Northern Michigan Golf--Who knew it was this good?

[Tom Allen]

I just finished a trip to Michigan, playing Kingsley, Arcadia Bluffs, and Forest Dunes (and a few lesser courses as well).  Who knew that the courses up there could be so good?  (OK, OK, everyone here did).

Arcadia Bluffs had great golf with just stunning views; comparable to Pebble.  I also thought I was in Scotland with all the heather, dunes, and a large body of water bringing on the wind.  Forest Dunes and Kingsley were also great golf.  I knew about these courses (yes, yet another thread talking about Kingsley), but until I played them, I had no appreciation for how great they really were.

We have a LOT of good courses in Ohio, but they are mostly flat and with less-than-interesting views.  The dunes, water, heather, elevation changes, and extremely undulating fairways and greens were just fabulous to me.

Consider me a Michigan golf fan.  This Buckeye will make the trip north again.

[Jud_T]

Tom,

Glad you enjoyed your trip up north.  How would you rank 'em?

[Bill Crane]

Vacationing in Frankfort,MI late summer 2010 and 2011 my son and I played Crystal Downs, Arcadia Bluffs, the Heathlands and Pinecroft Golf Plantation.

Crystal Downs is just awesome, although it would be difficult to walk, especially the back.  I did not see anyone walking.   Likewise, Arcadia Bluffs is a spectalur setting and a very interesting layout, albeit overpriced.  Both can be very windy.

However, there seems to be a ton of solid golf at great value prices.  Both Heathlands and Pinecroft had some interesting holes and some dull holes, but were in decent shape and very affordable.  A local made the comment that the farmers switched to farming grass.

Frankfort & Traverse City areas are wonderful places to go with super beaches, vineyards some quaint towns and the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is just spectacular.  Huge dunes going to the Lake Michigan, some are 800 feet vertical.   The bluffs/dunes continue well south of Frankfort, certainly below Manistee and probably much further, I did not get down that far.  It is very BIG country with loads of open space, inland lakes, forest and farms left.  A long drive from central NJ for sure.

Super area to take a family or couples vacation and be assured that there is solid golf to take advantage of, even the local publics.


Wm Flynnfan

[JC Jones]

The public and private options, both at the top and the depth, in northern Michigan make it one of the top areas for golf in the country.  It benefits from having Chicago money in the early 20th century plus the addition of Detroit money in the middle-late 20th century.  For that reason you see courses up there from Dr. Mac, Willie Watson, Langford/Moreau, Robert Trent Jones, Tom Fazio, Tom Doak, etc.

And while the best courses up there (Crystal Downs and Kingsley Club) are private, norther Michigan has long been a vacation destination for public golfers with resorts like Tree Tops, Grand Traverse, Boyne, etc.

To me there is simply no better place in the world than northern Michigan and I'm fortunate to spend as much time up there as I do.  When Belvedere is a 7 minute drive and a $35 twilight fee away, it doesn't get much better. 

[Peter Pallotta]

Hi JC - long time, and I hope you and ther family are well (I take it you've been busy work wise).  But your metnion of Belvedere -- oh, what a lovely course that seems to be -- made me want to post and say hello...though i have a feeling it will be at least next year before I can travel up there and meet you for a few rounds of golf

Best
Peter

[Mike Schott]

Dozens of quality public golf courses in Northern Michigan not to mention Kingsley and Crystal Downs. I've been partial to Belvedere in Charlevoix over the years and the Ross Memorial at Boyne Highlands. These are but 2 of the fine courses up there. Black Forest and Forest Dunes are more centrally located off of I-75 but worth the drive.

[George Freeman]

Having been born and raised in Traverse City, I didn't really appreciate just how good the golf was up there until later in my life.  Now that I have been living in Chicago for the 5+ years and have learned more about GCA over the past 5-10, my appreciation for the golf scene in Northern Michigan has come full circle.  There is just A LOT of good golf in a 2 hr or so radius of TC, most of which is very affordable.  

When you combine Crystal Downs and the Kingsley Club (two of my favorite courses in the country and IMO two of the best) with all the public options (Arcadia Bluffs, Forest Dunes, Belvedere, Black Forest, Tree Tops, GTR, Boyne, etc.) and the areas natural beauty - it all adds up to make it an easy decision to go back to visit on a very regular basis.

The cherry on top (pun intended - TC is the cherry capital of the world!) would be to get High Pointe reopened.  Ahhh, we can always dream.

Tom A. - what other courses did you play?

[JC Jones]

To hammer George's point on the public options, I've played close to 50 public courses in northern Michigan and there are several more up there I have not yet heard of, let alone had the chance to play.  Some are golden age country club's turned public and while their designer may be unknown or not of note, they have some great holes due to the limited ability to move earth back then.  Indian River CC and Cheboygan CC come to mind.  And some are of known quantity like the 9 hole Donald Ross in Elk Rapids along Elk Lake and the 9 holes of Charlevoix Municipal that was once the Chicago Club designed by Willie Watson.

