The Thunder Bay Resort in Hillman is known for its fall and winter elk-viewing sleigh rides, which end at a grand feast inside a hunter's cabin. Summer visits involving golf come recommended, too. Deluxe suites in the lodge are spacious with kitchenettes and a separate living area just a short walk from the clubhouse and restaurant. Villas,…
Ron Otto was the driving force behind the rise of the Garland Lodge & Golf Resort in Lewiston. The former owned built the resort into a golfer's paradise designing all four courses from 1987-1995. Garland, a rare resort where all four courses operate out of one clubhouse, is home to more than 400 beds on property from hotel rooms to three- and…
With 81 holes, Treetops Resort in Gaylord is one of the world's largest resorts and one of the Midwest's finest getaways. Treetops offers 226 guest rooms and suites among five separate locations on property. There's also a spa and 25,000 square feet of meeting space. The six different dining options range from buffets to casual dining serving 17…
The Otsego Club, which started out as Michigan's first private ski club, is made up of four different lodges, totaling 68 rooms, and chalets. The Bavarian-themed resort offers 36 holes at The Classic and The Tribute, designed by Rick Robbins and Gary Koch. At the heart of the resort is the award-winning Duck Blind Grille, which overlooks the…
Pine Cone Vacations is a series of rental homes, condos and chalets spread through the Michaywe community. Guests will have access to the community's outdoor pools and the restaurants Inn The Woods at the golf clubhouse. Michaywe Pines offers a classic layout that's fun to play for all ages and skill levels. It's much flatter than most of…
Not everybody realizes that the Black Lake Conference Center - also known as the Walter and May Reuther UAW Family Education Center owned by the United Auto Workers - is open to the general public. It was built in the 1970s on roughly 1,000 acres of remote, idyllic property in northern Michigan. Accommodations range from 228 rooms in the Lodge to…
The Loon Golf Resort has grown to include a second location in Gaylord: The Ridge, formerly the Marsh Ridge Golf Resort. The Loon offers a townhome village with four-bedroom/four-bathroom units with full kitchens just steps from the clubhouse restaurant and the course. The Ridge is more versatile with hotel-style rooms, suites and free-standing…
Gaylord is situated at the center of the northern Lower Peninsula, putting the city in the heart of northern Michigan and its scenic beauty. The area's shimmering lakes and flowing rivers were sculpted by glaciers millions of years ago and are now surrounded by beautiful, mature forests and lush valleys.
Convenience has always been king at Garland Lodge & Golf Resort in northern Michigan. Everything is centrally located. Golfers simply pull into the parking lot and never have to leave. Still, as good as everything else is, golf is the ultimate draw.
The Threetops Course at Treetops Resort in Gaylord, Mich. is once again primed to host a national event. Treetops has launched a new two-person team event called the National Par 3 Team Championship. Qualifying runs until Sept. 11.
Black Lake Golf Club is one of the more remote must-play courses in northern Michigan. Tucked in tiny Onaway -- within 30 minutes of the tip of the Lower Peninsula -- Rees Jones made the journey well worth it.
Summer golf is grand in Michigan, but fall might be the best time to tee it up. The courses are more affordable with fall rates kicking in. You can play some top 100-type courses for half the price you'd pay in summer. The courses are less crowded, too.
For sheer convenience and depth of quality courses, no summer vacation destination beats the Gaylord Golf Mecca in northern Michigan, a golf hub unlike any other in the Midwest. Native son Jason Scott Deegan offers his list of the 10 best golf courses in Gaylord. Drum roll, please ...
Other than missing a handful of big-timers, northern Michigan features a list of golf course designers as good as any destination in the country. All the usual suspects who dominate top 100 lists are well represented. But what are the best of the best? Jason Scott Deegan offers up northern Michigan's 10 best "designer" golf courses.
With 17 courses in the Gaylord Golf Mecca, getting a good deal is never a concern. There are price points in all ranges. In fact, a three-day golf trip spending $200 or less on green fees can be done even in high season.
Golf in Michigan is arguably the best in the nation. If you're making your way to the Gaylord Golf Mecca for the first time, here are six (and a half) must-plays to get you acclimated.
The Tribute Course at the Otsego Club in Gaylord, Mich. runs up and down and around the Sturgeon River Valley, with plenty of panoramic views off the tees and natural forest framing the holes. With four to six tee boxes on every hole, the Tribute plays to all levels, but is a stiff test from the tips. Nearly every tee is elevated, and some offer views of more than 30 miles.
Black Lake Golf Club in Onaway, the first course designed by Rees Jones in northern Michigan, is set amid 1,000 heavily forested acres next to Black Lake, one of the state's largest inland lakes. The course spans 7,030 yards and is undoubtedly one of Jones' best original designs. With plenty of wetlands, a variety of bunkers, large greens and doglegs through the forest, the course is interesting and challenging.