Best golf courses near Charlevoix, MI

William Watson, whose career began in Minnesota building courses such as Minikahda and Interlachen before moving on to work in California, designed Belvedere in the mid 1920s. Recently it’s been under the stewardship of architect Bruce Hepner who has kept the layout sharp and pure. It’s a graceful example of a design that reacts to the land with fairways that flow over links-like ripples and greens sited on natural landforms and benched into slopes. The putting contours are from another era, full of dimples, knobs, swales and bubbles that enliven short game intrigue—chips and putts demand as much attention and creativity as full shots, the sign of great architecture. Belvedere is a private course that welcomes outside play, and it can be walked in the early season for as little as $62.

True North Golf Club, located in Harbor Springs, captures the best of Northern Michigan golf as it winds through the forest with significant elevation changes. The fairways on this Jim Engh design play wider than they appear, as most are raised toward the edges, feeding balls back toward the center. Give the course plays through dense forest, each hole is separate from the others, giving the layout a secluded feel emblematic of the region’s laid-back vibe.

One of three grand "new Pebble Beaches" that debuted in the late 1990s, Bay Harbor was ranked third in Golf Digest's survey of Best New Upscale Public Courses of 1999, behind the twin juggernauts Bandon Dunes and Whistling Straits. Bay Harbor consists of 27 holes, but we rank its Links 9, which plays mostly on a plateau overlooking Lake Michigan, and its Quarry 9, which dips in and out of a lakefront stone quarry. Though there isn't lodging directly at Bay Harbor, the Inn at Bay Harbor is an upscale option part of the Autograph Collection right down the road. And eight-person cottages with stay-and-play deals are also available at nearby Crooked Tree.