Blake Davis, who will take over as White Lake Golf Club pro next year to replace the retiring Bill Borgman, had never played the course until he was invited to do so as part of the club's search committee's process of selecting a new pro. That didn't mean, though, that he was unaware of the course's reputation.
"Most of my co-workers at Spring Lake Country Club had heard great things but had never been out here," Davis said. "It's kind of a hidden gem that you don't come to unless you're coming to play golf. There's not a ton around it, so it's a great place to spend a quiet day. I like the area, where it's at and that it's a small private club and a getaway for people."
Davis has been assistant pro at SLCC the past six years. Until coming to WLGC, he'd spent his entire career there after earning a golf management degree at Ferris State University. He is spending this summer and fall learning the ropes with Borgman, who will retire at the end of the calendar year after over 30 years at the club.
Borgman said he plans to continue to teach lessons and coach the Whitehall golf teams, but Davis will take over day-to-day operations at the club. The veteran pro is looking forward to traveling more with wife Melissa in retirement.
"He definitely has the experience of being a club pro because he's been at Spring Lake for six years," Borgman said of Davis. "He went through the Ferris golf program like I did. He was probably ready to go to the next step at some point in the short-term future...He has the experience and know-how. He's been here now for almost three months and adapting very quickly."
Borgman was not directly involved in the decision to hire Davis, he said, though he did recommend the committee give him a look after a conversation with Davis' stepfather Doug Bell, the general manager at Jack Nicklaus-designed American Dunes Golf Course in Grand Haven.
Davis grew up around the game thanks to Bell, who has worked in golf his entire career. Like Borgman and Davis, he graduated from Ferris State's program. Bell was previously a 21-year club pro at Manistee National Golf Course before heading to American Dunes.
In that sense, Davis offered the WLGC search committee the best of both worlds when considering whether to go with a young man like himself or a more experienced pro to fill Borgman's sizable shoes.
"Luckily for me, they went with the 'young and inexperienced' approach (for the job)," Davis chuckled.
Pursuing the WLGC position was not a tough sell for Davis. He and his wife Damara, who graduated from Montague High School, live in Twin Lake with their two daughters, so his new gig will keep him close to home.
Davis has fresh ideas to bring to the course, naturally, and will look for ways to make WLGC his own, but he's hardly looking to upend the calendar members have grown used to over the years under Borgman's leadership.
"I'm not looking to come blow up the place and change everything, obviously," Davis said. "I don't want to get rid of key events. But some new formats, new events and new ideas in general, new ways of doing things. Fresh ideas with the course superintendent, ways to keep the course nicer."
Davis credits Borgman for his work, noting that at a private club, keeping the membership happy and content with your leadership isn't always the easiest task. That Borgman made it look relatively simple is a mark of his aptitude for the job, Davis said, and that's one of many skills he's hoping to pick up during this transition period working with him.
"I'm learning a ton from him, seeing how he's done it the past 30 years," Davis said. "I can tell from the membership that everyone's loved him and he's done a really good job. I've got a good horse pulling my wagon. I'm excited to bring what I learned at Spring Lake and add what I'm learning from Bill."
Borgman said Davis is adjusting well to his new position. Maybe the hardest part for Davis, Borgman joked, is remembering all the new names. (Davis agreed, adding that all the part-time summer residents adds a degree of difficulty to that task.)
"It takes time, but he'll fit right in," Borgman said. "It took me time when I did it 30 years ago and he might be able to get through it quicker than I did. It's second nature to me now, but we're busier now than we were then."
"It's a good membership so far from what I can tell," Davis added. "I'm happy to be here, that's for sure."
