Northern Michigan is America's quiet golf giant, a sweep of forest, dune and Great Lakes shoreline that holds more top ranked resort courses than almost any state in the country. The trip is a northern loop, from the Lake Michigan bluffs to the reversible Doak course at Forest Dunes. Here is who it suits, the courses to build around, a sample week and indicative 2026 package ranges.
Photograph: Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club, Michigan, via Google
A Michigan golf holiday suits the golfer who wants quality and variety without the price of the famous coasts. The northern half of the state is one of the great undersung golf regions in America, a long belt of resort and daily fee courses running from the Lake Michigan dunes near Arcadia up through the forests around Grayling to the Petoskey and Harbor Springs country in the far north. It works for a buddies four ball chasing a high tee count over a week, for the architecture enthusiast who wants the Weiskopf and Doak designs at Forest Dunes, and for anyone who values big lake scenery, firm summer turf and friendly value.
Build the trip as a touring loop rather than a single resort stay, because the best courses are spread across the north and a hire car turns the drives into part of the pleasure. Fly into Traverse City, the natural gateway, then string together the marquee public courses with a night or two at the larger resorts such as Boyne, which alone offers several layouts on one base. The one fixed point is the season: this is summer and early autumn golf, so plan the trip and lock the peak tee times for the warm months well ahead.
The signature Michigan golf experience, a bold, windswept course laid out high on the bluffs above Lake Michigan with vast views and a links inspired feel. The original Bluffs course is the headliner, ranked among America's greatest public courses, and the newer South course adds a more inland, Chicago Golf Club style companion. A daily fee marquee that anchors any northern trip.
An architecture lover's dream on sandy ground near Roscommon. The original Tom Weiskopf course is a beautifully natural test through the pines, and The Loop is Tom Doak's reversible design, a single set of holes played clockwise as the Black and counterclockwise as the Red, effectively two courses in one. Few places reward a two night stay so completely.
A modern Jack Nicklaus design near Grand Haven on the southwest lakeshore, built on rolling sandy terrain and run in support of the Folds of Honor charity, which provides scholarships to the families of fallen and disabled service members. A moving, beautifully conditioned course with a purpose, and an easy addition to a trip weighted toward the west of the state.
Designers, years and rankings verified June 2026. Green fees and packages are indicative third party figures for the 2026 season and change with demand. Always confirm directly before booking.
Fly into Traverse City, collect the hire car and settle into the cherry country base. An evening on the bay, a first taste of the local wine and a gentle warm up round if time allows.
Drive the lakeshore south to the headline act, the Bluffs course high above Lake Michigan, with the South course an option for a second eighteen for the keen. The grand statement round of the trip.
East to the sandy pines near Roscommon for the Weiskopf course, then the reversible Doak Loop. Stay on site and play the Black one day, the Red the next, two rounds that feel like four.
North to the Petoskey and Harbor Springs country and the Boyne resort, where several courses including the lakeside Bay Harbor sit on one base. A flexible day to play one or two of the north's best.
Add American Dunes near Grand Haven on the way south, swing through the Gaylord golf mecca, or fly home from Traverse City full of dune and forest golf.
Drive times across the northern golf belt are typically forty five minutes to two hours; the trip rewards a car and a relaxed touring pace.
| Style | Per person, 2026 | What it usually includes |
|---|---|---|
| Resort golf week | From around 1,000 to 1,800 dollars | 4 to 5 nights, several rounds at Boyne and the resort courses, lodging |
| Marquee public loop | From around 1,800 to 2,800 dollars | Arcadia Bluffs, Forest Dunes and The Loop, American Dunes, touring lodging |
| Architecture deep dive | From around 2,800 dollars upward | 7 plus nights, the headline designs played twice, full northern circuit |
Indicative third party operator ranges for the 2026 season, excluding flights, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking. Find a northern Michigan base.
Northern Michigan golf is a summer and early autumn pleasure, with the season running roughly from June to early October. Midsummer brings the warmest weather and the busiest tee sheets, while September is the connoisseur's month, with firm turf, the first colour in the hardwoods and easing rates as the crowds thin. The courses close as the cold arrives, so this is not a year round destination. The binding constraint is the short, popular peak: Arcadia Bluffs and Forest Dunes tee times and the northern lodging for July and August are released well ahead and the best dates go early, so start planning a Michigan trip in good time.
We route the northern loop from Traverse City, hold the Arcadia Bluffs and Forest Dunes tee times, and build in the reversible Loop and the Boyne courses without the wasted miles. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
The classic Michigan golf holiday is a northern loop, where the state holds more top ranked resort golf than almost anywhere in the country. Build it around Arcadia Bluffs on the Lake Michigan dunes, the Tom Weiskopf course and Tom Doak's reversible Loop at Forest Dunes, Jack Nicklaus's American Dunes near Grand Haven, and the many courses of the Boyne resort near Petoskey. Fly into Traverse City, hire a car and you have one of the great inland golf weeks in America. Always confirm current rates directly before booking.
Northern Michigan is strong value for the quality. Public green fees at the marquee courses run roughly from around 90 dollars at the resort courses up to around 250 dollars in peak summer at Arcadia Bluffs, with Forest Dunes and American Dunes in between, all indicative for 2026. A four or five night loop with lodging and several rounds typically costs less than a comparable trip to the coasts. These are indicative third party figures, so always confirm directly before booking.
Summer and early autumn are the window, roughly June to early October, when the days are long and warm and the courses are in peak condition. September is a favorite for firm turf, the first colour in the hardwoods and thinning crowds, while the season closes as the cold arrives. Book the marquee Arcadia Bluffs and Forest Dunes tee times and the northern lodging well ahead for peak summer.
Traverse City is the most convenient gateway for the northwest Michigan golf belt, within reach of Arcadia Bluffs to the south and the Boyne and Petoskey courses to the north. Grand Rapids works for a trip weighted to the southwest, near American Dunes and the lakeshore. A hire car is essential, as the great courses are spread across the northern half of the state. Always confirm flights and car hire ahead of a peak summer trip.
Tee time releases, new openings and the booking windows worth moving on first. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Indicative fees and package ranges verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.