Northern Michigan Golf Guide – Michigan Golf Courses and Resorts

The Homestead – Manitou Passage Golf Packages


Michigan is blessed with a number of great golf courses. Few can offer views that match the breathtaking bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan and the elegance of an Arnold Palmer Designed Championship course. Located minutes from the Sleeping Bear Dunes and a short drive from Traverse City, our course is situated in the heart of one of Michigan’s most popular vacation destinations.

No other course, in our view, can match the combination of golf and amenities offered by Manitou Passage in conjunction with our sister property, The Homestead Resort.  Pairing a round with a spa treatment, a gourmet meal, or just a swim in Lake Michigan is a surefire way to make everyone happy.

Golf Packages:

<>

Manitou Passage Golf Club
4600 Club Drive
Cedar, MI 49621
888-656-7572

<>

Visit Manitou Passage Golf Club Website >>>

<>

 
 

Manitou Passage – Cross Country Tournament – September 11, 2016

Manitou Passage - Cross Country Tournament
What, you may ask, is a Cross Country Golf Tournament?

A Cross Country Tournament is basically the same as a regular 4 person best ball, except that we are have taken the liberty of re-designing the holes (not literally). Instead of playing the holes as they currently are laid out, you will play them not only in a different order, but to different locations as well. For example, you may be starting out teeing off from the #1 tee box, but your target green will be #17 instead of #1. You might then proceed to #8 tee box and play to #7 green. You get the picture…we will be playing a total of 9 holes.

Keep one thing in mind, the number 1 goal of this tournament is to “Have fun!” This is a goofy format and there will be some goofy scores, but it will also give a chance to say “Thank You” to those who have supported us this season.

Format:

4 person best shot

Start Time:

10am shotgun start

Fees:

$36 per person, non-members
$18 per person, members

Includes:

9 holes of golf
Cart
Lunch
Prizes! (Let’s just say that the prizes are not your conventional gift certificates. And, remember…this is for fun!)

Advance registration is required by September 2, 2016. Call 231.228.6000.

<>

Visit Manitou Passage – Cross Country Tournament Website >>>>

<>

 
 

Leelanau Amateur Golf Tournament – June 2016

Manitou Passage Spring Classic
Challenge yourself on five area courses while competing against some of the best amateur golfers in Northwestern Michigan.

Format:

90 hole stroke play
Gross competition
Open to amateurs only
Golfers will play one round on each course
No cut is made after 18 holes

Date, Course & Start Time:

Saturday, June 11 – The Dunes 11am
Sunday, June 12 – Leelanau Club at Bahle Farms 11am
Saturday, June 18 – Sugarloaf, the Old Course 11am
Sunday, June 19 – Northport Creek 11am
Saturday, June 25 – Manitou Passage Golf Club 11am

Fees:

$245 individual entry
Includes 90 holes of golf with cart, range balls where applicable, prizes and tee gift. Reduced practice round fees are also available for advance tee times at the course to be played that day.

Tees:

Men under 40 years – Blue
Men 41 – 54 – White
Men 55+ & Juniors – Gold
Women – Forward

Flights:

Following the first 36 holes of golf, the top 72 players will form a Championship flight and the remainder of the field will form the Consolation flight. Payout will be created at that time.

Prizes:

Awarded to the top 25% of the Championship flight and the top 5 in the Consolation flight. All payouts will be in golf shop credits. Exact prize amounts will be posted when the field is finalized.

For additional questions, contact Manitou Passage Golf Club at 231.228.6000. Registration will close Sunday, June 12.

<>

Visit Leelanau Amateur Website >>>>

<>

 
 

Dunes Golf Club – Sleeping Bear Dunes Anchor Day Classic – July 16, 2016

Sleeping Bear Dunes Anchor Day ClassicWELCOME to the Inaugural Sleeping Bear Dunes Anchor Day Classic

Nestled among the most spectacular landscape in the United States and perhaps the world, this exciting new golf event will be hosted at the inspiring and challenging Dunes Golf Club. Dedicated to the founder of the course and the contribution of of family and friends for so many decades, the golf tournament is sure to induce alacrity from the game of golf combined with lasting memories from a very special place.This is a professional style event which will include the fourteen club rule, appropriate attire and the application of the rules of golf.

In addition, there are only 40 spots remaining. There are six flights and each flight will be represented with eight contestants.