[Bill Seitz]

Crystal Downs is just awesome, although it would be difficult to walk, especially the back.  I did not see anyone walking.  

Yeah, it's not an easy walk.  I've only played it once, but I walked it as the second round of the day, having walked 18 at Kingsley in the morning.  Fortunately I was advised by the member we were playing with to hop a ride on Mr. Tigerman's cart on the walk from 11 to 12.  The member, however, trudged himself right on up that hill.  It makes the walk from 12 to 13 at Kingsley look easy. 

[JC Jones]

I am consistently amazed at the people who walk Crystal Downs on a regular basis.  What a great golf course.

[Greg Taylor]

OK, the walk from 11th to the 12th tee is a bit of a stinker but other than that walking at CD is fine...

And Crystal Downs and Arcadia being so close together - they make two interesting halves of a great whole. Great stuff.

[Doug Ralston]

Greywalls, Sweetgrass, and Timberstone are real Northern Michigan courses. You are talking about central Michigan.

Besides, they are as good or better. Not to be missed.

Doug

[JC Jones]

Doug,

Are you from Michigan?  If so, whereabouts?

[Tom Allen]

Tom,

Glad you enjoyed your trip up north.  How would you rank 'em?

The top 3 are all very close.
1.  Arcadia Bluffs
2.  Kingsley
3. Forest Dunes
4. Treetops (Masterpiece)
5. Shepherd's Hollow

We also played Treetops' Threetops, which was the most fun of all of the courses.  (It is much easier to laugh and have fun when you are not hitting a tee shot OB or in the woods every other hole.)

I have also played Oakland Hills (South) a few years ago, so if you throw it in (it was closed on Monday or we would have played it too), it is:

1.  Arcadia Bluffs
2.  Oakland Hills (South)
3. Kingsley
4. Forest Dunes
5. Treetops (Masterpiece)
6. Shepherd's Hollow.

[Tim Martin]

Northern Michigan is high on my list of places to visit. What is the travel time from Detroit to Traverse City?

[George Freeman]

Northern Michigan is high on my list of places to visit. What is the travel time from Detroit to Traverse City?

4-4.5 hours

[Doug Ralston]

Doug,

Are you from Michigan?  If so, whereabouts?

No, I am from Cincinnati. Took us 13 hrs to drive to the Potawatame Casino/Hotel to stay. Played the three given courses, decided it was well worth the drive. If you have not done Greywalls especially, and Sweetgrass [at the casino/hotel], do it. Beautiful in its rough sort of way up on the UP, too.

Doug

[Jud_T]

Tim,

I made the drive from Ann Arbor last week in 3:20.  Come on up for the Midwest Mashie!

[William_G]

only been to Ann Arbor

wish the golf season was longer up there!

[John McCarthy]

If in Traverse City eat at Trattoria Stella.  

[RJ_Daley]

The ladies Futures Tour is playing at Sweetgrass in two weeks.  I might have to take some of that in and see how the course plays for these skilled ladies.

[Tim Martin]

Tim,

I made the drive from Ann Arbor last week in 3:20.  Come on up for the Midwest Mashie!

Jud-First of all I am envious of the surrounds as it looks breathtaking and second Kingsley just sounds amazing not to mention the other fine golf courses in the area. You are a lucky guy!

[Bill_McBride]

If in Traverse City eat at Trattoria Stella.  

Great call, ate there twice in four nights. 

I am one of those who is negative on Arcadian Bluffs.   Cart ball, confusing routing, mounds vile, I was only impressed with the views.  I see it as the evil twin of Crystal Downs and its offspring, Kingsley.   Walkable if challenging, superbly routed, memorable, natural.  AB might be the most over shaped course I've ever seen. 

[JLahrman]

We have a LOT of good courses in Ohio, but they are mostly flat and with less-than-interesting views.  The dunes, water, heather, elevation changes, and extremely undulating fairways and greens were just fabulous to me.

Consider me a Michigan golf fan.  This Buckeye will make the trip north again.

I grew up in Ohio, and my wife is from Michigan so I have been spending some time up there over the past few years. Unfortunately my clubs generally do not make the trip, but I need to find a way to make that happen. Ohio has a lot of good courses, but the public options are not as good as Michigan and they certainly are not centered in one general area the way they are in Michigan. My father-in-law makes a buddies trip to Central/Northern Michigan every other fall. I'm trying to get in on it one of these years (though we currently live in California, about to move to Texas).

[Matthew Rose]

Threetops is great fun, done it a bunch of times.

Made my first hole-in-one on the original Rick Smith course, and got to tell him about it six holes later when he showed up driving around in a cart. Got him to sign the card. Great memories.