Leading golf destination ranks among top states with best courses
LANSING, Mich. – Michigan is continuing to grow its reputation as one of the top golf states in the country with five golf courses in the state selected among the 2016/2017 GOLF Magazine’s Top 100 You Can Play.
The latest Top 100 rankings can be found in the September 2016 issue of GOLF Magazine. The biennial list, put together by the magazine’s editors and its panel of golf industry insiders, highlights the top public golf courses across the United States, as well as the best in each state.
With its five courses selected, Michigan was the leader among Midwestern states and ranked 6th overall in the nation. The national golf publication also included a list of the Top 20 “Best Courses Near You” in Michigan.
“Michigan has long been recognized as one of the premier golf destinations in the country, attracting golfers from all over the U.S. and offering the best summer golf conditions in the nation,” said Dave Lorenz, Vice President of Travel Michigan, part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “Having five courses being recognized in one of the leading consumer golf publications is a testament to the great golf our state has to offer golfers of all skill level.”
Leading the way for Michigan was Forest Dunes Golf Club (No. 21), the nationally acclaimed Tom Weiskopf course located in the heart of the Huron National Forest in northern Michigan. This year Forest Dunes opened The Loop – a first-of-its kind reversible course that is played in one direction one day, and another the next using the same 18 greens and fairways.
Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club (No. 36), designed by Rick Smith/Warren Henderson, sits on one of the most spectacular golfing sites in the country, a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan with all 18-holes offering stunning views of the Lake Michigan.
Greywalls at Marquette Golf Club (No. 80) in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was designed by Mike Devries and provides a unique golf adventure through rock outcroppings, rugged forests, and spectacular views of Lake Superior.
Tullymore Golf Resort (No.83), designed by Jim Engh, features a variety of par 5s, short par 4s and unique par 3 holes that flow through wetland and forested areas.
Rounding out the list in Michigan is Bay Harbor Golf Club (No. 87), which is one of the most unique golf courses in the country. Designed by Art Hills, the Links/Quarry features a spectacular combination of holes that skirt the bluffs over-looking Little Traverse Bay, and holes that meander in and out of a rock quarry.
Michigan, with its sandy base soil and beautiful topography left behind by the glaciers, has long been an extremely popular place to design and build golf courses. Most of golf’s major architects – Alister Mackenzie, Donald Ross, Robert Trent Jones Sr., Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Tom Fazio, Tom Doak, Rees Jones, Arthur Hills, and Rick Smith – have designed courses in the Great Lakes state.
There is still plenty of time this season to get out and experience many of Michigan’s best golf courses and resorts. For more information visit michigan.org/golf.
The list of the top 20 Michigan “Best Courses Near You” is as follows:
1. Forest Dunes – Roscommon, MI
2. Arcadia Bluffs – Arcadia, MI
3. Marquette (Greywalls) – Marquette, MI
4. Tullymore – Stanwood, MI
5. Bay Harbor – Petoskey, MI
6. Black Lake Golf Club – Onaway, MI
7. Belvedere – Charlevoix, MI
8. Treetops (Signature) – Gaylord, MI
9. Cedar River at Shanty Creek – Bellaire, MI
10. Eagle Eye at Hawk Hollow – East Lansing, MI
11. University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, MI
12. Lakewood Shores (Gailes) – Oscoda, MI
13. Harbor Shores – Benton Harbor, MI
14. Boyne Highlands (Heather) – Harbor Springs, MI
15. Sweetgrass – Escanaba, MI
16. Black Forest at Wilderness Valley – Gaylord, MI
17. Grand Traverse Resort (The Bear) – Traverse City, MI
18. Shepherds Hollow (2nd-3rd Nines) – Clarkston, MI
19. Legend at Shanty Creek – Bellaire, MI
20. Elk Ridge – Atlanta, MI
Contact:
Michelle Grinnell – Travel Michigan
(517) 241-0251, grinnellm@michigan.org
Kevin Frisch – Fusion Media Strategies
(989) 614-0241, kevin@fusionmediastrategies.com
