Wawashkamo Golf Club facts for kids
The Wawashkamo Golf Club is a special nine-hole golf course located on Mackinac Island in Michigan, USA. It's known as a "links" course, which means it's designed to look like the very old golf courses found along the coast in places like Scotland.
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What Makes Wawashkamo Special?
The Wawashkamo Golf Club is a unique place to play golf. It has nine holes and is a type of course called a "links" course. These courses are usually found near the sea and have a natural, open feel with few trees. They often have long, tough grass called "rough." Wawashkamo was designed this way to remind people of the very first golf courses in Scotland.
How Old is Wawashkamo?
This golf course was first created in 1898. It was designed by a famous golfer named Alex Smith. He came from Scotland, where golf began, so he knew a lot about traditional links courses. Wawashkamo still looks much like it did over 125 years ago! It has wide-open spaces, shorter holes, and very long grass in some areas.
A Place with History
The land where Wawashkamo Golf Club is built has a long history. It was once a farmer's field and was the site of an important event in 1814. This was when the Battle of Mackinac Island happened. Today, there are special signs called historical markers that tell the story of both the golf course and the battle.
What Does the Name Mean?
The name "Wawashkamo" comes from the Chippewa language. The word waawaashkaamon means 'walking a crooked trail'. This is a cool name for a golf course, as golfers often walk in a winding path as they play!
A Long-Serving Golf Pro
For many years, a man named Frank Dufina was the main golf professional at Wawashkamo. He worked there for an amazing 70 years, from 1898 to 1968! This is thought to be one of the longest times a golf professional has worked at the same course in U.S. history.
A Recognized Landmark
In 1996, Golf Digest magazine honored Wawashkamo as one of "America's Historic Golf Landmarks." This shows how important and special this golf course is. The course is also located inside the beautiful Mackinac Island State Park.
