RedWater Group Acquires Tullymore and St. Ives Golf Clubs

Tullymore and St. Ives golf clubs announced that they have new ownership and now are part of the RedWater group.

Tullymore Review. St. Ives Review.

Founded in 1988, RedWater is a West Michigan hospitality company that offers dining, events, golf, fitness, and recreation. Interestingly, it is an employee-owned ESOP.

Tullymore and St. Ives join other RedWater courses: Macatawa, Muskegon CC, Stonewater CC, Sunnybrook CC, Thousand Oaks, Watermark CC, Ravines and Thornapple Point. They also have golf simulator facilities.

RedWater has nine restaurants in its portfolio, none of which I’ve heard of. That’s not to say they’re not worth knowing. They’re just not in my area.

In a letter to Tullymore guests, Redwater writes:

RedWater will focus on improvements to lodging and accommodations, updates to amenities, and continued elevation of the overall guest experience. RedWater is also overseeing the development side of the property, including opportunities for condominiums and custom-built single-family homes that complement the property and its surroundings. Throughout it all, we remain dedicated to ensuring both golf courses stay in top-tier condition and continue to deliver the outstanding level of play and service they are known for. 

With ten courses encompassing 180 holes, RedWater now has one of the largest collections of golf courses in the state. Boyne has 162 holes. Gull Lake View has 108. Treetops, Shanty Creek and Garland have 90 each.

The differences between those and RedWater are geography and public access. Boyne, Gull Lake, Teetops, Shanty Creek and Garland’s courses are (relatively) close to each other. RedWater’s collection is quite widely dispersed.

Then there’s the question of public access. Six of the RedWater courses are private. I’ve only had the opportunity to play one of those: Muskegon Country Club — and it is a gem. For the average golfer, however, only Tullymore, St. Ives, The Ravines and Thornapple matter.

I have always very much liked Tullymore. When I first reviewed it, I got a nice email from Jim Engh, telling me that he feels I nailed what he was trying to do at the course.

I’ll have to figure out a spot on my calendar to get back to Tullymore.