September 16, 2025 • 9 mins
In this episode, host Phil Tower chats with Brian Smith, Food & Beverage Director, Treetops Resort.
Brian spoke with us about Color tour getaways in the region, including Treetops' new Fall Color Tour and Progressive Dinner.
Treetops Resort is offering its first Fall Color Tour and Progressive Dinner. Experience Fall with creative cuisine, paired with tastings of Michigan beer and wine, all atop the spectacular views only offered at Treetops Resort.
Guests will enjoy a leisurely golf cart ride along the Jones Masterpiece Golf Course, led by an experienced Treetops staff member, and will have the opportunity to take photos of the beautiful fall foliage across miles of the course at the resort. Multiple stops along the way, and offer guests a tasting of a Michigan-made beer or wine, as well as a fall-themed hors d'oeuvre. The evening will wrap up with dinner at Hunters Grill.
Online: Treetops
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend. West Michigan Weekend is
a weekly programmed designed to inform and enlightened on a
wide range of public policy issues as well as news
and current events. Now here's your host, Phil Tower.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Welcome back to West Michigan Weekend from iHeartRadio as we
get to do what we really love to do, which
is record on location with Brian Smith, Food and Beverage
director at Treetops Treetops dot com. And it is dangerously
close to autumn. I think we have actually officially crossed
(00:39):
the equinox, or it might even be today as we're
having this conversation on the radio. Brian has joined us
because I know a lot of our iHeartRadio listeners are
looking for things to do this fall, not just the
regular color tour, but something that would really like take
things to the next level. And Brian, first of all,
thank you for joining us.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I am excited to talk about a really unique experience
that involves traversing a place. If you've never golfed, you've
probably never been able to have this experience. This is
the premier course at Treetops Resort, which is the Jones Masterpiece.
But you are pairing this with a golf cart and
(01:23):
of different food pairings three different dates, October, third, fourth,
and tenth. What are we calling this whole experience? Brian?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
So we call this our fall Progressive Dinners, which is
wonderful because you get to eat, drink and enjoy all
the beautiful views on the masterpiece golf course.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Which is incredible. And just for full disclosure, I'm going
to admit on the radio, I do not play golf.
If you know me, you know why I don't play golf.
They are really good reasons I don't play golf. So
I have never in all the times I've been to Treetops,
I've never experienced the full Jones piece. So this is
right up my alley. This is Do you drive the
(02:05):
golf course or do you have a tree toss person
driving for you? How does that work?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
You get to drive your own cart, you're led by
Treetops employee, so that everyone kind of stay as there's
a guide. There is a guide because you are not
a golfer. There are certain places on a golf course
that you do not drive your golf cart.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
True, well, just keep putting water hazards and things like that, so.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Having a guide make sure that the golf course is
not being drove on places where it shouldn't be. And
I completely agree. I am not a golfer at all.
This will be my first experience getting to enjoy the
Jones Masterpiece to its full beauty as well, which I'm
very excited about.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
So there are three on course stops, one at Whole
number six, one at Whole number nine, and one which
is labeled as the halfway House. You know that's good.
You'll you'll get fed at the halfway House, which would
certainly makes sense talk to us about these encourse stops
during this progressive dinner.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
So Whole six is the Tuscan Brushetta, which simple handheld,
easy to have a drink, have a snack, chit chat
with the guide. They'll give lots of information on the course,
the area, just kind of give the whole experience and
educate everyone on what the course is, how it's laid out,
(03:25):
just a little information to go with it. And then
at Whole nine we have every basically charcouterian a stick
is what.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
I like to call it.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
So you all, I love it all way easier to
eat while you're in a golf cart and on the
golf course than trying to do it with the plate.
And then at the halfway house, which a lot of
people are always like the halfway if you're not a golfer,
a halfway house is basically at the turn. So at
there we'll have the Mediterranean flatbread, which is delicious and warm,
(03:57):
fresh off the brill, hummus, all the young stuff on
top of it, and then paired with a cocktail. Every
stop has cocktails beer wine, and we're doing a signature
cocktail as well that kind of goes with what we're serving.
And then after the halfway house you'll get back on
your cart and head back to the clubhouse and then
proceed to the restaurant for the final course.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Sounds great, and there is, well, there's quite an event
happening in the Legends restaurant with several options for dinner.
You've got meat, fish, chicken, and a vegetarian option and
this is part of the package then, Brian, yep.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
So in your package, when you make your reservations, you'll
the stations are all pre selected, but then when it
comes to the dinner, you get to pick which entree
you would like to choose. So try to make sure
we hit a little bit of everything so there's something
appealing to everyone that wants to come.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
We are having this conversation in mid to late September,
and you want to check to make sure these dates
are still available because you have a limited number of
people for these Progressive dinners that are available right.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Correct, So they're sixty a day. They go out in
waves of twenty, so you're not out there with a
huge group. There's only twenty of you, eight twenty of
you in your group. So it's a very intimate, not
a huge overwhelming group of people, and it makes it
way more enjoyable and not a mass.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I like that. I like that a lot. The best
way to do that treetops dot com. Treetops dot com.
