Boyne Highlands, Donald Ross Course
As the summer quickly approaches, it’s that time of the year where the golf season officially feels like it begins around the country.
That means that the northern climates which have had to battle the elements of winter now begin to emerge from underneath their white blankets, and we golfers now have a plethora of new options to enjoy as summer quickly approaches. That includes one of the best areas of the country for golf known as the Midwest, and we’ve highlighted a few of our favorite golf resorts in this region that we highly recommend for a golf getaway.
Kohler (Kohler, Wisconsin)
It’s impossible to talk about the best golf resorts in the Midwest, let alone the United States, without mentioning Kohler, Wisconsin. The golf experience here is defined by the Straits at Whistling Straits, a Pete Dye masterpiece that borders Lake Michigan and provides one of the most beautiful challenges in the game of golf. While any trip here must include a round on the Straits, what really separates this resort is how great the entire golf experience is here. The Irish at Whistling Straits offers a wonderful complement to the Straits Course as this links-style design plays adjacent to the Straits but is a little more inland with a focus on target golf with the occasional sighting of a Scottish blackface sheep.
The golf experience totally shifts when you visit the courses at Blackwolf Run which is closer to the resort and a few miles away from Whistling Straits. Blackwolf Run is highlighted by the River Course. The River is a stern test of golf that shifts to a parkland-style design that features plenty of water hazards, thick rough, and various challenges as many will argue that this is the toughest course on the property, which is saying a lot considering that it is the sister course to the Straits which has hosted the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup. Blackwolf Run also features the Meadow Valleys which is far from a walk in the park, but compared to the other designs onsite here, it is arguably the easiest of the four courses and it’s a great course to play on day one of your trip so you can prepare for the other 3 challenging layouts.
The latest addition to the property is The Baths of Blackwolf Run, a 10-hole short course that is an absolute blast to play. There is also a 2-acre putting course available to play here, and it’s the perfect place to end your day of golf while visiting Kohler.
The resort is in the heart of the town of Kohler, Wisconsin, as it also serves as the home of the Kohler Company. Guests can stay at the iconic American Club, the Inn on Woodlake, or enjoy the Kohler Cabin Collection during your stay. Recently, the Kohler Waters Spa underwent a massive renovation and as you can imagine when you are owned by a brand that is known for its excellence in plumbing fixtures, the experience is out of this world.
BOYNE Golf (Petoskey, Michigan)
As the second largest golf resort in the country, BOYNE Golf is home to 172 holes of golf known as the Magnificent 11 (once the new Doon Brae short course opens in June 2025). Featuring three main resort hubs with Boyne Mountain, the Inn at Bay Harbor, and The Highlands, these three properties are easy to visit all in one trip as they are all within a 25-mile radius of each other.
As one of the best values you will find anywhere in the game of golf, BOYNE offers a variety of great golf that is highlighted by the three spectacular 9-hole routings at Bay Harbor Golf Club featuring a collection of holes that border Lake Michigan. They are considered the premium offerings of the portfolio, and a stay at the nearby Inn at Bay Harbor, Autograph Collection in addition to an additional 18-holes at the nearby Orange Tree Golf Club serves as a great hub for 45 holes of golf during your Michigan getaway.
One of our favorite things about this destination is how often you’ll hear that golfers all have a different favorite course. The Highlands is a favorite resort choice for golf groups, and we expect that demand to only increase with the addition of the new Doon Brae short course. The Highlands also serves as the home to the original course of the collection called The Heather, the Arthur Hills course named after its famous designer, the Donald Ross Memorial course featuring holes modeled after the iconic designer’s best holes, and The Moor which is considered by many to be the truest test of golf in the portfolio.
Boyne Mountain features 36 holes of golf known as The Alpine and The Monument. These two courses feature dramatic elevation changes and provide a distinct setting amongst the other BOYNE Golf courses.
The BOYNE Golf resorts provide a massive variety of options when it comes to booking a golf vacation here and dollar for dollar, we would stack BOYNE Golf up against just about any other destination in the country. In fact, USA Today recently released their 10Best Awards and The Highlands was ranked #2 in the Resort category and BOYNE Golf was #1 in the Golf Destination category. As you can see, these courses and resorts are universally recognized for the excellence and value that they provide, and you cannot go wrong with a golf trip to this Northern Michigan gem.
