Share
Island Resort and Casino hosted an open house last week to debut its new convention center and golf shop, which is part of a $19 million expansion project.
A nine-hole golf course is also planned.
Demand for regional meeting space and golf incentivized Island Resort to expand its offerings. The 16,900-square-foot convention center features meeting space for multi-day business events.
Details of new convention center
Island Resort and Casino in Harris plans to host a ton of events in its new convention center, including business meetings, banquets, weddings, and special events. The design includes:
- High-volume ceilings
- High-capacity kitchen
- Multiple event bars
- Outdoor courtyards
The area can accommodate up to 1,200 people. Island Resort General Manager Tony Mancilla confirmed that demand fueled the expansion.
“The new facility is designed to better accommodate larger events, including business conventions. By offering expanded meeting space conveniently located between Lower Michigan and Northern Wisconsin, we will meet the increased demand from regional groups. Many of these groups are looking to have multiple-day events during the week.
“We are in the unique position to also provide hotel accommodations sufficient for these large conventions.”
Golf shop opens, with new course to come
The new golf shop overlooks both the existing Sweetgrass 18-hole championship course and the new nine-hole Cedar Course. Cedar will be built next to the property’s other 18-hole course, Sage Run.
The shop includes 3,000 square feet of space with a full-service pro shop, covered outdoor terraces, a full-service bar, and locker rooms with guest showers.
Mancilla said Island Resort decided to build Cedar Course because the other courses have been filling up in the mornings.
Designer Paul Albanese said Cedar Course will have a vintage vibe.
“We are taking some great concepts from the golden age of course architecture in the early 1900s and incorporating them into the Cedar course.
“The course will feature some of the game’s most popular green templates like the Punchbowl, Double Plateau, and even a Juniper hole like the famous 6th hole at Augusta National.
“Many Midwesterners have not experienced this kind of architecture, so we wanted to give them a flavor of what it would be like to play overseas or from that era.”
Mancilla made clear the course will not be added to Sage Run. The nine holes will be its own course.
“The land we have for Cedar is perfect for the concept. The course will wind through a valley with gently rolling hills and some elevation. It will be less severe land than Sage Run but have more movement than Sweetgrass – somewhere right in-between.”
