The Heathlands Golf Course- A Hidden Diamond!

The Heathlands golf course, located about 10-15 minutes south of Arcadia Bluffs in a town called Onekama of northwest Michigan, is a very hidden gem of a course. For the price, it is just unbeatable! $58 in the Summer on the weekend if you are walking! Not very many people know about this course, as it is off a side road in a town of 600 citizens. 

The town of Onekama is full of nice people. Everybody waves and says hello as you are walking or driving by. The town nicknames itself the "Two Lake Town" as it is on Lake Michigan as well as a smaller lake, Portage Lake. 

I wasn't expecting much by this course, but was blown away once I started to play. I only was able to play the front 9, though. An updated review of this course will be posted next Spring or Summer, when I get the chance to play it again.

(All yardages posted are from the black tees)

View from the 1st tee box.

The course plays short, 6569 from the blacks. You begin your front 9 with a fairly easy starting hole, a 401 yard par 4. A wide open hole, there is fescue on both sides of the fairway though, but there is some rough separating the 2.

The course continues then with an open par 3 at 173, with only bunkers guarding you from hitting the green.

The 3rd hole is a real joy to play. A 559 par 5, your tee shot should be aimed over the very short fairway bunker. I know, it will seem like you're aiming way right, but after you get past the bunker, the whole doglegs to the right, and your tee shot, if straight, will be in the middle of the fairway.

 #3 approach shot to the green.

The 4th hole is another fun one, at 383 yards. It is a very severe dogleg to the left. This whole will not require driver for most players. However, don't play it too short, or you will have an approach like the one shown below.

Approach to the 4th green if left short.

The 5th hole is a true monster! At 445 yards, the tee shot is extremely tight. Trees lining almost the entire  right side of the fairway and left side as well. An uphill approach shot is then left after the tee shot. 

5th tee shot- very tight!

The 6th is a fairly easy par-5 at 541 yards and a little bit of a dogleg left. Once done with the 6th, you travel through the trees on a path to my favorite hole on the course, #7. This was a very fun hole to play. It is a severe dogleg right at 339 yards. Driver should only be needed if going for the green. The only players who can make it to the green, however, can hit it long and hit a cut.

7th tee shot, scenic and fun!

Trees are completely lining the right side of the whole, and the fairway slopes to the right. You will have a better angle at the green if aimed more to the left. There is a huge bunker guarding the entire front of the green, and you almost have a blind shot to the green because of a small hill in the front left.

7th approach to the green.

This is a very nice hole to play as it gives many options to the shot choice.

The 2 front 9 finishing holes are nice ones as well. The 8th is a downhill par 3 at 191. Your tee shot is from in the trees and the green ends up in the wide open. Also, a bunker guards the left while fescues guards the right.

The 9th is a fun hole to play as well, with a bunker smack dab in the middle of the fairway. Playing at 346 yards, its an easy finisher if you miss the bunker.

The overall experience was a fun one. This course provides some scenic views as well as fun holes to play. While not the hardest and longest course, it does provide many options in your shot and club selection. The head pro was the only worker there besides the man working the register. It gave off a nice quaint feel, as both were extremely nice. My family travels up to Onekama every Summer, but this was my first time playing the course. I cant wait to return next year and play all 18 holes!

P.S. If looking for a bite to eat, I recommend The Glenwood, great fish and pasta! The workers there are nice as well!

Manitou Passage Golf Course Review

The day after I played Arcadia Bluffs, my dad and I traveled a little farther up the lower peninsula to play a fairly new course called Manitou Passage. This course used to be named King's Challenge, but was renovated and had the name changed. For 18 holes in the summer, you can play this course for $79-$89. However, if you decide to play it in the fall (highly recommended), you get discounted rates at $47-$53. 

If possible, play this course in the fall, not only because fo the lower rates, but because of the colors of the leaves. Northern Michigan is known for its beautiful colors during the fall season, and this course has a lot of trees, as you'll see later on.

