Best golf courses in Michigan.

Arcadia, MI

The Bluffs Course at Arcadia Bluffs sits on a ridge about 225 feet above Lake Michigan near Arcadia, Michigan. Designed by Rick Smith and Warren Henderson, it opened in 1999 on land that had been orchards, woods and a mining operation. The course was built to play like a windswept links, with fescue turf, large scale bunkering, tall native grasses and almost no trees near the water. Several holes run along the bluff edge, and the elevation combined with an open lake fetch make wind a constant factor. The greens are large and the fairways generous, which suits the exposure. The clubhouse sits at the high point of the property with views down the shoreline. A second 18, the South Course, opened in 2018 about a mile away, designed by Dana Fry and Jason Straka in a Macdonald and Raynor inspired classical style. Both courses are open to the public with no private memberships.

Roscommon, MI

Forest Dunes Golf Club opened in 2002 in Roscommon, Michigan, on a sandy site within the Huron National Forest, near the Au Sable River. Tom Weiskopf designed the course, which was largely built by 2000 but did not open for play until 2002. The front nine runs through a more parkland setting of pine and hardwood, while the back nine crosses sandy waste areas that have drawn comparisons to Pine Valley. Fairways are wide and firm, and the greens are large and contoured to suit the natural sand base beneath them. From the back tees the course plays 7,116 yards at par 72, with a course rating of 75.2 and a slope of 146. The resort sits roughly three hours north of Detroit, and lodging is built around the first tee so guests can walk straight from their rooms to the course. Forest Dunes shares its property with Tom Doak's reversible Loop course, played clockwise one day and counterclockwise the next.

Marquette, MI

Greywalls opened in 2005 at Marquette Golf Club in Marquette, Michigan, alongside the club's older Heritage course. Mike DeVries designed it on a mature second-growth forest site marked by exposed granite outcrops, wetlands and sharp elevation change above Lake Superior. DeVries mapped the site's wetlands and an old plank road before laying out the holes, and the routing works around rock and water rather than through them. The course moves through tumbling fairways and boldly contoured greens, with holes cut into rock in places and open stretches that look out over the lake. It plays as a walkable course despite the terrain, and DeVries was on site throughout construction shaping greens and bunkers himself. Marquette Golf Club operates Greywalls as part of its two-course facility, with Heritage as the more traditional companion layout. Access is through Marquette Golf Club, with both public play and membership options available.

Roscommon, MI

The Loop at Forest Dunes in Roscommon, Michigan, is a Tom Doak design that opened in 2016. It is a reversible course: one set of 18 greens and fairways played clockwise one day as the Black Course and counterclockwise the next as the Red. Building it that way forced particular choices. Greens are open in front from both directions, bunkers sit away from the direct line so they work on either routing, and there are almost no forced carries. The result is two genuinely different tests from the same ground. The resort posts which direction is in play on a given day. The course sits on sandy soil in the Huron National Forest, next to the original Forest Dunes course.

Bay Harbor, MI

Bay Harbor in northern Michigan opened in the late 1990s as an Arthur Hills design on the shore of Little Traverse Bay. The property was previously an industrial site tied to a cement operation, and the old quarry workings were kept as golf features. There are three nines: Links, Quarry and Preserve, played in rotating combinations. The Links holes run along bluffs above the bay, the Quarry holes drop into the excavated ground with rock walls in play, and the Preserve holes move inland through woods. The club is semi-private, with public tee times available, and holes sit alongside a resort residential community.

Grand Haven, MI

Jack Nicklaus tribute to military veterans on Lake Michigan dunes

Charlevoix, MI

Belvedere Golf Club in Charlevoix was founded in 1925 by members of a nearby summer cottage association and designed by Scottish architect William Watson. The classic parkland routing is known for strategic, walkable holes and inventive green complexes shaped by the region's rolling terrain. Belvedere has hosted the Michigan Amateur dozens of times over its history, making it one of the state's most significant competitive venues. The club is open for daily-fee public play and celebrated its centennial in 2025.

