When it comes to planning a golf getaway, finding a destination that has strength in numbers is always a good play. That’s one of the many reasons golfers in the Chicago area have gravitated to Gaylord, Michigan – roughly 350 miles away – as a summer vacation favorite for decades.
Nestled in the heart of Northern Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, this region combines championship golf, scenic beauty, welcoming hospitality and a season that maximizes every available day of sunshine between spring and fall. With a variety of courses, stay-and-play opportunities and non-golf attractions to enjoy between putts, Gaylord has become a must-visit for players looking for variety and value.
The allure of Gaylord as a golf destination is no mystery to Chicago players. With Michigan perched on the western edge of the Eastern Time Zone, courses there can be played until 10 p.m. at the height of the summer. That’s right, you can start a nine-hole round after 8 p.m. and still finish with a chance to catch a spectacular sunset over one of the area’s many lakes. And Gaylord’s location on the 45th parallel – marking the halfway point between the equator and the north pole – means less heat and humidity than you’ll find to the south.
The centerpiece of Gaylord’s appeal is the collective strength of its golf offerings. Branded as the Gaylord Golf Mecca, the greater Gaylord area boasts 17 golf courses and 20 lodging partners, all located within minutes of each other – and there are plenty of additional outstanding options within a short drive.
At the core of this portfolio is Treetops Resort, which helped kick off the Northern Michigan golf boom in the 1980s. What started as a local ski hill on the east end of town has transformed into a robust golf resort with multiple championship courses designed by luminaries such as Robert Trent Jones Sr., Tom Fazio and Rick Smith, who was the long-time director of instruction at Treetops. The resort’s Masterpiece, Premier, Signature and Tradition courses offer unique challenges on tree-lined fairways and rolling terrain. The Fazio Premier course is the designer’s only Michigan layout, while RTJ’s Masterpiece layout is one of the architect’s few Michigan tracks. Both weave through the Pigeon River Valley and its mature forests.
Smith designed three layouts at Treetops, including his Signature course – a tribute to his favorite design elements from Scotland and Ireland – and the Tradition, a walkable course on much gentler terrain than the resort’s other 18-hole designs. Smith’s third layout might be the best known: Threetops, one of the country’s first high-profile par-3 courses and the host of an ESPN-televised skins game with players like Lee Trevino and Phil Mickelson. Trevino famously won over $1 million with an ace on the seventh hole, which has a 90-foot drop from tee to green. That’s fairly tame compared with Threetops’ third hole, called “Devil’s Drop” for the 145-foot dip from the tee box to a tricky green.
Treetops also offers a variety of lodging and dining options, making it a great central spot for any Gaylord getaway.
