Hidden gem hunting in Michigan

[JamesUK]

Hi all,

 

Heading for a long weekend whilst on a work trip in Michigan to play golf there for the first time.

 

Planning one course per day with driving / stays in between, touring around enjoying the scenery. I love hidden gem courses, slightly off the beaten track, fun layouts, not near housing, in the country etc. For those who know it, one of my favourite courses in the US (I'm from England) is Annbriar in Illinois which meets my critieria.

 

I'm hoping to play: Pilgrims Run, Black Lake, Bahle Farms and Diamond Springs (on way back to Chicago) - have I missed any in your opinion?

 

Thanks all!

[cassel191919]

It seems like a good trip, I don't think it gets much better then Black Lake. Courses you may want to look into are champions hill and maybe the mines. But I think you would be happy with you're choices.

[MattSTL88]

Agreed, there's countless options but that's a solid list. The Meadows at Grand Valley State is maybe another option if you are staying a day in GR between Pilgrims and Diamond Springs.

Edited May 29 by MattSTL88

[MattSTL88]

Although the Mines as @cassel191919 recommended would maybe be a better choice to hit the Mike DeVries trifecta in GR

[MichiganGolf83]

You've got a pretty good list so far.  I'll add Hemlock in Ludington, kind of in between Bahle Farms and Grand Rapids but closer to the water.  It fits all of your criteria in my opinion but maybe not as well known as the ones you have listed.

[N8dogg2669]

I know I'm in the vast minority, but I can't see how Black Lake gets the love it does. Course was fine, but nothing special and I have to say the lodging was some of the worse I have ever experienced. Personally, I'll never step foot on that property again. 

[JamesUK]

Thanks for the replies so far, some great suggestions - Hemlock looks very interesting. I might need to come back another time! 
 

All of the courses look to have decent availability which is a surprise, I’m usually faced with full tee sheets in USA. Is there any maintenance at this time of year or are they generally quiet? Which is no bad thing!

[MattSTL88]

2 hours ago, N8dogg2669 said:

I know I'm in the vast minority, but I can't see how Black Lake gets the love it does. Course was fine, but nothing special and I have to say the lodging was some of the worse I have ever experienced. Personally, I'll never step foot on that property again. 

not to hijack the thread, but do you have another course in that area you like more? reason I ask is I am heading up there in July and already playing Hidden River, but was planning on trying Black Lake as my second round. I've done the Boyne courses and liked those, but wanted to try something new 

[N8dogg2669]

2 hours ago, MattSTL88 said:

not to hijack the thread, but do you have another course in that area you like more? reason I ask is I am heading up there in July and already playing Hidden River, but was planning on trying Black Lake as my second round. I've done the Boyne courses and liked those, but wanted to try something new 

not sure which direction you are going but if you went down to Gaylord, The Tribute at Otsego Resort is a lot of fun. I wouldn’t not play Black Lake because of me lol, but I was pumped to play there and it was a huge dud. No other way to put it. 

[MichiganGolf83]

6 hours ago, JamesUK said:

Thanks for the replies so far, some great suggestions - Hemlock looks very interesting. I might need to come back another time! 
 

All of the courses look to have decent availability which is a surprise, I’m usually faced with full tee sheets in USA. Is there any maintenance at this time of year or are they generally quiet? Which is no bad thing!

 Northern Michigan is obviously a little behind weather wise compared to down state and vacationers haven’t started going up yet. Also the courses you listed  aren’t what I would consider destination courses (some might argue Grand Rapids is) compared to Arcadia, Forrest Dunes, etc that will fill up. So it will be quieter for a month or so. 
 

There’s really a lot of hidden gems depending on the route you plan on taking. 

[JamesUK]

7 hours ago, MichiganGolf83 said:

 Northern Michigan is obviously a little behind weather wise compared to down state and vacationers haven’t started going up yet. Also the courses you listed  aren’t what I would consider destination courses (some might argue Grand Rapids is) compared to Arcadia, Forrest Dunes, etc that will fill up. So it will be quieter for a month or so. 
 

There’s really a lot of hidden gems depending on the route you plan on taking. 

 

Thanks, coming from the UK the weather looks like our summer (!)

 

As for the route:

 

Day 1 driving up past Grand Rapids, staying in Mt Pleasant.

Day 2 driving up as far as Onaway, staying in Gaylord.

Day 3 in and around Traverse City, staying there.

Day 4 back down to Grand Rapids.

