Don't miss Forest Dunes on your Northern Michigan golf vacation.

Much of the spotlight that shines on Northern Michigan golf focuses on the area's large resorts, but there are two stand-alone courses that you must play on your Northern Michigan golf vacation.

The first is Tom Weiskopf's Forest Dunes Golf Club, located about 40 minutes south of Gaylord, the epicenter of Northern Michigan golf. A treat for any purist, the course is reminiscent of Weiskopf's famed Arizona courses, such as Troon North, though instead of the desert, the holes are threaded through natural sand dunes and native grasses.

The remote and quiet layout is teeming with flora, century-old red pines and jack pines. The fun, strategic challenges at Forest Dunes include a 10,000 square foot, crescent-shaped green, a dual fairway for risk/ reward adventure, a 605-yard par-5, open meadows, hardwoods, native sand dunes, and water-guarded holes. This semi-private course, which seems to have abandoned plans to become fully private, just might be the best course you'll play on your Northern Michigan golf vacation.

An hour due east, in East Tawas, is Red Hawk Golf Course, an Arthur Hills creation

Forest Dunes is only 40 minutes south of Gaylord, Mich.

carved through deep forests and over dramatic glacial landforms. Deer and foxes abound at Red Hawk, and the layout is as nimble and cunning as they are. Sporty holes with dodgy bunkers culminate in false fronts and contoured greens. Five outstanding par threes make Red Hawk a satisfying mix of fresh air and fun.

Again, neither of these courses is associated with a resort or hotel (Forest Dunes does offer lake house rentals), but they should not be missed on your Northern Michigan golf vacation.

Did you know?Golf Vacation Insider and Golf Odyssey are the world's only golf publications that travel anonymously and do not accept advertising, discounts, or "freebies" from the golf courses, resorts or restaurants they review.

Not already a subscriber to Golf Vacation Insider? Click here to receive our free newsletter filled with insider travel tips on the world's finest golf courses and resorts. As a bonus, we will send you a free copy of Planning the Ultimate Golf Vacation, a 40-page book filled with insider tips from the editors of Golf Odyssey.