Island Resort to host college golf Sept. 6-7

HARRIS -- What has become an annual Upper Peninsula tradition to kick off the school year will return for the seventh time during the Labor Day weekend at Sage Run Golf Course.

The Island Resort Intercollegiate tournament will be held on Sunday and Monday, Sept. 6-7, at one of now three Island Resort & Casino courses in and near its headquarters in Harris.

Admission is free for the general public, with concessions available. The event will include three 18-hole rounds, a total of 54 holes, over two days.

Course officials note that with practice rounds available to teams on Saturday, Sept. 5, the first two rounds are scheduled for Sept. 6, with tee times starting about 7:30 a.m. Eastern time and likely going into the late afternoon or early evening, with Sunday also commencing around that time with an awards ceremony likely in the mid-afternoon.

While it might seem odd that this all-NCAA Division I event is hosted by South Dakota State University, it makes sense after you realize this tourney was started by Perkins native and Mid Peninsula High School graduate Casey Van Damme, who when it started in 2019 was South Dakota State’s director of golf.

He also attended Marquette University and graduated from Northern Michigan University in 2000. Van Damme has gone on to become women’s golf coach at Kent State in Ohio.

While NMU played as the lone Division II school for the first several years -- but not since -- at the Island Resort Intercollegiate, Marquette University will play in this year’s event for the first time, joining defending champion West Virginia and host South Dakota State, along with the University of Michigan.

There’s also Miami (Ohio), Central Florida, Ball State, Boise State, Virginia Commonwealth, St. Mary’s College, North Texas and Kansas City to give this event a national profile.

“We’re proud to reach the seventh year of this tournament and to see how it has grown into such a respected event in collegiate golf,” said Island Resort general manager Tony Mancilla in a news release about the event. “Every year, we look forward to welcoming these outstanding student-athletes, coaches and their families to the resort. This year, our expanded Starter Shack offers spectators a convenient place to grab food and beverages while they’re here for the tournament.”

Sage Run Golf Course, designed by renowned architect Paul Albanese, is a 7,309-yard, par-72 course known for its dramatic elevation changes, natural terrain and strategic challenges.

It is located eight miles west of the Island Resort & Casino. The main entrance is accessible off U.S. 2/U.S. 41 about a mile west of the Island Resort main complex.

The complex’s other courses are Sweetgrass and Cedar, the latter a nine-hole course just opening in the past few weeks and having its grand opening celebration in 2027.

One of the Island Resort Intercollegiate’s early noteworthy achievements was when Michigan State University’s James Piot won the inaugural individual title in 2019, then won the U.S. Amateur title in 2021 after nearly all collegiate sports paused during 2020.