This course is right off of the highway, in a little town called Cedar, and you can see the sign above along the highway, so it's not very hard to find. 

This course was ranked one of Golfweek's best new courses in the USA in 2010.

The clubhouse offers Taylormade brand rental clubs, which are fairly nice as they are displayed next to the pro shop. Also, the fall season offers discounted prices to everything in the pro shop, yes EVERYTHING! I ended purchasing a Cleveland CG16 60 degree club for $48 (regularly $120). They also had Taylormade Ghost Putters for 60% off as well. 

The Course

The first three holes provide a fairly easy start, as long as you can hit the ball straight. Starting with a 427 yard par-4, a 324 yard par-4, and a 180-yard par-3. The first hole is wide open, with water to the right of the green. The 2nd and 3rd are kind of tight, with trees aligning both sides of the fairway.

View from the 4th tee box. Great colors on the left!


The 4th hole was one of my favorites, a downhill, dogleg right, par-4 playing at 408 yards from the tips. Stay on the left-middle side of the fairway for a clear shot at the green, surrounded by tall native grasses.

The 5th, 6th, and 7th holes are fairly tough. The 5th hole, a 545 yard par-5, plays wide open with a lot of wind, so make sure you keep it low. The 6th has a very tight fairway and the 7th is a downhill par-3 with trees behind the green, so dont go long!

The tee shot for the 8th, signature hole.

The view of the Manitou Passage from the 8th tee box.


The 8th, easily the best on the course is a downhill, dogleg right, 570 yard par 5 from the tips. Water surrounds the entire right side and front of the green. A tight tee shot, with trees on both sides of the fairway.

This is what I mean when I say to go in the fall. Very beautiful with all of the colors!

The back 9 begins with a par-5, and is a par 35, with 3 par-threes. There are a few cool holes on the back, but I completely forgot about my camera for the first 7 holes.

Jumping ahead to #17, this was my second favorite hole on the course!

17th tee shot, a straight downill shot, almost a 2-club difference!


This was an amazing hole, with the almost straight downhill tee shot and the tree colors. A very pretty hole. Playing at 168 yards from the tips, make sure you take at least one club down to land it on the green.

The 18th hole is a nice finishing hole, which is very similar to the 8th with the water on the entire right side of the green.

This course was a very fun course to play, with nice views and some challenging holes. There could be more water on the course, however, as you get to refill your water bottle once at the halfway mark. The greens are pretty fast for a public course. I can't wait to be able to play this course again!

The Manitou Passage clubhouse.


Manitou Passage Website

Arcadia Bluffs (Arcadia, MI) Course Review

I got the chance to play the #10 public course in the USA (According to Golf Digest) twice in the early stages of October. This course is located in the northern half of the lower peninsula of Michigan. A little town called Arcadia is the host to this wonderful course. My grandparents have a cottage in Onekama (just south of Arcadia) which we stay at every summer and occasionally the fall and spring. I never knew that this little piece of heaven was 15 minutes from where I grew up during the summer!

Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, this course provides great views and a fun round of golf. A little pricy during the summer ($180 for a round and a cart with gps and range balls), the rates are great during the fall. Only $75 to play an 18 hole round here during the fall! What a deal!

Service is great here, as all of the workers are extremely friendly. Once you get to the course, the drive up to the clubhouse and lodge provides some views of the first hole. 

The Lodge offers rooms for people to stay in. The practice putting green is out front and the pro shop is inside.

The practice facilities include a practice putting green (above), a chipping green with a sod wall bunker, and a driving range with free range balls included. My dad and I got there plenty early to hit some balls off the range and putt and chip for a bit. 

When you get there, you drop your bags off at the clubhouse and drive back to the driving range to park your car. A shuttle will then take you from the parking lot back to get your bags, which will already be on your cart for the day. You can then take your cart over to the range for some warm ups. 

The anxiety began to sink in on the range, as this is easily the best course I will have ever played. I had never played any public or private course in the top 100 in the USA let alone #10!

