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Rating Index Rating
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4.6
220 Reviews (220)
5 Stars
118
4 Stars
74
3 Stars
21
2 Stars
7
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.6
Value
4.5
Layout
4.4
Friendliness
4.7
Pace
4.6
Amenities
4.3
90.7%
Recommend this course
192 out of 220 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.7
7 Reviews (7)
5 Stars
5
4 Stars
2
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.9
Value
4.9
Layout
4.9
Pace
5.0
Amenities
4.8
StaffFriendliness
4.9
100.0%
Recommend this course
7 out of 7 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.6
32 Reviews (32)
5 Stars
23
4 Stars
6
3 Stars
3
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.7
Value
4.5
Layout
4.5
Pace
4.5
Amenities
4.5
StaffFriendliness
4.8
90.6%
Recommend this course
29 out of 32 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
The Chief delivers a challenging, scenic layout with well-maintained fairways and greens that consistently impress recent golfers. A brand-new clubhouse featuring Trackman simulators and a welcoming staff elevate the overall experience.

About

Holes 18
Type Public/Resort
Par 71
Length 6482 yards
Slope 145
Rating 72.3

The Chief Golf Course, nicknamed the Spirit of the North, is one of northern Michigan's premier courses. The championship course tumbles across rolling hills, providing dramatic elevation changes throughout. If you're a fan of mountain golf then this is the golf course for you. By far the toughest challenge golfers will face is the carefully sculpted mounding that borders most of the greensides. The mounds can create difficult angles for pitching and chipping. There are also a slew of strategically placed bunkers throughout. Strong mid and short iron play is important since accurate approaches are the key to this course. The unique design definitely makes it a course for shot-makers. The layout finishes with one of its most challenging holes, a par 4 with water to the left and bunkers and mounding to the right.

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The Chief Golf Resort
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Course Details

Year Built 1996
Fairways Bent Grass
Greens Bent Grass
Golf Season April - November
Architect John F. Robinson (1996)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Caddies No
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted Visa, MC, AMEX, Discover card(s) Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed No
Dress code No Swimwear or Beach Attire

Food & Beverage

Bar, Grill, Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse
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Reviews

4.6
220 Reviews (220)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 6
Course Challenges Include:
Elevation Changes 15
Forced Carries 15
Bunkers 14
This course/club is great for:
Advanced Golfers 13
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 10
A Weekend Splurge 7
This Course's Location is:
Worth the Drive 9
At a Resort 8

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 17
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

staff are great folks

Nice layout. Every hole has character. Challenging but lots of fun. Check the gas tank. Hole 10 is quite a distance from the clubhouse and Hole 11 is a country mile from there. Definitely taking on the Chief again.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Fun Course

This is a course to have fun on! Very challenging, beautiful, and super fun course. Not a boring hole on the entire course.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 59
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Not for the beginner

Course was in very good condition -- greens were slow but true. For the low to mid handicap players, this course would be a gem and a challenge. Not for the faint of heart or high handicappers. Some very scenic holes.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 15
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Average weather
Used cart

Come and take a beating

Unless you are a STEADY lower handicapper, say under 13, you will find The Chief will scalp you. This is tougher than Pebble Beach, Bay Harbor or the nearby Hawks Eye ( which isn't easy).

I don't need the abuse, not a replay for meas a 17 handicap index and an erratic player.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Fair weather
Used cart

This course has some beautiful views

It is a challenging course for women, lots of hidden holes, when you play the first time if you can, ride up the fairway and take a look where to place your next shot. There is no easy shot to the green, lots of deep bunkers.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Must Play

Each hole was fun, conditions fantastic. The food was great!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Nice course but difficult

It was a nice course but fairly difficult. We were a twosome playing with a lot of foursomes which held up our pace of play. We only saw the food cart once and it was not well stocked. Nothing at the turn except pop vending machines. Bag drop service was subpar we've been ro less caliber courses that have better bag drop/first hole service. It was our first time playing rhe course so when we asked the girl at bag drop wher hole 1 was she pointed in a direction and said its up there.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 10
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Very tough

The course is beautiful however the immense number if blind shots detracts from its overall appeal. It's value is tremendous however if you don't bring your A game you may be very frustrated and will definitely not leave with as many balls as you came with.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

Tough course if you haven't played it before...

