Visiting The Grounds - The Former King Par

I was in the Flint area recently to add another course to my collection, and decided to stop in to visit “The Grounds,” in Flushing, which is the successor to the legendary King Par.

The old King Par had 25,000 square feet of retail space, reportedly making it the seventh largest golf store in the Midwest (although I do not know what constitutes the “Midwest”). It also was a manufacturer, producing golf products under the names Orlimar, Affinity, Intech, Knight, and Fortune. All of those were sold to retailers such as Dunham’s, MC Sporting Goods and Walmart.

The King Par facility also had a driving range, a miniature golf course, and a snack bar.

At its peak, King Par had 230 employees in its retail, sales and manufacturing business.

King Par closed in 2016. The various brands were sold off to other businesses.

Three years later, Wesley Hull and his son Logan opened The Grounds Driving Range and Pro Shop at the same location.

The Grounds is only about a third large as King Par, but still a very respectable pro shop.

What King Par had that The Grounds doesn’t was a vast collection of golf knick-knacks, homegoods, gadgets and the like. If you could think of a product and wanted a golf version of it, King Par probably had it. King Par’s apparel department alone was at least as large as the current shop.

The only place I’ve seen as packed full of golf miscellanea as King Par was the US Golf Center off Monroe Street in Sylvania, Ohio. That, too, has sadly closed.

This isn’t to say that The Grounds is in any way deficient. The excess of stock very likely contributed to King Par’s demise. The Grounds has more than enough to satisfy your golf desires.

The Grounds has clubs from all the major manufacturers, a decent selection of used and discount clubs, more golf apparel and shoes than I could possibly desire to browse, some gadgets, and st acks of balls.

Did you know Wilson makes a ball with no paint? I didn’t until I saw it at The Grounds.

There’s a down-home, slightly cluttered look to The Grounds. In that sense, it is more friendly, and comforting than the slick PGA Superstores.

The Grounds has kept the driving range open, and has installed Trackman Range. It’s free for range users. They’ve also got a spacious simulator.

Need your clubs repaired? The Grounds has you covered. As a clubmaking hobbyist, I scoped out the facilities they had and was impressed. The prices were right, as well. They’re low enough that I probably would get my grips replaced and clubs repaired there rather than do it myself. Time is money.

From the looks of it, the miniature golf course has also remained open.

I wouldn’t say The Grounds is worth a trip, but it is definitely worth a stop if you’re passing by. It is only minutes from I75, so lots of Michiganders can stop in on their way Up North.

For locals, it no doubt is a valued member of the Flint area golf community.