I got to play this course twice, the first time at 11:00 in the afternoon. 

The first tee box.

The first hole was a fairly easy starting hole, a par 5 519 yard hole from the tips. The best part about this course is that their is a view of Lake Michigan from every single hole. Also, this course is a links-style course, so no need to worry about trees very much.

Looking back from behind the green at #2.

The second hole was a par 3, at 189 yards from the tips. there is a huge bunker lining the entire right side of the hole. It was a nice hole, with a 2-tiered green. I the pin was back and I ended putting it in front of the slope to the hole so I had a huge uphill putt for birdie. I ended up 2-putting for par.

The tee shot at #3, with Lake Michigan in the background.

The third hole was a par 5, 530 yards from the tips. This course does not have a traditional start (par 5-3-5-4-5-3). There are three par-5's and three par 3's on the front nine. Either way, this third hole is a very pretty hole with a very nice view from the tee box. There are many fairway bunkers on this hole, so watch out for them on your tee shot and 2nd shot. 

The tee shot at the par 5-5th.

The approach shot to the green at the 5th hole.

The par-5 5th is a fairly tough hole, as it is a true 3-shot par 5. Playing at 583 yards from the tips, the second shot will have to carry the native grass and many bunkers. There is a sign on the tee box warning players to play this as a 3-shot hole to keep the pace of play. A very tough hole, as there is a dip in the middle of a very large green. 

The par 3 6th. A very nice hole.

This hole was a very fun hole to play, as their is 3 sand traps blocking the front middle of the green, which is fairly large. Playing at 195 yards from the tips, make sur you have enough carry to land and stick it on the green. The green is also a punch bowl type of green, with tall native grass surrounding the entire back and right side of the hole.

In between the 6th and 7th hole, there is a little food and drink stand which will be passed twice during your round. Also, on the 8th tee box, your GPS screen in your cart will prompt you to order food from the grill, which you will receive when you pass the clubhouse between 9's.

The view of the Lodge from the 9th tee box.

The 9th hole is a nice front nine finishing hole, playing at 203 yards from the tips. A downhill par-3, the green slopes down at the front, so make sure you use enough club to carry the downslope. 

View from the par-5 11th tee box.

The 11th hole from the fairway.

The 11th Green.

The 11th hole (a 633 yard par-5) starts a stretch of the best holes on the course. 11, 12, and 13 are easily the best. The 11th is a very long, very downhill par-5. Your drive should be aimed towards the left side of the fairway, as it slopes to the right. This hole seems as though you are playing through a small canyon, which is very cool. You will end up 200 ft above Lake Michigan, which is right next to the green.

The view backwards from the fairway on #11.

Personal favorite hole- #12 tee box.

#12 is a 431 yard par 4 from the tips, and easily the best hole on the course. Lake Michigan aligns the entire hole to the left. Your tee shot is to a wide landing area over a a very big sand trap. Make sure you bring a a few extra garbage balls to hit sideways off the tee box into Lake Michigan (Arcadia Bluffs tradition).

Par 3-13th tee shot.

Another awesome hole, the 13th is a 240 yard par three from the tips, which requires  carry over a ravine. With a hidden bunker to the left and bunker in front of the green to make this a very hard par 3. Great view though, as it is along Lake Michigan.

The 13th green.

The rest of the course plays pretty tough, with a tight uphill par-3, a very long par 4 with bunkers along the right, and a finishing hole with almost always spectators watching from the Lodge.

Overall, the experience was incredible! This is easily the best course I have played in my life (so far)! One of the cons of this course, however, was that the greens had just been punched, so there were holes all over the greens which is my excuse for missed putts...

The service was great and the course was beautiful. I hope to make a trip to this northern paradise a tradition every year, as it is only 15 min. aways from where I stay. I hope all of you enjoy it as much as I did!

Second time playing, 8:30 tee time, first tee.

http://arcadiabluffs.com