More difficult than the 16th Green at North Berwick?

Michigan's Upper Peninsula Top 9-hole courses

The Upper Peninsula (U.P.) has 54+ golf courses of which 24+ are of the 9-hole variety. Several are around 100 years old and a few are home made that may not be the greatest design but are well maintained and enjoyable. As is the case around the USA, golf is a tough business to make a profit and there have been a few courses go out of business recently. Please support as many of these courses as you can.

Keweenaw Mt was developed on a rugged site during the Depression by the CC and has on site cabins with fireplaces. Waswashkamo is a 1898 Alex Smith design on Mackinaw Island which is overlooked by many but a real classic sleeper you should not miss. Gentz's in Marquette is one of the best conditioned and friendliest courses in the U.P. with a totem pole right in the middle of a fairway. Most of these courses are reasonably priced and should not be passed by.

The number preceding the course is when I played it in my quest for 1000. The year noted after is my first time playing that particular course. The Letter is its rating.

For more information about the U.P. please scroll down to the July 2013 post.

142 -Keweenaw Mt Lodge & GC (9), Copper Harbor- 2000 G
116 -Wawashkamo GC (9), Mackinac Island- 1997 G
318 -The Jewel GC (Woods 9), Mackinaw Island- 2008 G
516 -Iron River CC (9), Iron River- 2013 W
331 -St. Ignace GC (9), St. Ignace-2009 W
117 -The Jewel GC (Grand 9), Mackinac Island- 1997 W
608 -Calumet GC (9), Calumet- 2015 W
611 -Wyandotte Hills GC (9), Twin lakes- 2015 W
520 -L'Anse GC (9), L'Anse- 2013 W
144 -Gentz’s Homestead GC (9), Marquette- 2000 W
517 -Crystal View GC (9), Crystal Falls- 2013 W
625 -Drummond Island GC (9), Drummond Island- 2015 W
263 -Hiawatha Sportsman’s Club (9), Naubinway- 2007 W
610 -Ontonagon GC (9), Ontonagon- 2015 W
622 -Les Cheneaux (9), Cedarville- 2015 W
521 -Indian Hills GC (9), Stephenson- 2013 Gr

I do have 2 little Scottish terriers and their names are Birdy and Bogey, and someone said to me, "Oh, that's cute, they're named after your golf game." I said, "No, if they were named after MY golf game, they'd be called Double Bogey and Where The F_ _k Is That Ball Going? - comedian Ron White

If there is no wind it ain't golf!! ..anonymous Irish golfer

Michigan's Upper Peninsula Top 18-hole courses

Over the past 20+ years I have played all the (56) currently active golf courses in Michigan's U.P. Below are my rankings of the top sixteen rated 18-hole courses. The only BLACK rated course in the U.P. is the rollicking Greywalls, which reminds me of the enjoyable Scottish courses: Cruden Bay, Prestwick, and North Berwick. In 2018, a new 18-hole course is coming at the Sweetgrass complex outside of Escanaba, which from what I am hearing should be added to this list (Note-#3).

There is a lot of great golf to be played at very affordable rates in this region of Michigan. The summers are short and temperate with the best weather between the 15th of June and end of August. The spectacular peak Fall colors are usually around the 3rd week of September with some nice weather and golf to be enjoyed. Make sure and check the weather forecast before heading north at this time of year, in the past there have been snow storms of up to 10" by the 1st of Oct.

For more information about the Upper Peninsula please scroll down to my previous post of 7/20/13.

The number preceding the course is when I played it in my quest for 1000. The year noted after is my first time playing that particular course. 


192 -Greywalls Course at MGC, Marquette- 2004 Bk**
128 -TimberStone GC, Iron Mountain- 1998 B
773 -Sage Run GC, Carney- 2018 B
287 -Sweetgrass GC, Harris- 2008 B
132 -Pine Grove CC, Iron Mountain- 1999 B
087 -The Rock, Drummond Island- 1994 G
155 -Wild Bluff GC, Brimley- 2001 G
576 -Hessel Ridge GC, Hessel- 2014 G
187 -Indian Lakes CC, Manistique- 2004 G

197 -Gladstone GC, Gladstone- 2005 G
119 -The Heritage Course at MGC, Marquette- 1997 G
178 -Newberry CC, Newberry- 2003 G
143 -Portage Lake GC (MTU), Houghton- 2000 G
127 -Wawonowin CC, Champion- 1998 G
654 -Munoscong GC, Pickford- 2016 G
188 -George Young Recreation, Gaastra- 2004 G