No. 14, a par-3 playing anywhere from 98 to 221 yards, is one of the best at The Cardinal. (Joy Sarver Photo)

Michigan’s Saint John’s transformed itself into a `Humanitarian’ Resort

By: Len Ziehm

PLYMOUTH, Michigan – This transformation has been ongoing, and impressive.

Saint John’s started as a seminary in the 1940s. Seminarians designed the first nine holes of the 27-hole Mission Hills course in the early 1970s.

The seminary closed in 1988 and was dormant until 1994 when it re-opened as a retreat center for youth and families. Then, over time, it was converted into a conference center and hotel.  With Jerry Matthews joining the design effort the course reached 27 holes in the late 1990s, with the nines given biblical names – Matthew, Mark and Luke.

And now it’s a resort, and a very nice one to boot, with a golf component that sets an impressive tone for the entire development.

The evolution of Saint John’s was a slow one until William Pulte Family Management purchased the facility from the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit in 2021. Then a $50 million transformation began, turning Saint John’s into what it is today – a “humanitarian’’ resort that features a 118-room hotel with three restaurants – all very good, but distinctly different. The Five Steakhouse, the Grotto Wine Bar and Doyle’s Irish Pub all fit perfectly into the resort’s composition.

So does the golf operation – the 18-hole Cardinal course, the seven-hole Little Cardinal short course, the 18-hole two-acre putting course, Carl’s Golfland retail store and a four-season heated Trackman driving range and short game practice area.

June 22 was opening day for The Cardinal, Little Cardinal, putting course and Doyle’s Pub. That underscores the freshness of this revitalized resort.  While there’s still some signs of construction the place – barely two months past its latest re-opening — is in full operation now.

The Cardinal is the first new public course to open in the Detroit area since Shepherd’s Hollow, in Clarkston, over 20 years ago and the Little Cardinal has become the area’s first short course.

All of it is based on an unusual and interesting humanitarian concept.  All profits from the resort operation go to the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit that supports more than 200 humanitarian and educational initiatives  both in the Detroit area and around the world.

Ray Hearn, the prolific Michigan-based architect, directed the rebuilding of the golf facilities over what had been the former 27 holes. It was a complete re-do, though some of the 100-year old trees remain.

Hearn’s overall design goal – as stated prominently in his company website — “is to revolutionize the golf industry’’ and he’s done that at Saint John’s.

Though less than a year old The Cardinal, built on 200 acres of undulating terrain, is in excellent condition and is very much a championship layout. It’s a 7,002-yard par-72 with a 73.3 course rating and 137 slope for men and a 79.7 rating and 145 slope for women from the back tees. The rough is thick and challenging, the greens big and tricky.

“The land was a perfect setting for me to draw inspiration from previous Donald Ross, Tom Bendelow and Willie Park projects,’’ said Hearn, a stickler for history in golf design. “Our goal was to create a fun golf experience.  We’ve achieved that, and then some, with this project.’’

The Little Cardinal, built on seven acres in a parkland setting, has but seven holes and is a walking course.  Holes range from 44 to 112 yards but the main feature is the greens.  They’re replicas of green templates of the past – Punchbowl, Redan, Sahara, Volcano, Postage, Reverse Redan and Biarritz. An educational explanation of each is provided on plaques at the end of each hole.

Five tee placements are available on each hole of The Cardinal with No. 18 considered the signature hole with a valley cut through the fairway.  An argument on that score could also be made for No. 9, with its church pew bunkers.

Though Hearn has developed courses from as far away as Vietnam, Egypt, South Korea, Panama and Croatia, he’s been most prominent in Michigan.  His office is in Holland, MI., and he’s handled over 30 projects in his home state. That includes an ongoing renovation project at the three Boyne Resort courses.

That resume in his 28 years as an architect suggests the possibility of a Ray Hearns Golf Trail in Michigan and — if it materializes —  Saint John’s will be a major part of it.

Inside the resort, in addition to the restaurants, Saint John’s has a beautiful Catholic Chapel that’s ideal for weddings, ballrooms, colorful local artwork on display in the hallways, 26 separate function rooms and a 24-hour fitness center with perpetual pool and Jacuzzi.

Saint John’s is located between Detroit and Ann Arbor and is a 24-minute ride to the Detroit Metro Airport. For more information check the website www.saintjohnsresort.com.

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