What makes a good golf club? Is it the nature of the gold course, the club houses or the friendly staff? Different people will have varying answers. In this article we look at some of the best golf courses in Michigan and why they are so highly rated.
Crystal Downs Country Club, Frankfort
This course was opened for golf play in 1931. The designers of the course were Alister MacKenzie and Perry Maxwell. Alister MacKenzie is credited for designing some of the best golf courses in the world, such as Augusta National and Cypress Point.
Crystal Downs is situated between Lake Michigan and Crystal Lake. This offers lots of scenic views to visitors of the club. The golf course can be windy which makes golfing more challenging. But this golf course has a lot to offer and is indeed one of the best golf courses in Michigan.
Forest Dunes G.C., Roscommon
This is amongst the top 30 most highly rated golf courses in America. It has beautiful lawns that are impeccably manicured. You can expect that no blade of grass will ever be out of place. That is the standard of golf course maintenance here. They have friendly and informed staff. There is always a cart full of snacks wherever you go on the golf course.
Forest Dunes G.C. is situated in the middle of 400,000 acres of forest. The downside to that is that there are more bugs here than most other golf courses. If you’re going to this club don’t forget to carry your bug spray.
Point O’Woods G. & C.C., Benton Harbor
Point O’Woods golf and country club is located only a few miles from Lake Michigan. It has an 18 hole championship golf course. The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr, who also designed hundreds of other courses countrywide. This country club has hosted some of the legendary golf personalities of our time including Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.
Point O’Woods has a very flat golf course. It is dotted with a number of beautiful ponds which make the entire landscape very scenic. However, the course is situated in between lines of trees that shape it into a narrow layout. The course is fairly challenging.
Oakland Hills Country Club
Oakland Hills Country Club is a private golf club with two 18 hole courses. The country club is located in the middle of wetlands and has excellent ambiance.
The club has hosted some of the most prestigious golf tournaments and has played its role in shaping the history of golf in America. Three PGA championship and six U.S open championships have been held here. The other reason why the club is regarded as the most prestigious golf courses in America is due to the fact that it was designed by Daniel Ross and the first club professional, Walter Hagen, was a U.S. open champion.
Why should you go to this club? You can visit Oakland Hills country club has one of the most challenging courses in the country and probably the world. 1951 U.S. open champion described the landscape as a “monster”. There is also a large clubhouse with lots of facilities.
Indianwood Golf & Country Club
This is yet another one of the best golf courses in Michigan with an 18 hole course. It is a private member only country club situated near Lake Orion. The course was designed by William Connellan and Wilfred Reid. Wilfred Reid was a well known professional golf player and architect who designed more than 50 golf courses around the United States.
The club was popular before the 60s, then it started to decline in the 60s and 70s. The club had declined so much during this period, that when businessman Stan Aldridge bought it, a complete makeover was necessary. Not only were the club houases redesigned and refurbished, the old course was redone and a new course came up. You can play at either courses, but the older one is great if you want to challenge yourself.
The club has hosted some prestigious golf tournaments. It hosted the Western Open in 1930 when the tournament was amongst the most prestigious. In the late 40s the Michigan PGA championships were held here. Indianwood Golf & Country Club has hosted the U.S. Women’s Open twice.
