Hit the Links at these Northern Michigan Golf Courses
When the snow melts and the skis are put away, it’s time to pull the clubs out of the closet to hit the links. If golf is your game, Northern Michigan is the place to be this spring and summer. The region features award-winning, championship courses created by top designers. The landscape with its rolling hills, natural water features and views of Lake Michigan make these courses some of the most challenging and beautiful in the country.
Bay Harbor Golf Club, Petoskey
Three distinct courses with 27 holes create a one-of-a-kind golfing experience. The courses span 140 foot cliffs, an old shale quarry and a hardwood forest with views of Lake Michigan. The landscape and lakeside setting create natural challenges.
Little Traverse Bay, Harbor Springs
This golf course offers spectacular views of Little Traverse Bay. You’ll find 18 holes of peaceful, playable golf. The hilly terrain presents a pleasant challenge for everyone.
Boyne Highlands, Harbor Springs
You’ll find four courses at one of Michigan’s premier resorts. The courses have won awards from Golf Digest, Golf.com and Golf Week. Play up the mountain, through blueberry patches and thick forests dotted with bunkers and water features.
Quiet and secluded in the Northern Michigan Woods, this 18 hole scenic course is an escape from the everyday.
Belvedere Golf Club, Charlevoix
A classic course, the historic Belvedere was designed by renowned Scottish course designer Willie Watson in 1925. Tom Watson, who played on the PGA Tour and won eight major championships, spent his summers as a boy learning the game on this course. This course is playable for the beginner but also challenges experienced golfers.
Manitou Passage Golf Club, Cedar
You’ll find this Arnold Palmer Signature course on the stunning Leelanau Peninsula, home to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The coastal terrain and ever changing winds off Lake Michigan present new challenges even for seasoned golfers.
Mountain Ridge at Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa, Thompsonville
Don’t let the fact that this is a resort course trick you into believing it’s easy to shoot low here. This championship course is tough enough to host the Michigan Women’s Open every year. The last three holes are the course’s highlight, climbing up and falling off the mountain for a spectacular view and finish.
The Gailes at Lakewood Shores Resort, Oscoda
The Gailes channels the seaside courses of Scotland with its double greens, sod-walled bunkers and long grasses. It’s an unusual find in the Midwest. The hidden hazards at this links course present an exciting challenge.
The Bear at Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, Acme
This is one of the nation’s toughest courses and longtime host of the Michigan Open. It was designed by none other than Jack Nicklaus. Terraced fairways, tiered greens and deep grassy roughs are set among rolling hills, lakes and fruit orchards.
Forest Dunes Golf Club, Roscommon
British Open Champion Tom Weiskopf designed this course nestled in the Huron National Forest. He used the native dunes and hardwood forests to create rewarding challenges at every hole. Its heavily wooded setting also makes it one of the most serene, peaceful courses you’ll ever play.
Opened in 2000, Arcadia sits on 245 acres overlooking Lake Michigan. This world-class golf course features 50 sod-wall bunkers, wide fairways, native grasses and large greens. It has something to offer golfers at all levels. In 2015 Golf Digest named it as the 13th greatest public course in the U.S.
Treetops is home to five of Michigan’s best golf courses. Top course designers took advantage of the natural valleys, ravines, rolling terrain and setting along the Pigeon River. All the courses consistently receive top ratings from Golf Digest. Their Signature Course has been rated as a Top 50 Course for Women.
