The Inn at Bay Harbor

Go there for twilight rates and play the links! Best golf in the state

We had a great time playing The Preserve. Friendly staff from beginning to end. We cant wait to come back. We are locals so we will definitely play Bay Harbor again. Visit Nick at the bar, he is alot of fun and a great Bartender.

Links/Quarry was a staple in our up-north Boyne Highlands annual excursion for many years, but not at all in the last 7 - it's a pleasure to be back. The views and vistas are fantastic and the course is challenging and lots of fun to play.

This was a nice course. Friendly for us as intermediate players. A restaurant /bar would be a nice addition. Also, we never saw the crooked tree. Where is it?

Can't beat the amazing views and immaculate course! Challenging but fair and one of the most beautiful courses/places I've ever seen. Can't wait to play Links course when I come back.

One of the more reasonably priced Up North resort courses. Some wild greens on this course, one of my favorite art Hills courses.

No golf trip to Northern Michigan is complete without a visit to Boyne Resorts near Petoskey, MI. In my mind, no other Michigan golf resort offers the variety of golf courses that Boyne has. Golfers have the opportunity to play ten uniquely different golf courses; stay in a variety of accommodations designed to meet anyone’s needs and dine at some incredible restaurants.

Recently, I was able to play several courses in the Boyne Resorts lineup including one I’ve always wanted to play, Crooked Tree. After many attempts to work Crooked Tree Golf Club into my rotation, I finally succeeded, and rest assured, I was not disappointed! Crooked Tree is situated on bluffs high above Little Traverse Bay. The front nine winds its way through centuries-old stands of hardwood trees which lead to well-manicured, undulating greens. You’ll find significant elevation changes from tee to green with the first four holes playing from well-elevated tee boxes. Some tee shots require a modest carry over marshlands onto wide, receptive fairways. The views of Little Traverse Bay and Lake Michigan make Crooked Tree one of the most photographed golf courses in the state. The 4th hole is handicapped #1 for men. From the Blue Tees, the hole measures 381 yards, so the length is not a big concern. The key to conquering this hole is all in the tee shot, you need to play something that finds the short grass and leaves a direct shot into the green. The fairway bunkers on either side come into play regularly and create a very narrow landing area between them. If you find yourself stymied behind one of the grass mounds in the left bunker, good luck! Pin placement dictates where you want to be in the fairway; the general rule is that with a left pin, you want to be on the right side and vice versa. Trees on either side near the green come into play as well; finding your ball may be the least of your problems! Par is a great score!

Boyne continues to reinvest in the infrastructure of their golf courses which will pay huge dividends down the road and have an immediate impact on their golf courses. For example, work was recently completed on the Central Irrigation installation on Donald Ross Memorial and Arthur Hills courses. This new system can be controlled remotely and is significantly more efficient. There were also upgrades to the pump houses and irrigation systems on several other courses and a brand new system that services The Heather and The Moor courses.

Other improvements include over five miles of new cart path on The Heather, Arthur Hills, and Donald Ross Memorial golf courses, and taking measures to speed up play on a couple of courses.

Perhaps the biggest news at Boyne this year is that during the summer of 2023, construction began on the Ray Hearn completely redesigned nine-hole short course which will be routed across a sloping site set among fescue grasses. Hole length will range from 8 to 120 yards. “Hearn will be recreating nine of his favorite greens from Scotland, Ireland, and England. With no formal tees golfers will have the opportunity to put tees anywhere they want so they can play shots from different lies and angles.

No golf trip to Northern Michigan is complete without a visit to Boyne Resorts near Petoskey, MI. In my mind, no other Michigan golf resort offers the variety of golf courses that Boyne has. Golfers have the opportunity to play ten uniquely different golf courses; stay in a variety of accommodations designed to meet anyone’s needs and dine at some incredible restaurants.

Recently, I was able to play several courses in the Boyne Resorts lineup including my favorite course, Bay Harbor. Bay Harbor may well be the crown jewel of the Boyne courses. This Arthur Hills masterpiece offers 27 holes that can be played as 3 challenging and scenic 18-hole championship courses. The design, quality, and playing conditions on each layout are consistent but each course is truly unique. Stunning views of Lake Michigan played a major influence in the design of Bay Harbor Golf Club with each course having at least one impressive view of the bay as you play.

