Revival of the Fittest

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More than $10 million has been spent renovating Shanty Creek in Bellaire.

photograph courtesy of shanty creek

 Anyone looking for a sign that the state’s moribund economy is perking up should check with golf and ski re-sorts in northern Michigan, which are investing millions of dollars in additions, renovations, and new amenities. The biggest story may be the revival of the Garland resort, which was taken over by new owners last fall. The rejuvenation efforts at Garland continue this spring, as a renovation of the massive log lodge and golf club in Lewiston seeks to restore the luster of one of the state’s ionic recreational attractions.

With a new name, Garland Lodge & Resort, and expensive upgrades and amenities like a new spa, the 3,000-acre resort is even more glamorous now than it was during its glory years, when it was the only resort in the Midwest to earn a four-diamond rating from AAA of Michigan.

With everyone competing for family and female spending power at resorts, the 8,000-square-foot spa and fitness center was one of the first major additions approved by Garland’s new owner, Gerald Forsythe, and his Auburn Hills-based New Frontiers.

“The major challenge everyone faces operating a resort in the north is the economy,” says Randy Dzierzawski, president of New Frontiers. “There’s a ton of competition in golf, all of which is value-driven. But we can’t operate the resort just for golf. We have to make it entertaining year-round. We’re in the entertainment business and the expectation that goes with that isn’t only great golf, great service, and great dining, but entertainment and activities that will appeal to everyone.”

Forsythe brings very deep pockets to his plan to move Garland forward.

His Indeck companies, based in Wheel-ing, Ill., are North America’s largest privately owned supplier of emergency and backup steam-generating power. The company owns 17 fossil fuel, hydroelectric, and biomass power plants in the U.S., Canada, Guatemala, and the United Kingdom.

Although Forsythe’s business bona fides are well-established, he’s better known for his long involvement in Indy car racing. His Forsythe Championship Racing was a dominant team with star Canadian drivers Paul Tracy and Jacques Villeneuve, who won the Indianapolis 500 and was a Form-ula One champion. Forsythe also owned auto-racing circuits in Toronto, Canada, Mexico City, and Monterrey, Calif.

Forsythe’s purchase of Garland is his second major investment in a northern Michigan resort. New Frontiers supplied the financing to build the Mountain Grand Lodge and Spa & Avalanche Bay indoor water park at Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls.

“We like uniqueness, and Garland certainly has that,” Dzierzawski says. “It has a strong brand [for] the golfer. It’s been in business more than 50 years, and it’s very iconic. We feel there are a lot of nongolf opportunities the former owner didn’t really try to tap into to build its bed base and occupancy, as well as creating additional revenue.”

Architect Mike Benkusky, who designed Forsythe’s Canyata golf course in southern Illinois, was brought in last fall to spiff up the Garland courses.

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