Played the Chief as part of our annual golf trip to Michigan. What made the course tough for me was not knowing where to be off the tee. Drove the ball well but put it in some bad spots from lack of course knowledge. It is target golf. Some greens are small so your yardages need to be pretty accurate to score well. We had several guys shoot anywhere from 75 to 91. The greens seemed slow due to not being cut that morning. We stayed in the cottages on the 5th hole and the pin locations hadn't been changed since we were there. We also had an 8am tee time and the course staff weren't ready for us when we arrived. Carts were still locked up. I was also a little disappointed that after paying for the golf package they still charge you for range balls to warm up with.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

This is a very scenic and quiet golf course.

This is a links type course and we needed to read the score card on most holes to decide how to hit each shot. Very challenging when considering the elevation changes which make it so scenic.
This is our first time playing this course.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Play this course!

We played an 18 hole scramble as part of our family reunion after hearing about The Chief from a local. Wow it was awesome! The pace was good and the layout very picturesque. The drives from tee to tee were sometimes lengthy and calming. On many holes, you never really could see the other holes which is quite unique. Bring a lot of balls...lots of woods, ravines, and grassy hillsides. We played with about 10 of us and to a man we all agreed that the course was very nice and that we would come back for another round.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Extremely challenging

Many,many blind shots made club selection and direction too difficult. Many times I could not have seen if there were any if fairway or even green when I was hitting. There was an unusually high number of forced carries.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

The Chief

Excellent value! Friendly staff. They were waiting for us, " you must be the 8:00 group" with a smile!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 9
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Best valiue in Northern Michigan

Very difficult course. Every hole had it's unique challenges. Course layout was spectacular. It was a true value.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Elevation& Beauty

The Elevation changes with the awesome views and the Excellent shape of the entire course makes this a Must Play in Northern Michigan. Ive only been on one course that matches or exceeds the beauty of this course which was the Reflections at Garland. This course has quickly become one of my Favorites.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 15-19
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Good weather
Used cart

Tough Course!

I'm a 16 handicap player and this course was too difficult to be fun. Too many blind shots, large bunkers which discourages people from raking, and course does not seem to flow well. Greens were nice but a wee bit slow. Staff was friendly and helpful. Dinner at Pelican's Nest after golf was delicious.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

This course has been well taken care of.

I have played Hawks Eye as well, and both of these courses are an excellent bang for your buck.
A "must" in Northern Michigan.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 9
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

Beautiful "Up North" golf!

Great conditions other than the bunkers...most should be played as waste areas...not the greatest sand! Saw deer, turkey's, woodpeckers and other asserted wildlife....nice!

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Glad I brought extra balls

Condition was very nice... But using your driver ... Well , leave that at home. The hills are nice for the first hole or two..... Then if your not a pro the balls n drops start to add up$
I only lost 5 balls total... My friend lost 20... Did not have a good time to say the least :(
If u are looking for a challenge ... This is for you"

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Friendliness Average
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 449
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Illinois Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Chief was in the best shape in several years

Very challenging track which is always worth a play. Course is in the best shape it's been in several years....the last couple of years overall The Chief was in very rough shape but this year greens/traps and fairways were great!! Kudo's to the owner as he is maintaining this challenge and also making some smart changes/improvements to assist with playability. High handicappers will run up a huge score on this course. Play the forward tees so you can enjoy your day rather than beating yourself up. Gold forward tees still have a 132 slope which is more than plenty.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
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Golf Packages

Shanty Creek Stay & Play Package

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BELLAIRE | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Shanty Creek's Lakeview Hotel or Lodge of Cedar River and golf at Shanty Creek - Cedar River, Hawk's Eye, Legend, Schuss, or Summit Courses.

Destination Kohler - Champions' Trail Golf Package

FROM $617 (USD)
KOHLER, WI | Enjoy 2 nights’ accommodations at The American Club or the Inn at Woodlake and 3 rounds of golf at Blackwolf Run (River or Meadow Valleys Course) and Whistling Straits (Straits or Irish Course)

Destination Kohler - To Dye Four Golf Package

FROM $557 (USD)
KOHLER, WI | Enjoy 3 nights’ accommodations at The American Club or the Inn on Woodlake and 4 rounds of golf at Blackwolf Run (River & Meadow Valley Courses) and Whistling Straits (Straits & Irish Courses).
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