Whistling Straits
The Midwest has quietly built one of the best golf landscapes in the country. That’s an incredible statement considering the length of their golf season, but somehow every year the agronomy teams at these iconic locations can cultivate some of the best golf experiences in the country.
Add in the warm hospitality that the region is known for, and you have the perfect formulate for a golf vacation that you and your group are sure to love.
While this region has a multitude of great golf destinations, we have put together a list of some of our favorite facilities that we know deliver some of the best golf experiences in this part of the country.
Kohler, Wisconsin (Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run) – Kohler, Wisconsin
You know you’re in for a treat when the entire town’s focal point is the golf resort that you are visiting. Kohler, Wisconsin is built around their two main hubs of Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run. Whistling Straits is home to the infamous Straits course which has hosted both the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup, and it is without a doubt one of Pete Dye’s greatest designs. It also features the Irish course which is one of the best sister courses in the country and provides a more playable, but still plenty difficult, layout where you’re likely to be visited by a sheep donning a bell mid-round. Trust us, you’ve got to see it to believe it!
When you get to Blackwolf Run, you’ll think you’re at a completely different resort. All the sudden the links-style feels of Whistling Straits have disappeared and you’ve entered a world of parkland beauty. The River Course is an absolute beauty and beast, as some golfers content that it’s even more difficult than the Straits course which is hard to believe. The Meadow Valleys course provides the most relaxed Pete Dye championship design at the resort, so be sure to fit into your itinerary accordingly. You’ll also find The Baths of Blackwolf Run here, a special short course that is one of the more enjoyable short walks in the U.S. Stay at The American Club, the Inn on Woodlake, or the newly renovated and elevated Carriage House, enjoy some top-notch dining, and schedule as many of the off-course amenities as you can to take advantage of your stay at a resort that belongs on the Mount Rushmore of golf resorts in the country.
BOYNE Golf – Petoskey, Michigan
With 11 golf courses, BOYNE Golf is the ultimate playground for any traveling golfer to enjoy. Nestled in Northern Michigan, their portfolio is broken into three resort hubs: The Inn at Bay Harbor, The Highlands and Boyne Mountain.
Each hub features a mixture of inviting, but challenging, courses that creates a wonderful variety for any type of golf group to enjoy. With the options comes tremendous value, as your group not only enjoys phenomenal golf, but also the comforts of staying on property and having a multitude of amenities available to satisfy all your needs.
Bay Harbor Golf Club features three distinct nine-hole routings with select holes that play along Lake Michigan. The Travel Caddie highly suggests booking at least one round at Bay Harbor, while nearby Crooked Tree Golf Club is also a favorite for resort guests because of its majestic vistas looking down on the lake that leave quite the lasting impression.
At The Highlands, you’ll find the largest concentration of golf courses in the portfolio with The Heather, Donald Ross Memorial, The Moor, Arthur Hills, and BOYNE Golf’s latest addition of the Doon Brae Short Course and The Back Yaird putting course.
Boyne Mountain features The Alpine and The Monument courses, with the two layouts featuring some of the most dramatic elevation changes on the property.
If you’re looking for a golf getaway in the Midwest, there are few destinations that can rival BOYNE Golf, as it has become a staple of the Travel Caddie’s annual rotation of must-plays due to its eclectic options for every golfer.
Erin Hills – Hartford, Wisconsin
Erin Hills is one of our favorite 18-hole golf resorts in the world, and it delivers in every way. Every group we’ve ever sent here raves about the experience. Whether you come in just for the day for one round or you turn it into a stay and play (which we highly recommend but you need to book it fast as it fills up quickly), the feel of this property kicks in immediately as you take the long drive up from the unassuming front gate and make your way into one of the game’s best layouts. A walking only course, be sure to book a caddie and listen to these experts as they can guide you around this incredible layout that hosted the 2017 U.S. Open. It’s one of the best walks in the states, and if you’re in need of a cocktail during your round we highly suggest you order a “fescue rescue” as it can take the edge off a day where you’ve found too much of the thick stuff during your round. As you’ll see in our exclusive drone footage, this place is simply special.
French Lick Resort – French Lick, Indiana
French Lick provides guests with a restored classic feel in the hills of Southern Indiana, and the resort’s two historic hotels of the French Lick Springs Hotel and the West Baden Springs Hotel set it apart from nearly anything else in the region. While the charm of this property is exceptional, it’s the golf that makes French Lick so special. The Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort is one of Dye’s toughest designs ever, and as you’ll see in our drone footage below, this course is riddles with challenging elements throughout the round ranging from volcano bunkers, thick rough, steep hillside drop-offs, and plenty of water hazards. The dichotomy of the experience between this course and The Donald Ross Course at French Lick Resort makes for one of our favorite 1-2 championship layouts in the country. The Ross Course is a much more straightforward design with constant elevation changes, thick rough, and over 80 deep-faced bunkers that were a trademark of Ross’ classic designs. To further add to your golfing itinerary, the resort also has recently added The Sand Creek Course at French Lick Resort, a fun pitch and putt layout that features holes that range from 40 to 90 yards as well as The Valley Links Course at French Lick Resort, a 9-hole staple that may be getting some changes in the near future. We’ll have more to come on that in the coming months.
