Spring is coming and the itch to hit the golf course in warmer weather is getting worse for Michiganders.
To help you get through the winter blues, Golfweek has released this week Top 200 residential golf courses in the United States For 2023, and for the great state of Michigan we have three courses on the list.
We’ll explain the ratings and what it all means, but here’s what you need to know.
Harbor Shores is open to the public; The other two are private.
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The Wade Hampton Club in Cashiers, North Carolina — a Tom Fazio design that opened in 1987 — was the overall favorite. with a rating of 8.15. Fazio’s courses topped the list and he has four in the top six. Michigan-based architect Tom Dukes of Rock Creek Cattle Company in Deer Lodge, Montana, ranks second with a rating of 7.86.
More on Golfweek’s ranking criteria and the top three residential courses in Michigan:
classification system
Golf Week, which is part of the USA TODAY Network, says its army of reviewers is constantly reviewing and rating courses based on 10 criteria. They also provide one overall rating for each course, and these values are averaged to produce a final cumulative assessment. This list does not include other communities or facilities, instead focusing strictly on the game of golf.
Golfweek numerous pool Course Ratings “Best” Content each year from its database of hundreds of local and national golf manufacturers. We’ve chronicled any time Michigan has made an impact in the rankings, including the state’s best courses, best public courses and best “19th hole.”
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true north
True North, designed by Jim Engh and opened in 2004, is another classic “Up North feel” design carved through the woods of northern Michigan in the Upper Lower Peninsula in Harbor Springs. It’s a self-described “low volume” course, with isolated holes and three-lines, elevation changes and some small puddles of water. Nature is all around you.
“Everything about this place is a dream,” Eng says on the course website.
Members and guests can stay in cottages “steps from the short game area, driving range, and trout fishing pond.”
Measures 7,040 yards from the championship tees, par-72 (37/35), with three players 5 on the front nine and three on the back.
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LochenHeath
LochenHeath, designed by Steve Smyers and opened in 2001, is located off Grand Traverse Bay in a former Williamsburg cherry orchard that hugs East Bay. The name is of Scottish origin: “loch loch” translates to lake and “heath” is a local weed, and it prides itself on a layout modeled on the rare Scottish links in Michigan.
“The 7,280-yard course features rolling terrain, wide-open fairways, and deep, well-placed bunkers,” according to her. website. “The design of the LochenHeath golf course is a favorite for players for the unparalleled beauty of the surrounding area and as a challenge for golfers who want to test their prowess in the sport.”
It’s only a 20-minute drive from Traverse City, and it also features a short game area and pristine practice.
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Harbor Shores
You’ve probably heard the story of Benton Harbor’s Harbor Shores, designed by the Jack Nicklaus firm and opened in 2010, on a site of vacant buildings that have become a wasteland of toxic waste. More than 3 million square feet of dilapidated buildings were demolished More than 140,000 tons of waste have been removed from around the property.
It has hosted five KitchenAid Senior PGA Championships (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2022) and its winners include Colin Montgomery and Rocco Medite.
It’s a 90-minute drive from Chicago, and claims to be the first beach, golf, and waterfront residential community in southwest Michigan.
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The course is 71 par 6,861 yards from the tips and runs around the Paw Paw River at points. You’ll see different terrains of forests, wetlands, and sand dunes, and the tour features a close-up view of Lake Michigan at the level seven green.
Read more and See Golfweek’s Top 200 Complete Residential Courses.