Best golf courses near Petoskey, MI

True North Golf Club, located in Harbor Springs, captures the best of Northern Michigan golf as it winds through the forest with significant elevation changes. The fairways on this Jim Engh design play wider than they appear, as most are raised toward the edges, feeding balls back toward the center. Give the course plays through dense forest, each hole is separate from the others, giving the layout a secluded feel emblematic of the region’s laid-back vibe.

The Highlands, located in Harbor Springs, offers four 18-hole layouts including the Heather course, which is a former member of our 100 Greatest and 100 Greatest Public lists. The Robert Trent Jones Sr. design sits at the base of the resort’s ski slopes and offers a stern ball-striking test, with tree-lined doglegs and water hazards demanding accuracy.

The Arthur Hills course may be the most player-friendly of the four layouts at The Highlands, with forgiving fairways and large greens. That said, there are some demanding shots, including the approaches to several small, elevated greens. There are plenty of elevation changes, including some dramatic downhill tee shots which offer beautiful vistas of the northern Michigan landscape.

One of three grand "new Pebble Beaches" that debuted in the late 1990s, Bay Harbor was ranked third in Golf Digest's survey of Best New Upscale Public Courses of 1999, behind the twin juggernauts Bandon Dunes and Whistling Straits. Bay Harbor consists of 27 holes, but we rank its Links 9, which plays mostly on a plateau overlooking Lake Michigan, and its Quarry 9, which dips in and out of a lakefront stone quarry. Though there isn't lodging directly at Bay Harbor, the Inn at Bay Harbor is an upscale option part of the Autograph Collection right down the road. And eight-person cottages with stay-and-play deals are also available at nearby Crooked Tree.