USA · Links
Northern Michigan
Michigan's secret golf belt — five hours from Toronto, 90 minutes from Traverse City, and home to four Golf Digest Top 100 courses. Arcadia Bluffs rivals anything in Canada. Strong value compared to destination trips that require flights.
BEST TIME TO GO
June–September
EST. COST / PERSON
$1,500–$3,500 CAD
BOOK IN ADVANCE
8–20 weeks
TRAVEL TIME
5.5h drive from KW
MUST-PLAY COURSES
Arcadia Bluffs (Bluffs Course)
#15 Public Course USA (Golf Digest)
Bluffs above Lake Michigan. Arguably the most beautiful course in the Midwest.
Arcadia Bluffs (South Course)
#53 Public Course USA
Doak's inland companion. Heathland feel, more technical.
Forest Dunes Golf Club
#37 Public Course USA
Through Michigan pine forest. Reversible routing (The Loop) is extraordinary.
Bay Harbor Golf Club
#100 Public Course USA
Lakeside with bluff views. Excellent stay-and-play packages.
WHAT A TRIP LOOKS LIKE
Drive In & Traverse City
Cross into Michigan at Sarnia and drive north — arrive in Traverse City with time for a beer at Right Brain Brewery or a cherry pie at Grand Traverse Pie Company. Base camp is Traverse City for most northern Michigan golf trips.
Arcadia Bluffs — Bluffs Course
The marquee round. Arcadia Bluffs' Bluffs Course is set on dramatic glacial bluffs above Lake Michigan — holes 5 through 14 run along the ridgeline with uninterrupted lake views and wind that can shift a round by eight strokes in either direction. Reserve a caddie if your group's handicap range is wide.
Forest Dunes & The Loop
Forest Dunes' Tom Fazio layout through the pines is the most visually distinctive round in northern Michigan. If the group is up for it, ask about booking The Loop — the reversible 18-hole routing that plays in the opposite direction using the same greens and tees. It changes completely.
Arcadia Bluffs — South Course
Doak's inland companion is more strategic and less scenic than the Bluffs, but it earns its #53 ranking through design intelligence rather than views — the routing and green complexes are as good as anything in the Midwest. Afternoon free for the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 20 minutes south.
Bay Harbor Golf Club
Arthur Hills built Bay Harbor on former limestone quarry land above Little Traverse Bay — it plays through three distinct environments (links, quarry, preserve) and offers the best stay-and-play value in the area. Sunset from the Bay Harbor marina is a proper send-off for the trip.
Depart
Drive south from Traverse City. Petoskey and Charlevoix have good lunch stops on the way to the border — most Ontario groups are home by dinner on Day 6.
GROUPS 12+ — Northern Michigan golf trips work best out of a single Traverse City base with a charter van — the courses spread over roughly 60 miles and individual car logistics get complicated quickly. Grand Traverse Resort has group block availability and is the most convenient central location; ask for their golf package rates, which include preferred tee times at several area courses.
BEST MONTHS
Ready to plan Northern Michigan?
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