Featured in Michigan Travel Ideas 2008, beginning on page 73
For sheer beauty, variety and course design, Michigan ranks among the best of states for golfing, whether you're a greenhorn or seasoned professional. Here's a preview of the more than 850 public courses that earn the state its world-class golf reputation.
Featured in the Article
Yarrow Golf Club, Augusta
Yardage Slope Par
7005 133 72
Black Lake Golf Club, Onaway
Yardage Slope Par
7,046 140 72
Greywalls Golf Club, Marquette
Yardage Slope Par
6828 144 71
ArthurHillsGolf Course, Boyne Highlands Resort, Harbor Springs
Yardage Slope Par
7310 144 73
Pierce Lake Golf Club, Chelsea
Yardage Slope Par
6,914 135 72
St.Ives Resort - Tullymore Golf Club, Stanwood
Yardage Slope Par
7148 148 72
Rogell Golf Course, Detroit (313/255-4653).
Yardage Slope Par
6.075 129 70
Belvedere Golf Club, Charlevoix
Yardage Slope Par
6713 126 72
Hawks Eye Golf Club, Bellaire
Yardage Slope Par
7011 140 72
Sidebar Features
Treetops—Smith Signature, Gaylord
Yardage Slope Par
6,653 140 70
Forest Dunes Golf Club, Roscommon
Yardage Slope Par
7,141 142 72
Black Forest Golf Club , Gaylord
Yardage Slope Par
7,044 147 73
Grand Traverse Resort & Spa—The Bear, Acme
Yardage Slope Par
7,078 148 72
Crystal Mountain– Mountain Ridge, Thompsonville
Yardage Slope Par
7007 132 72
Shepherds Hollow Golf Club, Clarkston
Yardage Slope Par
7,236 76.1 72
Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club, Arcadia
Yardage Slope Par
7300 147 72
Gailes Golf Club, Oscoda
Yardage Slope Par
6,954 138 72
Thoroughbred Golf Club, Double JJ Ranch, Rothbury
Yardage Slope Par
6,900 147 72
Kingsley Club
Tucked away on the outskirts of the village of Kingsley, south of Traverse City, the Kingsley Club created by architect Mike DeVries is unlike any other course in Michigan-or the Midwest, for that matter.
Set on 400 wild acres of domes, windblown sandy hillsides, kettle bowls, grassy nooks and crannies, the course is dotted with gnarly shaggy white sand bunkers, giving it a resemblance to the great links layouts of Scotland and Ireland.
The grass on tees, greens and fairways is bentgrass. The greens are lightning fast and the close-cropped fairways are wonderful for bump-and-run shots into the greens.
In 2006 it was ranked No. 19 on Golfweek's list of the Top 100 modern courses in America.
Greywalls Course, Marquette Golf Club
You will need a map to find this 6,911-yard par-71 beauty, but it will be well worth the trouble. DeVries was well served by apprenticeships with Tom Fazio and Tom Doak. He proved the Kingsley was not a fluke with his equally impressive design of the Greywalls course at Marquette Golf Club in the Upper Peninsula. Greywalls was ranked 21st on Golfweek's 2007 listing of the 50 best new courses in America.
Michaywe Pines Golf Club
The Michaywe Pines course, set in the heart of Gaylord's "golf mecca" is one of the area's most enduring attractions. After 35 years it remains a classic old-style course, wandering over 7,000 yards through beautiful stands of majestic pine trees and stately white birch. Although it is the centerpiece of a housing development, none of the properties intrude on the solitude of the setting.
The course has been completely renovated in recent years with new sand in the bunkers, and refurbished ponds, tee boxes and cart paths. The signature features are the old-style bunker complexes surrounding large, undulating, elevated greens. The course is maintained in perfect playing condition. Judy Mason, the director of golf, is one of the state's best teachers of the game and has an enthusiastic following among female players and students.
Red Hawk Golf Club
The Red Hawk Golf Club is a delightful walk through thick northern Michigan forests of pine, oak, maple birch and beech trees. Although the course is set on only 205 acres, its ridges and valley, ravines and wetlands makes it play longer and tougher than the par-71 layout of 6,589 yards.
There are a surprising number of elevation changes. The 213-yard third hole, a pretty par-3, features a 63-foot drop from tee to green with Fountain Creek running across the front of the green. White sand bunkers add a nice accent to the course's always lush, green appearance .The course was designed by Arthur Hills, who took over the project originally laid out by Tom Doak. The club's Falco Rosso restaurant is worth the drive, even if you aren't playing golf. And the Red Hawk Grill features wonderfully prepared fresh local fare.
Hidden River Golf & Casting Club
One of the Midwest's unique recreation attractions is the Hidden River Golf and Casting Club near Petoskey. You can play a round of golf on one of the state's most handsome courses, and later dip a fishing line into the Maple River, one of Michigan's great fly-fishing venues offering brook, brown and rainbow trout.
The club also boasts one of the top gourmet restaurants in the north, the Rainbow Room, with a peaceful view of a bend in the river where it flows through the property.
The impeccably maintained 7,101-yard course, cut through majestic stands of pine and maple trees, was designed by Michigan golf architect Bruce Matthews and has received rave reviews since it opened in 1997. Management's annual tournament in support of breast cancer research is an admirable undertaking.
