Snuck one last round in on the way home. Ready to get some sleep

American Dunes - Grand Haven, MI Jack Nicklaus, 2021 The first stop on the Michigan swing was a very firm handshake to the state. Quite a challenge due to very thick rough, the sheer amount of sand, and really firm greens. Pretty impressed by my first Jack course in 12 years.

A few more from American Dunes Besides the golf, the nods to military history and our fallen soldiers is a pretty special, unique experience.

Forest Dunes - Roscommon, MI Tom Weiskopf, 2002 Easy to see how they came up with the name, as the routing traverses a very distinct mix of forest and dunescape. Some really good holes with a strong mix of gettable and demanding. Surprisingly, I think I prefer the “forest” holes

A few more from Forest Dunes I’ll always be a fan of massive, remote properties that makes you feel alone.

Bootlegger - Roscommon, MI Keith Rhebb & Riley Johns, 2020 After 18 at Forest Dunes, I went on one of the most enjoyable 45 minute walks I’ve ever had. All you need is two wedges, a putter, a ball and a beer. Uphill, downhill, slopes everywhere. Pretty much a perfect add-on

Elk Rapids GC - Elk Rapids, MI Donald Ross, 1924 What a beautiful little course tucked along the shores of Elk Lake. Hard to beat classic, small town, old school feel. I can’t recommend trying to sneak in hidden gems on golf trips strongly enough.

Wolf River Golf Park - Bear Lake, MI 1964 A really interesting piece of rolling land with some of the best use of bunkers for visual deception that I’ve seen. Big, bold greens. Just incredible work by Steven Biehl and team. Again, seek out the hidden gems, you won’t regret it.

A few more from Wolf River Some severe green contouring and no rough makes for a pretty fun day!

Champion Hill - Beulah, MI Jim Cole & Lee Stone, 2000 Another great bargain, this family-built ex-tree farm takes you up and down the hills of NW Michigan. Wide fairways and a good mix of short holes create a ton of scoring opportunities. Beautifully rugged.

Belvedere - Charlevoix, MI William Watson, 1927 I can’t say enough good things about my favorite course from Michigan. An excellent routing. Incredible greens. A fantastic piece of land. I’m not sure why some places feel like more than golf, but Belvedere definitely has a soul.

Belvedere Part II I desperately need to see more of William Watson’s work, the two I’ve seen are two of my favorites. P.S. The pro shop is as good as advertised!

Arcadia Bluffs (South) - Bear Lake, MI Dana Fry & Jason Straka, 2018 What a perfect, polar opposite complement to the Bluffs. Extremely thought provoking off the tee plus massive greens where hitting the right section matters. Impressive scale and not near as flat as it looks.

A little preview post from the course that made me start planning the Michigan trip.

Arcadia Bluffs - Arcadia, MI Rick Smith & Warren Henderson, 1999 A tale as old as golf: a large body of water and massive sand dunes. The two combine to form an extremely dramatic property with big elevation changes and wild slopes all over the place. Pretty spectacular.

Last post from Arcadia Bluffs (for now) Probably the most photogenic course I’ve ever played. I’d love to know how some of these sand dunes compare to Ireland, from people that have seen both.

Culver Academies - Culver, IN Langford & Moreau, 1924 What a treat to play one of the best nine hole courses in the world. An incredible collection of holes on a perfect piece of land. Impeccable conditioning and brilliant greens. As good as anything I’ve seen.

And finally, the last shots of this year’s golf trip, from Culver Academies: Pictures do not do the scale of this place justice

Michigan Golf Trip Final Rankings (Best/Favorite): 1/2 : Culver Academies 2/3 : Arcadia Bluffs 3/1 : Belvedere 4/6 : Arcadia South 5/8 : American Dunes 6/9 : Forest Dunes 7/7 : Wolf River 8/5 : Elk Rapids 9/10 : Champion Hill 10/4: Bootlegger P.S. All of these are awesome