The Links/Quarry combination is the most popular and closely follows the rugged coastline, highlighting the magnificence of Lake Michigan and the existing quarry that was preserved to give the layout a dramatic finish. The Links Nine lives up to its name and is situated on the shoreline of Lake Michigan. Move inland for a few holes and you’ll encounter windswept dunes and huge bluffs. This is Arthur Hills at his best, creating a golf course with unique topography that fits seamlessly into its natural surroundings.

The Quarry Nine is situated in, around, and through a massive shale quarry and features 40-foot gorges, stone cliffs, mountain ponds, and a peaceful waterfall. The course requires strategically placed tee shots and well-executed approaches with a few risk-reward opportunities thrown in.

Although it may not get the notoriety of its sister courses, The Preserve is a members' favorite. Maybe it’s because of the way it meanders through native wetlands filled with a multitude of wildlife or the way it weaves the lush grasses and native wildflowers into the scenery of the golf course. Or maybe it’s because the tranquil sounds of golf are interrupted only by the sound of waves crashing along the Lake Michigan shoreline. For me, it’s the finishing hole, a par 3 with a large green that slopes to the left and funnels balls on the right side down to the hole.

Boyne continues to reinvest in the infrastructure of their golf courses which will pay huge dividends down the road and have an immediate impact on their golf courses. For example, work was recently completed on the Central Irrigation installation on Donald Ross Memorial and Arthur Hills courses. This new system can be controlled remotely and is significantly more efficient. There were also upgrades to the pump houses and irrigation systems on several other courses and a brand new system that services The Heather and The Moor courses.

Other improvements include over five miles of new cart path on The Heather, Arthur Hills, and Donald Ross Memorial golf courses, and taking measures to speed up play on a couple of courses.

Perhaps the biggest news at Boyne this year is that during the summer of 2023, construction began on the Ray Hearn completely redesigned nine-hole short course which will be routed across a sloping site set among fescue grasses. Hole length will range from 8 to 120 yards. “Hearn will be recreating nine of his favorite greens from Scotland, Ireland, and England. With no formal tees golfers will have the opportunity to put tees anywhere they want so they can play shots from different lies and angles.

Mighty Lake Michigan has its share of bordering golf courses. That list is understandably topped by Whistling Straits’ two layouts and the original Arcadia Bluffs 18, but Bay Harbor should not be overlooked, with two of its three nines supplying plenty of arresting water views. Draped on an up-and-down parcel of land and incorporated into a housing development, some holes are a little on the fiddly/narrow side, but not onerously so, at least as long as the wind isn’t howling.

The Quarry nine is the highlight here, with a run of holes that reminded me of some of Mike Strantz’s work – a compliment to Bay Harbor architect Arthur Hills. Greens wedged between ponds and rock formations make for some thrilling set-piece shots.

Bay Harbor’s clubhouse is excellent and well worth lingering in for a drink. You can even heckle the groups behind you from the deck perched high above Quarry #9 green.

The only major question mark around Bay Harbor is its green fee, which can surge past $440 at peak summer times. Incorporating a round into a stay-and-play package can take s good bit of the sting off the cost, though.

Crooked Tree needs to be on your must-play MI courses. From the views of Lake Michigan, the views around the course, the playability, and the staff, this is a true gem. From setting my tee time up, to after my round, everything was seamless. Personally, I would rank it up there with Arcadia in terms of views and overall feel.

The course is challenging but not hard, where you need to plan your way to the green but to me, that makes it fun to play. It is a course where various skill levels are welcome. In fact, the course is so spacious feeling you feel like you have it all to yourself.

As I stated above, this is a must-play MI course. I am already planning my next round this fall to take advantage of the stunning views and fall colors.

Despite all the ups and downs of the terrain, the course played reasonable. There were a few holes, if you hadn't played it before, you definitely got penalized, however, the GPS cart helps a lot with that scenario. My wife really liked the course as it was not to long like so many courses we play. I'm a 72 year old senior and I've had to move up to the old man tees and I could reach most of the par 4's and all the par 5's, which is rare on many layouts.

You won’t beat the views on this course! And the conditions were great! My only complaint was the driving range was closed, so we could not warm up. But other than that it was a great experience!