Garland Resort
The Garland resort at Lewiston is a 3,500-acre nature preserve with the Midwest's largest log lodge (with luxurious AAA Four Diamond accommodations and amenities), and four golf courses-that adds up to one of the state's top vacation destinations. The heart of the Garland experience are the four courses designed by owner Ron Otto. Otto, an outdoorsman with national big-game hunting credentials, created the aptly named Swampfire: 16 holes playing around ponds and lakes, as well as the Fountains, Reflections and Monarch courses, the brawniest of the bunch at 7,200 yards from the tips.
The Fountains and Reflections courses carry a unique Otto signature. Each has six par 5's, six par 3's, and six par 4 holes. A fifth Otto-designed course, Sanctuary, is under construction and the only major 2008 course being built this year in Michigan.
The main restaurant, Hildegard's, is open daily during the golf and winter sports seasons, serving Great Lakes perch, salmon, trout and specialties including venison, filet mignon and pork osso bucco, complemented by fine wines from around the world
"Don't Miss" courses
Manistee National Golf and Resort, Manistee: Two par-71 courses, Canthooke Valley designed by Gary Pulsipher and Cutters' Ridge by Jerry Matthews. Lush fairways and undulating bunkered greens in a forest and wetland setting add up to tranquil rounds of golf near the beaches and dunes of Lake Michigan.
Little Traverse Bay Golf Club and Restaurant, Harbor Springs: Some of the prettiest views of Little Traverse Bay and several nearby lakes. The 6,895-yard course plays at par 72. The restaurant is a superb stand-alone attraction.
Fox Hills Golf and Banquet Center, Plymouth: A varied fare of golf. The Golden Fox is a big, links-style Arthur Hills design. The Fox Classic is 27 holes covered by woods, lakes and hills. The Strategic Fox, designed by Ray Hearn, is a challenging, 18-hole par-3 course that will test the best of golfers.
Gull Lake View Golf Club and Resort, Augusta: The oldest and largest golf resort in southwestern Michigan, with five courses owned and operated for 40 years by the same family. The best of the five courses is Bedford Valley, which has hosted the Michigan Senior Open and numerous other prestigious state and national tournaments. A variety of accommodations includes hotel rooms and condominium units for group outings, and excellent dining choices are available.
Otsego Club, Gaylord: One of the state's oldest resorts and home to the Tribute and Classic golf courses is undergoing a major facelift as new owner, Osprey S.A. Ltd., is renovating the facility. Osprey also owns the nearby Wilderness Valley Golf Club, Ridgeview in Kalamazoo, Manistee National and the Medalist in Marshall. The Tribute, designed by Rick Robbins and former PGA player turned commentator Gary Koch, is a massive design with views overlooking the Pigeon River Valley. The Classic is one of Gaylord's oldest courses, designed in 1957 by William H. Diddel, at that time one of the country's best architects. The layout is a compact, old-fashioned course at 6,348 yards, with smaller true putting greens and big views over the valley.
"Must Play" courses
The Orchards, Detroit: Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in Washington Township, the course has been one of the state's most successful operations since it opened for play in 1993. Built on an old Centennial farm, the course has 93 bunkers, wetlands, woods and meadows, as well as beautifully maintained fairways and greens. At 7,036 yards, it was a handful for the nation's best amateurs in the 2002 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championships.
The Heather, Boyne Highlands Resort, Harbor Springs: Another course with a Jones connection, the Heather was designed by the senior Robert Jones. This 6,890-yard course was the first super public course in the state when it opened in 1970. Woods, water, rolling land, wide fairways and undulating greens are combined into one of the most memorable inland courses in the state.
Shanty Creek Resorts, Bellaire: The three-village complex that makes up the Shanty Creek Resorts - Summit, Cedar River and Schuss Mountain - is now under new ownership that has restored the facilities and reputation as one of the top destinations in the Midwest. Arnold Palmer's Legend golf course was his first in Michigan and has been one of the state's top draws since it opened more than two decades ago. The Cedar River course was Tom Weiskopf's first in Michigan and was named to Golf magazines "Top Ten New Courses" when it opened.
Thousand Oaks, Grand Rapids: Rees Jones' first Michigan course, Thousand Oaks is the golf anchor for the western side of the state. Jones says hole No. 16, par 4, 408 yards is his favorite. "The bold and ever-changing topography sets the stage for a truly unique golf experience at the Thousand Oaks Golf Course," Jones says. "It is a wooded, slight left dogleg that plays from highly elevated tees through a valley to a naturally elevated green. Mother Nature really provided me with some outstanding land for the creation of this hole."
Hawks Head Golf Club, South Haven: In the southwestern corner of the state, Arthur Hills has another winner in the 7,000-yard Hawks Head Golf Club, cut through sand dunes in South Haven. The Inn at , a restored old English Tudor mansion, has one of the best restaurants in the area and a dozen comfortable, refurbished rooms.
Ravines Golf Club, Saugatuck: Arnold Palmer left his stamp on the area with this 7,132-yard course. On the Ravines course, you'll play through hardwoods and an open meadow with a ravine cutting through it.