Golf in Michigan
America's most underrated golf state and one of its best value, where the sandy shore of Lake Michigan has produced a coast of superb public courses, from the cliff top drama of Arcadia Bluffs to Tom Doak's reversible Loop and Jack Nicklaus's American Dunes. Add the great private clubs of Crystal Downs and Oakland Hills, and Michigan delivers world class golf through a glorious northern summer. The courses that matter, the regions, the season, costs and how to plan it.
Photograph: Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club, via Google
Why golf in Michigan
No state delivers more golf for the money in a great summer than Michigan, and the reason is the land. The northwest of the Lower Peninsula, along the Lake Michigan shore, sits on free draining sand that plays firm and fast, and over the past few decades it has filled with a remarkable run of public courses. Arcadia Bluffs, perched on bluffs a hundred feet above the lake, is the signature image, and within a short drive sit Tom Weiskopf's Forest Dunes, Tom Doak's reversible Loop, and the resort golf of Bay Harbor and the Boyne empire. It is a genuine golf coast, the closest thing the American Midwest has to a links seaboard.
Beyond the coast, the depth keeps coming. Jack Nicklaus's American Dunes at Grand Haven is among the most talked about new public courses in the country, and the resort hubs of Gaylord and Traverse City pack dozens of good courses into easy reach for a buddies trip. For the connoisseur, Michigan holds two of the finest courses in America, both private: Crystal Downs, the Alister MacKenzie and Perry Maxwell gem near Frankfort, and Oakland Hills South near Detroit, the Donald Ross monster restored by Gil Hanse and a serial major host. The result is a state you can shape into a focused northern golf coast week or a grand tour of public and private greatness.
The regions
The Lake Michigan golf coast
The heart of Michigan golf, the northwest Lower Peninsula from Arcadia and Frankfort up to Traverse City and Petoskey, where sandy shore land has produced Arcadia Bluffs, Crystal Downs, Bay Harbor and the Boyne resort courses. The natural anchor of any trip.
Gaylord and the north
The self styled golf mecca of the north, a cluster of resort courses around Gaylord including the Treetops complex and Otsego Club, designed for high volume buddies golf with stay and play packages and easy course hopping.
Roscommon and central
Inland sand country in the central Lower Peninsula, home to Forest Dunes and Tom Doak's reversible Loop, a destination resort in its own right surrounded by pine forest and firm, fast turf.
Grand Haven and the southwest lakeshore
The western shore south of the golf coast, where Jack Nicklaus's American Dunes at Grand Haven leads a string of lakeside courses within easy reach of Grand Rapids and the Chicago drive.
Detroit and the southeast
The metro Detroit area, home to the great championship private clubs led by Oakland Hills South, the Donald Ross monster and serial U.S. Open and Ryder Cup host, plus a deep field of strong daily fee courses.
The courses that matter
Arcadia Bluffs, Bluffs Course
The signature image of Michigan golf, a dramatic links style course laid out in 1999 along the bluffs high above Lake Michigan near Arcadia, with vast sandy waste areas, fescue and sweeping water views. Among America's best public courses and a must play on any northern trip.
Arcadia Bluffs, South Course
The inland companion to the famous Bluffs course, opened in 2018 as a homage to the classic Chicago Golf Club, with bold square edged bunkers, fast greens and a Golden Age character. A very different but equally rewarding round on the same site.
Forest Dunes
Tom Weiskopf's acclaimed course near Roscommon in the Lower Peninsula, routed through sandy pine forest with the firm, fast playing character of a heathland. Long ranked among the best public courses in the state and the anchor of a fine golf resort.
The Loop at Forest Dunes
Tom Doak's ingenious reversible course alongside Forest Dunes, a single set of fairways and greens played clockwise as the Black and counterclockwise as the Red on alternating days, in tribute to the original Old Course at St Andrews. A genuine one of a kind, and great fun.
American Dunes
Jack Nicklaus's rebuild of a former club at Grand Haven, opened in 2021 as a tribute to fallen servicemen and women, with proceeds supporting the Folds of Honor charity. A bold, sandy, modern layout near the Lake Michigan shore, and one of the most talked about new public courses in the country.
Crystal Downs
One of the greatest courses in America and the equal of anything MacKenzie built, laid out with Perry Maxwell in 1933 on rolling ground between Crystal Lake and Lake Michigan near Frankfort. Famed for its brilliant, subtle greens. A private club and the holy grail of Michigan golf.
Oakland Hills, South Course
The Monster, a Donald Ross course near Detroit restored by Gil Hanse and one of the most storied championship venues in the country, host of multiple U.S. Opens and PGA Championships and the 2004 Ryder Cup. A private members club and the premier course of southeast Michigan.
