Golf in SW Michigan/ Indiana Lake Michigan Beach towns

[Mark Johnson]

Howdy everyone.   Looking for some golf-related real estate advice.   (I know, always a great topic for a great post).


Anyway,   Wifey, family and I are relocating to Chicago.   For a variety of reasons, we are now able/looking to get a second weekend home,  likely in the SW Michigan / NE Indiana region (in close proximity to Lake Michigan).  The purpose is to have a place where extended family can meet, relax, enjoy the lake, outdoors.


While golf is not the primary (or even secondary) reason for the home, I definitely want to understand if some areas are better than others.   Have heard in the past that public golf is the area is quite poor.    Any decent public tracks around or privates which would accept out of towners  with no connections as members.    (So Dunes Club is obviously out).   


Ideally a place where I could find a regular game since I know nobody in the region



thanks so much




mj

[Ken Fry]

Mark,

Look into Long Beach, IN.  It's just north of Michigan City and an excellent community for 2nd homes.  Long Beach CC is an old, historical layout that won't make "Best Of..." lists but a wonderful course.  The head professional, Brian Godfrey, is a good friend of mine and would be a great resource for all things Long Beach.  He was born and raised just down the street from the clubhouse.

Find the course website at http://www.longbeachcc.org.

Ken

[Ken Fry]

Mark,

Two more suggestions to consider.

Further north along the coast is Lakeside, MI.  Small and tight knit community.  Chikaming CC has been the long standing private country club for that area.

Further north from that you can go all out and contact Lost Dunes in Bridgman, MI.  It all depends on how much you want to spend on a 2nd home and potentially a 2nd club.

Top public golf is tough to find.  Around Benton Harbor/ St. Joseph area, you have Lake Michigan Hills GC, Harbor Shores GC and Berrien Hills GC.  Not much else in public courses until you get much further north.

Ken

[Terry Lavin]

For the big lake, Lakeside is hard to beat. Dunes Club and Lost Dunes are nearby. I had a home in Long Beach which is nice but sort of an insular South Side of Chicago place that may feel cold to some. Small lake wise the Sister Lakes area in old timey and affordable and close to Point O'Woods which is a great RTJ club. PM me for further info.

p.s.  I see somebody mentioned Long Beach CC, which socially is hard to top, but I greatly prefer the golf course at Pottawattomie, which is on a much better piece of land.  It has a couple goofy/borderline holes, but is a fun and challenging golf course.

[John McCarthy]

We rent a house in Union Pier, MI every summer and for public golf I drive half an hour to South Bend and play The Warren Course at Notre Dame, a great C and C that is very affordable.  Union Pier is a very quiet Beach community.  Sawyer, MI is five minutes north with a slightly busier downtown.

[PCCraig]

Mark,


Point O Woods or Lost Dunes would be great clubs to look at.


Where will you be living in Chicago?

[JLahrman]

One of my wife's best friends has an aunt and uncle who own a home in one of the towns (it's right on the IN/MI border; I forget which town it is). We met her there for a day last summer. While my wife and her friend hung out in the pool and yakked, I went to play the Warren Course at Notre Dame. It was about a 40 minute drive each way; probably too long if you're looking to play golf every day. But it was $40, and there was hardly anybody else out there (this was a Wednesday in early August, I believe). Definitely worth it to go.

[BShannon]

Mark,

Look into Long Beach, IN.  It's just north of Michigan City and an excellent community for 2nd homes.  Long Beach CC is an old, historical layout that won't make "Best Of..." lists but a wonderful course.  The head professional, Brian Godfrey, is a good friend of mine and would be a great resource for all things Long Beach.  He was born and raised just down the street from the clubhouse.

Find the course website at http://www.longbeachcc.org.

Ken

+1.


Long Beach is a great community and LBCC is a nice, affordable club with a friendly membership.


I also have a good relationship with Brian Godfrey - PM me if you want more info!

[Mark Johnson]

Everyone,




THANK YOU so much for the great recommendations.  We are still in the early stages now, and I might PM some of you for more information as we get closer to making some decisions



Pat,




Currently, we are in a temp housing in glenview for a few more months.   we will likely look to buy something a wee bit smaller around Chicago proper (Uk village the leading contender).    We have strong connections to U of C (including my daughters new school and want a more reasonable commute.)     I will be primarily working from home or traveling so something with Ohare proximity is very important.

[PCCraig]

Mark,


PM me if you want some good recommendations for Glenview (food, golf, whatever) or the surrounding area.

[John McCarthy]

Come join us in Old Irving.  Halfway between ORD and downtown.  Subway access to both.  You will up to your neck with bearded hipsters in Ukrainian Village.  Next thing you know there will be some dude in skinny jeans with a artisinal vintage bicycle living in your garden shed. 

[Mark Johnson]

Come join us in Old Irving.  Halfway between ORD and downtown.  Subway access to both.  You will up to your neck with bearded hipsters in Ukrainian Village.  Next thing you know there will be some dude in skinny jeans with a artisinal vintage bicycle living in your garden shed.

I actually like Old Irving.   If i wanted an investment property, that is where i'd buy.    like the hood, but not sure I like all the construction that will be around for the next few years

[Mark Smolens]

If you find the need to refill your shag bag, try a round at Whittaker Woods. Not a great golf experience, but with a modicum of effort and very little increase in time, you will find at least 30 balls (and not a bunch of Titleist DTs or Pinnacles!). Not much better than hitting a bunch of found golf balls into Lake Michigan on a beautiful summer evening with the sun going down...

I have a couple of good friends at Chikaming. It's a fun little golf course, and with the fairly recent renovation there are actually a couple of good holes out there. Second the Judge's recommendation of Pottawatamie, but I liked Long Beach a little better. If you do go a bit further north, Point O Woods has one of the most fun practice areas I've ever been to. The last time I was there they were offering really good deals to join...

[SL_Solow]

Lots of nice beach towns depending on how far you want to drive.  Michiana Shore is very good as is Union Pier.  Lots of good places if you turn north toward South Haven.  I am with Terry on Pottowatomie but lost Dunes and the Point both have had openings.  Plenty of places to eat as well.

[Ian Mackenzie]

We are in Ravenswood and we have some neighbors whose kids go to the Lab School.
Very hard to get to Hyde Park from Hipster Village. For us, it's one mile to Lake Shore Drive and a straight shot down to HP.


I play golf VERY near where you live.
Happy to discuss.