East Lansing, MI · Location not mapped

Forest Akers West is an 18-hole public course on the Michigan State University campus, opened in 1958 on land donated by alumnus Forest Akers on the condition that it double as an arboretum. The original W. Bruce Matthews layout was redesigned in 1992 by MSU alumnus Arthur Hills. It plays to a par of 72, with the back tees rated 75.3 with a 141 slope. The course is home to MSU's men's and women's golf teams and has hosted Big Ten championships and NCAA regionals. It is open to the public as well as MSU students, staff and alumni, with tiered rates.

Last verified 2026-10-13

Brimley, MI

Wild Bluff Golf Course sits on a bluff above Waishkey Bay and Lake Superior in Brimley, in Michigan's eastern Upper Peninsula. It is owned and run by Bay Mills Resort & Casinos and was designed by Mike Husby. The course borders the Hiawatha National Forest and has ravines, winding streams and bentgrass fairways, with most holes along the bluff looking out over the bay. Five tee sets range from about 5,300 to 7,100 yards for a par-72 round. The course is open to the public on a seasonal schedule, usually closing in mid-October.

Last verified 2026-10-13

Bath, MI

Eagle Eye Golf Club is an 18-hole public course in Bath, Michigan, near Lansing. It opened in August 2003 as the sister course to nearby Hawk Hollow and was designed by Chris Lutzke in collaboration with Pete Dye. The layout follows a rolling, links-style routing with fescue mounding, sizable sand waste areas, and water hazards that come into play on numerous holes. From the championship tees the course plays over 7,300 yards to a par of 72, with four additional tee options for a range of skill levels. The facility includes practice ranges and hosts outings and events at its banquet center.

Last verified 2026-10-13

Pierson, MI

Pilgrim's Run Golf Club is a public course on more than 400 acres of wooded, rolling terrain in Pierson, Michigan, about 30 miles north of Grand Rapids. It was built in 1997-98 by Kris Schumaker and Mike DeVries, with the holes divided among six people who each drew a set of numbers by lot, a story documented by the Golf Association of Michigan. The course has bent grass fairways and distinctive green complexes, with only three par-3 holes, giving it a par of 73 at 7,093 yards from the tips. It offers six sets of tees and no homes along the fairways, giving a secluded feel for a public facility.

Bellaire, MI

Cedar River is one of five courses at Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire, in northern Michigan's Antrim County. Designed by Tom Weiskopf, it opened in 1999 and is routed through rolling hills, hardwood forest and natural waterways shaped by the region's glacial terrain. The par-72 layout ranges from about 5,268 yards at the forward tees to roughly 7,000 yards from the back tees, with meaningful elevation change, strategic bunkering and water features coming into play across the round. The course has hosted the Michigan Open in recent years. Golfers can book Cedar River as a standalone tee time or combine it with lodging at The Lodge at Cedar River as part of a stay-and-play package, and the resort also offers group outings and tournament bookings. As a resort course it is open to both overnight guests and outside public players who reserve tee times through Shanty Creek's golf operations.

Brutus, MI

Hidden River Golf & Casting Club is located in Brutus, Michigan, about 15 miles north of Petoskey and 12 miles east of Harbor Springs. W. Bruce Matthews III designed the course, which opened in 1997 using a lay-of-the-land style with push-up greens and fairways that pitch and roll along the Maple River. It plays to a par of 72 and 7,101 yards from the back tees across six sets of tees. Towering pines, elevation changes and the winding river define the setting. Hidden River operates as a semi-private club, but public visitors are welcome during the golf season with advance tee time booking, and an on-site restaurant overlooks the river.

Last verified 2026-10-13

Acme, MI

The Bear at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Acme, Michigan, is an 18-hole, par-72 resort course designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened on June 17, 1985, his first course in Michigan. It measures 7,078 yards from the back tees, with a course rating of 76.1 and a slope of 150. Nicklaus's design features Scottish-style terraced fairways, tiered greens, deep grassy roughs, moguls, and pot bunkers, set among rolling land with lakes, streams, and fruit orchards. It remains open to resort guests and the public.

Spruce, MI

White Pine National Golf Resort is an 18-hole public course in Spruce, in northeast Michigan near Hubbard Lake, designed by Bruce and Clem Wolfrom on more than 400 acres of pine and hardwood forest. The design disturbs the land as little as possible, with greens set into natural terrain, and there are no water holes. The challenge comes from hole length, bunker placement and green size. It has been recognized by Audubon International for environmental management. The course is open from spring through mid-November and welcomes public play, with a pro shop and practice facilities on site.