And again the dinners are October third, fourth, and tenth
of Progressive Dinners stopping on the course going. And then
we have added October eleven, okay, thank you, and October eleventh,
so you've got an extra date in there. Check it
(05:40):
at treetops dot com. And I wanted to just talk
a little bit more about for people who are looking
to get away, there's always options to stay at treetops,
including you know into the winner. If you've never been
to the Gaylord area, you haven't did recently, highly recommend.
(06:01):
There's so much to do. Treetops has so many options.
But and then there's also downtown Gaillard as well too,
so you guys kind of have it all built in.
We do.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
It's a great place to be able to come up.
You can do stuff on property, and then our wonderful
town has a lot more options than to do to
make a longer stay out.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Of it well, and there are for people who are
not familiar after golf, and you guys play golf well
into October sometimes in November, right.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Right, okay, weather depending.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yes, yes, and I do know this past winner was
like a record winner at Gailard and anticipating another one
of those as well too. Again, you can check out
all the activities available for golf into October early November
at treetops dot com. And and of course you've got
your winter's days, all kinds of things, downhill skiing, cross
(06:53):
country skiing, just about whatever you can do, snowshoeing, so
many options. I overheard that you have a very unique
Michigan icon background. Brian Smith as Food and Beverage structor
at Treetops, your your families, but must visit spot in Lewiston.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Is what Tally's lug cabin bar?
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Okay? And why should they visit it?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Is?
Speaker 3 (07:19):
It wins a lot of awards for the best hamburger around.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
It is a very up north just good old mom
and pop bar. I don't like to say dive bar,
even though I probably classify it as a dive bar.
But it is. It's just great. It's not it's been there.
It's been in my family now for fifty seven years.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
I love it. Are you bringing any Tally's secrets to Treetops?
Speaker 3 (07:41):
No? No, that would be a huge family wow that
eye wow.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Not wow.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
There must have been a must have been a special
addendum to Brian's work agreement for that. Indeed, what else
before we run out of time? Should people know about
this progressive dinner opportunity? Brian?
Speaker 3 (07:59):
So they book fast? So adding the last date is
a great thing for us. They do go out in
waves of twenty. We do sixty of them per day.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
And while what time of the day for people who
might leave West Michigan and drive up.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
So four o'clock is the first was when we start
so easy. Let me have plenty of time to be
able to get up there and.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Enjoy it, okay, And after you're done in the course,
then you have dinner at Legends yep. And that's evening,
and you can book lodging if you like at true.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Task as weltely you can. We have an entire package
to be able to pair everything together so you're once
you're there and you eat and drink and have a
great time, you don't even have to leave.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
You have it all buttoned up. Truetops dot com to
find out more. And again let me give you those
dates October third and fourth, in October tenth and eleventh,
but limited spaces available. Brian Smith, Food and Beverage director
with Treetops Resort, Legendary Treetops Resort and Beautiful Tailored Michigan.
Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Thank you you've been listening to iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend.
West Michigan Weekend is a production of Wood Radio and
iHeartRadio
This is iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend. West Michigan Weekend is
a weekly programmed designed to inform and enlightened on a
wide range of public policy issues as well as news
and current events. Now here's your host, Phil Tower.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Welcome back to West Michigan Weekend from iHeartRadio as we
get to do what we really love to do, which
is record on location with Brian Smith, Food and Beverage
director at Treetops Treetops dot com. And it is dangerously
close to autumn. I think we have actually officially crossed
(00:39):
the equinox, or it might even be today as we're
having this conversation on the radio. Brian has joined us
because I know a lot of our iHeartRadio listeners are
looking for things to do this fall, not just the
regular color tour, but something that would really like take
things to the next level. And Brian, first of all,
thank you for joining us.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I am excited to talk about a really unique experience
that involves traversing a place. If you've never golfed, you've
probably never been able to have this experience. This is
the premier course at Treetops Resort, which is the Jones Masterpiece.
But you are pairing this with a golf cart and
(01:23):
of different food pairings three different dates, October, third, fourth,
and tenth. What are we calling this whole experience? Brian?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
So we call this our fall Progressive Dinners, which is
wonderful because you get to eat, drink and enjoy all
the beautiful views on the masterpiece golf course.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Which is incredible. And just for full disclosure, I'm going
to admit on the radio, I do not play golf.
If you know me, you know why I don't play golf.
They are really good reasons I don't play golf. So
I have never in all the times I've been to Treetops,
I've never experienced the full Jones piece. So this is
right up my alley. This is Do you drive the
(02:05):
golf course or do you have a tree toss person
driving for you? How does that work?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
You get to drive your own cart, you're led by
Treetops employee, so that everyone kind of stay as there's
a guide. There is a guide because you are not
a golfer. There are certain places on a golf course
that you do not drive your golf cart.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
True, well, just keep putting water hazards and things like that, so.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Having a guide make sure that the golf course is
not being drove on places where it shouldn't be. And
I completely agree. I am not a golfer at all.
This will be my first experience getting to enjoy the
Jones Masterpiece to its full beauty as well, which I'm
very excited about.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
So there are three on course stops, one at Whole
number six, one at Whole number nine, and one which
is labeled as the halfway House. You know that's good.