ENTRY FEE: $100.00 PER CONTESTANT

• Pre-Tournament Flight Drawing and Champagne reception Friday July 15th
• Complimentary tournament meal
• Complimentary beverages during the round
• First, Second and Third place prizes

Additional amenities to be announced at the drawing reception

<>

Click Here For a Sleeping Bear Dunes Anchor Day Classic Entry Form (PDF)

<>

Visit Dunes Golf Club Website >>>>

<>

 
 

Manitou Passage Golf Club – A Northern Michigan Adventure

By Jim Barnes

It may seem unthinkable, even sacrilegious, to make any changes to a course designed by the great Arnold Palmer. Originally opened in 1998 as King’s Challenge, the course languished a bit when Sugar Loaf Mountain Ski Resort closed (the course is built alongside the ski hill), so it needed some rejuvenating and updating. The new owners, headed up by Robert Kuras of The Homestead Resort, have done an excellent job.

From the first turn in the drive and glimpse of the renovated clubhouse, the place feels welcoming. Once you’re on the 1st tee, nestled among trees, natural landscaping, and that big looming “mountain,” you know you’re in for a classic “up north” golf adventure.

Palmer said during the course construction that it was one of the most dramatic sites he’s ever worked with, and he made full use of the extreme terrain. After a few fairly flat holes, he takes the track up the side of the mountain, perches a few holes up on the plateau, and then plunges back down to dramatic effect. The redesign has increased playability by enlarging many of the tee boxes, taking some severity out of a few doglegs, and widening some landing areas. The excellent bunkering throughout the course has been cleaned up and re-cut, giving it the crisp look such a monumental design deserves.

One of the most noticeable and dramatic changes is the No. 8 tee box, where some earth was moved to raise the surface and give golfers a better view. Now, a glimpse of Lake Michigan between Pyramid Point and South Manitou Island is visible, the namesake Manitou Passage. Those who know the historical significance of the Passage and its nickname “the Graveyard of the Great Lakes” can treat this as a sign to “batten down the hatches” and not let their round get shipwrecked.

It’s a beautiful view to begin the course’s signature and probably most challenging hole. The downhill par 5 drops like a black-diamond ski slope, and when it finally flattens out, the dogleg reveals a water-guarded green — with your approach shot dead into the prevailing wind coming onshore from the aforementioned Passage. The pond is teeming with plants and wildlife, you can see the “mountain” in the background, and landing your approach shot dry is a major accomplishment and a great finish to one of northern Michigan’s most exciting golf holes.
Maybe the most striking thing about this course is the variety — of terrain, of fairway slope, of green shape — there is always a surprise and always an interesting feature. On No. 4, you break out of the woods with a sweeping dogleg right that ends at a huge amphitheater green — not a tree in sight. The next two links-style holes are high and dry, a brief respite before you duck back into the forest.

If you’re looking for a golf adventure in one of the most unique settings in northern Michigan, this is the course for you. Be prepared to cast off, trim your sails, and have a rollicking good time navigating this great Arnold Palmer creation at Manitou Passage.

Manitou Passage Golf Club Photos (Click on photos for slideshow view)

 
Visit Manitou Passage Golf Club Website >>>>

Visit Manitou Passage Golf Club Page on Facebook >>>>

 
 

The Homestead

The exceptional natural setting makes The Homestead the perfect resort for romantic getaways, family vacations, family reunions, weddings, meetings and vacation and retirement homes. When you visit, you’ll discover beaches on which you can walk for hours without interruption. They will make your day soothing in spring and summer, invigorating come fall and winter, your evening remarkably romantic year-round.

The Homestead is located on the shore of Lake Michigan’s Manitou Passage across the bay from Sleeping Bear Dunes, the largest moving dunes in the world.

Golf Programs at The Homestead

Dave Pelz Scoring Game School
The Dave Pelz Scoring Game School applies a practical, yet scientific approach to golf instruction inside of 100 yards from the hole. Pelz, the physicist turned golf researcher and teach, has helped golfers of all ability levels lower their scores. Countless amateurs attest to that. So do leading professionals Beth Daniel, Lee Janzen, Phil Mickelson, Se Ri Pak, Vijay Singh, Annika Sorenstam and Mike Weir!

Tee It Up!
Play our stunningly beautiful Par 3 or at one of the courses which offers our members and guest preferred rates — Manitou Passage Golf Culb, Champion Hills, Pinecroft Golf Plantation and Mistwood.

