, and mint-chocolate tees on your pillow each night (yum!). Ranging from just $79 to the still reasonable $159 per person per night, depending on the season and day of the week, these packages represent quite possibly the best deal in the state.

The villas are huge, with two queen beds in each of the two bedrooms, two baths, a full kitchen, large living room, cable TV and VCR, and a deck overlooking the executive course. There is easily room for eight people (if not ten) in each villa. The real steal, however, is the food. Executive Chef Bruce D. Miller has assembled a menu above and beyond what might reasonably be expected at twice these prices.

From the fresh-baked bread to the button-busting dessert tray, you will find yourself exclaiming over and over again that you cannot believe that such fabulous food is included in the package. Be sure to try the prime rib, which is cut in slabs nearly the size of small putting greens. Another must-try is the Delmonico steak with walnut butter. You will be equally impressed by the selection and abundance of breakfast foods, also included in your package. Omelets, pancakes, fresh fruit-you name it, you got it.

You will need that big breakfast, too, in order to fortify yourself for unlimited golf on the White and Red Courses (combined to make the championship 18). At 6,600 yards, par 72 from the tips, Riverwood is long enough to challenge big hitters. But more importantly, the woods and water you will encounter (and you will encounter some woods and water, unless you're a scratch player AND very lucky) create some very tight corridors through which you'll need to play. Stray balls, if not lost altogether, will be very difficult to guide back onto the generally tiny greens in regulation.

Hallmarks of this very mature, traditional layout are the small greens, almost all of which can be access via bump and run, and the aforementioned arboreal constraints, particularly off the tee. The greens range in size from the tiny and flat Nos. 2 and 3, to the more moderately sized and interestingly contoured Nos. 16 and 17.

Notice when you repair ball marks how dense and tight the root system is on all of the greens - these have been around for a while, and they roll as true as any greens that you'll find.

On a number of tees you may feel a bit claustrophobic, especially if you're playing the blues. The par-5, 539-yard 5th and the par-5, 514-yard 15th are the prime examples. The 15th gives you literally only 15 yards between tree limbs to send your drive out into the fairway. This is very unnerving when you are trying to hit a big tee ball (and are being watched by the grounds crew - Thanks guys).

The signature hole, No. 17, is a 246-yard par 3 that generally plays into the wind, and, what is more, it incorporates the "chute o' trees" feel from tee to green. You need to hit a long, perfectly straight fairway wood or driver here to get on in regulation. Since most folks would have better luck at hitting the progressive jackpot at the casino, bogey feels like par here.

Another interesting feature of the layout is the relative paucity of par 4s: The White course has the standard two par 5s and two par 3s, but the Red Course contains three each. More interestingly yet, the two par 5s on the White Course are back to back, as are two of the three on the Red Course. So you need to get into the long-ball mindset and stay in it for a while.

Finally, be sure that you're good and warmed up whether you begin on the White or the Red Course. No. 1 (White Course, 427 yards, par 4) is the second hardest hole on the course, and forces a decision right off the tee. The Chippewa River cuts the fairway in half, and it takes a 275-yard ball to fly it.

If you don't feel up to that task, however, be prepared for a long second between stands of big golfer-hating trees to the smallish, elevated green. No. 10 (Red Course, 425 yards, par 4) is a daunting dogleg left that requires a solid draw off the elevated tee in order to ensure an approach of less than 200 yards back up to the green.

The greens at Riverwood, as already mentioned, are lush and true, if not that large. The bluegrass fairways are likewise in great shape. There's not a lot of bunkering, which makes a few of the greens look a bit bland, but the traps that do exist are consistent in texture and depth. The only weakness in terms of the conditions is the rough, which is a touch brown in spots (this often makes it easier to hit out of, though).

The layout is smooth, and perhaps a bit crowded, with some tees and greens within easy earshot. However, this design makes for great walking - the way the game was meant to be played.

Director of Golf, Dick Johnson, a gregarious man who makes you feel right at home as soon as you walk into the pro shop, is rightfully proud of the value he can offer guests at Riverwood. Rates start at just $22 to walk 18 on weekdays, $29 on weekends, and $14 for a cart for 18 holes.

No course in Mid-Michigan is anywhere near this quality - especially none of the newly opened casino-boom courses in Mt. Pleasant - can touch these rates. And if you come to stay at the villas, play unlimited golf, and feast like a king at the restaurant, you will honestly wonder how Riverwood can be making any money off of you. The value is simply that great.

Is it any wonder why devoted golfers make the pilgrimage to Riverwood year after year? At any given time, you can find license plates in the villa parking lot from Ohio, Illinois, Virginia, Indiana, various Canadian provinces, and of course Michigan.

Despite its location just minutes from the glitz and glamor of the casino and the reinvigorated bustle of the city's shopping district and Central Michigan University, Riverwood stands as a bastion of peace and quiet for golfers, refuge from all that distracts you and your family from your games, and from each other.

April 9, 2001