River at Crystal Bend
The River was built with Old School Fun in mind to give families another entertainment option besides the bars and restaurants of Leelanau County. Mike & Becky Sutherland and their five kids Fisher, Isabelle, Maggie, Bev and Finn have all put their hearts into creating a fun, safe, and green outdoor park for all ages. Indeed, to witness a grandmother give a high five to her favorite grandson after a hole in one, or a father and daughter talking trash in a heated game of Ping Pong or Giant Chess are all precious memories for us that make it worth the hard work.
Contact information:
5959 Oak Street, Glen Arbor … (231) 334-7888 … www.theriverglenarbor.com
Read this excerpt from Jacob Wheeler’s story, “New businesses, faces on the block open their doors,” which ran in the Glen Arbor Sun in May 2008:
No, that’s not an outhouse near the Crystal River, steps from Riverfront Pizza. Don’t do your business in there, canoers. That’s actually Hole 6 of Mike Sutherland’s new mini-golf course, The River at Crystal Bend, where an airborne putt into one of the two openings in the outhouse seat might earn you a hole-in-one (we’re not telling which one). Alright, enough of the potty humor.
Sutherland’s 18-hole mini-golf course, accessible by turning off M-22 at Oak Street by Serbin Real Estate (the old bank), seeks to provide a safe and fun setting where kids can hang out, though the whole family too will enjoy Crystal Bend. And he intends to respect the aura of the wooded, natural setting, with a nod to authentic local history. No pesticides flowing into the river, no flashing lights, bells and whistles or bright paint.
