Things to Do in Holland

Anchored by a golf course on the shores of Lake Michigan, Macatawa Legends Golf & Country Club offers warm-weather relaxation on the course and professional instruction off the course. Golfers can practice at the Club’s driving range or putting green, or seek out expert advice during a lesson with PGA Class A Pro Bruce Saip. The Club’s pro shop showcases a variety of golf gear from top brands for golfers in need of new equipment. After a day at the links, guests can unwind with a drink at the Club’s Bar & Grille.

Featured on the WZZM13 news, Wine-a-Palooza combines international wines with music from local bands during a three-day, outdoor festival. On Friday, vintner Mike Laing from Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan will be onsite to discuss the winemaking process as audience members taste sparkling wines from his vineyards. Later that evening, guests can attend the After Grape Party with music by DJ Stoz and a cash bar. On Saturday, guests can sample 48 wines from around the world, as well as purchase full bottles from an exclusive Wine-a-Palooza label to bolster home collections or christen backyard ocean liners.

Five local musical acts—The Electrixx Band, Kelly Carey, Nick Ayoub, Scott Patrick Bell, and Jane DeYoung—will be on hand to supply the soundtrack to Saturday’s tastings. The concert runs from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. The wine festivities conclude with a Sunday brunch buffet, which benefits the Center for Women in Transition.

The course at Brookside Golf and Grill guides golf balls past babbling brooks and over rolling terrain as players traverse the 6,100-yard course. A stream treacherously intercepts the golfer's path on three holes, and a large pond lies in wait to the right of the green on the 13th hole, waiting furtively for wayward bounces and impulsive swan dives. After a round, players can head inside at the newly redesigned clubhouse, where a full grill restores lost calories with burgers and burritos and assuages lost chances at birdies with beer and wine.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-72 course
• Total length of 6,100 yards from the back tees

Brothers and co-owners Joel and Jared Fulton see themselves foremost as educators. They recognize that firearms and defense tactics can overwhelm people, so they guide clients step-by-step to help them feel comfortable with using and owning a firearm. Joel even remembers sitting at the pro-shop counter once for three hours, answering every question a customer had about firearms and the meaning of life.This approach also extends to the six-lane, 50-foot indoor pistol range, where Joel and Jared—both NRA-certified Chief Range Safety Officers—and their team of instructors supervise open shooting and lead NRA-sanctioned training courses. Training courses include the Hunter Safety Program and the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program, a class for kids from pre-kindergarten through the third grade. Back at pro shop, they advise clients on personal firearms use by encouraging them to consider how owning a firearm would impact their lives, asking questions such as, "How well do you handle recoil?" and "How will you need to store it?" This patient approach reflects the brothers' belief that an armed society should also be an informed and polite society, and has earned them a steadfast following—every ladies' night, for example, draws between 50 and 90 shooters who share lady secrets while practicing their marksmanship.

In the curtained-off confines of a photo booth, revelers adjust a digital screen’s controls, then mug for the camera wrapped in feather boas, eyes obscured behind sunglasses. The props and the booth come courtesy of Switek Entertainment, whose photo booths and chief disc jockey—who spins under the name DJ Switek—energize crowds at Michigan wedding receptions and parties. The company also draws on connections to Comfort Limo, Tramontana Photography, and other area businesses, matching hosts with party essentials, such as guests who can put their hands in the air for the entire duration of an event.

Imagine holding a king salmon so heavy you can barely lift it for a picture, only to hear the captain yell a new fish just took another trolling rod down. The guides of Captain Hook's Charter Fishing, family owned and in operation since 1980, venture into Lake Michigan for such trophies, taking anglers out for perch fishing, sport fishing, and salmon mooching. Operating one of the state's largest charter fleets, the captains can take up to 40 perch fishers on a climate-controlled party boat, or accommodate smaller groups of 4–5 anglers on a 31-foot Chris-Craft boat, starting at $400. A FAQ page preps guests before going out, covering topics such as how to get a fishing license and what pattern suit is customary fishing attire.