Hidden No Longer

July 19, 2006

For those escaping the bustle of the city for Northern Michigan’s beauty, the Hidden River Golf & Casting Club and Rainbow Room restaurant outside offer a tranquil retreat.
Quiet surrounds you the moment you step out of your vehicle at the golf club on the Maple River, north of Petoskey. Beautifully manicured greens appear on each side of the mature pine tree-lined parking lot. The expansive log clubhouse with cedar-shake siding is dwarfed by the trees around it. If you listen closely, you just might hear the sounds of the Maple River bubbling its way downstream behind the clubhouse.
The surroundings are no mistake, reveals general manager and PGA golf professional Kevin Whitmore, “The biggest thing about the facility is we try to epitomize Northern Michigan, what Michigan is all about.”
PANORAMA
Open since 1998, Hidden River features a Bruce Matthews-designed golf course showcasing tall pines, waste bunkers, heather grass, water and panoramic views.
“The golf course is very user-friendly, very scenic,” says Whitmore. “The conditions of the course are immaculate.”
A state-of-the-art irrigation system provides optimal golf conditions throughout the season and the manicured course, which offers five tee selections to suit any handicap, is considered one of the best in the Midwest.
Now in his third season at Hidden River, Whitmore previously worked at the Red Hawk Golf Club in East Tawas. Originally from south of Traverse City, he has been a PGA golf professional member since 1992. Whitmore offers the Hidden River Golf Academy which includes a cocktail party, dinner, eight hours of instruction over two days, 27 holes of golf, two dinners at the Hidden River Rainbow Room and lodging. Call or go online for dates and more details.

Clubhouse Amenities
The up-north theme clubhouse includes the restaurant, a lounging area and a first-rate golf shop managed by Amber Lechowicz. The golf shop offers accessories and apparel by Polo Golf, Tommy Bahama and Robert Trent Jones, to name a few.
The Hidden River Rainbow Room restaurant features a new chef, Jeremiah Brown, formerly from the renowned Tapawingo in Ellsworth.
The casual/gourmet restaurant offers native fish, aged steaks and hickory-smoked Memphis-style baby back ribs which take three days to prepare. The full-service bar also offers a nice wine list with suggestions that complement each meal.
“We try to offer fine, casual, restaurant dining,” says Whitmore. “A lot of visitors are just up for the summer, want to dress casual and relax, but expect a high level of service.”
A “wall of windows” guarantees a beautiful view of the ninth green, the outside terrace and the Maple River.
Summertime brings with it Hidden River’s “Music on the Maple,” showcasing local entertainers such as Mike Ridley and Ron Getz. Every Tuesday from 6-9 p.m. on the terrace overlooking the river, guests can savor themed dinners from different regions around the United States – New-England style clam bakes with lobster, Caribbean nights and Super BBQ feasts – accompanied by music.
A seafood buffet is offered every Friday night from 5-8:30 p.m. The Rainbow Room restaurant is open seven days a week from 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m.

Up North Retreat
Accommodations at Hidden River are new this year. “We do have on-site cabins available for lodging or purchase,” says Whitmore. The Cabins at Hidden River, which sleep six, offer river, bluff or golf course views and sit adjacent to the Maple River and the clubhouse. For purchasers, a rental management program ensures you even make money on your investment while you’re away.
And with one-and-a-half miles of the Maple River in your backyard, fly fishing for brook, brown and rainbow trout is an added bonus. Equipment rental, guides and lessons are also available.
Offering first-rate golfing, fly fishing, lodging, dining and summer entertainment, customer satisfaction is Hidden River’s biggest goal, says Whitmore. “We want people to go away saying, ‘There wasn’t one thing in the experience I was disappointed with.’”

To visit Hidden River, follow US-31 to one mile north of Brutus and turn east on Maple River Rd. Follow signs. For tee times, please call 800.325.GOLF or reserve online at www.hiddenriver.com and receive a first-time reservation discount for the Rainbow Room restaurant.