Great Golf on Leelanau Peninsula
Explore what you’ve been missing
By Tom Lang
While I was born and raised in Michigan, it wasn’t until adulthood when my wife and I started having children did we truly take advantage of the incredible natural resources of Northern Michigan. Yet despite many trips north with the kids, who still today maintain a wild love for ‘Up North’ we never properly adventured to what is possibly the most gorgeous part of our state – Leelanau Peninsula – which is split in two by the earth’s 45th Parallel.
Some people identify the county by M-22, which routes up and down both shorelines of Lake Michigan and West Grand Traverse Bay. Others might call it the pinky finger of The Mitton.
No matter what name is attached to it, there is no questioning the area is unspoiled, precious and Pure Michigan to those who decide to visit or maintain long-term vacation homes passed down through the generations.
And, oh, by the way, I discovered great golf on Leelanau as well – and in the following pages we hope to help others learn about the magnificent outdoor options and make it their next golf vacation.
“It’s such an escape, especially where we were from in suburban Chicago,” said Melissa Obis, who manages events at Bahle Farms. “It’s the exact ideal of the Up North atmosphere, and I didn’t really know the Midwest was capable of such beauty. I’ve always been amazed at how pure and pristine everything is. There’s just nowhere else I can think of wanting to be in the summer. It’s truly perfect, especially when you add in the fall colors.”
Or hear the response of Kris Wakeman, who moved to the western side of Leelanau Peninsula after graduating from Michigan State’s turfgrass program 40 years ago, and he has never left:
“Sometimes I wish I could sit back and watch it through a visitor’s eyes because I am so accustomed to the fall colors,” he said about hopefully not taking northern Michigan life for granted. “I listen to the people who come in and they talk about the colors being amazing. And we have some of the nicest roads in the region to travel. If you’ve got a convertible and you want to drive around here, hit M-22. With our woods, trees and color, with the traffic being a little less in the fall, the temperatures are good and the colors are beautiful. It doesn’t get much better on the peninsula than in the fall.”
What’s wonderful about Leelanau is there is so much to do for the non-golfer as well. Rivers have great fishing and kayak/canoe opportunities. Then there’s the Lake Michigan beaches, boat tours to Manitou Island and attractions like historic Fishtown and multiple lighthouses. The peninsula is dotted with orchards, which yield cider mills, wineries and farm-to-table restaurants. No hotel more than 3-stories tall can be found as most accommodations are in the form of home rentals, B & B’s and mid-century roadside motels.
While modern conveniences abound, a trip to Leelanau in some ways feels like stepping back in time to a natural and slower pace of life. And much of the peaceful, calm and wholly-pristine experience starts with Sleeping Bear Dunes at the most southwestern end, where people from all over the world come to soak in that natural wonder.
And when you do too, don’t forget to bring the clubs.