You'll you'll get fed at the halfway House, which would
certainly makes sense talk to us about these encourse stops
during this progressive dinner.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
So Whole six is the Tuscan Brushetta, which simple handheld,
easy to have a drink, have a snack, chit chat
with the guide. They'll give lots of information on the course,
the area, just kind of give the whole experience and
educate everyone on what the course is, how it's laid out,
(03:25):
just a little information to go with it. And then
at Whole nine we have every basically charcouterian a stick
is what.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
I like to call it.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
So you all, I love it all way easier to
eat while you're in a golf cart and on the
golf course than trying to do it with the plate.
And then at the halfway house, which a lot of
people are always like the halfway if you're not a golfer,
a halfway house is basically at the turn. So at
there we'll have the Mediterranean flatbread, which is delicious and warm,
(03:57):
fresh off the brill, hummus, all the young stuff on
top of it, and then paired with a cocktail. Every
stop has cocktails beer wine, and we're doing a signature
cocktail as well that kind of goes with what we're serving.
And then after the halfway house you'll get back on
your cart and head back to the clubhouse and then
proceed to the restaurant for the final course.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Sounds great, and there is, well, there's quite an event
happening in the Legends restaurant with several options for dinner.
You've got meat, fish, chicken, and a vegetarian option and
this is part of the package then, Brian, yep.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
So in your package, when you make your reservations, you'll
the stations are all pre selected, but then when it
comes to the dinner, you get to pick which entree
you would like to choose. So try to make sure
we hit a little bit of everything so there's something
appealing to everyone that wants to come.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
We are having this conversation in mid to late September,
and you want to check to make sure these dates
are still available because you have a limited number of
people for these Progressive dinners that are available right.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Correct, So they're sixty a day. They go out in
waves of twenty, so you're not out there with a
huge group. There's only twenty of you, eight twenty of
you in your group. So it's a very intimate, not
a huge overwhelming group of people, and it makes it
way more enjoyable and not a mass.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I like that. I like that a lot. The best
way to do that treetops dot com. Treetops dot com.
And again the dinners are October third, fourth, and tenth
of Progressive Dinners stopping on the course going. And then
we have added October eleven, okay, thank you, and October eleventh,
so you've got an extra date in there. Check it
(05:40):
at treetops dot com. And I wanted to just talk
a little bit more about for people who are looking
to get away, there's always options to stay at treetops,
including you know into the winner. If you've never been
to the Gaylord area, you haven't did recently, highly recommend.
(06:01):
There's so much to do. Treetops has so many options.
But and then there's also downtown Gaillard as well too,
so you guys kind of have it all built in.
We do.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
It's a great place to be able to come up.
You can do stuff on property, and then our wonderful
town has a lot more options than to do to
make a longer stay out.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Of it well, and there are for people who are
not familiar after golf, and you guys play golf well
into October sometimes in November, right.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Right, okay, weather depending.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yes, yes, and I do know this past winner was
like a record winner at Gailard and anticipating another one
of those as well too. Again, you can check out
all the activities available for golf into October early November
at treetops dot com. And and of course you've got
your winter's days, all kinds of things, downhill skiing, cross
(06:53):
country skiing, just about whatever you can do, snowshoeing, so
many options. I overheard that you have a very unique
Michigan icon background. Brian Smith as Food and Beverage structor
at Treetops, your your families, but must visit spot in Lewiston.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Is what Tally's lug cabin bar?
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Okay? And why should they visit it?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Is?
Speaker 3 (07:19):
It wins a lot of awards for the best hamburger around.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
It is a very up north just good old mom
and pop bar. I don't like to say dive bar,
even though I probably classify it as a dive bar.
But it is. It's just great. It's not it's been there.
It's been in my family now for fifty seven years.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
I love it. Are you bringing any Tally's secrets to Treetops?
Speaker 3 (07:41):
No? No, that would be a huge family wow that
eye wow.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Not wow.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
There must have been a must have been a special
addendum to Brian's work agreement for that. Indeed, what else
before we run out of time? Should people know about
this progressive dinner opportunity? Brian?
Speaker 3 (07:59):
So they book fast? So adding the last date is
a great thing for us. They do go out in
waves of twenty. We do sixty of them per day.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
And while what time of the day for people who
might leave West Michigan and drive up.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
So four o'clock is the first was when we start
so easy. Let me have plenty of time to be
able to get up there and.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Enjoy it, okay, And after you're done in the course,
then you have dinner at Legends yep. And that's evening,
and you can book lodging if you like at true.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Task as weltely you can. We have an entire package
to be able to pair everything together so you're once
you're there and you eat and drink and have a
great time, you don't even have to leave.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
You have it all buttoned up. Truetops dot com to
find out more. And again let me give you those
dates October third and fourth, in October tenth and eleventh,
but limited spaces available. Brian Smith, Food and Beverage director
with Treetops Resort, Legendary Treetops Resort and Beautiful Tailored Michigan.
Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Thank you you've been listening to iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend.
West Michigan Weekend is a production of Wood Radio and
iHeartRadio
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