Our Natural Resources

Grand Visions

by Dave Ambrose

According to some people who play the Grand Marais golf course at Frank Holten State Park in East St. Louis, the name means "big swamp." It's an apt name for a course built on virtual swampland reclaimed by the WPA in 1930s. It's also an apt description of the course's condition before a recent renovation project elevated it in both reputation and topography.

Before the renovation, Grand Marais was a fairly uninteresting course, prone to flooding and in generally poor condition.

"Before we got here, it was a flat piece of land with no definition," said Mike Murphy, the resident golf pro who shepherded the project through its design and construction. "Today, it has definition, and people refer to it as a link style golf course."

A consortium of minority owners— four black men, a black woman and a white female—hold a 25-year lease to operate the course. The length of the lease, Murphy said, enabled the owners to pour money into the project in anticipation of a long-term return.

A new 9,600 square-foot clubhouse was built at a cost of more than $500,000, while renovations to the Grand Marais course itself carried a price tag in excess of $2 million.

"We built nine lakes and used the dirt we took out to build four sets of tees on each hole," Murphy said. Previously, each of the course's 18 holes featured a

single tee box. Having four tee boxes available at varying distances from the hole and with varying levels of hazards accommodates players of all skill levels. "It fits all levels of play—beginners as well as championship players," Murphy said.

Additionally, Department of Natural Resources heavy equipment crews raised the fairways (by as much as three feet in some areas) to protect the grass from flooding from nearby Whispering Willow Lake. A system of paved trails for golf carts was installed.

With completion of the course, Grand Marais is earning a reputation among professional golfers. Golf greats Jerry Tucker, Garth Baer and Charlie Stock are among those who have played the course. Initial reaction by the pros was that Grand Marais was "a good layout, but in poor condition," Murphy said.

"Now, I think conditions have caught up with the layout," he said. The course is a green paradise punctuated with small lakes and grassy knolls which lend definition to the holes and contribute to the safety of players. Multiple tee boxes permit players to tailor their game to their own level of skill, and the fact the course is only 10 minutes from downtown St. Louis makes it a popular location for golfers from both Missouri and the Metro-East area. The course is used by 200 to 225 players per day, according to Murphy.

This fall, Grand Marais will host the Whitey Herzog benefit golf tournament, with 30 golf professionals and 30 celebrity players. Murphy hopes the event will raise $30,000 to $40,000 for a Metro- East Youth Golf program he expects to start next year. The program will provide an opportunity for disadvantaged youths in the Metro-East area to learn how to play golf on the Grand Marais course.

Having grown up in a working class neighborhood in Detroit, Murphy sees his involvement with Grand Marais as having come full circle.

"It's a feather in my cap," he said, "with my background of coming from the inner city and being able to give something back. I saw an opportunity here to build something where blue collar people can come out and play golf at a very affordable price. The end product is exactly what I wanted—what I thought, through my golf experience, the public needed and could afford."

Golf should not be limited to the wealthy, Murphy surmises, and Grand Marais, because it is publicly owned, helps to bring the sport within reach of middle income people. Green fees are $22 per person with a golf cart on weekdays and $28 on weekends. Private clubs with courses of similar quality may charge $75 or more for 18 holes of golf.

"When you're building golf courses, you can try to be Saks Fifth Avenue or you can be Wal-Mart," Murphy said. "We want to be the best Wal-Mart in town." 

44 • Illinois Parks & Recreation • September/Octcber 1996

A new $500,000 clubhouse (top) is a focal point of the recently renovated Grand Morals golf course at Frank Holten State Park in East St. Louis. Located just 10 miles from downtown St. Louis, the course not only offers a premier experience for golfers of all skill levels, but also an impressive view of the Gateway Arch (bottom).

Dave Ambrose is a staff writer for Outdoor Illinois.