Michigan has more public golf courses than any other state in America, and the quality at the top end rivals the best resort golf anywhere in the country. The combination of Great Lakes shoreline, northern hardwood forests, and sand-based soil - a legacy of glacial deposits - gives Michigan course architects raw material that most states simply don’t have. The result is a collection of public courses that regularly place eight or more entries on Golf Digest’s national top 100 public list.
The concentrated quality in northern Michigan’s “Golf Coast” - the stretch from Traverse City to Petoskey along the Lake Michigan shore - has made the region a destination that draws golfers from across the Midwest and beyond.
Northwest Michigan - The Golf Coast
The Lake Michigan shoreline between Traverse City and Petoskey is home to the state’s most celebrated courses.
Arcadia Bluffs Bluffs Course sits 150 feet above Lake Michigan in the small town of Arcadia. The 7,298-yard par-72 layout designed by Warren Henderson and Rick Smith runs along coastal bluffs with panoramic lake views from nearly every hole. It is the No. 1 ranked course in Michigan according to multiple publications, including consistent placement in Golf Digest’s top 40 for the state. The South Course, a separate 18-hole layout at the property designed by Dana Fry, offers a contrasting inland experience through wetlands and native grasses.
Bay Harbor Golf Club near Petoskey features 27 holes designed by Arthur Hills across three distinct nines. The Links and Quarry nines are the most famous - the Quarry routing dips in and out of a former limestone quarry along the Lake Michigan shore, producing some of the most dramatic holes in Midwest golf. The property sits within the Bay Harbor community between Petoskey and Charlevoix.
A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort overlooks Torch Lake, consistently ranked among the most beautiful lakes in the world. The resort offers multiple courses in the Traverse City area.
Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls is one of two major Boyne resorts in northern Michigan. The Boyne resort system operates multiple courses across the region and has been a pillar of Michigan destination golf since the 1960s.
Northern Lower Peninsula
Forest Dunes in Roscommon has emerged as one of the most important golf destinations in the country. The original Tom Weiskopf-designed course plays 7,116 yards at par 72 through towering pines on sandy soil. The property also features The Loop, a reversible course designed by Tom Doak that plays as two completely different 18-hole routings depending on the day - a concept unprecedented at this level of design. Forest Dunes has earned rankings on both Golf Digest’s and Golfweek’s national lists.
Treetops Resort in Gaylord is part of a multi-course resort that includes the Robert Trent Jones Masterpiece. The northern Lower Peninsula around Gaylord has developed into a golf corridor with dozens of courses within a short drive.
Lakewood Shores Resort Gailes Course in Oscoda on the Lake Huron side brings a links-style experience modeled after Scotland’s Western Gailes. The sandy soil drains well and the coastal wind adds a strategic element uncommon in Michigan.
Central Michigan
Tullymore Golf Resort in Stanwood features a Jim Engh design playing 7,146 yards at par 72 through wetlands and hardwood forest. The course is known for its dramatic bunkering - deep, sculpted “muscle” bunkers that give the layout a rugged visual character. Tullymore appears consistently in Michigan’s top 10 public courses.
Eagle Eye Golf Club near Lansing is a Chris Lutzke design that brings resort-quality golf to central Michigan. The layout features replica holes inspired by famous courses including Augusta National’s 12th and St. Andrews’ Road Hole.
The Saginaw Valley
The Fortress Golf Course in Frankenmuth plays 6,813 yards at par 72 and earned the No. 1 spot in the GolfPass 2026 Golfers’ Choice rankings for Michigan public courses, along with 41st nationally. The course features a Scottish-inspired links design that is unusual for the region.
Planning Your Trip
Michigan’s golf season runs from late April through October, with peak conditions from June through September. The northern Michigan “Golf Coast” sees its busiest period from late June through Labor Day. Shoulder season in May and September-October often brings reduced rates and excellent playing conditions. Many northern resorts offer stay-and-play packages that bundle multiple courses.
Browse all Michigan golf courses in the FairwayDB directory, or use the interactive map to plan your trip.
