21. Early Golf Links

West Shore Golf Links, circa 1940. The Douglas water tower, visible in the bottom left corner of the photo, was replaced by the Douglas Root Beer Barrel in in 2019.

Advertised as “the sportiest course in Michigan,” the West Shore Golf Links, built on the Donald Kingsley dairy farm in 1921, was one of the earliest golf courses in Michigan. The course was north of Center Street and west of Ferry Street. Today it is the West Shore development.

Across in Saugatuck, when the new Liberty Links Golf course was established in 1926 it was known as the poor-man’s course, charging only 50 cents a day compared to $1.25 at West Shore. Saugatuck’s Liberty Links was later renamed the Hamilton Lake Club and the course is still in operation today as the Clearbrook Golf Club.