Best golf courses near Traverse City, MI

Expertly routed across glacial domes and over kettle holes, Kingsley Club opens with a split fairway, a high-right avenue separated from a low-left one by a cluster of sod-face bunkers. It’s an attention grabber than is repeated in various fashions throughout the round. For instance, the hilltop green on the short par-3 second seems tiny in comparison to the deep shaggy bunkers surrounding it. The long par-3 fifth plays over a valley with a tongue of fairway ready to repel any shot that comes up short. The par-4 sixth seems to slant in one direction, then cant in the other direction once past a lateral ridge that runs down the fairway. Every hole has its own character. With roughs of tall fescue and occasional white pines and hardwoods, Kingsley is all natural and all absorbing, a thoughtful design by Mike DeVries, who grew up in the area playing No. 14 Crystal Downs.

Steve Smyers was given a hilly site in an old cherry orchard with views of Lake Michigan to route (and, as it turns out, to reroute) Lochenheath. A talented player known for designing challenging courses, Smyers is in form here with a course that demands proficient shot-making and strategic analysis. While he didn't bunker the course as much as he has others, it doesn’t need it--the terrain and green sites make for a stern test. The club has been both public and private, but it is private now.

Ranked for 10 years on our 100 Greatest Public list, The Bear is one of three championship layouts at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. The Jack Nicklaus-designed northern Michigan gem opened in 1985 and has plenty of character—with tiered greens, native fescue, moguls and deep pot bunkers. Like many Nicklaus designs, The Bear is a stern test, tipping out over 7,000 yards with a slope and rating of 76.1/150.

Gary Player created two distinct nines at The Wolverine course at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. The opening side plays along lowland marshes, with water lining many holes. Despite the water, the fairways are generous on the front. The back nine plays on rolling terrain with more elevation changes from tee to green.

The most affordable of the three courses at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, Spruce Run is considered the most player-friendly design on property. Renamed in the 1990s for the abundant spruce and fir trees that line most holes, the northern Michigan layout plays on gently rolling hills surrounding the resort’s hotel.