Northern Michigan golf courses: tee times & green fees 2027
Golf in northern Michigan gathers near the top of the Lower Peninsula, in two clusters about an hour apart. On Little Traverse Bay, BOYNE runs Bay Harbor Golf Club, where three Arthur Hills nines take in shoreline bluffs, an old shale quarry and hardwood forest, and The Highlands above Harbor Springs, whose first course, Robert Trent Jones Sr.’s The Heather, opened in 1966. Inland at Gaylord, Treetops pairs the hilly Jones Masterpiece of 1987 with Threetops, the nine-hole par-3 course where a Lee Trevino ace won a million dollars. All three venues sell public tee times without a room booking, and none prints a rate card, so you see a price only once you pick a date. The season is short, running from early May into October. This page sets out how each one books, what the packages cover and how to move between them.
- Venues compared3
- Published rate cardsNone (priced by date)
- Fly intoPellston (PLN) or TVC
- SeasonMay–Oct
- Gaylord to the bayAbout 1 hr
Compare Northern Michigan courses
Tap a pin for photos, prices and a booking link.
| Course | Green fee from | What’s included | Getting there | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 1Bay Harbor Golf ClubSemi-private 27-hole club | Rates on request · how to book | Bookpackage via GolfbreaksRead the guide | ||
 2Treetops ResortFive-course golf resort | Rates on request · how to book | Bookpackage via GolfbreaksRead the guide | ||
 3The Heather at The HighlandsResort championship course | Rates on request · how to book | Bookpackage via GolfbreaksRead the guide |
Prices are the lowest published or listed visitor rates we found, with their source and date on each guide. Partner links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. How we work
Which Northern Michigan course should you book?
Bay Harbor Golf Club
Bay Harbor’s Links nine, laid along the bluffs and dunes above Little Traverse Bay. Only two of the three pairings use it, so ask for Links/Quarry or Preserve/Links when you book, and take tees to suit a slope of 146 from the back.
Green fees & bookingTreetops Resort
Treetops, where tee times begin at 6:30am. Play the 7,028-yard Masterpiece above the Pigeon River Valley in the morning, then go round Threetops, nine par threes totalling 1,435 yards, and find the 7th where Trevino holed out in 2001.
Green fees & bookingThe Heather at The Highlands
The Heather, the 1966 Jones course that was on Golf Digest’s top-100 list by 1971 and won the NGCOA’s National Course of the Year award in 2019. From the Brown tees it runs 7,143 yards with a 147 slope and closes over a lake.
Green fees & bookingAll Northern Michigan golf packages on Golfbreaks
What a round really costs.
- Green fee (priced by date)+
- Package or surcharge+
- Cart+
- Cancellation window
None of the three prints a green fee, so search one date at each. BOYNE shows the figure in its tee-time shop for Bay Harbor and The Heather, and Treetops does the same on its own sheet. The fixed numbers are the extras. BOYNE rents Callaway sets for US$70 and charges half the fee for cancelling 24 to 48 hours out, all of it inside a day. Its basic Stay & Play covers a round after 10am on the cheaper courses, so both Bay Harbor and The Heather cost extra. Highlands package guests can add Doon Brae for US$42, and GolfPass says the Masterpiece fee includes a cart.
Getting around.
Pellston Regional (PLN) is the closest airline airport to the two BOYNE venues, a short drive from The Highlands. Traverse City (TVC) has more routes and suits Treetops, about an hour and a half by road, while the bay is nearer two hours from TVC. Hire a car. Harbor Springs and Petoskey are roughly 20 minutes apart round the bay, with Bay Harbor on the western side of Petoskey off US 31, so a single base covers both BOYNE clubs. Treetops lies about an hour to the south-east at Gaylord, on I-75, which makes it the natural first stop on the drive up from Detroit, about 3½ hours away.
When to play.
Plan for May to October. BOYNE’s 2027 calendar opens Quarry/Preserve at Bay Harbor on 6 May, then the other two Bay Harbor rounds and The Heather on 7 May, all weather permitting; GolfPass gives the Masterpiece a late-April start and a finish at the end of October. July and August are the busiest weeks at Treetops. June suits a 36-hole day, with Harbor Springs light until after 9.30pm and Treetops sending out its first groups at 6:30am. For colour, aim for late September or the start of October, when the hardwoods turn along the Pigeon River Valley and on M-119’s Tunnel of Trees.
Questions golfers ask.
Do you have to stay at the resort to play golf in northern Michigan?
No. Bay Harbor is semi-private but sells public tee times online or on 844.763.0347. BOYNE confirms non-guests can book The Heather (855.688.3286), and Treetops sells all five of its courses to the public on (866) 348-5249. Packages are optional, though they suit a multi-round week.
How much does golf cost at Bay Harbor, Treetops and The Heather?
None publishes a standard rate. Each venue prices its tee times by date and hour in an online shop, and Treetops lists its packages without prices, so ask reservations for a quote. On BOYNE bookings, cancelling more than 48 hours ahead costs nothing.
Which airport is best for a northern Michigan golf trip?
Pellston (PLN) for Bay Harbor and The Highlands, since it sits north of Petoskey. Traverse City (TVC) has more flights and is the airport Treetops recommends, about 90 minutes from Gaylord. Driving from Detroit up I-75 takes around three and a half hours to Gaylord.
Can one BOYNE package cover Bay Harbor and The Heather?
Yes, with a surcharge. The basic Stay & Play gives a round after 10am per night on a standard course, and stepping up to Bay Harbor, The Heather or Arthur Hills is extra. The five-night Michigan’s Magnificent 11 package has unlimited golf that includes The Heather. A BOYNE rain check works at any BOYNE course.
What is Threetops at Treetops?
A Rick Smith course of nine par threes, opened in 1992, ranging from about 135 to 219 yards. It staged the ESPN Par-3 Shootout for eight years, and Lee Trevino’s hole-in-one on the 7th in 2001 earned him US$1 million. It fits easily after an 18-hole round.