We often turn to the “experts” when we crave and review the best golf courses, so it’s refreshing to collect data from people to see what they think.
After more than 315,000 reviews in 2022 on GolfPass.com, reviewers have had their say, and two Michigan golf courses have been ranked in the top 10 most golfer-loved public courses in the US, and six others made the top 50 .
No. 8 was Stonegate Golf Club in Twin Lake, where one reviewer wrote that an hour’s drive was “worth the trip.”
GolfPass has more on the course: “This 2004 tree-lined design northeast of Muskegon has graced previous Golfers’ Choice lists of Michigan’s top-rated courses as well as friendliest courses in the United States. In 2022 it really hit its stride, garnering dozens of rave reviews from visiting golfers.”
Green fees at Stonegate are around $72, according to GolfPass.
FREEP SAYS:Play Up North at this tranquil top 10 public golf course just 45 minutes from Detroit
THE BEST OF:Michigan has some of the best resort golf courses in America
To be included in this list, a golf course must be open to the public and have received at least 10 reviews in the previous year. The ratings incorporate six factors that make up the overall score, including value, conditions, layout, pace of play, staff friendliness and off-court amenities.
#9 is a course you may be more familiar with: harbor shore in Benton Harbor, site of five previous Senior PGA Championships and designed by Jack Nicklaus’ company.
“Composed of more than 140 separate land purchases as part of a massive industrial redevelopment effort…this is a prime example of how golf can help reverse the prospects of a struggling community,” wrote GolfPass.
“The course layout was fantastic,” says one review. “Most of the holes were dramatic and could be signature holes for the course. Great experience.”
According to GolfPass, green fees at Harbor Shores are about $195.
CONTINUE READING:Ranking Metro Detroit’s top 10 public golf courses: Here’s who made the list and why
Mauna Lani Resort’s South Course on a coastal bay in Waimea, Hawaii took first place. It’s apparently worth the $268 price tag, and the ocean views are hard to beat.
St Ives Golf Club at Tullymore Golf Resort in Stanwood finished 14th with a cost per round of approximately US$130.
“St. Ives offers a unique experience with a course carved through the Michigan woods, trees lining almost all of the first 13 holes,” wrote one user. “Then a bit of marshland golf for a change. The greens are elevated but fairly flat so putting isn’t too difficult.
Perhaps the best theft of the entire list is #16 Old Channel Trail golf course in Montague, with the cost per round at $44. This is a 9 hole, par 35 layout at 3,222 yards.
“The course was in great shape,” wrote one user. “Completed the loop in 3.5 hours. Highly recommend Old Channel!” Old Channel Trail has a 4.7 out of five star rating based on 34 reviews on GolfPass, with 25 5-star ratings.
TOP DEER:The #1 public golf course in the Detroit area brings some of the Masters to Michigan
Black Lake Golf Club in Onaway placed 26th. Owned by the Detroit-based United Auto Workers, the facility, which opened in 2000, has been well received.
“The course is in great condition, friendly staff all around,” says one review. “I would highly recommend playing here if you (sic) are in the area.”
The cost of a round is $85, according to GolfPass. Of course, visitors should be aware that they only allow union-made American and Canadian vehicles on the premises. All others must use a parking space in front of the entrance.
Three other courses in Michigan made the top 50:
No. 41: Stonehedge South Course at Gull Lake View Golf Club and Resort in Augusta ($60). (We’ve already written about the resort’s newest addition, Stoatin Brae, by renowned Michigan architect Tom Doak.)
No. 46: Heritage Glen Golf Club in Paw Paw ($73).
No. 50: Gladstone Golf Course in Gladstone ($49).
Check out #10-1, Golfers’ Choice 2023: Top 10 US Golf Courses.
2. CLOSE:Michigan’s only famous architect’s golf course is a subtle masterpiece, #2 in our top 10
GolfPass also published Michigan’s top 25 golf courses, where 330 golf courses were rated in 2022 with a total of 6,519 reviews. We’ve already touched on the first eight, but see if you recognize the numbers 9-25.
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