Bay Harbor
A spectacular 27 hole resort course on the shore of Little Traverse Bay near Petoskey, with holes running along the bluffs and old quarry above Lake Michigan. The cornerstone of the northern golf coast and an easy, scenic addition to a Petoskey or Boyne trip.
Designers, opening years and access verified June 2026 from the courses and leading databases; Crystal Downs and Oakland Hills are private members clubs with limited or no visitor access, and access rules change. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| June to September | Warm, long days, courses at their firm and fast best | Prime time, especially on the northern golf coast; book the marquee public rounds and resort packages ahead |
| May and October | Cooler and less settled, good value, fewer crowds | Strong shoulder windows for value, with a risk of cold snaps early and late |
| Late October to April | Cold and frequently snowbound; most courses closed | Off season, the courses shut down for winter |
Michigan golf is a summer game. The northern courses around Traverse City and Petoskey are at their glorious best in July and August, when the long days and cool evenings make for ideal golf. Plan the headline rounds well in advance, as the prime summer tee times move fast.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Arcadia Bluffs green fee | Premium, indicatively in the region of $150 to $250 and up in peak summer | The marquee public round on the coast; book well ahead and confirm directly |
| The Loop and Forest Dunes | Often around $125 to $185 for The Loop, with stay and play packages | A destination resort; package rates improve the per round cost |
| American Dunes green fee | Premium, with a charitable element supporting Folds of Honor | One of the most sought after new public rounds in the country |
| A northern golf week, all in | Strong value relative to the marquee American destinations | Resort packages around Boyne, Gaylord and Traverse City keep costs honest |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Green fees and resort rates move with season and demand. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
For the northern golf coast, the easiest gateways are Traverse City's Cherry Capital Airport, right in the heart of the action, and Grand Rapids, a couple of hours south, which also serves the Grand Haven and lakeshore courses. Detroit covers Oakland Hills and the southeast, and many visitors from Chicago and the Midwest simply drive up. Distances along the Lower Peninsula are manageable but real, so a Michigan golf trip is built around a hire car: most golfers base on the coast around Traverse City or Petoskey for the headline rounds, then decide whether to add a Forest Dunes or Gaylord leg.
Where to stay
On the coast, base around Traverse City for the widest choice of lodging and dining and easy reach of Arcadia Bluffs and Bay Harbor, or stay on site at Boyne's resorts near Petoskey. For Forest Dunes and The Loop, the on site lodging keeps you steps from the first tee. Gaylord's resorts are built for golf packages and course hopping, and for the southeast, base near Detroit for Oakland Hills and the metro courses. Book the prime summer tee times and rooms together, as they move as one in the short, busy northern season.
Plan your Michigan golf trip
Tell us whether you want a focused Lake Michigan golf coast week or a wider tour taking in Forest Dunes, American Dunes or the Detroit classics, and roughly when. One concierge secures the tee times, sorts the resort and the car, and costs the whole trip to the head, with no obligation.
Michigan golf questions
What are the best golf courses in Michigan?
Crystal Downs near Frankfort, an Alister MacKenzie and Perry Maxwell masterpiece, and Oakland Hills South near Detroit, a Donald Ross course restored by Gil Hanse and a serial U.S. Open host, are the two great private courses. Among the best you can play are Arcadia Bluffs on the Lake Michigan bluffs, Tom Weiskopf's Forest Dunes and Tom Doak's reversible Loop alongside it, and Jack Nicklaus's American Dunes at Grand Haven.
Can the public play the best Michigan courses?
Yes, many of them. Arcadia Bluffs (both the Bluffs and South courses), Forest Dunes and The Loop, American Dunes and the resort courses at Bay Harbor and Boyne are all public or resort access and bookable directly. Crystal Downs and Oakland Hills South are private members clubs reached through a member. Always confirm access and fees directly before booking.
When is the best time to play golf in Michigan?
Michigan golf is a summer game. The season runs roughly May to October, with June through September the prime window, when the northern courses are in superb condition and the days are long. The Lower Peninsula's golf coast around Traverse City and Petoskey is the place to be in high summer. Courses close over the snowbound winter. Spring and autumn offer value but cooler, less reliable weather. Always check the forecast for your dates.
How much does golf cost in Michigan?
It spans a wide range. The marquee public courses such as Arcadia Bluffs and American Dunes sit at the premium end, indicatively in the region of 150 to 250 dollars and up in peak summer, while The Loop and many fine resort and daily fee courses run lower, often 75 to 185 dollars. Resort stay and play packages around Boyne, Gaylord and Traverse City improve the per round cost. Figures move with season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Course openings, ranking shake ups and the booking windows that matter. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, access and seasons verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.