Payment Process Changing for 2017
Happy 2017. While it’s still cold outside we are not far from the start of the 2017 Season. While we start a new year and new ownership it is time to start looking forward. Annual Dues are still the same as last year $120 but you will receive a discount to $100 if paid by March 10 th . There will be an email sent out by “Current” and Chuck Withey giving you a link to pay by Current (Dwolla is no longer a viable option). We are encouraging all Members to register with Current and utilize this as a payment vehicle. Otherwise you can mail a check for the annual dues to
The Mulligan Tour
C/O Chuck Withey
123 E Walled Lake Dr
Walled Lake, MI 48390
Soon enough we will be teeing up a little white ball and stressing over why it won’t just go home – get in the hole.
A tribute to the founder Erik Meland
After 18 years as the driving force of The Mulligan Tour, our Founder and Inspirational leader Erik, El Presidente’, Meland has turned the keys of the Tour over to a group of 9 members who formed a new LLC to take the Tour forward into its next era. Erik organized and ran the league based on the principal of fun, love of the game and a place that amateur bogey golfers could compete in a friendly tournament, similar to a PGA type setting. The new ownership team is committed to continue the core principals established by Erik. The new owners would like to thank Erik for his amazing commitment and vision that has made the Mulligan Tour what it is. Below is an excerpt from the Tour History to give everyone a perspective of where it all began and the journey from then to now.
“The Mulligan Tour formed in 1999 when founder Erik Meland, tired of the same old 9-hole golf leagues, scheduled a series of tournaments at different local courses and offered a “new kind” of golf league that would promise a “PGA Tour” feel for the weekend, recreational golfer. He invited friends and neighbors (and friends of neighbors) to participate in the inaugural Tour season. That first campaign included 16 members of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of Harbour Pointe – named after the subdivision in Belleville, Michigan that was home to Meland and half the original membership.
An engineer for an automotive supplier, Meland used his program management skills to organize the tournaments, each with its own name and trophy, and track the playing statistics like the pro tour. Using typical “league” playing rules, the Mulligan Tour would stress the fun, recreational aspect of the game but introduce a level of competition not readily available to the avid bogey golfer.
Using previous scores as a basis for player’s handicaps, 12 players traveled to Ypsilanti’s Pine View GC on May 29, 1999 and launched the new Tour by contesting the first Pine View Classic. Dearborn school teacher Ron Stuart won the tournament by 2-strokes posting a net 4-under par 68.
Membership steadily grew during the early years from 24 players in 2000 to 34 in 2002. In 2004, membership reached 55 players and Meland created a Board of Directors from some of the veteran players to help guide the Tour’s growth. More tournaments were added and the “Grand Slam” was formed as the Memorial tournament and the Match Play Championship joined the HPO and PLAYERS Championship as the Tour’s majors. The Memorial tournament was actually Meland’s first foray into tournament golf, first played in 1995 and now considered the “granddaddy” of the Mulligan Tour. (Also affectionately known as the “Erik Meland Memorial ‘Hey! He’s not dead yet!’ Tournament”)
The Tour created its first 2 divisions before the 2005 season. The Central and Western divisions followed their own schedules but members were able to play in either tournaments much the way a pro golfer might play PGA Tour events and European PGA Tour events. The Tour added an Eastern division in 2010 to cater to the Oakland and Macomb county population.”
The Tour has matured over the years and now hosts about 35 events each year. Over 120 players have been involved in the last two years.
The Tour is a great recreational outlet for the competitive juices of bogey golfers. A motivation for some to work out a little more and stay a little healthier. For some it has become something deeper. Our oldest member has been quoted as saying “If it wasn’t for The Mulligan Tour I’d be dead now.” We understand Godfather. When we look across that snow covered yard, our minds wander to that first tee off at Pineview. A reuniting with our brothers and sisters. We see in our minds one more great shot. One more great round. We feel the anticipation of victory, one more time.
Thank you Erik.