The Cedar River at Shanty Creek
About
Shanty Creek in Bellaire is one of northern Michigan's most popular golfing destinations, offering 72 holes of championship golf. The Cedar River Course was Tom Weiskopf's first design in Michigan. It has been ranked as one of the top 100 resort golf courses in the country. The layout closely follows the natural contours of the landscape, providing a wealth of unique shot opportunities. The dramatic elevation changes define the traditional layout, which gives an excellent rhythm to the course. The course will appeal to low and high handicappers alike offering a mix of generous landing areas and ones that require accurate tee shots and approaches. The 13th and 14th holes are quite unique and located in the most scenic section of the golf course. They play across rolling hills framed by tall heather and fescue as well as strategically placed bunkers and trees.
| Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 72 | 6980 yards | 73.2 | 135 |
| Blue | 72 | 6530 yards | 70.9 | 131 |
| White | 72 | 5965 yards | 68.5 | 124 |
| White (W) | 72 | 5965 yards | 74.5 | 136 |
| Silver | 72 | 5397 yards | 66.0 | 116 |
| Red | 72 | 5315 yards | 70.3 | 121 |
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black M: 74.0/138 | 458 | 396 | 581 | 190 | 442 | 357 | 425 | 202 | 559 | 3610 | 532 | 206 | 465 | 297 | 163 | 518 | 401 | 184 | 604 | 3370 | 6980 |
| Blue M: 71.7/134 W: 77.9/144 | 427 | 372 | 553 | 170 | 418 | 341 | 383 | 176 | 537 | 3377 | 510 | 183 | 421 | 285 | 144 | 490 | 375 | 164 | 581 | 3153 | 6530 |
| Blue/White M: 70.5/131 W: 76.5/141 | 388 | 372 | 553 | 148 | 390 | 341 | 325 | 149 | 537 | 3203 | 510 | 151 | 391 | 285 | 144 | 490 | 343 | 147 | 581 | 3042 | 6245 |
| White M: 69.4/127 W: 75.0/138 | 388 | 350 | 508 | 148 | 390 | 317 | 325 | 149 | 495 | 3070 | 474 | 151 | 391 | 272 | 144 | 455 | 343 | 147 | 518 | 2895 | 5965 |
| White/Silver M: 67.9/124 W: 73.4/133 | 338 | 333 | 508 | 125 | 352 | 317 | 325 | 126 | 495 | 2919 | 474 | 128 | 357 | 272 | 135 | 455 | 309 | 118 | 518 | 2766 | 5685 |
| Silver M: 66.6/120 W: 71.5/128 | 338 | 333 | 440 | 125 | 352 | 273 | 320 | 126 | 444 | 2751 | 441 | 128 | 357 | 265 | 135 | 396 | 309 | 118 | 497 | 2646 | 5397 |
| Red M: 66.0/117 W: 70.7/126 | 333 | 330 | 435 | 121 | 346 | 269 | 316 | 122 | 439 | 2711 | 437 | 124 | 352 | 260 | 131 | 391 | 304 | 114 | 491 | 2604 | 5315 |
| Handicap | 7 | 11 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 17 | 9 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 16 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 4 | |||
| Par | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
No Hot Deals for this date.
No Hot Deals for this date.
No Hot Deals for this date.
No Hot Deals for this date.
No Hot Deals for this date.
Course Details
Rentals/Services
Practice/Instruction
Policies
Food & Beverage
RestaurantAvailable Facilities
Clubhouse, Meeting Facilities, Banquet Facilities, SpaAvailable Sports
FitnessAccolades
Reviews
Reviewer Photos
-
Photo submitted by Ritzie89 on 10/03/2023
-
Photo submitted by Ritzie89 on 10/03/2023
-
Photo submitted by Ritzie89 on 10/03/2023
-
Photo submitted by u710191935 on 05/19/2021
-
Photo submitted by u710191935 on 05/19/2021
-
Beautiful fall day at Cedar River # 14 tee. Photo submitted by Tom9431645 on 02/02/2021
-
#9 - Par-5 (Green) Photo submitted by BryanTweed16 on 08/02/2020
-
#5 - Par-4 (Approach) Photo submitted by BryanTweed16 on 08/02/2020
-
#7 - Par-4 Photo submitted by BryanTweed16 on 08/02/2020
-
#12 - Par-4 Photo submitted by BryanTweed16 on 08/02/2020
-
#14 - Par-3 Photo submitted by BryanTweed16 on 08/02/2020
-
#18 - Par-5 (Approach) Photo submitted by BryanTweed16 on 08/02/2020
-
3rd hole fairway Photo submitted by HOTSPOTTS on 06/13/2018
Tough, Fair, and Fun
This is a must play when you are in Northern MI. The course layout is excellent and challenging - especially from the tips - but still fair. The conditions were great. We teed off at 4:40 and were done by 7:30.
