Golf courses in Michigan feature a wide range of designs, styles and experiences for every type of golfer. Nowhere else in the country can you find so many top public golf courses and world class golf resorts within such close proximity. No matter where your travels take you across the Great Lakes State, you will be close to great golf courses in Michigan.
Southwest Michigan
Stoatin Brae at Gull Lake View Resort – Augusta
After building five golf courses between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, the Scott family decided to venture outside and have their first course designed by someone else. They called upon Renaissance Golf Design, owned by Tom Doak, who created a completely new style of golf course with Stoatin Brae. The open links style golf course, with fescue fairways, plays firm, fast, and FUN with great views of the Kalamazoo River Valley.
Harbor Shores Golf Club – Benton Harbor
Harbor Shores Golf Club, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is a spectacular design that is three unique styles in one, links, parkland, and woodlands, which meanders around the Paw Paw River. The highlight of the course is standing up on the 7th green looking out over the dunes to Lake Michigan. The course, which has been part of a community reclamation project in Benton Harbor, will host its 4th Senior PGA Championship in 2018.
Thousand Oaks Golf Club – Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids has become known as “Beer City USA”, but it also has its share of top golf courses to pair with those great micro-breweries. Thousand Oaks, designed by Rees Jones, features a big-time golf experience that flows up and down hills and ridges providing a similar experience to northern Michigan golf.
Southeast Michigan
The Orchards Golf Club – Washington
Michigan’s only Robert Trent Jones Jr. design, located in Washington Township, has played host to the Michigan Open two times. The 18-hole classic parkland features 93 bunkers and challenging green complexes with open approaches allowing golfers to play the ground game and bump and run the ball up on the greens making it fun.
Northeast Michigan
Tom Fazio Premier, Treetops Resort – Gaylord
Treetops Resort is an award-winning complex long known for exciting and memorable golf. It is perched high above the Pigeon River Valley and offers majestic views of Northern Michigan as you play 81 holes of golf. The Tom Fazio Premier, Michigan’s only Fazio designed course, features wide and friendly fairways with massive fun greens to putt.
The Loop at Forest Dunes – Roscommon
Playing the same course forwards and backward on a golf package – really?
The Loop, designed by Tom Doak of Renaissance Golf Design, is the first golf course of its kind in the World, utilizing 18-greens and fairway complexes to create a revolutionary reversible design. Golfers will play one-direction one day and then reverse it going in the other direction the next day playing a completely different golf course. The course was recognized as the Best New Public Course by Golf
Northwest
The Heather Course at Boyne Highlands – Harbor Springs
The Heather Course, designed by Hall of Fame course designer Robert Trent Jones Sr., was the first major public course in northern Michigan back in 1966. The course is a classic parkland design flowing in and around wetland areas with large greens, massive bunker complexes, and one of the most spectacular finishing holes in golf.
Arcadia Bluffs – Arcadia
Golf aficionados and big game hunters always want to experience Arcadia Bluffs. The links style layout set along the bluffs of Lake Michigan features spectacular and challenging holes with an overseas Irish feel with tall fescue grasses, sod faced bunkers, and firm fast fairways. All 18-holes overlook Lake Michigan. Be on the look-out for the new South Course at Arcadia Bluffs coming online in 2018.
The Legend Course at Shanty Creek Resort – Bellaire
Designed by “The King” Arnold Palmer first left his course design mark in Michigan at Shanty Creek Resort. The fun and challenging course is routed up and down hills, ridges, and provides spectacular views of Lake Bellaire and northern Michigan.
Upper Peninsula
Sweetgrass at Island Resort & Casino – Harris
The Upper Peninsula is quickly becoming a golf destination and leading that charge has been the Island Resort & Casino with its popular Sweetgrass course designed by Paul Albanese. Sweetgrass features an open parkland design with a variety of great holes with large green complexes including a unique Redan style green and an Island green for some fun challenge. In 2018, a new course, Sage
Greywalls Course at Marquette Golf Club – Marquette
One of the most popular and fun courses designed in recent years, by Mike DeVries (Kingsley Club). Greywalls features spectacular views of Lake Superior and big classic designed holes that tumble up and down ridges and along rock walls providing a visual thrill ride unique to the region.
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