The course is consistently ranked among Golf Digest’s Places to Play. Sage Run is more rugged and raw, with rough-looking bunkers and large native waste areas. There’s a full-length driving range where you can hit every club in your bag and a large practice green that offers a lot of different breaks and gets you ready for what you’re about to encounter.

The practice facility at Sweetgrass is located just a short walk from the first tee. Water or marshland comes into play on ten holes and four holes are tree-lined although the trees only come into play on one or two of them - 16 and maybe 17.Īll of the holes at Sweetgrass are named, and as you play your way around the layout, you may learn something! The names are part of the rich history of the Hannahville Indian Community and come from traditional Potawatomi clans, villages, allies, medicines, and symbols. A lot of the long rough is wispy fescue grass easy to find your ball but tricky to hit out of. Beautifully manicured tee boxes and fairways lead to well-undulated greens.

The course is as visually stunning as it is challenging. Since there is no significant amount of water nearby, we’ll call it a parkland-style layout. If Sweetgrass was located on the ocean, it could be considered a links course. It’s characterized by soft, flowing terrain populated with wispy fescue grasses, well-manicured areas, and a lot of water. Sweetgrass is reminiscent of a links-style golf course – minus the ocean. In 2021, Sweetgrass was named Michigan’s Golf Course of the Year by the Michigan Golf Course Association. Both Sweetgrass and Sage Run were designed by Michigan native Paul Albanese and are constantly ranked among Golfweek’s Best Courses and recognized by GOLF Magazine and Golf Digest as a part of their Best in State ranking. Island Resort and Casino is part of the Hannahville Indian Community. Follow the signs to Island Resort & Casino and you’re at the home of two golf courses you won’t soon forget: Sweetgrass and Sage Run. Once you go over the bridge, take Route 2 West until you hit Harris, MI. But if you really want to play the best Michigan has to offer, you’ll have to go north, past Gaylord and Traverse City, over the Mackinac Bridge. Benton Harbor has the Jack Nicklaus-designed Harbor Shores Golf Club. Gaylord is always near the top of the list as is Kalamazoo – home to Gull Lakeview Resort and its six courses. UPPER PENINSULA, Michigan – Ask anyone who’s familiar with golf in Michigan where you can find the best courses in the state, and you may be surprised at the answers you get.

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