Sweetgrass Golf Club (Upper Peninsula) Honored in Golfweek's "Best-New" Issue

Heralded Amenity of the Island Resort & Casino Recognized for Strength of Routing, Memorability of Holes

(HARRIS, MI) - Sweetgrass Golf Club - part of the Island Resort & Casino - announces the course earned Golfweek's prestigious "Best New Courses" honor in its triennial rankings of the nation's top facilities.

Owned and operated by the Hannahville Band of the Potawatomi Nation, Sweetgrass - designed by Paul Albanese and opened in 2008 - is an 18-hole, par-72 masterpiece which stretches 7,300 yards from the tips. Offering five sets of tees, the layout subtly pays homage to Native American lore. Historic bridges rescued from the region, intricate rockwork and a liberal sprinkling of the namesake sweetgrass add to the course's unique look and feel.

Defining new courses as ones opened from 2007 - 2009, Golfweek's rankings take into account overall strength of routing, feature shaping, natural setting, greens, variety and memorability of holes, conditioning and maintenance, landscape management and other criteria. Golfweek sends approximately 400 "America's Best" raters in search of the country's finest golf courses. Those raters submit ballots grading on a 10-point scale and the scores for each course are averaged to get the overall rating.

"In slightly more than a year of existence, we've been recognized with several major awards from influential publications lauding our design, memorability and challenging yet fair layout," says Island Resort & Casino General Manager Tom McChesney. "Sweetgrass was already named one of the Top 20 best in Michigan by Golfweek and this award further cements our reputation as a true golf-lifestyle destination."

Boasting more than 1,400 slot machines and 24/7 Vegas-style gaming, the Island Resort & Casino offers Craps, Blackjack, Roulette, Poker and more. The Island Showroom - another recent addition - hosts top musical acts from a variety of musical genres. Dining options include the Firekeeper's Restaurant, Beachcomber Restaurant & Bar, Coral Reef Grille and Bingo Snack Bar. Live music in the lounge, the Club Four One nightclub, a swimming pool and conference center are other popular resort offerings.

Located in the unspoiled beauty of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the Island Resort & Casino and Sweetgrass Golf Club are easily accessible via a pair of regional airports in Escanaba and Marquette.

For more information on the Island Showroom, the casino or Sweetgrass Golf Club, please visit www.islandresortandcasino.com or call 800-682-6040, ext. 2252.

About Island Resort & Casino

The Island Resort & Casino - located 1 hour south of Marquette, Mich., and 2 hours north of Green Bay, Wisc., features Craps, Blackjack, Let-It-Ride Bonus, Spanish 21, Roulette, Three-Card Poker and Four-Card Poker. The Island Resort and Casino boasts the brand-new, luxurious Palm Tower which adds 162 spacious rooms and penthouse suites to the existing Sun Tower.



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