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"Well," Evan Burt said, squinting in afternoon sun, "I came here seven years ago for a summer job. And I'm still here."

Evan and other ranch hands that epitomize superior customer service evident everywhere at Double JJ Ranch and Thoroughbred Golf Resort in Rothbury, Michigan made me want to stay there, too.

The ranch and golf resort are just north of Grand Haven on Michigan's "left coast". It prides itself on being only full-service dude ranch in Midwest, according to a press release. The ranch opened in 1937 as Jack and Jill Ranch and expanded its operations in mid-90s. Facilities include Back Forty, with a general store, ice cream parlor, a "Waterin' Hole" swimming complex with a 150' waterslide and a dining hall complete with a mechanical bull; and ranch, offering horseback riding, archery and rifle ranges and canoeing on Big Wildcat Lake. Winter activities are offered at ranch also, from tubing and cross-country skiing to dog-sledding and snowmobiling. Cabins are available for lodging, as well as teepees and Conestoga wagons for families with children aged seven and older.

Unusual accommodations at Double JJ include teepees and Conestoga Wagons for kids only; right - secluded Back 40 cabins. Below - The rustic "Loft" on Thoroughbred Golf Course.

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Wind Sculptured Resort Golf

Adjacent to Avi Indian Resort & Casino, Mojave Resort Golf Club is a championship resort course with wide, congenial fairways and four sets of tees, allowing golfers their own challenge.

The terrain combines native vegetation and wind-sculptured sand dunes. The natural water features ebb and flow with topography. Many of fairways are bordered with indigenous desert sand, shrubbery and wild life. The greens are a bit courser and truer than most others in Southern Nevada area. This reporter assumes combination of lower elevation and watering patterns make this phenomena come about, thus providing a suitable level of difficulty for an enjoyable and challenging round of golf. The course itself is eclectically well-designed with bunker sand traps and water hazards on a relatively flat, but undulating plot of real estate. A small new housing tract of modest homes is perking-up (as they were advertised) on lengthy road (Aha Macav Parkway) coming in to resort from Highway Route 163. These new dwellings are located on holes #12 and #13.

Duff Dunes at Mojave Resort Golf Club

Between silhouette view in background and rolling fairways, a golfer can easily be distorted and baffled by lack of carry and roll in their golf shots. In reality, Mojave Golf Course lies at zero feet elevation next to Colorado River and is usually watered thoroughly each day to maintain its lush emerald condition. Hence, golfer visiting Mojave for first time after playing any of Las Vegas courses, some 90 miles (two hour drive) to north, and 1,000 to 1,500 feet higher in elevation, may be unsure for first few holes whether or not they lost their vigor.

Another thing that strikes devoted golfer as their round of golf begins is pin placement illustration system employed on each cart. The commonly used 1-2-3 checked flag system pictorially maps-out full dimensions of forthcoming green.

A very evident factor of Mojave Golf Resort is serene setting provided by Mother Nature. Temperatures are a bit more comfortable in winter months (approximately 10 degrees warmer than Las Vegas). Winds can be a prevalent factor too, but on particular days, this locale seems to be able to escape winter's wrath by being peacefully nestled in its own little carved-in piece of land to provide golfers with a pleasant and relaxed experience.