Birchwood Farms Golf & Country Club

Birchwood Farms Golf & Country Club

General Manager (GM) SearchHarbor Springs, MI

Located in the Little Traverse Bay area of Northern Michigan, Harbor Springs offers four seasons of events and activities for all ages to experience, explore and enjoy. It is the gateway to the iconic and scenic M-119 Tunnel of Trees, to which Birchwood is located adjacent to, a harbinger for the area's natural beauty. This long standing and well-known resort area also boasts a variety of local artisans, musicians and thespians offering an array of cultural activities including gallery exhibitions, concerts and theater performances to enjoy, coupled with a quaint and charming downtown. A true 'Norman Rockwell-esque' environment, Harbor Springs is known for its schools and the community involvement of its residents, as well as being one of the most desirable resort communities in the upper Midwest.
Perched high above the shores of Lake Michigan just 10 minutes north of Harbor Springs, Birchwood affords its members the best of all worlds. This private, 1,600 acre, year-round resort community boasts 27 holes of pristine Northern Michigan, Bruce Matthews golf, surrounded by natural woodlands and occasional views of Lake Michigan, as well as a full array of support amenities and services, all provided through the Association. All lot and homeowners are 'owners' of the Club and its amenities, and have full access to all the community has to offer. Birchwood Farms Golf & Country Club is a residential community of distinctive homes, condominiums and building sites. Members enjoy a resort-style atmosphere featuring a large, renovated clubhouse, well-groomed grounds, and a true 'family-friendly' atmosphere.
From its inception in 1972, Birchwood Farms Golf & Country Club (BFGCC) has provided its members with a first-class lifestyle opportunity. At the heart of this beautiful community are 27 breathtaking holes of true Northern Michigan style golf, and member-friendly golf, where nearly 18,000 rounds are played each season. Golf is the heartbeat of the Club, including weekly events as well as Couples and Member-Guest Tournaments. It further boasts 10 tennis courts (BFGCC's tennis facilities are among the finest in the state, and offer 10 clay hydro-grid subsurface irrigation courts. The clay courts are the first of their kind in Michigan and were added in the past year) and a heated swimming pool, to its wonderful and varied dining facilities, state of the art fitness facility and wintertime trails for skiing, hiking and snowshoeing, members find that Birchwood is a true four season destination. They have a variety of wide cross country ski trails and terrain for every ability, from a leisurely ski through the trees on the gold or blue trails to a true "workout" on the south loop; a total of 8.5 kilometers are groomed for cross country skiing. (Note: BFGCC is located about 5 miles from Boyne Highlands and Nub's Nob ski resorts, the most popular ski resorts in the State.)
The GM, reporting to the Board of Trustees (one board that administers both traditional club and property owners association matters), oversees all operational elements within the gates of BFGCC totaling nearly $5.2M, including highly seasonal food and beverage operations, which generate approximately $1.1M. Unique among many residential communities, BFGCC owns it road and water systems, and provides such services to its residents, along with security, house checks, and other assistances to support a comfortable existence for its members. Often times, the GM of Birchwood is referred to as its "city manager". In fact, the greater Birchwood community has, with over 760 owners, a larger population base than does the village of Harbor Springs!
In essence a mandatory membership community, Birchwood's property owners, approximately 430 of whom have built a home or own a condominium at Birchwood with the remainder typically living in the nearby community and owning property in order to have 'membership' access, as governed by a 9 person Board of Trustees, each serving three year terms.
The current average age of members at Birchwood is 67 years, but a strong focus on families, and making Birchwood "the" residential community of choice in Northern Michigan has, as part of its 'mission', a focus on continuing to reduce this average.
A number of active member committees are in place, including: Activities, Architectural Control and Security, Buildings/Grounds & Public Works, Finance, Golf, Greens, House, Insurance, Long Range Planning, Nominating, Personnel, Marketing, Rules and Bylaws, and Tennis and Swim. Birchwood prides itself on its active member participation in the governance of the club and community, and has generally found such participation to be supportive and beneficial to the Club's well being.
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