Golf. Photo by Academiagolf, Pixabay.
By Gail Tooley
Every Tuesday, weather permitting, you’ll find me on the links, participating in a “senior rotator” league ⸺ senior by age and rotating the courses each week. With one exception, I’ve played the courses listed here. All offer public play and are placed in three categories: Resort, 18 holes and 9 holes.
Resort Courses. Qualifications for a “resort course” are 36 holes of play, a practice area, a restaurant, and a bar and lodging.
Crystal Mountain, 12500 Crystal Mountain Dr., Thompsonville, crystalmountain.com. Pro Shop: (231) 378-3914. Front Desk, Lodging/Dining: (231) 378-2000. Number of holes: 36. Courses: Betsie Valley and Mountain Ridge
Highlights: Golf School, Spa, Children’s activities, Michigan Legacy Art Park
Special Rates: Midweek Players Pass, Monday Madness, Golf/lodging packages
Player’s commentary: These courses are always well maintained, with a nice mix of elevations, sand traps and water hazards. Betsie Valley is the workhorse course; Mountain Ridge is the attraction course. As conferred by their names, Betsie Valley includes more open fairways, while Mountain Ridge has steeper elevation changes and is more challenging. Pace of play is reasonable for an experienced golfer. I’ve enjoyed good food and drink in both the bar (Wild Tomato, Inn at the Mountain) and the restaurant (Thistle Pub & Grille). Crystal Mountain also has a spa for those inclined to work out the kinks after a day on the links.
Arcadia Bluffs, 17410 Northwood Hwy. (M-22), Arcadia, arcadiabluffs.com. Pro Shop: (800) 494-8666. Lodging: (800) 494-8666. Dining at The Restaurant at Arcadia Bluffs: (231) 889-3009. Main dining room has a dress code. Lakeview Bar and Room is more for the après golf scene. Dining at The Restaurant at the South Course: (231) 889-7707, Number of holes: 18 at The Bluffs, 18 at The South Course
Highlights: Drinks in the Adirondack chairs overlooking Lake Michigan (The Bluffs). Complimentary airport shuttle service for lodging guests. Practice range, short-game facility, Senior tees, GPS-enabled carts or caddies.
Special Rates: Senior Tuesday, Ladies Wednesday, Twilight All-You-Can-Hit Practice Area. Lodging with golf “add-on” rates.
Player’s commentary: The Bluffs Course is a bucket-list destination experience for golf fanatics, domestic and foreign. This course is most often compared to those of Ireland or Scotland, mostly because of the dune grass rough areas. (Also, Big Water views.) So, if you play safely in the fairway, you’ll have an enjoyable round. The red tees make this quite possible, BUT if you end up in the dune grass rough it may be difficult to get it back to fairway play. Also, beware when a course terms their sand traps “bunkers” and provides ladders to safely access your ball. Many times, playing “back” is the only option to get out. The pace of play is strictly enforced, with warnings to speed-up play coming over your in-cart screen and enforced by the very active rangers. With tee times set every 8 minutes, the ranger’s job is to keep the balls (and players) moving. As a result of the maxed-out booking schedule, this course is inclined to show a bit of wear-and-tear by midsummer. Nonetheless, this course is fun, challenging, breathtaking and definitely worth doing!
Arcadia Bluffs – The South Course. Located south of The Bluffs, at 13637 Northwood Dr. (M-22), with a Bear Lake mailing address. Built to provide the additional 18 holes to make resort status, this is the workhorse course to The Bluffs’ attraction status. Or, as the website states: “…the goal is to capture the simplistic nature of the courses from the early days of golf.” What it lacks in standout Lake Michigan views, The South Course makes up in play-ability. You’ll find a more relaxed pace of play, less rough roughs, and sand traps more likely than bunkers. Still a challenging course, however. A more laid-back feel than The Bluffs ⸺ even when visiting the bar and restaurant, where you are likely to find golfers and locals rather than the well-dressed resort crowd.
Manistee National Golf & Resort, 4797 Grant Hwy. (US-31), Manistee, manisteenational.com. Pro Shop/Lodging/Dining: (231) 398-0123. Number of holes: 36. The Retreat (formerly Cant-Hooke Valley) and The Revenge (formerly Cutter’s Ridge).
Highlights: Golf School, Driving Range, Putting Greens
Special Rates: Twilight, Junior, Senior, and Replay after 18
Player’s commentary: The Retreat is the workhorse course and the first course where I ever participated in league play. This is a very nice players’ course where repeated play leads to a lower score. Despite the volume of players, greens and fairways are always in good condition, and pace of play and enforcement depend on the number of players on the course.
