It has been the better part of 16 years since I last played golf at Hiawatha Sportsman’s Club golf course. It still held incredibly vivid imagery and warm memories in my heart. The first time I ever chipped a ball in from many yards off the green, the first time I ever “truly” parred a hole and the first time I ever came within a few strokes of paring a course. It’s the only course I’ve always walked, a golf cart just seems impure here. I couldn’t help but remember the vibrant lush fairways, immaculate greens and the cool, clean almost weightless air. After finishing a delicious breakfast pops and I headed over to the course. We gathered our pull carts, paid the kid behind the counter and headed to the 1st Tee. There are no paved paths here and only graveled cart paths between the greens and the next tee box. Once your off the tee it’s just lush fairways and immaculately trimmed, but incredibly dense rough.
We tee’d off the first box and it was just a sweet game of golf. Most shots were decent and immediately I felt as if I was playing better. I even sank a 53 foot putt, my best of the day or many years for that matter. My bright orange golf balls seemed to sit perfectly in the lush green fairways and even in the roughs. The temperature was so perfect you had to try to sweat and it was a wonderful morning. The kind of place where the ball washers always look brand new, there are benches at every hole for spectators, water fountains pop at the most remote of tee boxes just when you feel the need for some fresh water and there are bells at greens hidden from their tee boxes to let your fellow golfers know the course is clear. It truly is a wonderful golf course set in the surroundings of God’s country.
After a morning round, we headed back to the cabin for a lazy afternoon and then eventually a steak dinner. I like mine as seared on the outside as a cast iron skillet can get it and as raw in the middle as it allows and I always enjoy putting the smoke detectors to the test. After a little sautéed broccoli and onions, cheese and scallion roasted potatoes and a screaming smoke detector, dinner was served and I was hungry.
With dinner behind us and a few provisions needed we decided to take an afternoon trip into the quaint little town of Newberry. The moose capital of Michigan, its a little slice of Americana. Most things privately owned, a few hotels, a hometown mechanic, an Ace hardware, a old theater still showing first runs and our current destination, Rahilly’s IGA grocery store. I was very surprised with the selection and it even had a rather impressive gluten free section (Canada has the largest population of Celiacs in the world so the closer you get usually the better choices). It truly was an impressive selection of modern products and food lines for such a remote location, but the store itself seemed frozen in time. Only a few registers, but every checkout line had a bag boy. All in aprons and ties and everyone was incredibly friendly. There was a small “museum” at the front of the store showing the original owners, his family still owned it, receiving accolades and honors for the many achievements and contributions to the local community. Original cash register and die ASR’s of the old delivery trucks that once filled its shelves. “How long has the store been opened” I asked the bag boy while perusing the mini exhibit. “100” years he quickly retorted. “No seriously” I responded as I turned from the display to face him. He quickly pointed into the air and simply said “seriously, that’s why we have all the balloons and banners”. As I looked up I could see plastered everywhere celebratory signs, balloons and acknowledgments to the impressive legacy of Rahilly’s IGA of Newberry Michigan. Feeling a bit silly, I followed the bag boy out as he would not take no for an answer and watched as he neatly placed the groceries in the back of my Buick. He was thanked tipped and I was in much need of an ice cream to cool my recent shaming.
A few blocks away was the scoop. A little ice cream and sandwich shop about half the size of a checkers back home, dishing out many types of cones, milkshakes, slushee shakes, soft served delights, hot dogs, reubens, hamburgers, it was quite impressive for such a small little establishment and we purchased even more frozen goodness. The quantity of ice cream was beginning to become a bit hedonistic and this one I couldn’t even finish. After a short ride back to the club, we settled in for another cool north woods night.
