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UpNorthVacation
A golf fairway beside a pond, with a tall pine and a line of trees in late-day sun.

Things to do

Golf

Public and resort courses from the lakeshore bluffs to the inland hills.

SpringSummerFall

Golf is a big part of summer in parts of Northern Michigan. This guide does not list or rate individual courses yet.

Every golf course, ranked courses and fly-in airportsGolf guide

Places for golf

Waterfront

Bay Harbor

A resort village and marina on Little Traverse Bay west of Petoskey, with Bay Harbor Golf Club, a lakeside inn, a performing arts center and a public park.

An aerial winter view over snowy forest toward the ski slopes of Caberfae Peaks.

Ski area

Caberfae Peaks

A ski resort west of Cadillac with 27 runs and 5 lifts across three peaks, plus about 10 miles of cross-country trails that are free to use.

Skiers ride a chairlift above snowy runs at Crystal Mountain, with wooded hills beyond.

Ski area

Crystal Mountain

A four-season resort in Thompsonville with 59 downhill runs, 25 km of Nordic trails and groomed winter bike trails, plus singletrack and golf in summer.

Snowy ski runs cover the hillside at The Highlands at Harbor Springs, seen across a wooded valley.

Ski area

The Highlands at Harbor Springs

A ski resort near Harbor Springs with 55 runs on 435 acres and 552 feet of vertical, plus Nordic trails, and a bike park, hiking and golf in summer.

On the map

Golf: places on the map

4 places on an OpenStreetMap map

Golf: places on the map. The same places are listed on this page.

Recommended towns for golf

Towns an independent source (such as the DNR, the National Park Service or Pure Michigan) singles out for this. Listed by town size, not ranked.

A red pier light at the end of a channel lined with a blue railing and large rocks, under a cloudy sky.

Charlevoix & Petoskey

Charlevoix

For boaters, beachgoers and first-timers: a harbor town where three lakes meet, with a summer drawbridge, a pier lighthouse and Earl Young's stone houses.

A white pierhead lighthouse at the end of a long concrete pier at dusk.

Benzie & Sleeping Bear

Frankfort

A beach-and-lighthouse harbor town: a Lake Michigan beach at the end of Main Street, a breakwater light off the sand and Point Betsie up the shore.

A Petoskey stone among wet beach pebbles at the water's edge

Charlevoix & Petoskey

Petoskey

A walkable bay town for stone hunting, shopping the Gaslight District and riding the Little Traverse Wheelway, with historic Bay View next door.

A weathered wooden pier extending into calm turquoise water at sunset.

Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Traverse City

A bayfront city at the head of Grand Traverse Bay, with a walkable Front Street downtown, bay beaches, cherry orchards and two wine peninsulas close by.

Lake Michigan stretches south along a wooded bluff below a wooden viewing deck near Arcadia.

Ludington & Manistee · Small town

Arcadia

A quiet Lake Michigan stop on M-22: a public beach at the end of Lake Street, a marina on Arcadia Lake, and Arcadia Dunes trails just north.

Rippled sand in the foreground meeting a wide expanse of dark blue water under a pale sky.

Benzie & Sleeping Bear · Small town

Glen Arbor

Your base for northern Sleeping Bear Dunes: a small town between Lake Michigan and Glen Lake, about 4 miles from the Dune Climb by trail.

Also with golf nearby

More things to do