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

[JC Jones]

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

I figured you weren't from Michigan when you referred to northern Michigan as central Michigan.  People from central and lower Michigan use the regional designation of "Northern Michigan" for the northern 25-33% of the lower peninsula; it is also referred to as "Up North."  The regional designation for the upper peninsula is most often the "U.P." and sometimes the "Upper Peninsula."  George, being from TC, might have a different take on things.

I haven't had the chance to play Sweetgrass or Timberstone yet but I agree, Greywalls is spectacular and well worth the drive as is the UP, generally.

[Chris DeToro]

Glad to see another thread on Northern MI golf!  I didn't grow up in Michigan but have lived here for the past 3 years and been vacationing in northern MI for the past 7 years or so. 

Crystal Downs is phenomenal--I got to play it a few years ago (and walked--it wasn't that bad)
I play Kingsley every year and love the variety of the holes and the routing.  I played 54 one day with a different wind for each and every round.  Amazing how different it can play...

Other northern/central MI gems:
A-Ga-Ming--really fun course which is always on the rota of courses when we go up there
Belvedere--Tom Watson used to play here as a kid and a great old track
Black Forest
Forest Dunes--absolute must play.  Maybe one of the more underrated courses in the country in my opinion

I've played a bunch up there, but those are my favorites. 

[Tom Allen]

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.

That is awesome.  Actually, I came very close to getting a hole in one there as well.  On No. 9, I hit a 9 iron.  In the air, the ball never left the pin.  It hits the flagstick, then hits the ground an inch in front of the cup, and then spins back toward me, off the front of the green.  Bummer.

I will come back to Northern Michigan for sure.  And, I will tell everyone I know that they have to go up there to play.  It is just phenomenal.  I am really running out of superlatives to describe the golf there.

[Jud_T]

The great thing about it for golf is stuff you don't find much at all in U.S., i.e. cool climate for growing cool season grasses, great topography (Moraines etc.), and sand (anyone who's been to Sleeping Bear Dunes knows what I'm talking about;  there's a MASSIVE amount of sand up there: http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/slbe/index.cfm).  In fact, where else outside of Bandon do you get all 3 in this country?  And don't forget perhaps the finest Microbreweries around (if you include 3 Floyds just over the border in Indiana in with the State of Michigan it certainly is the best beer region is the country).

[George Freeman]

As stated by others, Greywalls is amazing and I fell in love with it a few years ago.

I didn't include it in my original post as I wouldn't consider it in the Northern Michigan golf rota - it's in the UP and about 5 hrs north of Traverse City.  Well worth the trip however.

I have not played Sweet Grass or Timberstone.

[Steve Lang]

  JC, are ya up for continuing the twilight belvedere tradition again this year???

we'll be up mid-july throurgh late aug...

s

[JC Jones]

Seve,

I'm hoping your bride are ready for another twilight at Belvedere in late July.  No better way to watch the sun go down in northern Michigan and chase the waning hours of the day than on that fine old gem. 

We cruise out of town the 1st.

[JC Jones]

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

I missed your post, Peter, sorry.

You are right, work and 3 kids under 9 have kept me away from the game for the past couple of years and ultimately, GCA.com.

I am getting back to the game this summer and this ill be back around these parts. 

You know I very much look forward to your trip to northern Michigan.  Your room at the beach house with your chair for sunset watching on Lake Michigan awaits you.

[Tim_Weiman]

JLahrman,

I think you are understating how good public golf is in Ohio. What people sometimes miss are all the courses we would never talk about here on GolfClubAtlas. By that I mean Ohio has a ton of decent courses that you can play for $25-35.

Not architectural wonders, but golf courses that are affordable for the average guy to play.

As for the OP, yes Northern Michigan sure seems to have a lot of cool land.

[Mike Schott]

JLahrman,

I think you are understating how good public golf is in Ohio. What people sometimes miss are all the courses we would never talk about here on GolfClubAtlas. By that I mean Ohio has a ton of decent courses that you can play for $25-35.

