Where to Play: Michigan Golf Destinations of the Pure Michigan Cup
The inaugural Pure Michigan Cup debuted in June of 2025, showcasing the rising stars of professional women’s golf and highlighting three Michigan golf destinations on a national stage.
Presented by Pure Michigan and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation in partnership with the EPSON Tour, the official qualifying tour of the LPGA, the Pure Michigan Cup competition awards points to top finishers in three EPSON Tour tournaments in Harbor Springs, Battle Creek, and Harris, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
At the conclusion of the three-event competition, the player with the most points is awarded the Pure Michigan Cup. Melanie Green of the United States was the top point earner in 2025 and took home the inaugural Pure Michigan Cup.
Ready to test your game on the fairways and greens at golf destinations featured in the Pure Michigan Cup? Continue reading to find out where to play.
The Great Lakes Championship | Harbor Springs
Tournament golf course: The Heather, The Highlands at Harbor Springs
Where to Play: BOYNE Golf’s “Magnificent 11” features eleven championship courses in three stunning “Up North” settings, offering a unique and memorable challenge and for golfers with a passion for the game.
#18 at The Heather Golf Club at The Highlands in Harbor Springs | Photo courtesy of BOYNE Golf//Evan Schiller
The Heather course at The Highlands in Harbor Springs was the first BOYNE golf course, designed by legendary golf architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr. in 1966. Ranked among Golf Digest’s “Best Golf Courses in Michigan” for 2025, The Heather has collected an impressive list of accolades over the years, including 2019 National Golf Course of The Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association and No. 92 on Golf Digest’s list of “America’s Top 100 Greatest Public Courses” (2019-2021).
Also at The Highlands, the Doon Brae Short Course opened in June of 2025, offering a unique and fun golf experience for players of all ages and ability levels.
The Links/Quarry course at Bay Harbor has also collected its share of national accolades and offers stunning views of Lake Michigan from its layout amidst bluffs and dunes along the lakeshore. Take a video tour of Links #7, one of 18 signature golf holes featured in the Pure Michigan 18.
FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship | Battle Creek
Tournament golf course: Battle Creek Country Club
Where to Play: While play at Battle Creek Country Club is limited to members and guests, golfers can discover an impressive array of golf experiences in the Battle Creek Area. Gull Lake View Golf Club & Resort is one of the largest golf resorts in Michigan, featuring six 18-hole championship courses.
#8 at Stoatin Brae at Gull Lake View Golf Club & Resort | Photo courtesy of Pure Michigan
Stoatin Brae Golf Club, a links-style course designed by Traverse City-based Renaissance Golf Design, opened in 2017 and has consistently appeared in national golf course rankings, including Golfweek’s list of the country’s Top 200 Resort Golf Courses for 2025. Perched atop one of the highest points in the area, golfers enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding landscape while navigating the firm, fast conditions of Stoatin Brae’s windswept terrain.
Take a video tour of Stoatin Brae #8, one of 18 signature golf holes featured in the Pure Michigan 18.
Island Resort Championship | Harris, Upper Peninsula
Tournament golf course: Sweetgrass Golf Club, Island Resort & Casino
Where to Play: Located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula just outside of Escanaba and owned and operated by the Hannahville Indian Community, Island Resort & Casino is home to 36 holes of championship golf. Sweetgrass Golf Club stretches 7,300 yards from the tips and pays tribute to its tribal legacy with holes named after traditional Potawatomi clans, villages, allies, medicines and symbols.
#15 at Sweetgrass at Island Lake Resort & Casino | Photo courtesy of Pure Michigan
Ranked among “America’s Best New Courses” by Golf Digest when it debuted in 2009, the open, park-style layout at Sweetgrass includes intricate rockwork, specially crafted bunkers, and historical bridges, and features several holes that introduce challenge and strategy to your round, including the famous island green on No. 15. Five sets of tees make the course playable for golfers of all ability levels.
Take a video tour of Sweetgrass #15, one of 18 signature golf holes featured in the Pure Michigan 18.
If you’re ready for more Upper Peninsula golf after playing Sweetgrass and its sister course Sage Run, which opened for play in 2018, the “Perfect 4-Some” package adds the acclaimed Greywalls course at Marquette Golf Club and Timber Stone at Pine Mountain Ski & Golf Resort in Iron Mountain to create a truly memorable U.P. golf experience.
Discover more Pure Michigan golf destinations at www.michigan.org/golfing.