The Highlands, Heather Course
Big Cedar Lodge (Hollister, Missouri)
There’s a reason Big Cedar Lodge has quickly shot up the rankings as one of the best golf destinations in the country. With a unique offering of golf options highlighted by the Tiger Woods-designed Payne’s Valley Course, Big Cedar Lodge should be on every golfer’s must-visit list of resorts. The gorgeous Payne’s Valley course features some of the most spectacular views you’ll find anywhere in the Midwest including the iconic 19th hole known as the Big Rock at Payne’s Valley. See our exclusive drone footage below to see what makes this course so incredible.
The resort also features the beautiful Ozarks National that was designed by the legendary duo of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and the soon-to-be reopened Tom Fazio-designed Buffalo Ridge Springs Golf Course as the other two 18-hole layouts at the resort. They are all must-play rounds during a visit here.
A unique feature that Big Cedar Lodge provides is its wonderful variety of top-notch short courses. The first short course design at the property was Top of the Rock by Jack Nicklaus, arguably the most beautiful 9-hole golf course you will find anywhere in the world as you’ll see in our drone footage below. The second short course is the Mountain Top course designed by Gary Player, a 13-hole short course that features 300-million year old limestone formations that will have your jaw on the ground before you finish your round. And lastly, the latest addition to the property is the new Cliffhangers Golf Course that is scheduled to open in the summer of 2025 that will be an 18-hole par-3 course that will sit right next to Payne’s Valley with holes ranging from 60 to 165 yards.
The short courses fit in perfectly into a golf trip at Big Cedar Lodge as there is so, so much to see and do at this incredible property. Big Cedar Lodge is owned by the legendary CEO of Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris, and Mr. Morris designed this property to help any and every one enjoy this incredible setting whether it be on the course, on the lake at the Bent Creek Marina, enjoying a concert at the Thunder Ridge Nature Arena, playing games at Fun Mountain, or taking in the sunset ceremony at Top of the Rock as just a few of the many activities there are to enjoy at this incredible resort.
French Lick Resort (French Lick, Indiana)
French Lick Resort offers one of the best 1-2 combinations of 18-hole golf courses all under one roof that you will find anywhere in the country. The Pete Dye Course at French Lick is, in a word, spectacular. As one of Dye’s toughest tests that he ever designed, and that’s saying something, this course that was carved out of the side of a mountain provides some of the most spectacular views that you will find in all of Indiana. It’s hard to do this course justice with words, so look at the drone footage below to see why this course is consistently ranked among the best courses in the country.
As a perfect complement to the Pete Dye Course, French Lick Resort offers The Donald Ross Course at French Lick. Designed by its legendary namesake, this classic design was built in 1917 and while it may not be as dramatic as the Dye Course, The Donald Ross Course is every bit as fun and a different but welcomed challenge all the same.
Golfers can enjoy a stay at the French Lick Springs Hotel, West Baden Springs Hotel, or The Valley Tower and can spend their time off the course enjoying the French Lick Casino, relaxing at The Spa at French Lick or The Spa at West Baden, swimming at one of the pools onsite, or a variety of other activities available at the best golf resort in Indiana.
Erin Hills (Erin, Wisconsin)
Absolutely pure. That’s the first thing that comes to mind when we think of the experience at Erin Hills. This pristine plot of land, which was long ago formed by the last glacier to cover central Wisconsin over 10,000 years ago, feels like it was destined to be a golf course as the team of Dr. Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry, and Ron Whitten molded this land to become one of the best tests of golf in the country. They are currently preparing to host the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open at the end of May 2025, and this further adds to the championship pedigree of the property that has hosted the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, the 2011 U.S. Amateur Championship, the 2017 U.S. Open Championship, and the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship in the past and is slated to host five more USGA Championships by 2039. As you’ll see in the footage below, this course is unforgettable.
Guests visiting Erin Hills can come in for golf only, but we recommend staying here for at least one night to get the full experience during your stay. You can stay at either The Lodge or one of the multi-bedroom cottages, and after your round you can enjoy a stroll around the Drumlin Putting Course, put away a beverage or two from the Irish Pub around one of the terrace fire pits, or shoot some pool in the Caddie Barn that converts from a bag drop during the day to a place for overnight guests to play games in by night.