New owners took over management of the courses three years ago. Their primary goal: getting the courses back to their designated configurations. This entailed brush and tree removal to increase air flow, which also reduced the “bugginess” factor, especially in still low-lying areas. Drainage was improved and some sand traps added. One golfer friend says they did this to speed the pace of play. If your ball is in the trap, you are not spending time looking for it in the woods. The added traps are very playable, and sand is part of the game!
The Revenge is the attraction course, both woodsy and wetlands. The new owners have improved the playability of this course by adding bathrooms and a concession stand at the driving range, as you turn from the front nine to the back nine area.
The dining and bar areas (The Grille and The Lounge) have nice indoor/outdoor seating (well before COVID-19), and there’s a tent for events, tournaments or overflow seating. Expect good menu choices and usually a Michigan beer on tap.
18-Hole Courses
This section starts with an obituary. After rumors circulated for more than three years, news is The Heathlands in Onekama has been/will be sold to Consumers Energy and is closed to all golfers. This saddens me, as it was my home course. Its closure forces players to choose other courses.
Wolf River Golf Park (formerly) Bear Lake Highlands, 11685 Chippewa Hwy. (US-31), Bear Lake, https://www.wolfrivergolfpark.com, Pro Shop: (231) 398-3980. Number of holes: 18
Highlights: Pretty ponds, shade trees, forested boundaries, Bear Lake view
Special Rates: Twilight, Juniors Daily, Children under 10 play free with a paid round. Season passes.
Player’s commentary: When it was Bear Lake Highlands, the front nine was fairly open with a good mix of water and sand. There was a lovely view of Bear Lake from the T Box on hole number 9 … a good place to reflect on Northwest Michigan’s golf bounty. The back nine encompassed more dog-legged layouts. All the par 3 holes were deceptive and tricky. Overall, a good player’s course! Some serious course re-working was accomplished in the fall of 2021. Enjoy the renovated course and don’t forget the grab-and-go hot dogs and snacks in the Pro Shop.
Manistee Golf & Country Club, 500 Cherry Street, Manistee, manisteegolfandcc.com. Pro Shop/Dining at Knickers Pub: (231) 723-2509. Number of holes: 18
Highlights: Lake Michigan views, established 1901
Special Rates: Weekday, Twilight, Sunset, Junior
Player’s commentary: The layout of this course offers several holes with a view of Lake Michigan. The fairways appear deceptively simple, but repeated play on this course makes me believe they are actually domed, graded to slope down from either side of center. There are only a couple holes with water hazards, but the one on the front nine (#5) seems to have a magnetic draw for your ball. This is also true for the road holes (#7, #8) along Cherry Street. All can be avoided if you keep the slice out of your drive! The back nine has more elevation, since the holes are cut around the sand dunes along the Lake Michigan shore. Created in the 1900s, this is truly Manistee County’s heirloom course. A club dress code for players bans cut-offs, and collared shirts are preferred. Après golf in Knicker’s Pub offers a nice variety of grab-and-go, turn-the-corner food choices or sit-down fare with some tasty specials. Non-members ordering alcoholic beverages must purchase a $5 Social Membership first.
The 9-Hole Course.
Smaller courses can be friendlier but just as challenging, and sometimes offer perks the larger ones are too busy to add.
Fawn Crest Golf Course, 553 Seaman Road, Wellston, fawncrestgolf.com. Pro Shop: (231) 848-4174 Number of holes: 9
Highlights: Surrounded by Manistee National Forest, True Family-Friendly Recreational Course.
Special Rates: Twilight, Senior, Veteran and Youth
Player’s commentary: I haven’t played here, but after hearing praise and testimonials from others, I intend to give this course a try! Hearsay: the course is enjoyed by experienced golfers as well as family groups and learners. There is a snack bar, and you’re allowed to bring a cooler. On holidays, they often fire up the grill for hot dogs. I’m told they’re working on putting together a couple of scramble leagues.
Wherever you choose to play this season, I hope this overview will help you select a course suited to your group’s level of play. Everyone is expecting a busy golf season, so call ahead, make a time, be on time and be ready.
Enjoy, and … PLAY GOLF!
Gail Tooley is a self-described “well-educated boat bum.” After spending years down island, she is happy to be home in Onekama and enjoying golf, tennis, tai chi on the beach, walking her dog Lincoln and gardening.
Read about other area sports:
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Nordic skiing: an ode to Michigan winters
Pine River rafting offers wintry wonders
Snowshoeing hikes for all
Dropping in on a ‘snurfer’
Two sports: enthusiasm drives exponential growth
Grooming new nordic skiers
Over the (ski) hill
