Lakewood Shores Golf Resort

The Gailes at Lakewood Shores is a great design but has not been taken care of. It is in poor condition. The rough is all weeds and the bunkers are not maintained. This is the first golf resort that I have ever been at where there are no people to help you with your clubs. We had to carry our clubs from the car to the golf cart and when finished, we had to take them off the cart and carry them to the car. Pro shop people were not friendly or helpful. I will say that John, the manager of reservations was great. Without him we would have left after the first day.

Lakewood Shores Resort is ideal for a value golf binge for Metro-Detroiters looking for a great long weekend with a handful of courses all offering a little bit of a different style compared to one another. The Gailes Course came to fame as a replica links course in the early 1990s and has earned regular Top 100 acclaim since.

But I must be honest, when you consider the great strides links-inspired golf design has taken in the U.S. in the last two decades (thanks largely to folks like Doak, Coore-Crenshaw, Devries, Kidd, etc.), the Gailes falls a step back. It's fairways and greens are bent, while a true links is fescue. It really doesn't play like a links course, instead it's rather soft.

For me, northern MIchigan golf is all about rolling hills, tree-lined fairways a little water and great value. Why try to be something you're not when what you have to begin with is pretty darn good?

A true scottish experience. I swear you hear bag pipes when you walk on the course. Perfect flat tees with "back cut" fairway bunkers...you can not see the bunkers from the tee box...use a yardage book from the pro shop. And, bring a lot of golf balls as you're in the fairwar or heather. If you got what it takes, you'll love this course as I do!!!