Leelanau: Northport Creek
By Tom Lang
In the most northern portion of the peninsula, the small shoreline village of Northport has what I would call a hybrid golf course that serves many needs in the community.
For starters, it creates all its own power with solar panels. The Jerry Matthews design, which opened in the summer of 2014, is also routed in loops so people can easily play 6, 9, 12 or 18 holes which all come back to the clubhouse.
Northport Creek is also different in that it’s purposefully an economic engine beyond the course borders. The village receives 5 percent of all revenue, and the management team specifically recommends restaurants and other retail options in the downtown area to help support the region’s businesses. There is purposefully limited food service at the golf course so people go visit eateries in the area, like Mitten Brewery Co., Garage Bar-B-Q and New Bohemian Café.
“The people who utilize the course in the community have seen that’s it’s become an asset to the village and the area, because people come to play golf and then also do other experiences here in Northport.
“Traveling golfers that try us will find a fun and challenging golf course,” said general manager Chris McCann, who was born in Northport and graduated from high school there. “It’s playable for all abilities and all ages. We have tees for juniors (1905 yards) and experienced players (3015 yards) and everything in between.”
Common characteristics of the course include that only the par 3s have full line-of-sight of the greens from the tee boxes. All other holes are routed going a little downhill or uphill or with enough dogleg to hide the green. Most greens also have an east/west or north/south spine in them to create various pin placement sections.
The parcel of land moves gradually and was once a cherry orchard that was foreclosed in 2011. A former automotive engineer, Bill Collins, was the lead investor to develop it and give it back to the town at some point, but eventually the deal became a 5 percent profit share. A main goal was to provide a new recreation option to help the village with health and economic opportunities, after another 18-hole course closed in 2000. Adding the solar electric panels was always part of the masterplan, mostly to handle irrigation and clubhouse power.
The first 6 holes are a loop to the east with the 6th green back at the clubhouse. No. 7 starts and goes to the southwest for the final 3-hole loop. A few years back it was named one of the "13 Great Nine-Hole Golf Courses" by Golf Vacation Insider.
“We have a lot of people that as long as there’s an open spot on the first tee, they’ll keep going around for more,” McCann said. That’s not surprising since the course is not over-crowded, playing at about 13,000 rounds per year.
One of those would be summer resident Matthew McGowen. The 18-year-old will enter Michigan State this fall from his home in Colorado. He spends most of his summers with extended family in Northport.
“I think it’s great,” he said as a course for everyone. “I was able to play it starting when I was 7, with my older cousins. There’s a good mix of all ages of kids and adults. I’ve played every tee here (moving in progression with age from green to blue), and you can still play it fast even when you’re younger. It feels secluded and it’s nice to be outside. I’ve never gotten bored here.”
Other Things To Do:
Just a short distance north at the tip of the peninsula is Leelanau State Park, which includes the Grand Traverse Lighthouse.
There’s also hiking trails that lead out to Lake Michigan, where a large area of dune grass and sand create an area the locals call the magic carpet.
