Michigan is known for its beautiful outdoor spaces. Some people go bird watching. Others, for birdie hunting. If you’re the sort of person who likes to experience nature on well-mowed lawns and in plaid pants, Michigan certainly has many courses on offer.
The “Better Michigan” (basically a digital publicity platform for the state) describes this area as a golf “mecca” with more than 650 public golf courses.
We who play the gentleman’s game, of course, know that there are golf courses, and there are golf courses. What spots are worth your time? Let’s get into it.
Michigan Travel Overview:
Michigan has long positioned itself as a tourist-friendly state. There are many different experiences you can have here.
For a more urban trip, there is Detroit. In recent years, it’s gone through quite the transformation and is no longer the sort of city you’d recognize from an Eminem song. If that’s your jam, you will find golf courses still within driving distance.
The venues we highlight, however, are located primarily in forested resort-style communities. These courses cut through tranquil wooded areas or feature gorgeous views of Lake Michigan.
They also often come with a complete range of activities for the full family. Good dining. Fun shopping. Spas. Maybe even gambling. You can now legally bet on sports in Michigan.
More on that here: youbet.com/sports-news/how-to-bet-on-sports-in-michigan/
This is all to say that there are many ways to enjoy this unique state. Plan your Michigan experience with that in mind.
Bay Harbor, Bay Harbor
The Bay Harbor Golf Course, located in Bay Harbor, Michigan, features a 27-hole layout that breaks the course into three distinct layouts. What you have here are three distinct nines that can be bundled in the eighteen-hole arrangement of your choosing. Or hey, if you have the time and are feeling ambitious, play the entire course. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better view.
The course is situated on the shores of Lake Michigan. The club is “semi-private,” which means nothing for your purposes, except that the guy in the pro shop might try to sell you on a membership if you give the appearance of being in town for longer than just the weekend.
Note also that the town of Bay Harbor is a nice vacation spot with upscale shopping at the Village at Bay Harbor and scenic boat tours of Little Traverse Bay. In total it’s a great place to experience the lake and have a more complete Michigan experience with something for everyone in the family.
Arcadia Bluffs, Arcadia
Arcadia Bluffs offers two championship courses. The Bluffs course offers a “links style” experience.
Now, the extent to which a golf course in Michigan can mimic the playing experience of a course in Scotland is a little limited. One of the signature features of links golf is the weather. Cold air. Harsh winds. The need to hit an almost endless array of punch shots and stingers.
Arcadia at least manages the aesthetic details. Rolling fairways. Deep bunkers. Tall grass lining the sides of every hole. There’s also the South Course.
Here’s how Arcadia describes it: “The objective for the South Course would be to design a golf course by strategically positioning a collection of elements, serene in their appearance, ultimately creating a veil of simplicity over the complexity of the challenges that await. It is this aspect of enduring classic design that both confounds and excites golfers, leaving them with an elevated anticipation to return.”
That’s a pretty lofty way of saying that the layout is simpler but still challenging. Both courses are immaculate. This is a luxurious environment complete with high-end lodging, great dining options, and even a smaller course looking to make its debut in the Summer of 2025.
If you happen to be in the Arcadia area this July, look out for “The Dozens,” a twelve-hole ambassador-style course that gives the opportunity to enjoy a little bit of golf without handing over half the day.
Forest Dunes, Crawford County
How could we ignore Golf Digest’s chosen 32nd best public golf course in the country? Forest Dunes actually has several different golf courses to choose from.
It’s the “Forest Dunes” course that will give you the most straightforward playing experience. Designed by PGA legend Tom Weiskopf, the course has two distinct personalities. The front nine is heavily forested, while the back nine is as sandy as you can get, with many water-facing holes that will leave you wondering: Are two sleeves enough to get me through this?
Here’s hoping they are.
Also worth looking at is the “Loop,” which has been described as a maze of a golf course.
Basically, they change the configuration every day so that today’s second green might be tomorrow’s 18th. That’s good mild fun for people playing the course often.
If you’re there for the day, it’s a normal course with a remarkably complicated layout.