Mid-Michigan entrepreneur Richard ‘Dick’ Figg died on Thursday evening at the age of 90.
He died at a mid-Michigan assisted living facility.
Figg played an instrumental role within the mid-Michigan golf and bowling communities for decades as he was the owner and operator of Riverwood Resort and The Pines at Lake Isabella Golf Courses. He also owned and operated Nine Eight Nine Bar and Grill and its 24 bowling lanes inside Riverwood Resort.
Figg was a standout athlete at Shepherd High School and went on to play four years of football at Central Michigan University between 1951-54 as a nose guard.
In the spring of 1960 he and his brother Bill bought an 18-hole golf course southwest of Mt. Pleasant from the Moss family and went to work. Over the next six decades the Figg family consistently worked to improve the resort into the shining gem it is today.
The course was expanded to 27 holes in 1967 while a new clubhouse and the 24-lane bowling center were constructed in 1972. In the past decade Figg opened the Nine Eight Nine Bar and Grill and completely renovated the 24-lane bowling center into a state-of-the-art facility. In recent years he bought The Pines at Lake Isabella Golf Course and opened Tally’s Bar and Grill.
Figg also played a massive role in turning Mt. Pleasant into a go-to golf destination. As owner and operator of Riverwood Resort he hosted an annual Junior Golf Tournament every year dating back to the early 1970s. This year’s tournament was the 50th annual.
From a historical vantage point no community in the state of Michigan has churned out more professional golfers than Mt. Pleasant. Figg’s daughter Cindy Figg-Currier started her professional career in Mt. Pleasant as did Kelly Robbins, Dan Pohl, Doug LaBelle and Ryan Brehm.
In short Mt. Pleasant has been a golf epicenter in the state of Michigan for 50-plus years and Richard Figg played a large role in it.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Lux Family Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant. Details are pending and will be updated once they become available.