Not architectural wonders, but golf courses that are affordable for the average guy to play.

As for the OP, yes Northern Michigan sure seems to have a lot of cool land.

Agree. I've played some fine public tracks in Ohio over the years. Blue Ash outside Cincinnati is a favorite and Sleepy Hollow and Manakiki outside Cleveland are courses I fondly recall.

[JLahrman]

JLahrman,

I think you are understating how good public golf is in Ohio. What people sometimes miss are all the courses we would never talk about here on GolfClubAtlas. By that I mean Ohio has a ton of decent courses that you can play for $25-35.

Not architectural wonders, but golf courses that are affordable for the average guy to play.

As for the OP, yes Northern Michigan sure seems to have a lot of cool land.

Not at all. I grew up in Ohio and I very well know that Ohio has a lot of good publics.  What I said was that there is no area that you would go to as a destination ala some areas in Michigan, and I don't believe the cream of the crop would match up to Michigan's. If someone would like to take on those assertions, please go ahead (Disclaimer - I haven't played much in northeast Ohio, and I have not played nearly as much in Michigan as I would like).

Blue Ash was mentioned - not bad but the last time I played there (maybe 5 years ago) it was starting to need a chainsaw. I prefer Sharon Woods in the Cincinnati area. I really like Weatherwax outside Middletown. Cooks Creek and Champions outside of Columbus, along with a few others. And all of those courses are quite easy on the wallet.

[JC Jones]

You Ohioans with your inferiority complex, trying to take over a thread about Michigan.   

[Richard Hetzel]

I am not sure that is anything better in the Midwest than some upper Michigan golf in the summer!

[Mike Schott]

JLahrman,

I think you are understating how good public golf is in Ohio. What people sometimes miss are all the courses we would never talk about here on GolfClubAtlas. By that I mean Ohio has a ton of decent courses that you can play for $25-35.

Not architectural wonders, but golf courses that are affordable for the average guy to play.

As for the OP, yes Northern Michigan sure seems to have a lot of cool land.

Not at all. I grew up in Ohio and I very well know that Ohio has a lot of good publics.  What I said was that there is no area that you would go to as a destination ala some areas in Michigan, and I don't believe the cream of the crop would match up to Michigan's. If someone would like to take on those assertions, please go ahead (Disclaimer - I haven't played much in northeast Ohio, and I have not played nearly as much in Michigan as I would like).

Blue Ash was mentioned - not bad but the last time I played there (maybe 5 years ago) it was starting to need a chainsaw. I prefer Sharon Woods in the Cincinnati area. I really like Weatherwax outside Middletown. Cooks Creek and Champions outside of Columbus, along with a few others. And all of those courses are quite easy on the wallet.

I mentioned Blue Ash but it's been about 10 years since my last round. I don't recall trees being a big issue but my memory is a bit foggy. Not sure if I played Sharon Woods. Columbus also has a number of good public tracks. i like Eaglesticks in Zionsville about 45 minutes east of Columbus. I played a number of public tracks in Ohio back when this was my sales territory and my clubs lived in my trunk. Time has dulled the names of most of these courses.

[Bill Crane]

Based on the two local courses that I played were really good golf for the money. ( Pinecroft & Heathlands).

I think I payed $42 for my son and I to play twilight at Heathlands.

Won't win any awards but real golf, some good holes, conditioning was solid.  Windy on the hill above Lake Michigan.

A retired couple or anyone who wants to ramble around and play twilight golf could have ton of fun for low $$.

Wm Flynnfan

[Tim_Weiman]

JLahrman:

I share your view that there really isn't a public golf course "destination" in Ohio and certainly not one comparable to Michigan.

My point is that Ohio, e,g, Northeast Ohio, is richly endowed with what really matters to the vast majority of golfers: decent, affordable public golf courses. The Cleveland Metroparks courses such as Sleepy Hollow and Manikiki are perfect examples, but there are many more.