A few weeks ago, I had the chance to visit Michigan for the first time and play several of the golf courses that make up the Gaylord Golf Mecca. Located in the heart of Michigan’s Northern Lower Peninsula, this golf mecca features rustic woods and long summer days. In the winter, the area averages over 100 inches of snow, and many of the courses double as ski slopes, so picture the elevations and spectacular views.
The Gaylord Golf Mecca has gained much acclaim, ranked #11 in Golf Digest’s Best Golf Destinations, and #1 in Golftime Best Midwest Golf Trips. I was excited to see not only the countryside but also play courses designed by Tom Fazio, Rick Smith, Robert Trent Jones Sr, Rees Jones, Gary Koch, and Jerry Mathews.
Tradition Course
The journey north started on the Tradition Course designed by Rick Smith. Designed as a walking course, Smith did his best to pay homage to golf’s beginnings. This links-styles design features traditional wood pins, rakes, and pennant flags. The 150-yard markers showed red, white, and blue on the top to let us know the distances to the middle of each green. Tradition is nestled in the woods with high ridges and sloping fairways. It offered a slope rating of 130 at 6357 yards for a par 70 course.
After our round, we strolled into the Big Buck Brewery. On the menu was a rack of their home-made brews, something I just had to order. The beer flight came out on a rack of antlers with six (6) different drafts all picked from their list of about 10-12 various hops. Once through the tasting, the farm-to-table-flare menu was varied from fish, caught locally, to local beef in the form of steaks and burgers. The service was excellent, and the food was exceptional.
Gaylord Golf Club
Next on the agenda was a stop at Gaylord Golf Club, one of Michigan’s oldest courses dating back to 1924. The parkland design offered slope ratings from 121-130, four sets of tees and yardages from 5248-6497 yards, par 72. The course is carved through hills and hardwoods. The highlight of the round was “Death Valley” if you can hit it left off the tee, the ball will continue down the hill, leaving you with a shot you usually do not practice. The course is tough but fair and requires you to use every club in your bag.
The Tribute at Ostego Resort
The Tribute at Ostego Resort was our next stop. The Tribute designed by Rick Robbins and PGA Tour veteran and NBC announcer, Gary Koch. From several vantage areas, you could see for 20-miles down the Sturgeon River Valley basin. The Detroit News said this course would take your breath away, and I couldn’t agree more. The greens are big and undulated, don’t be surprised if you 3-putt more than once. The Tribute offers four sets of tees with slope ratings from 115-134 and yardages from 5085-7347.
After the round, it was time for more food! We meandered into the Alpine Tavern & Eatery, where they feature Michigan based products. From burgers to a great selection of fish, salads, and desserts plus adult beverages. The place was full and had a lively atmosphere with friendly service.
Threetops Course
As we entered our third day, we drove a bit north to The Treetops Resort. On the schedule was their 9-hole Threetops Course. This bucket-list par-3 designed by Rick Smith is something special. The layout includes a spectacular 207-yard tee shot from the middle tees with a 180-foot drop. This particular hole played about 150 yards with the ball seemingly in the air forever. On the 7th hole is where PGA Legend Lee Trevino hit the shot heard round the world with an ace that won him $1,090,000. Threetops has installed a commemorative plaque to showcase Trevino’s ace. The course has 3 tee boxes and plays anyway from 978 to 1435 yards.
The Signature at Treetops Resort
After lunch at the Threetops Tavern, we ventured over to The Signature at Treetops Resort. The Signature is Rick Smith’s first 18-hole design and features five different tee positions with yardages ranging from 4604-6653. The course also several tee options ranging from red to black with slopes from 131-140. The greens were deceiving with slopes and undulations that were difficult to read. The greens always seemed to be guarded by bunkers. The Signature had several elevation changes with wide fairways that made for a gratifying experience. At times during our round, we saw wild turkeys, and some say they have seen elk and deer in the fairways.
You guessed it, time for dinner. We ate at the Treetops Vista Room for a buffet-style dinner featuring ribs, chicken, and steak plus apple pie for dessert. It was a great way to end our day, and the sunset view was incredible.
Black Lake Golf CLub
Up next, the Rees Jones designed Black Lake Golf Club. Jones is a legend well known for his restoration work on many U.S. Open courses. Black Lack Golf Club has won many national awards and rankings from Golf Digest as a Top 100 Greatest Public Courses to #9 as the Best Value from the Top 100 list. The former sand quarry is a par 72 with five tee positions and slope ratings from 120-138 and yardages from 5085 to 7046.
Indian River Golf Club
Next up, the Indian River Golf Club, which is member-owned. The original 9-hole course was built in 1924 by English architect Wilfrid Reid. The other 9-hole course designed by Warner Bowen, who turned it into an 18-hole parkland layout. IRGC is the oldest club in Northern Michigan, established in 1922. Through the years many improvements have been made, the course features a variety of tees ranging from 4301 to 6692 yards and slope ratings from 114-124.
After a 27-hole day, we went to the Ostego Resort’s Hilltop Lodge for dinner. The views of the course and ski resort were breathtaking at sunset. The eclectic menu included local fish selections plus elk and duck.
The Loon
With breakfast out of the way, we traveled to The Loon, a Butch Harmon signature course, my first Harmon experience. Playable from 4 sets of tees with yardages from 5121-6701, par 71. The slope ratings were 121-126. In 2010, Butch and Natalie Guilbus came in to take out some bunkers and redesign some of the holes to make the course more player-friendly. The 18th hole is their signature hole, a Par 4 with a great view of the clubhouse over a pond.
Michaywe Pines
Then onto Michaywe Pines. Michaywe means “where the elk play.” This Don Childs design hosted the 1991 and 1996 Michigan Amateur Championships. With secluded fairways winding through white birch and pine trees along the AuSable River, it was a real treat. The Slope ratings ranged from 126-136 with six sets of tees and yardages from 5194-7040. The course opened in 1972 and are looking forward to celebrating their 50th Anniversary.
Now for dinner and drinks, tonight we ended up at Bennethum’s. A locally owned restaurant featuring fresh catch from Lake Michigan, steaks, Tomahawk Pork Chop, Perch, Whitefish, Walleye, and scallops. Quite a place with excellent customer service.
The Natural
Our final day was spent playing at The Natural, a Jerry Mathews design, a tough golf course that features narrow fairways and a natural wetland surrounding. The Natural is a Par 71 with a slope rating from 117-129 and yardages from 4830-6330. The narrow fairways forced me to take a 3-wood off the tee as this course demands accuracy. One of the shortest holes on the course, a par-3 that plays 95 yards from the white tees and only 100 from the blue ended up being one of the toughest for me. If you miss the green, plan on a bogey or worse as your ball will travel the paths of the drop off areas.
Final Thoughts
All in all, the Northern Michigan trip was a blast with great golf and even better food and drinks. One of the primary thoughts I have when playing a golf course is whether or not I would want to play it again. The answer is a definite yes. I highly recommend the Gaylord Golf Mecca of 15 courses, which are sure to challenge your golf skills no matter what tees you play. A very worthwhile and enjoyable trip. Let’s Go Michigan!