Last verified 2026-10-13

Gaylord, MI

The Signature course at Treetops Resort in Gaylord opened in 1993 as Rick Smith's first design at the property, drawing on Scottish and Irish links traditions. The layout moves through rolling, wooded terrain typical of northern Michigan, with green complexes considered the most demanding on the resort's grounds. It was Smith's debut championship design and helped establish Treetops as a multi-course destination alongside later Fazio, Jones and Smith layouts on site. The course remains part of Treetops' rotation open to guests and the public.

Onaway, MI · Location not mapped

Black Lake Golf Club sits on the UAW's Walter and May Reuther Family Education Center grounds in Onaway, Michigan, within 1,100 acres of forest, marsh and cranberry bog. Rees Jones designed the course, which opened in 2000, incorporating natural wetlands, native sand areas and several ponds. It plays to a par of 72 and 7,035 yards from the back tees across six sets of tees. Owned and operated by the UAW, the club has been ranked among America's top public courses by national golf publications. Tee times are open to the general public without UAW membership, though members and retirees receive discounted rates.

Last verified 2026-10-13

Bellaire, MI · Location not mapped

The Legend is the Arnold Palmer-designed centerpiece of Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire, opened in 1986. The par-72 layout plays 6,764 yards from the back tees (rating 73.2, slope 137) with multiple elevation changes, doglegs, water hazards, and well-placed bunkers, and views of Lake Bellaire. Shanty Creek itself trickles through the routing. Golf Magazine named it among the top resort courses in the US, and Golf Digest rated it 4.5 stars.

Augusta, MI

Scottish-inspired links design in southwest Michigan

Harris, MI

Upper Peninsula resort gem near Escanaba

Iron Mountain, MI

TimberStone Golf Course is part of Pine Mountain Resort in Iron Mountain, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Jerry Matthews designed the course, which opened in the late 1990s on the side of Pine Mountain. The layout covers about 240 acres and plays 6,937 yards at par 72 from the back tees, with a 148 slope. Fairways run through thick hardwoods, the greens have real movement, and several tees sit high above the holes below. The fourth has a deep pot bunker short and left of the green, and the par-5 18th stretches past 600 yards. TimberStone is open to the public. It is about 100 miles from Green Bay, and the season runs roughly May through October.

Mount Pleasant, MI

Bucks Run Golf Club is a public, 18-hole course in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, designed by Jerry Matthews and opened in 2000. From the back tees it plays 6,914 yards at a par of 72, with a course rating of 73.5 and a slope of 146. The layout crosses wetlands, three lakes, and stretches of the Chippewa River, with ten sets of tees ranging down to 5,073 yards. The 18,000-square-foot clubhouse has a dining room, lounge, and banquet space. An 18-hole grass putting course sits on an island between the clubhouse and the third green.

Kewadin, MI

The Sundance Course at A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort is set on glacier-carved bluffs near Kewadin, Michigan, between Torch Lake and Grand Traverse Bay, giving many holes views of both bodies of water. It opened in 2005, designed by Michigan architect Jerry Matthews. The 18-hole course measures roughly 6,935 yards from the back tees and features wide, playable fairways, contoured greens, large bunkers, and heather-style native rough that frames the holes without penalizing shots too severely. Reviewers have noted uphill and downhill shot variety and firm, flowing fairways. Sundance is part of the larger A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort, which includes multiple courses and on-site lodging in northern Michigan. The course is open to resort guests and the public, with seasonal rates and cart fees included in green fees.

Bear Lake, MI

Arcadia Bluffs South opened in 2018 as a Dana Fry and Jason Straka design inspired by the strategic, geometric character of Chicago Golf Club. Unlike the resort's bluff-top original, this inland course uses broad fairways, fescue, squared green edges and deep, deliberately placed bunkers across open ground. The width invites aggressive lines, but approaches become more demanding when the tee shot finishes on the wrong side. The Restaurant at the South Course sits upstairs in the clubhouse overlooking the 18th green. Its casual dining room, 10-seat main bar and local draft selection make it an easy place to settle in and replay the round.