Cedar River is the must-play course when taking aNorthern Michigan golf vacation to Shanty Creek Resort.
Along with the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, Shanty Creek Resort near Traverse City is one of Northern Michigan’s original, big-time golf resorts. It has 72-holes, but until recently, it could be skipped on a Northern Michigan golf vacation. Not anymore. Its newest layout is arguably one of the state’s best, the little-known Cedar River Golf Club.
Designed by Tom Weiskopf, it spills over tumultuous terrain presenting one strikingly memorable hole after another; an “ooh-ah” factor as high as you will see on a Northern Michigan golf vacation.
The layout is fun, playable, and memorable; Weiskopf apparently wandered the property many times before devising the routing and the result feels as if we’ve joined him for a stroll through the most striking parts of the forest.
Still, he built the course with the resort player in mind, as evidenced by his large fairways and collection areas around the greens. That doesn’t mean it’s a pushover 8212; the Michigan PGA has held its annual championship at Cedar River. What it does mean is that you’ll probably want another crack at it before your Northern Michigan golf vacation ends.
As for Shanty Creek’s other courses, The Legend is one of the better Arnold Palmer creations we’ve seen; we’d recommend making that second on your list. The Schuss Mountain and Summit tracks are both player-friendly courses, but far cries from must-plays on a Northern Michigan golf vacation.
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