Big Cedar Lodge — Ridgedale, Missouri
Big Cedar Lodge has created one of the most unique collections of golf courses you’ll find anywhere in the world. The resort features 3 championship golf courses highlighted by the stunning Tiger Woods’ designed Payne’s Valley, the Coore and Crenshaw gem of Ozarks National, and the Tom Fazio designed Buffalo Ridge course that recently received a renovation that has it looking spectacular.
As good as the championship courses here are, it’s the short courses that set this destination apart. The recent addition of Cliffhangers, the 18-hole designed par-3 course that literally features a shot that you hit through a waterfall is as unique as it gets in the world of golf. Top of the Rock is one of the best nine-hole par-3 courses in the country, and Mountain Top is a fun 12-hole stroll that features some epic waterfall greens.
Owned by Johnny Morris, the visionary Founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops, this resort literally has it all when it comes to activities to enjoy onsite. Mr. Morris wanted to create a property that inspired people to go outdoors, and when it comes to golf, we can certainly assure you that the mission was accomplished.
In a very short time, Big Cedar Lodge has established its position among traveling golfers as not only a place that they love to go, but that they can’t wait to get back to on a future trip.
Firestone Country Club — Akron, Ohio
This one may come as a bit of a shock to some of you reading this as many golfers mistakenly think that Firestone can only be enjoyed by those lucky enough to call themselves members at this legendary Ohio property. That is not the case, as Firestone has opened up access to their tee sheets for those who take advantage of their stay and play packages.
Firestone’s South Course has tested the best players in the world for generations hosting both major championships and serving as a long-time staple venue on the PGA TOUR. The course is known for its difficult finish highlighted by the par-5 16th that Arnold Palmer nicknamed “The Monster” after he tripled the hole in the 1960 PGA Championship. The 18th hole is also quite famous as many golfers will remember the indelible image of Tiger Woods hitting his infamous “Shot in the Dark” here during the 2000 WGC-NEC Invitational where he stiffed it to two feet and cemented an 11-stroke victory.
While the South Course may be the course you recognize the most, it’s the overall composition of exceptional golf here that really sets this destination apart. The Robert Trent Jones, Sr. designed North Course offers a more forgiving test than its Southern counterpart, but it’s far from easy as you’ll need to navigate your way around water hazards on most of the holes. The Fazio Course brings you a links-style design which offers a nice variety from the parkland layouts of the North and the South courses. Overall, it balances the golf equation onsite here perfectly and makes for a memorable trio of courses for your Ohio golf getaway.
As we lead with, Firestone does provide limited stay and play options creating a high-end experience for those who visit here. You’ll feel like you’ve joined the club for a few days versus being a resort guest, and the exceptional service will leave a lasting impression.
Firestone Country Club
Arcadia Bluffs — Arcadia, Michigan
Perched on bluffs high above Lake Michigan, Arcadia Bluffs delivers some of the most dramatic scenery in the Great Lakes. The Bluffs Course threads along the cliff tops with a windswept, links-inspired feel where nearly every hole offers a view of Lake Michigan that gives the feeling of being on the ocean more than a lake. While The Bluffs Course tends to receive most of the accolades here, we find that the South Course provides a phenomenal sister course where you trade in links-styling for parkland beauty and you can enjoy holes with squared off greens that mimic the likes of high-end private club designs like Chicago Golf Club. The lodging is somewhat limited, so you’ll want to get way ahead on planning a trip here, and if you are able to make this a stay and play getaway, you’ll be glad you did as the lodging here is extremely well done.
Arcadia Bluffs
Forest Dunes — Roscommon, Michigan
Forest Dunes has some of the best golf experiences in the Midwest, yet somehow this destination still seems to fly under the radar with traveling golfers. The resort first launched with their namesake Forest Dunes course, and as you’ll see in our drone footage below this stunning layout that is carved between the Michigan pines is a stunning, challenging layout. While this course would make the destination worth it in and of itself, it was the addition of the Tom Weiskopf-designed course known as The Loop that really got Forest Dunes some serious press. Created in a reversible routing that can be played both clockwise and counterclockwise allowing for two courses to exist on the same piece of land. Add in a short course, a massive putting course, and comfortable lodging, and you’ll have all you need to enjoy a great golf trip!