The Chief

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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!

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"

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.

Very slow carpet greens but well manicured. Fun elevation changes and a nice overall course. Good luck walking this course however...

Great course, forget how neat it was. #1, #5, #10, #11 all ravine/carry drives. #4 and #16 are spectacular. Some of course is tight, about 1/2.
Might be best deal in N Michigan?

Lots of hills not a course to walk if you are a average golfer plan to lose some balls.

very difficult course, with some strange holes. Play was Slow. Large stones in sand traps damaged clubs. There are numerous courses nearby that I will play instead of this one

When we arrived at 3:30, the course had an event earlier in the day that went longer than they anticipated - there was no carts available for a few minutes. We went to the first hole only to be behind a bachelor party of 16 boys, I emphasize boys because they were acting like boys. Hooting, whistling, smoking cigars & cigarettes, apparently had been drinking for awhile. After them, there were another foursome waiting. No starter anywhere. We decided not to wait for the entire 16 boys to finish, then the other 4 - we almost turned around & left but started at the 4th hole instead. The tee boxes were hacked to heck, there were even potholes on the fairway.

beautiful location, small greens, lots of elevation changes for approach shots, scary cart path driving and a lot of fun. the course beat me up but I'm not a great golfer.

Awesome layout! One of the best in the area. Hawk's Eye beauty but more narrow! Take the rocks out of the bunkers (?sand) and add hole descriptions on the cart and would be 5 stars. Can leave driver in bag on many holes, even from the tips. Rivals Dunmaglas as one of area's toughest tests.

sprinklers on with standing water on greens.
Pretty course with lots of hills and long distances between holes