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Thornapple Pointe Golf Club- My Course for Surviving Residency

I miss Michigan in the fall. I’ve never seen a place with prettier fall colors. But during my first year of residency in Ann Arbor I don’t think I was ever outside of the hospital during the daylight. Fortunately, when I switched from general surgery to emergency medicine, I found that I had somewhat of a life. So with a little bit of time and money I started golfing again. The Golf Club at Thornapple Pointe in Grand Raids, MI quickly became my favorite course to play during residency. It was challenging, affordable, well maintained and had some beautiful holes. Playing at The Golf Club at Thornapple Pointe in the fall was my favorite.

I had bought a brand new iPhone 5 back then and took pictures of the course back in 2012. I was probably more excited about having my first ever iPhone at the time than playing golf. The pictures do seem fantastic though (see below).

Golfing as a Single.

Golf has always been a great way for me to get away from things in life. During residency all doctors need something else to keep their lives sane. I tried to go golfing during my year in general surgery but was always interrupted. It was nice during subsequent years of residency to have some uninterrupted time to just golf.

Until residency I had always played golf in a Twosome, Threesome, or Foursome. I hadn’t realized the joy of golfing as a single until then. Most people can’t think of anything more boring then golfing by yourself. I love it. It quickly became one of my preferred ways to golf. I started playing as a single at Thornapple Pointe. It was a great way for me to unwind.

Courses don’t like to let players golf alone. It messes with their tee sheets. I often would end up paired with a couple other golfers. Although I am not always a great conversationalist, it doesn’t matter when I am golfing. I can talk about golf for hours. Most other golfers can too. Even when I’m golfing with people I don’t know I find that my rounds are just as enjoyable.

Thornapple Pointe Golf Course Highlights- A Picture Review

Thornapple River Bridge
Hole #14 Bridge that crosses over The Thornapple River. Taken October 5th, 2012
Thornapple River Bridge in the Fall
Hole #14 Bridge. Taken October 22, 2012. I sold a picture of this at a Garage Sale for $5. The picture and frame cost me $40 but I still consider it a $5 profit.
Hole #16 Thornapple Pointe Golf Course
Hole #16- Green view
Hole #16 Thornapple Pointe Golf Course
Hole #16- Fairway View
Hole #16 Thornapple Pointe Golf Course
Hole #16- Spectator View
Maybe I should quit my day job and become a golf course photographer

Fall Golf

The past several days my home course has been closed to an aerification project. It’s nice to take some time off of golf after a long summer season. I’m glad I took the last two days off. But now I’m ready to go back and play again.

If anyone from The Golf Club at Thornapple Pointe wants a fall picture update for their Facebook Page or their website I would be happy to provide a picture. That would require that they actually read my blog. I will wait for them to comment below to see if they are interested. My days as a doctor may be over if they want me to take more pictures for them.

About the Author

I am a husband, father, ER doctor, and an avid golfer.  With a handicap of 3.2 I have a fairly legitimate claim to be among the Top 100 Physician Golfers in the United States.  You can read more about my story on my about page. Feel free to contact me or follow my sites on social media

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