Manitou Passage Golf Course an Arnold Palmer signature course was redesigned by Palmer and rebuilt to become a destination course. It now offers five traditional tee boxes, strategically placed hazards, lush fairways and exceptional greens in one of the region’s most spectacular natural settings. To complement that, there’s unmatched service on the course and in the all-new clubhouse. The course is located just south of the Manitou Passage on M-22 between Glen Arbor and Leland.

Manitou Passage Golf Club
Manitou Passage is an Arnold Palmer Signature Course that is located in an area that gave rise to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, one of the most beautiful places in in Leelanau County. The course is set amidst green meadows and the high, coastal forests that abut Lake Michigan’s […]

Mountain Flowers Par 3
Guests of The Homestead have exclusive use of the Mountain Flowers Par 3, nine-hole golf course that is nestled in the center of the resort. Your game begins at the pro shop in The Village near Little Belle, one of our quaint resort hotels. Work your way up and down the […]

Spa Amira

Quietly, Spa Amira invites you to a ridge high above Lake Michigan. When you visit, you’ll enjoy commanding views of the Sleeping Bear Dunes and the Manitou Islands while being engaged in a captivating interlude with one of America’s most treasured natural environments. That tranquil feeling will allow you to relax and enjoy extensive outdoor spaces including terraces, gardens, waterfalls, a fireplace, labyrinth and pool. Those spaces and the views from them create a serene and welcoming retreat that’s far, far away from the everyday.

Meetings

Of Fish, Ponds and Meetings – You and we know the adage. We also know that small meetings get swallowed up when a large meeting lurks in the same pond. That’s why we designed five small ponds and invite you to call one your own. We’ll stock your pond with all the supplies and refreshments you’ll need. So you’ll enjoy quiet waters and won’t get hooked with extra charges. When the work day’s done, you can be in, along or above a really big pond, Lake Michigan – here or in the adjoining Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Summer Recreation

You’re invited! You’re invited to enjoy summer days and nights doing as much or as little as you like. You could just listen to the water and walk on the beach, or hike or bike, swim, play golf or tennis, kayak, wind surf – or even kite surf! You could enjoy a Dave Pelz Scoring Game School or Orvis Michigan Fly Fishing School or a Great Lakes Photo Tour. You could take in a concert at the Interlochen Center for the Arts or Manitou Music Festival or a movie at the Traverse City Film Festival.

To learn more about activities in the area, visit Explore the Destination, www.sleepingbeardunes.com and www.nps.gov/slbe.

WINTER AT THE HOMESTEAD

Put the Blackberry away. Get away for a romantic weekend or for a family weekend. Rediscover skating, downhill skiing, cross-country and snowboarding. For a new adventure try snowshoeing. Go with an instructor or a guide, or without. Let the kids go to camp. Work out at the new health and fitness center. Refresh at the spa. Enjoy a beverage that�s cold outside and warm inside. Taste, really taste a meal sitting by a crackling fire. Play a game or read a book. So come for a visit. You’ll be refreshed and restored. And you and your special someone – or you and your kids – will have memories, wonderful memories, to take with you. You might even win a vacation!

Visit The Homestead Website >>>>

 
 

Dunes Golf Club

Dunes Golf ClubWe have 18 holes for your enjoyment. We are a casual, friendly course featuring 5730 yards of relaxing golf. Our location in the Glen Lake – Sleeping Bear Dunes Area gives you many opportunities to enjoy all of Northern Michigan’s outdoor activities.

Course History

Dunes Golf Club was built in 1982, and opened the following spring as a 3152 yard 9 hole course. Back nine construction began in the fall of 1989. It opened in the fall of 1991. Although shorter, at 2578 Yards, the back nine is still harder for most golfers, thanks to its tight tree lined fairways.

Dunes Golf Club
6464 W. Empire Hwy (M-72)
Empire, MI 49630
231-326-5390

<>

Visit Dunes Golf Club Website >>>

<>

Dunes Golf Club Photo Gallery (Click on photos for captions & slideshow view)
 

<>

Dunes Golf Club On Facebook

Below are the latest postings from the Dunes Golf Club Page On Facebook.

<>

[custom-facebook-feed id=343510577587 offset=0 fulllinkimages=true enablenarrow=false layout=half num=5]

<>

Visit Dunes Golf Club Facebook Page >>>

<>

<>

Visit Dunes Golf Club Website >>>

<>

 
 

Manitou Passage Golf Club

Manitou Passage is an Arnold Palmer Signature Course that is located in an area that gave rise to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, one of the most beautiful places in in Leelanau County. The course is set amidst green meadows and the high, coastal forests that abut Lake Michigan’s beaches and dunes and afford stunning views of a serenely beautiful landscape.

