The Wawashkamo Golf Club is a nine-hole links golf course on

Mackinac Island Mackinac Island ( ; french: Île Mackinac; oj, Mishimikinaak ᒥᔑᒥᑭᓈᒃ; otw, Michilimackinac) is an island and resort area, covering in land area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the island in Odawa is Michilimackinac an ...

in the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. The course was laid out by

Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...

in 1898. The golf course retains many of the features of a nineteenth-century golf links, including a relatively treeless layout, comparatively short holes, and very long rough. Smith, a native Scotsman from

Carnoustie Carnoustie (; sco, Carnoustie, gd, Càrn Ùstaidh) is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is at the mouth of the Barry Burn on the North Sea coast. In the 2011 census, Carnoustie had a population of 11,3 ...

, was familiar with the links courses of his boyhood home. Wawashkamo was laid out on a farmer's field that had been the site of the 1814

Battle of Mackinac Island The Battle of Mackinac Island (pronounced ''Mackinaw'') was a British victory in the War of 1812. Before the war, Fort Mackinac had been an important American trading post in the straits between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. It was important for ...

. Separate historical markers commemorate both the golf links and the battlefield. The name of the club and course comes from the Chippewa word ''waawaashkaamon'' for the act of 'walking a crooked trail'. Longtime club pro

Frank Dufina Frank Dufina (June 30, 1884 – August 11, 1972) was an American professional golfer of Chippewa descent in the early years of the sport in the United States. Dufina began his career in 1898 at the just-opened Wawashkamo Golf Club on Mackina ...

is believed to have had the longest tie between a course and a professional in U.S. golfing history. It spanned 70 years, from 1898 to 1968. Wawashkamo was honored as one of "America's Historic Golf Landmarks" by

Golf Digest ''Golf Digest'' is a monthly golf magazine published by Warner Bros. Discovery through its sports unit under its Warner Bros. Discovery Golf division. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competiti ...

in 1996. The course is contained within

Mackinac Island State Park Mackinac Island State Park is a state park located on Mackinac Island in the U.S. state of Michigan. A Lake Huron island, it is near the Straits of Mackinac. The island park encompasses , which is approximately 80% of the island's total area. ...

References

External links

Wawashkamo Golf Club
{{coord, 45, 52, 04.3, N, 84, 37, 50.5, W, display=title Golf clubs and courses in Michigan Mackinac Island Buildings and structures in Mackinac County, Michigan Tourist attractions in Mackinac County, Michigan Event venues established in 1898