One of the best things about living in the Midwest is the availability of some simply amazing golf courses that are made even more so in the fall. Over the years I have played a ton of them in the Gaylord and Petoskey area.
This year I have been using GolfNOW for some local booking deals and I saw they offered a discounted package for one of the resorts I have stayed with many years ago. The offer was enticing and especially so compared to what the others in the area were quoting.
As part of the package we were able to play 3 courses, that is, The Loon, The Lake and The Ridge. I have played all of them a number of times over the decades and the Loon was perfect for the day of arrival for a round before dinner.
The next day we played The Lake that was years ago called Mountain Lake because half of the holes are through what was a ski area (since removed) and half around a large lake.
This really is one of my favorite 9’s in the area as you get to experience some breathtaking views and dramatic elevation changes that really impact your club choice and shot shape.
The 9 holes coming home remind you on almost every shot that water is calling for you if you happen to pull or push a shot even just a little bit. Just love it.
As I mentioned the package price included not just 3 nights lodging and 4 rounds of golf (plus unlimited range balls) but also included breakfast and dinner for each night of lodging. I was not expecting much but was really very pleasantly surprised at the portions and the quality of the food.
Above are two of the choices: a thick cut pork chop that was smashing and a strip steak that was lean and flavorful. Even the breakfast buffet was decent with fresh fruit each day and warmed plates. Take a look:
We visited the resort in the middle of September this year and the weather, as you can see, was just perfect. We had one tiny downpour one day for about 10 minutes and that was it. We have been going around labor day for many years now and other than a few crisp mornings every trip the weather has been fantastic and the leaves just starting to change.
So what did this cost us? $561 each all-in and I find that a great value for all we got. The concierge with GolfNOW was very good and worked with us to get what we wanted in regards to tee times and such and allowed each of us to pay our own share of the package to our own credit cards (I was kinda hoping to get all the points for the booking but I guess this worked out better).
My only minor complaint about the trip was The Ridge is working to rebuild their tee boxes and they were bad. The rest of the course, including the greens, were outstanding and that made up for this.
Would I book this again? 100% yes and I am looking forward to returning next year and the only change I will make is playing The Lake twice vs. playing The Loon twice on our 4 days of golf!- René
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You should be able to fly here. Northwest received certain tax incentives and other state economic benefits from Michigan under the condition that Gaylord would get commercial air service. This was never honored and Michigan never enforced the agreement after the Delta-Northwest merger. While there are three airports within an hour or 90 minutes in Alpena, Gaylord and Traverse City, there is seemingly enough demand (especially in the summer) for a 50-seat once or twice-daily flight to Gaylord from Detroit.