Casino Golf Resorts Michigan
Over the last 30 days, golf resorts in Michigan have been available starting from £53, though prices have typically been closer to £83. Price estimates were calculated on 17 October 2020. See the latest prices. Experience the #1 Manistee Michigan Casino and entertainment venue. Little River Casino Resort is the gateway to scenic M22 and is located at the intersection of U.S, 31 and M-22. Featuring a newly expanded non-smoking gaming area. View Golf Rates. Relax, Rejuvenate, Refresh. National: 1-800-522-4700 Michigan: 1-800-270-7117. Northern Waters Casino Resort US 45, Watersmeet, MI 49969.
By Tom Lang
My golf buddies and I have been fortunate to have experienced many of the top golf resorts in the Midwest and some of the top spots around the country over the years. Not surprisingly and quite honestly, much of the best golf can be found in Michigan.
- Situated in Ypsilanti, this golf resort is 2.2 mi (3.6 km) from Eastern Michigan University and within 9 mi (15 km) of Yankee Air Museum and Briarwood Mall. W W W 3.9 /5 Very Good! (22 reviews) Travelers like: golf course on site, driving range, bar.
- Bay Mills Resort and Casino is located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, just 1 hour north of Mackinac Island and 30 minutes southwest of Sault St.
But what might surprise some is that includes the Upper Peninsula.
Of course, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has its reputation for beautiful forests, numerous waterfalls, the massive Pictured Rocks along the Lake Superior shore, and thrilling elevation changes.
The Island Resort & Casino is located outside of Escanaba, the small port city on the Little Bay de Noc on the southwestern end of the U.P. The long-time casino destination has added two special golf courses and updated its food options and Spa amenities in recent years to attract new guests.
The resort built its first golf course, Sweetgrass, in 2009, designed by Michigan-based architect Paul Albanese. Sweetgrass ranks among Golfweek’s Best Courses and has earned recognition by GOLF Magazine and Golf Digest as a Best in State. Sweetgrass features an open layout with some of the game’s most exciting greens to putt. In addition, the course showcases some wonderful strategic holes including the famous island green No. 15, and its spectacular duo par 5 holes running parallel and finishing the front and back nines – sharing the same, expansive green complex.
In a review for the Detroit Free Press many years ago, I wrote this: ‘The only hole on the course completely framed by trees from tee to green, No. 17, has many photogenic features to explore. Playing the back tees first requires a trip over one of the course’s five reclaimed road/train bridges from across Menominee County. A significant water carry starts the adventure. The landing area (from all tees) is littered with bunkers and a sandstone rock formation to avoid. For the final approach, the green is framed by tress not in play as a nice backdrop to the slightly elevated green. The hole is named Wisdom, and the sandstone represents a turtle, which embodies wisdom in the animal world.’
The description above shows that the rest of the course is pretty wide open with a more prairie-style ergonomic feel to the design. Sweetgrass is fun, with wide fairways and some of the most fun greens you can putt on including a Redan, Biarritz, Island, and the double-green finishing holes of 9 and 18. Sweetgrass is also part of the “Road to the LPGA” with its Symetra Tour Island Resort Championship featuring the future of LPGA professional golf.
A few years ago, the resort embarked on its latest golf development after demand for more golf had become evident among golfers. The Sage Run course, which was also designed by Albanese, provides a different and fun golf experience traversing up and down, in and around a large bluff that runs through the property about six miles from the hotel (free shuttles). The new course opened full time in May, 2019 – and in the fall hosted the first-ever U.P. Div. 1 college tournament that featured MSU (with medalist James Piot), Purdue, Kentucky, Central Florida and team winner Liberty University, among six other collegiate teams.
Sage Run was built as part of an $8 million renovation including the addition of a full-service spa, renovation of the bingo hall and a new sports bar that would rival the nearest Buffalo Wild Wings with massive TVs and a thrilling sports-centric atmosphere – something golf groups cherish on most evenings. The truth was, after the great golf combination of Sweetgrass and Sage Run, they had me at “sports bar.”
We utilized the new website (www.islandresortgolf.com) and package offerings and made the call to book our group on a three-night, four-round golf package. On this trip we decided to stay on property, but golfers could also choose the “Perfect Foursome” package to include Greywalls in nearby Marquette, and Timberstone in Iron Mountain – both exceptional courses produced by award-winning Michiganders Mike DeVries and Jerry Matthews, respectively.
Tony Mancilla, the IRC general manager, was willing to take a little risk with developing Sage Run. He re-hired Albanese to dream up a rough and rugged concept located on a totally different type of landscape.
“If you were to take away all the golf course furniture out there – the flagsticks and tee markers – I don’t think you’d realize it’s a golf course,” Albanese told me. “It looks like a landscape. Yet you throw a flag and a few tee markers in and now it becomes a golf course. The way it is integrated into the natural terrain is what I’m most proud of at Sage Run.”
The main feature of the property is a long, sloping ridge that’s an outcome of past glacier movement in the region. It runs through the heart of the property and is very prominent as it has vast hill climbs over 120 feet high. It is clearly the focal point for the golf design and can be very intimidating the first time it’s experienced. Uphill challenges are most prominent on the par 3 holes of No. 5 and No. 14, plus the 16th par 4. In each case you might see the top of the flag from the tee – if you’re lucky.
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Yet the balance of routing includes mostly level or downhill plays – especially Nos. 6, 15 and 18 with highly elevated tees inviting golfers to ‘let it fly’ and watch the ball hang in air for a gloriously long time before dropping to the earth below.
Following golf, we had a great dinner at the 5 Bridges, where the create-your-own burger was perfect after a long day of golf. Following dinner, we hit the casino before heading back to the rooms, which are very comfortable and spacious.
This casino did not disappoint with a new poker room, craps, blackjack, Spanish 21, three card poker, let-it-ride, roulette, and bingo. We all met in the McC’s Sports Bar to go over the itinerary for the next three days, pick teams, determine the games, and watch games on more than 30 huge TVs and enjoyed great food and drink.
Whether you are a group of guys looking for a great buddy trip destination, women looking for a great golf and spa destination, or just golfers looking to escape the stress of the big city and experience a fun golf vacation among the scenic beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, plan a trip to the Island Resort. Visit www.islandresortgolf.com.
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