Northern Michigan trip- The Loop. etc

[pingman52]

3 friends and I just completed a 4 round/3 night trip to Northern Lower Michigan in August, here are my Course reviews. We flew into Traverse City, rented a SUV and drove to Forest Dunes in Roscommon, where we stayed in a 3bd cottage for 2 nights. We played The Loop(Tom Doak) the first 2 days. The course is designed to be played forward one day and backward the next, using the same fairways, greens and bunkers but different tees, of course. Loop has received rave reviews since opening a couple years ago. I don't agree with those reviews. After playing it each way, I will not go back. Fairways are very wide. Despite a few fairway bunkers, it's hard to get in much trouble off the tee unless you hit a very poor shot. Not much water, and mostly flat lies. Players of any level could handle this course, with one HUGE caveat- the greens.

 

They warn you upfront to play the ball on the ground. They don't water the course much, so the fairways are hard and the ball runs out. The greens are even harder. No matter how crisply a shot is hit, approach shots will bounce high and release, even off of high, short irons. Nearly every green is elevated and shaped like upside-down savers, a la Donald Ross. Beyond that, they are extremely fast and extremely undulating. You can hit what you think is a perfect chip or bunker shot, only to see it keep rolling until it goes entirely off the other side of the green. There is so much undulation that fair pin placements are few and far between, if not impossible.

We had 4 guys with handicaps between 1-16. Not great, but not duffers either. 2-putting any green on the course was cause for celebration. Trying to lag longer putts was an adventure. And if you miss a 4-footer, odds are you will have an 8-footer(or more) coming back. I've played tough greens before(including Pinehurst No. 2 & Ocean Course at Kiawah), but Loop is in a class by itself. At least Augusta National greens are not rock hard and will hold a well-struck shot. 

Of course, The Loop produces many, many 3 & 4 putts(and worse), making the pace of play quite slow. While it is an interesting layout, it is just too hard for anyone but those with tremendous short-game skills, which is a tiny % of golfers. Forest Dunes course, on the other hand, is far more beautiful and playable. The greens there reward good shots, not punish them. Only problem is Forest Dunes/Loop are in Roscommon, literally in the middle of nowhere. It's not a good choice for a stay/play package unless you are a masochist who enjoys playing greens that are ridiculously hard for 2 out of 3 courses.

 

For our last night/round we drove back to Traverse City and stayed/played Cedar River, a Tom Weiskopf course. Cedar River is around 20 years old and has matured into one of the most beautiful courses I have ever played. Constant elevation changes, nearly every fairway cut out of a forest, and enough tee boxes to make it playable for all talent levels. If you are in the area, Cedar River is a must-play. Next year we plan to stick around the TC/Charlevoix areas, with potentially driving down to Arcadia Bluffs. 

[Shankster]

Highly recommend Belvedere in Charlevoix.  It truly is a gem.  My favorite course ever I think.  Dunmaglas is another gem… Crooked Tree in Petoskeg is super nice.  Skip Bay Harbor, it is over rated BIG TIME. 
 

Find a pro that can get you on the Kingsley club or Crystal Downs.

Even the Charlevoix Country Club is a nice track that is cheap as heck…