Booked a trip up to Boyne Michigan for a weekend. Playing a handful of courses at the Highlands then also Bay Harbor and Crooked Tree. Anybody ever been up that way? We are going late August.

I played Bay Harbor Links/Quarry a couple years ago and really enjoyed it.

If you are in that area you have to play Belvedere.

We did a summer golf trip up there several years ago. It was fine, but I highly doubt we go to Boyne again.

The courses themselves are good (and some great), but the vibe is a little strange there (in the area in general). You feel like you're in a time warp, as everything is very dated (rust-belt, after all). The locals told us they can't get/keep employees because it's too expensive to live there.

Bay Harbor, for instance, is a really high dollar course ($400ish green fee)… They've got a nice balcony with a restaurant overlooking Lake Michigan and Quarry #9 green. Awesome setting… The issue is, they have almost no one working it and they actually recommend that you go out to the food truck in the parking lot for service. I'm no golf snob, by any means… but when you're playing $400, you'd expect a little more.

At Crooked Tree, we had the 7:40 tee time… We asked about drinks and coffee…

Guy in the shop: "No problem! When the bev cart girl gets here, you can get it from her."

Us: Great! When does she get here?

Him: Usually around 9…

They literally had ZERO food/bev until around 10 AM when we saw her on the course. And post-round they actually ran out of ALL bread products… so no hotdogs, burgers, etc.

Highlands: Be sure to play The Hills course at Highlands. It's BY FAR the best at that facility. Very, very cool course.

At Bay Harbor… you really need to play Links/Quarry. The 3rd 9, The Preserve, is fine, but it's nothing special (and zero lake views). Links, specifically, is an awesome 9 holes and the Quarry has a great finish (along Lake Michigan).

Crooked Tree is fine, couple of holes with nice views.

Overall: I don't regret going, but I doubt I'll ever do it again. Compared to other golf trips, this one just doesn't measure up. It's not the easiest to get to and they just don't tick all of the boxes that you'd like.

To me, for a nice/budget golf trip, I'd much prefer RTJ. RTJ is more serious about their golf, IMO, and RTJ is way cheaper.

Thanks for the input. We try and bounce around to different areas of the country each year. Hopefully it'll be a good time. Any restaurant/bar recommendations in the area?

That's part of the weird vibe… very very sleepy area, like almost ghost town feeling at times. We stayed in a cottage at Highlands, and we were mostly on the course… so not much other activities. We went to the main bar/restaurant some, but it closed early (maybe 9?).

My Wife has a friend who has family up there, and I just asked him. He had this to say:

"Yeah it can be a ghost town. I would recommend Chandlers for dinner. Maple & batter for breakfast/lunch. Ron's bar as far as bars go. It's a dive but a fun place."

Thank you. I appreciate it.

Poot is exactly right. I had a near identical experience at Bay Harbor.
The course was fine but the service was essentially non existent.
Only food option was a brat like hot dog with no condiments.
You should expect more for that price.

Belvedere in Charlevoix is a great course as mentioned by rodneyp11.

If you are flying in and out of TVC and have extra time, the best two courses in the area IMO are High Pointe and The Kingsley Club.
Both are private though.

I would say Crystal Downs is the best course in the area. And the front 9 may be as good as any in the country. In my opinion.

Poot, (or anyone else with knowledge)

Thanks for the post. I am the planner for our annual trip and have been considering Northern Michigan for our Fall 2027 outing.

Was tentatively looking at the Acadia Bluffs and Forest Dunes.

Has anyone run into the same issues there? We aren't snobs either, but we can go wherever and don't want to go to some place that has staffing issues that would detract from the overall trip.

thanks

I thought the experience at Forest Dunes was great. But bring bug spray!11. They had some on the first tee but we couldn't use enough of it.

Arcadia was really crowded and slow. I believe that is the general reputation it has. But still a neat course (I've only played the original) and worth play.

The Grinder (99) said:

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Poot, (or anyone else with knowledge)

Thanks for the post. I am the planner for our annual trip and have been considering Northern Michigan for our Fall 2027 outing.

Was tentatively looking at the Acadia Bluffs and Forest Dunes.

Has anyone run into the same issues there? We aren't snobs either, but we can go wherever and don't want to go to some place that has staffing issues that would detract from the overall trip.

thanks

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I don't have knowledge of really anywhere other than the Highlands/Bay Harbor/Crooked Tree facilities.

It's a really pretty part of the world with the terrain, trees, Lake Michigan… it was just the lack of service (really just a lack of staff) that ticks the places we went down a notch.

I know there are some BIG LEAGUE courses up there (Crystal Downs), but I've only been up there once so I can't speak to anything else.

My take on Forest Dunes and Arcadia Bluffs. Played both in the summer of 2025.

Forest Dunes has decent rooms and service. Food was well above average. Nice outside bar area after the round. Forest Dunes the course is lush and manicured. What most people want when they go to Northern Michigan for golf. It also has The Loop - a reversible course by Tom Doak that can be played clockwise and counterclockwise - depends on the day of the week. Interesting concept and fun to play. Firm and fast conditions - not nearly as lush and pretty as Forest Dunes. But a totally different style of course at the same resort.

Arcadia Bluffs has great lodging and very good food.
The Bluffs course is spectacular- every golfer should play it once. But it is SLOW to play. Probably 5 1/2 slow. A lot of trouble on both sides of the fairway and unless your foursome is tour level straight off the tee, someone in your group will be looking for a ball in the rough and they are not easy to find. Even if you are straight off the tee, the group in front of you will be looking for balls. Pro tip would be to get the first tee time in the am at the Bluffs course !

The South course is a throw back to older style courses which I generally like. The South was good not great.

Neither place had the lack of personnel issues that Bay Harbor seemed to have.

In July we've got 7:50a tee time on bluffs. Hoping it's enough that we're closer to 4:15 or 4:30.