Hilly up north course
Very nice "up north" course. Not for beginners.
Cedar River is a Must Play
Outstanding track. This course will not disappoint you or your partners. Challenging but fair layout with large landing areas for drives. Greens roll true and reward well struck putts. Scenic views with the resort feel you desire. Simply put, this course is worth the drive.
So much more to say but just go and play and decide for yourself.
Spring golf
Fair course for average golfer enjoyed our day
View from above
Very nice elevated tee boxes that makes a true test of golf, when played from the blues. Excellent tee boxes and scenery that's worth the drive
The best of the Shanty Creek foursome
Tom Weiskopf's better known Michigan course may be Forest Dunes, but an entirely different beast awaits at his Cedar River design, part of the Shanty Creek Resorts in the lil' golf hotspot of Bellaire. I favor Cedar River by a nose over The Legend, the resort's Palmer design, as well as the other two, older resort courses here. There are some really lovely elevated tee shots, and you can really swing away with a driver on a lot of holes. I'm still trying to figure out the short, par-4 13th, which is totally blind with all sorts of trouble. I'm all for the occasional blind shot but there is so much going on up by the green I really think you need to elevate that tee. Having said that, the course is still a lot of fun with great hole variety. It makes my Top 10 Northern Michigan (public) courses every time.
GLC - Good Looking Course
The weather was cool but the course was in great shape and this was after an overnight rain. Fairways and greens were in very good condition. Rough grass was a little high -- again, after an all night rain. This is a very nice Up North course with scenic views. Fairways are wide enough so no excuses. On the short 13th hole, lay short of the front bunkers or you're in trouble.
Getting Overplayed by Resort Guests
Cedar River is one of my all time faves in Northern Michigan. That being said while the course is in very good shape it's showing some signs of wear and tear (not poor maintenance but by resort guests not repairing/sanding divots or repairing ball marks properly). The Legend was in excellent shape....Cedar was just a tad below. Pace of play was an issue for us because there was a clueless 3 some of 1st timer resort guests a couple of tee times in front of us. A two foursome ladies league actually played around them skipping 10 and 11 and then we were stuck behind them. On the 18th tee as we pulled up one of the resort guests told me they had been waiting all day for the group in front of them. Funny because the entire par 5 18th in front of them was empty. I never miss a round at Cedar - a fantastic Weiskopf design....just too bad the resort guests don't care about taking care of the course and think they are entitled to a 5 hour plus round on a Thursday morning.
This course Is beautiful, challenging with many elevation change, a must play.
Challenging golf course with beautiful up north view.
Last minute
Woke up in gaylord ready to head home. Golf now email offered tee time for 53.00 fire sale. We jumped on it and ended our golf weekend at a great northern michigan course. Course ranks up there with forest dunes, Sundance and Hidden River.
Will for sure be playing at shanty creek resorts Cedar River. TRULY BREATH TAKING!
Not a bad hole on the course! So much fun to play!
Cedar River is in perfect condition from tee to green. Nothing tricky about the greens or the holes. There are few holes (5 and 10) that require the golfer to drive up to see below the hill to understand how best to hit the next shot. All of us thoroughly enjoyed playing the course and would do it again and again.
Great track. Free balls !!
Cedar River is a great course. Despite being stuck behind 3 groups of senior women (which by the way courses should prohibit from happening!), it was an enjoyable day; made better by the free golf balls on hole 7.
Great course
This course is a must play, put this in your top 10... The greens are excellent and putt true, Pleasure to play this work of art.. Thank you "Golf Now" for the incredible rate... Don't forget to pile on the mustard on the turkey wrap... mmmmmmmm
Great moment
Wonderful colours with the trees and the surrounding nature.
Our new favorite Michigan course
Beautiful, well maintained golf course. Presents some challenges, but still very playable. We couldn't wait to get to the next tee for every hole to see what view awaited us. We were not disappointed one time. My husband and I had a wonderful day of golf here.
Beautiful course
This is a challenging course. Ample fairways with nice greens. It's a very picturesque course.
Great Course
Overall great course to play. I'd play it again in a heartbeat.
Cedar River is a solid course which an average golfer can enjoy
After playing The Chief nearby, this course was a relief. It is typical resort golf in Northern Michigan with some refreshing design touches and a couple of oddities. The 13th hole needs to be viewed from the green on backward to the tee before you play it and 18 is 604 yards from the tips. Maintenance was above average. One or two greens differed noticeably in speed from the other 16. I'd recommend it and play it again myself.
My Favorite Shanty course
Cedar River is both challenging and forgiving at the same time. Course conditions were excellent. This is our golf group's favorite Shanty course.