SentryWorld (Stevens Point, Wisconsin)
When it comes to creating an all-world experience from the moment you arrive until you load up your car, SentryWorld has you covered.
This incredible venue is finally starting to get the attention that it deserves as the course recently hosted the 2024 U.S. Senior Open and some of the best players in the game had the chance to discover what those of us who are lucky enough to have visited here before have known for some time: SentryWorld is special. The course rose to fame as pictures of the signature Flower Hole began to circulate all over the internet.
This famous par-3 16th hole features over 50,000 flowers that are planted here annually, and designer Robert Trent Jones, Jr. named it as his “Mona Lisa.”
While this hole may have been the reason many of us first found out about this course, the one thing that we can all agree on is that it is just the beginning of what makes SentryWorld so special.
In a region that is known more for Americanized links-style golf, SentryWorld stands out as a pure parkland design that is manicured to perfection from tee to green. The layout is outstanding as you’ll see in our drone footage below, and the experience is first class as tee times are spaced out twenty minutes apart and your round includes an all-inclusive experience as you can visit one of the on-course refreshment stations throughout your round to enjoy complimentary beverages and food. It creates an ultra-high end private club experience for the resort golfer.
As if the golf wasn’t enough to make a visit here worth your while, The Inn at SentryWorld takes it to another level as this luxuriously designed property features all the upscale amenities that you could ask for during your Wisconsin golf getaway. All the dining venues onsite are great, and if you have some time after your round try and enjoy some time at the Fieldhouse sports and recreation area or visit The Outfitter to rent a bike to explore the local trails. Trust us, SentryWorld is exceptional and worth a visit.
Sand Valley (Nekoosa, Wisconsin)
Sand Valley has entered the golf chat, and they’ve done so in a major way. This iconic venue now features five golf courses with the Sand Valley course by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, Mammoth Dunes by David McLay Kidd, Tom Doak’s Sedge Valley and his 17-hole short course known as the Sandbox, and The Lido which is a private course that is open to guests staying at the resort Sunday to Thursday that is also designed by Tom Doak and Brian Schneider of Renaissance Golf.
Owned by the famous Keiser family, Sand Valley continues to expand their footprint in the game, and they feature a collection of courses that are all exceptional. The resort boasts a variety of lodging options that range from Lodge Rooms all the way to Estate Homes, and the experience here is truly special.
Sand Valley
The Prairie Club (Valentine, Nebraska)
Golf in Nebraska is certainly becoming a destination that many golfers are aware of these days. So many of the facilities here such as Sand Hills, the Dismal River Club, and CapRock Ranch are private courses that most of us will never have the opportunity to play. Luckily for us, there is one resort that features exceptional golf and still offers those pristine views of the Nebraska countryside that will take your breath away.
The Prairie Club is a semi-private resort that features two championship 18-hole layouts with the Tom Lehman and Chris Brands designed Dunes Course and the Graham Marsh designed Pines Course, as well as the Gil Hanse and Geoff Shackelford designed 10-hole, par-3 Horse Course. The dichotomy of the experience here makes this property stand out as the Dunes Course provides a links-style experience as your round features dramatic elevation changes and incredible views of the Sandhills countryside.
Conversely, the Pines Course plays as a semi-protected parkland-style layout that borders the Snake River canyon rim and has you playing through the pines as the course name suggests.
Driven by Founder Paul Schock’s philosophy to provide affordable access to world-class golf, a stay and play package at The Prairie Club provides golfers with unlimited golf, a GPS-enabled golf cart, lodging, and a complimentary breakfast buffet every day during your stay. There are multiple lodging options including the Lodge which is the main hub of the property, the Guesthouse which is adjacent to the Horse Course and features king bed suites, the Cabins that offers four-bedroom suites which is great for golf groups, and the Bunkhouse which is also close to the Horse Course and provides a rustic charm and single occupancy lodging. Another unique factor of a stay and play vacation to
The Prairie Club is that public guests are only permitted to enjoy one trip per year as the team here wants as many people as possible to be able to enjoy the splendor of all that makes up the experience at The Prairie Club.
Prairie Club, Horse Course