The topography and ever-present winds off the water make this a course that always presents new challenges. The course is open to the public every day during the season except for aerification days.

Manitou Passage Golf Club
4600 Club Drive
Cedar, MI 49621
888-656-7572

<>

Visit Manitou Passage Golf Club Website >>>

<>

Manitou Passage Golf Club Photos (Click on photos for slideshow view)
 

<>

Manitou Passage Golf Club On Facebook

Below are the latest postings from the Manitou Passage Golf Club Page On Facebook.

<>

[custom-facebook-feed id=manitoupassagegolfclub offset=0 fulllinkimages=true enablenarrow=false layout=half num=5]

<>

Visit Manitou Passage Golf Club Facebook Page >>>

<>

<>

Visit Manitou Passage Golf Club Website >>>

<>

(more…)

 
 

The Homestead – Mountain Flowers Par 3

Guests of The Homestead have exclusive use of the Mountain Flowers Par 3, nine-hole golf course that is nestled in the center of the resort. Your game begins at the pro shop in The Village near Little Belle, one of our quaint resort hotels. Work your way up and down the dune elevations and tee off with Lake Michigan, the Manitou Islands and the Sleeping Bear Dunes as your backdrop. The spectacular views will take your breath away while the course challenges your ability.

The Homestead – Mountain Flowers Par 3
Wood Ridge Road
Glen Arbor, MI 49636
231-334-5000

<>

Visit The Homestead – Mountain Flowers Par 3 Website >>>

<>

<>

Visit The Homestead – Mountain Flowers Par 3 Website >>>

<>

 
 

Northport Creek Golf Course

Northport CreekNorthport Creek is a par 35 course located within the Village of Northport – just blocks from the Northport Marina.

Designed by noted Michigan golf architect Jerry Matthews, the course focuses on the natural – using the contours and beauty of the old farm land to suggest the placement of the holes and the flow of the course.

Northport Creek’s owners have taken Matthew’s focus on the natural even further with the addition of solar to power the golf carts and the course irrigation, making Northport Creek the first solar powered golf course in the country!

Northport Creek Golf Course
355 West 8th Street
Northport, MI 49670
231-386-1088

<>

Visit Northport Creek Golf Course Website >>>

<>

Northport Creek Golf Course On Facebook

Below are the latest postings from the Northport Creek Golf Course Page On Facebook.

<>

[custom-facebook-feed id=NorthportCreek offset=0 fulllinkimages=true enablenarrow=false layout=half num=5]

<>

Visit Northport Creek Golf Course Facebook Page >>>

<>

<>

Visit Northport Creek Golf Course Website >>>

<>

 
 

The Leelanau Club at Bahle Farms

Leelanau ClubThe Leelanau Club at Bahle Farms features spectacular views of Suttons Bay and Lake Michigan. While varied terrain with hills, woodlands, water, and strategically placed bunkers offer a memorable round of golf. The entry way and two holes (#13 and #16) are situated among working cherry orchards, just ripe for the picking in July while golfers plan their strategy to the green.

The Leelanau Club at Bahle Farms has become a golf course people want to play again and again. Undulating greens, tree-lined fairways, and strategically placed bunkers will put a premium on shot making rather than brute strength. Yet, there are a few holes, like #13, a 440 yard par 4, which will require distance as well as direction

The design makes insightful use of the tremendous natural variety of the land. Players will negotiate a myriad of terrain types including ridges, ravines, gullies, orchards, and highland meadows.

The Leelanau Club at Bahle Farms
9505 E. Otto Road
Suttons Bay, MI 49682
231-271-2020

<>

Visit The Leelanau Club at Bahle Farms Website >>>

<>

<>

Visit The Leelanau Club at Bahle Farms Website >>>

<>

 
 

Sugar Loaf – The Old Course

Sugar Loaf, steep with golf tradition

Feel the history as you navigate your way around the rolling hills of the golf course. The unique structures and windmills have withstood the test of time and now pave the way for a great Northern Michigan golfing experience.