 

I'm typically happy to spend most of the day in the car with a mid-afternoon tee time arriving at hotels in the evening.

[cassel191919]

17 hours ago, N8dogg2669 said:

I know I'm in the vast minority, but I can't see how Black Lake gets the love it does. Course was fine, but nothing special and I have to say the lodging was some of the worse I have ever experienced. Personally, I'll never step foot on that property again. 

Do they have lodging or are we talking about their campground?

[cassel191919]

14 hours ago, MattSTL88 said:

not to hijack the thread, but do you have another course in that area you like more? reason I ask is I am heading up there in July and already playing Hidden River, but was planning on trying Black Lake as my second round. I've done the Boyne courses and liked those, but wanted to try something new 

Can't go wrong with the Tribute like he said. But I wouldn't skip Black Lake, like he said hes one of the few who don't like the course. 

[BG5]

Black Lake is as good as it gets....its a must play and don't miss it!

[N8dogg2669]

7 hours ago, cassel191919 said:

Do they have lodging or are we talking about their campground?

Lodging. Actual hotel/motel room. Room looked like it was remodeled in 1982. Bugs in the bathroom, bed was awful, tv was about a 23 inch monitor and if I remember correctly we had like 3 working channels. Course was ok, nothing crazy memorable. We played Gaylord CC, Michawye Pines and Black Lake on that trip. I was pumped to play Black Lake and my buddy and I both said we would never step foot on property again. I’ve heard and read so much good about the place, it was beyond disappointing.

[cassel191919]

6 minutes ago, N8dogg2669 said:

Lodging. Actual hotel/motel room. Room looked like it was remodeled in 1982. Bugs in the bathroom, bed was awful, tv was about a 23 inch monitor and if I remember correctly we had like 3 working channels. Course was ok, nothing crazy memorable. We played Gaylord CC, Michawye Pines and Black Lake on that trip. I was pumped to play Black Lake and my buddy and I both said we would never step foot on property again. I’ve heard and read so much good about the place, it was beyond disappointing.

I was just curious where the rooms were are they in the campground part or somewhere else, I know the golf course is pretty new since it was built with stolen UAW funds.

[N8dogg2669]

1 minute ago, cassel191919 said:

I was just curious where the rooms were are they in the campground part or somewhere else, I know the golf course is pretty new since it was built with stolen UAW funds.

so we got there and went and ate at a bar not far from there so when we got there it was pitch black. We followed the lines on the road like they tell you and we got completely turned around. We finally made it back to the guard shack and literally seconds before we got there some drunk lady crashed her car INTO the guard shack. The guard was limping around, the lady was still in the car with the air bags deployed. There is basically zero cell service there so he told us how to get to the main lodge and we went there and told them about what happened and they call the police. As far as where they are located, no clue. I just remember they were 2 story motel style places, almost no parking, and had 80s style decor inside along with bugs. Wasn’t pleasant, probably skewed my thoughts on the course but besides my stay at Lakewood Shores, it was one of the worst places I have went on a golf trip. 

[cassel191919]

On 5/30/2025 at 2:13 PM, N8dogg2669 said:

so we got there and went and ate at a bar not far from there so when we got there it was pitch black. We followed the lines on the road like they tell you and we got completely turned around. We finally made it back to the guard shack and literally seconds before we got there some drunk lady crashed her car INTO the guard shack. The guard was limping around, the lady was still in the car with the air bags deployed. There is basically zero cell service there so he told us how to get to the main lodge and we went there and told them about what happened and they call the police. As far as where they are located, no clue. I just remember they were 2 story motel style places, almost no parking, and had 80s style decor inside along with bugs. Wasn’t pleasant, probably skewed my thoughts on the course but besides my stay at Lakewood Shores, it was one of the worst places I have went on a golf trip. 

Yikes, I will at least make sure I never stay there, but I understand how a horrid room could change your view on a place.

[doglegs]

Bucks Run in Mt. Pleasant is an awesome track.  Highly recommend.

[vallygolf]

Kingsley Club fits your criteria.

[dtupy]

Not sure what time you have around the TC area or how far you want to stray. The GT Resort courses can be polarizing, but on your way out I would suggest Champion Hill. Arcadia is a great time, if you like links style the South Course will make you feel at home. The Bluffs is great and beyond scenic but can have slow rounds. 

 

Edit: also in Grand Haven - American Dunes would be a good stop

Edited June 16 by dtupy

[cassel191919]

15 hours ago, vallygolf said:

Kingsley Club fits your criteria.

