Golf Guide: Gaylord - MI

Gaylord's downtown recalls a small Swiss Alpine village with Tyrolean -style buildings surrounded by a landscape of woods, lakes and hills. Located in the center of Northern Michigan's lower peninsula, Gaylord is all abuzz with cross-country skiers in the winter, golfers and other summer-sports enthusiasts in the summer. They're shopping in the boutiques, dining in restaurants and grabbling a pint or two in the bars. And did we mention elk sightings?

With more than 20 golf courses and extended summer daylight allowing play for about 18 hours, Gaylord is known as Michigan's Summer Golf Mecca. Courses are designed by famed architects who did wonders working with the sandy soil, tall stands of trees and roller coaster terrain.

When Treetops Resort's head professional, Rick Smith came up with the idea for Golf Channel's "Big Break" and ESPN's "Par 3 Shootout" the word about great golf in Gaylord was out. Today Treetops is home to 81 holes of golf designed by RTJones Sr., Tom Fazio and Rick Smith plus its celebrated short course ranked the #1 par three course in America by Golf Magazine.

The oldest course of the Otsego Club's tracks is The the Classic designed by William Diddel while Gary Koch and Rick Robins designed the resort's heavily treed Tribute course. Rees Jones created Black Lake Golf Course owned by UAW, the farthest north of the famed area courses and Black Forest at Wilderness Valley, was laid out by Tom Doak with amazing bunker complexes and challenging undulating greens.

The Butch Harmon Golf School is located at The Loon Golf Resort with 36 holes of golf, lodging and restaurants. And for a romantic escape there is Marsh Ridge with its fine course and themed suite accommodations.

Gaylord's central location means it is close to everything you want to see and do in northern Michigan. Hikers and bikers can hit the North Central State Trail going from Gaylord to Mackinaw City; anglers can fish for trout; and those who simply want to relax and watch the world go by can snag a park bench in downtown Gaylord.