This classic C.D. Wagstaff designed golf course reflects the architecture of the first half of the 20th Century. Although Wagstaff may not be as well known as a Ross or MacKenzie, “I never hear of clubs wanting to restore their Joe Roseman or C.D. Wagstaff,” Golf Digest course critic, Ron Whitten, once wrote. Put the golf game aside for a moment, enjoy the fragrance of cherry blossoms from nearby orchards, the birds and wildlife that abound from the Northern Michigan surroundings. Or just sit and gaze at the picturesque sunset as it drops behind the Sugar Loaf mountain.

Sugar Loaf – The Old Course
4512 South Townline Road
Cedar, MI 49621
231-228-2040

<>

Sugar Loaf – The Old Course Website >>>

<>

<>

Sugar Loaf – The Old Course Website >>>

<>

 
 

Manitou Passage Golf Club Becomes A Destination Course

Arnold Palmer’s “Signature Course” King’s Challenge is reborn in Leelanau County as Manitou Passage Golf Club

Over the past two decades some of the most distinguished new golf courses in America have opened in northern Michigan. Perhaps that’s because the nationally acclaimed golf course architects who designed those courses were inspired by the beauty of region’s hills, forests and waters. Nowhere is that beauty more pronounced than to the northwest of Traverse City in Leelanau County.

This sparsely populated decidedly rural county is made up of 348 square miles of land and 2,184 square miles of water. It is the home of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which is considered by many to be the State’s number one attraction. Its unmatched beauty with a climate tempered by the water made it a perfect setting for an Arnold Palmer Signature Course – the course that King’s Challenge was meant to be.

When a group lead by Bob Kuras, president of The Homestead, purchased King’s Challenge last year they knew it had not been what it was meant to be. They also knew it could be a signature course and, with dedication, could become a destination course featuring exceptional playing conditions and unmatched service. When the group adopted a goal of becoming a destination course they decided that the course needed a new name that would tie it to Leelanau County and portray the unique high-end experience it would offer.

“While working on the new tee boxes for No. 8 we discovered a view of Lake Michigan’s Manitou Passage. Immediately, we realized that name was the tie to Leelanau County. We also realized that the grandeur of the passage would portray what we are doing here: creating a world-class golf experience on a course designed by one of the greatest golfers to play the game”, said Kuras.

To create that experience the new ownership group reestablished a relationship with Palmer and brought in other experts. One was Wadsworth Golf Construction, the most respected golf course contractor in the country with over 800 projects to its credit. The other was Peridian International, a leader in land planning and landscape architecture for resort destinations throughout the world. Together, Palmer, Wadsworth and Peridian envisioned scores of changes, some minor, some major, that would be made to bring the course and facility up to the championship level experience that an Arnold Palmer “Signature Design” is noted for.

Wadsworth worked from early spring until early winter to make the majority of the recommended changes. Renovations included the repositioning, adding and squaring off of tee-boxes, widening of fairways in key landing areas, renovating bunkers, lengthening some holes, restoring areas with native grasses and clearing of trees and brush to open vistas to the area’s natural beauty.

Complimenting the golf course work was a complete renovation of the entry drive, parking area, cart storage, starter’s plaza and clubhouse. The new clubhouse features a tastefully detailed stone and cedar shake exterior. Inside, the newly created library and trophy alcoves, club room, grill and golf shop feature stone fireplaces, luxurious furnishings, oriental rugs, warm rich woods and original art. New patio doors lead to a multi-level patio that affords stunning views of the 18th hole and offers guests’ outdoor food and beverage services.

The completely-redesigned Clubhouse features an outdoor dining terrace with sweeping views of no. 18 and full table service from the Grill Room.

“We adopted a very high goal and are delighted with the contributions that Palmer, Wadsworth and Peridian made toward our achieving our goal of becoming a destination course. We are looking forward to completing the work and providing the playing conditions and service discerning golfers desire and deserve,” said Kuras.

For more information visit: www.manitoupassagegolfclub.com (under construction), www.thehomesteadresort.com, www.sleepingbeardunes.com and www.nps.gov/slbe.

Location: Cedar, MI 20 minutes northwest of Traverse City
Address: 4600 Club Drive
Yardage: 6,734 from back tees
Architect: Arnold Palmer Design Company
Year Opened: 1998, Reopened 2010
Phone: 231.228.6000; 888.656.7572
For More: Jamie Jewell, Senior Manager, The Homestead, 231.334.5524>

Visit Manitou Passage Golf Club on Facebook >>>>

 
 

Northern Michigan Golf Guide - produced by North Guide Internet.