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Saint John’s Resort ready to open and unveil The Cardinal golf course facility

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Saint John’s Resort ready to open and unveil The Cardinal golf course facility

The unveiling of the first newly constructed 18-hole layout in southeast Michigan in more than 20 years has an opening day set. And it’s nearly here already.

Saint John’s Resort in Plymouth Township announced it will officially open its new golf facilities to the public Saturday, all part of its $50 million renovation into the hotel and resort. It was bought in 2021 by the nonprofit Pulte Family Charitable Foundation.

The highlight is the resort’s new 18-hole “championship” course named The Cardinal, designed by renowned Holland-based architect Ray Hearn. There is also a walking seven-hole par-3 course affectionally named The Little Cardinal, and nearly two-acre 18-hole Cardinal Putting Course (CPC).

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“It has been over a year in the making, and everything has been meticulously maintained for the past six months,” Stan Witko, executive director of golf for Saint John’s Resort, said Wednesday in a statement. “This new championship golf course, combined with the short course and putting course, creates the perfect golf entertainment venue for golfers of all abilities, golf groups, and families to enjoy together. The facility serves as a foundation for building a passion for the game, offering a welcoming entry point into the world of golf. On top of that, 100 percent of the profits from the resort, including golf, goes to charity.”

Hearn already has numerous acclaimed southeast Michigan golf courses in his design portfolio over 27 years, including Moose Ridge (South Lyon), The Majestic (Hartland) and The Grande (Jackson).

He explained his vision for The Cardinal to the Free Press last August, after converting the facility from an uneven 27-hole layout.

“The land’s incredible,” Hearn, who learned under World Golf Hall of Fame architect Pete Dye, said. “For southeast Michigan, the glacier did its job here. The valleys, the drumlin like hillsides and then you have your flat areas.”

Hearn has followed a more recent common theme in renovation and new construction of golf courses: Instead of instituting thick rough around all greens, he has replaced some areas with short grass to give golfers different shot choices — similar to both Oakland Hills’ recently renovated South Course and Pinehurst, which just finished hosting an epic U.S. Open.

Hearn wants the player who missed the green to have to think: Do I want to chip it, lob it or putt this?

“The more you play at Saint John’s, the more you’ll recognize balls can feed in, and the tiny spines that go on some of the greens,” Hearn said.

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The Cardinal also expects to deliver a unique experience. Golfers will have their names and hometown announced on the first tee — just like on the PGA Tour, but with a bonus comparable to batting for the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park: They’ll have their choice of walk-up music. And pace of play is top of mind, with tee times spaced out.

“This is an elite-level course in terms of how it’s going to be kept, manicured … what we offer is different from other public courses,” Witko told the Free Press last summer. “We aren’t just a high-end public course. We’re a high-end course that is at a really gorgeous resort with a ton of gorgeous space around and the ability to do things that other courses maybe can’t or won’t try out and do. So we’re going to have a unique first-class experience from when you step on the course till when you leave it.”

Cost for non-members is $150 for a standard round Monday-Thursday and includes access to the range, and $175 Friday-Sunday. A local resident rate will drop the price to $90 Monday-Thursday and $110 on Friday-Sunday. Twilight rates drop pricing.

The Cardinal Club membership is $7,000 for an individual and includes unlimited play on The Cardinal, complimentary range balls, member-only leagues and competitions, and numerous benefits tied to the resort.

Find more info at saintjohnsresort.com/memberships.

The Little Cardinal and Cardinal Putting Course

The Little Cardinal’s seven holes are a fun tribute to famed golf architects, with each hole named after an iconic designer, including Seth Raynor, C.B. Macdonald, Donald Ross and Old Tom Morris. Hearn gives golfers a taste of some of their famous green templates, such as the Alps, Biarritz, Postage Stamp and Redan.

The 18-hole CPC, adjacent to Carl’s Golfland along Five Mile Road, is set on 1.6 acres around a small pond. Hearn said inspiration was drawn from two famous putting courses: The Himalayas at St Andrews in Scotland and Thistle Dhu at Pinehurst in North Carolina.

The Shorty Club will allow membership access to both The Little Cardinal and CPC. Non-members can play the par-3 course for $20 Monday-Thursday and $25 Friday-Sunday.

The grounds also has a rebranded steakhouse, and will debut a new watering hole named Doyles Irish Pub, new underground Wine Grotto and new clubhouse.

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