Experience The Point

Enjoy a round of golf, pickleball,tennis or take a dip in the pool. Have dinner and drinks in the bar, in one of our dining rooms, or out on the deck overlooking the 18th green. We're also just minutes away from the beach, shopping, wineries and farmers markets!

 

Member Dining

No long lines, just fine dining! We choose only the freshest ingredients for our kitchen -- premium Creekstone Farms Black Angus beef, fish flown in from Hawaii, and fresh local produce.  Whether you're in our cozy bar next to the fireplace or out on the patio with cocktails and apps, you will always find yourself among friends.

Pickleball and Tennis

Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in America!  It's a combination of tennis, ping pong, and badminton. It's played with a paddle, a shorter net, and a lightweight ball, so it's a little easier on the body and a lot of fun!  Never tried tennis or pickleball?  Don't worry, our Tennis Pro can get you started!  We offer instruction for all ages and ability levels. We've got four tennis/pickleball courts and offer weekly and monthly programs, guest days, and team play competitions. 

The Point Pool

Take a refreshing swim in our large pool, complete with lap lanes, a diving board and a tot dock for the little ones!  We offer swimming and diving lessons for all ages and other fun activities for the kids, while you relax or have lunch at the poolside grill.

Family Activities and Events

We have lots of fun events for the family including holiday parties, a mini-carnival with fireworks, Halloween hayrides and brunch with Santa...just to mention a few!  Along with swimming, racquets and golf programs, kids can enjoy a safe, comfortable environment making friends and memories that will last a lifetime.  

History of The Point

In 1954, five area residents met informally to discuss the possibility of building a new country club for the greater St. Joseph-Benton Harbor area. About that time, approximately 350 acres of land, owned by Donald H. Ross, became available. The residents asked Golf Course Architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. to assess the property's potential for development into a world class golf course. After careful study of the terrain, he reported enthusiastically that it was an ideal location for a championship 18-hole course. 

Work quickly progressed to clear the land, form fairways, and by fall of 1957 they sewed seed.  On June 14, 1958, the course opened for play and was soon recognized as Southwest Michigan's "hidden gem".  It didn't stay that way for long -- in 1963 The Point was awarded the opportunity to host the Western Amateur and went on to host it for exclusively from 1971 - 2009.  Golf legends like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf, Andy North, Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods have played the course at Point O’ Woods. Comments are the same: "One of the truly great courses in America," and the course has been ranked in Golf Digest's Top 100 for over 40 years. 

Western Amateur

The first Western Amateur was sponsored by the Western Golf Association in 1899, and is the third oldest amateur golf tournament in the U.S. for male golfers. The event is a grueling challenge for the champion, who must survive 72 holes of stroke play and then five rounds of match play over the following three days. 

Point O' Woods was chosen to host the Western Amateur for the first time in 1963, and went on to host it annually from 1971-2008 -- more than any other club in the nearly 120 years that the event has been played.  We've been honored to watch Andy North, Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange, Andy Bean, Bob Clampett, Hal Sutton, Scott Verplank, Chris DiMarco, Phil Mickelson, Justin Leonard, Tiger Woods and many others win the tournament here and go on to become the Greats of Golf.  The Point hosted the Western Am again in 2019, and we look forward to future opportunities to help more of the best amateur players in the world realize their dreams. 

 
Speaking of fulfilling dreams, the Western Golf Association also governs the Evans Scholars Foundation, a charitable endeavor started in 1930 by renown amateur golfer, Chick Evans. The Foundation’s mission was to provide full tuition and college scholarships to caddies with limited financial means. Through proceeds from the Western Am and donations from clubs and individuals, more than 11,000 young men and women have graduated as Evans Scholars.  Point O' Woods is a proud participant in The Evans Scholars Foundation and encourages everyone to support them. For more information, please visit www.wgaesf.org.

Highlights from the 2019 Western Amateur

NHL Tonight - Interview with Garrett Rank
Chicago District Golf Association - CGDA Tournament Roundup Western Am Coverage
WSJM - WESTERN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP SHOW
Golf Week - NHL referee Garrett Rank wins Western Amateur
Golf Digest - NHL referee Garrett Rank wins the prestigious Western Amateur, defeats Daniel Wetterich in the final
Golf Channel - Rank, a Mid-amateur and NHL Referee, Wins the Western Amateur
Amateur Golf - Rank, 31 Defies Age in Winning Western Amateur
Global Golf Post - Mid-Am Rank Closes Out 'Dream Week' with Title
NHL Tonight: Garrett Rank
Scoutingtherefs.com - NHL Referee Garrett Rank Wins 2019 Western Amateur Golf Tournament
WNDU - NHL referee Garrett Rank wins 2019 Western Amateur
Yahoo Lifestyle - NHL referee unexpectedly wins prestigious amateur golf tournament in Michigan
Morning Read - article by Barry Cronin
Golf Advisor - "Cool Golf Thing" - article by Tim Gavrich
WSJM Interview: Chris DiMarco and Vince Pellegrino at Point O' Woods
WSJM at Point O' Woods for Western Amateur Media Day