Not sure a top 100 in the world course can be a hidden gem, but it has become much harder to get on and the 300 accompanied rate is a doozy.

[ldchristopher]

I’m laughing at what some people call “hidden gems.” I’ll second Hemlock though. Playing there next Tuesday, actually. I enjoyed Diamond Springs. Found the one cut gimmicky but in a good way that I’m sure improves pace. The Meadows was designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan, who also did Annbriar. Man, I really enjoyed Annbriar as well. A course similar to that (same architect, similar layout but with less steep inclines) is Blackthorn in South Bend, IN. Just across the Michigan/Indiana border. Come back to Chicago via 80/90. 

[postfold]

20 hours ago, ldchristopher said:

I’m laughing at what some people call “hidden gems.” I’ll second Hemlock though. Playing there next Tuesday, actually. I enjoyed Diamond Springs. Found the one cut gimmicky but in a good way that I’m sure improves pace. The Meadows was designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan, who also did Annbriar. Man, I really enjoyed Annbriar as well. A course similar to that (same architect, similar layout but with less steep inclines) is Blackthorn in South Bend, IN. Just across the Michigan/Indiana border. Come back to Chicago via 80/90. 

 

Another vote for Hemlock, it's overlooked and is a very fine course.

 

Meadows is terrific, but it's very much not hidden, it's on the campus of Grand Valley State and part of the course runs along M-45, a busy state highway.  The Mines, which is only a couple miles from downtown Grand Rapids, is much more "hidden".

 

I'll offer The Falls at Barber Creek, which is a fun, quirky course in the middle of not much northwest of Grand Rapids.  I wouldn't drop any of your four to play it tho.

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

Champion Hill is pretty good!

[DCCarpenter]

Manistee Golf and Country Club right on the lake in Manistee is a hidden gem.  1/5th the cost of Arcadia Bluffs,  amazing lake views while you play. Old style course , different holes actually have names. 
 

Not long (5800 yards maybe ?) and not top 100 conditioning but a very cool course to play. 

[SnowbirdTom]

Not in the league of Arcadia or Kingsley that truly aren't hidden gems. Wolf River Golf Park in Bear Lake is an up and comer.  Purchased by Island Lake Casino, they've been pumping cash into improvements. I played there last year and had a great time.  It's also not $100 a round. Weekend rate is $64 for 18/cart. Be prepared to deal with windy conditions. 

[tjblue]

20 hours ago, DCCarpenter said:

Manistee Golf and Country Club right on the lake in Manistee is a hidden gem.  1/5th the cost of Arcadia Bluffs,  amazing lake views while you play. Old style course , different holes actually have names. 
 

Not long (5800 yards maybe ?) and not top 100 conditioning but a very cool course to play. 

Noooooo!

 

I was worried someone would out this hidden treasure.

 

If rates go up I'm blaming YOU!

[ChaosTheory]

Jumping in here.  We are going to spend 3 weeks in August in the top of the mitten, 1 week each at E. Jordan, Harbor Springs, and Burt Lake (Indian River).  Escaping sunbelt heat.

 

I plan to golf 2 or 3 times per week, depending on spousal obligation.  At least 2x though.

So just using Google Maps, here are some collections of courses.  I'm not wanting the resort course 5 hour round if I can avoid that.  Just looking for nice fun golf.  If it's great golf, then great! 

 

In each group, what's your pleasure for fun golf hidden gem style, or simply too good to pass up?

GROUP 1

Chestnut Valley

Crooked Tree

Bay Harbor

Hidden River

Dumaglas

 

GROUP 2

Hidden River

Mullet Lake (9 holer)

Black Lake (I already read about it above)

Black Bear

Treetops

Indian River GC

Cheboygan G&CC

 

GROUP 3

Springbrook

Lakes of the North

Black Bear

Treetops

Michaywe Pines

Gaylord CC

Mallard GC (9 holer, I'll be close by)

Antrim Dells

Belvedere

 

 

[MattSTL88]

I have played about half of these, but I personally would go with the below. FWIW, I am playing Hidden River and Black Lake in 2 weeks and can report back if desired.

 

Group 1

Bay Harbor (might be a longer round, but worth playing)

Hidden River

 

Group 2

Hidden River, if not played above

Black Lake

One of the Treetops courses

Indian River is decent, but was painfully slow the time I played it. That could have been random though and not indicative of the norm there.

 

Group 3

Belvedere

Belvedere

It's the only one I've played in the group, but I love it