The Homestead

a bit off the beaten path, but well worth the drive. Course plays a bit long, undulating, twisting, very difficult when shooting into prevailing wind. Great views, not crowded, well maintained, wonderful friendly staff. Will definitely play again!

I liked this course. My friend didn't. Maybe because he was not playing as well. We had a wonderful golfnow deal so the price was good. The regular rate is pretty steep. With the name I expected some nice vistas overlooking Lake Michigan, but there aren't any. This course plays through the woods. There is some water, some nice sand and decent undulating greens. The tees showed remarkable wear for this time of year. The fairways are well kept and dry. If you can find a deal this is a nice course. All the carts have GPS and they say they will control your rate of play, so if you are slow and like to ball hawk there might be better options when it is busy. The staff was super friendly and helped make us feel comfortable about some of the elite aspects of the course.

It's not often a northern Michigan resort course goes under the radar, but Manitou Passage, part of The Homestead, seems to get a lot less ink than some of Michigan's famed multi-course resorts.

The result is a smaller, 18-hole club that feels a lot more low key than the bustling resorts shuffling groups off multiple first tees. Since The Homestead took it over (it used to be named King's Challenge named after designer Arnold Palmer) they've made constant strides in course maintenance and service. You can even order beverages and food from their own app.

The course winds pleasantly around the old Sugarloaf Ski Hill, which has been defunct for years. On the back nine, you pass right under an old wooden ski lift and wonder who ever trusted that thing with their children decades ago. But I digress...

The routing features a mix of wooded holes with a few more open and surrounded by heather. The elevated tees are awesome, particularly the par-5 8th which offers a glimpse of Lake Michigan and Manitou Island.

It's certainly one of the best options within minutes of the summer hotbed of Traverse City. And if you stay at The Homestead, enlist in a 1- or 3-day golf camp from the Dave Pelz scoring school.