Arcadia Golf Club – The Bluffs Course Photos
Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club is a golf resort located in Arcadia in Northwest Michigan. It sits on the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan. The golf course boasts spectacular views of the water from many of its holes.
The resort features two championship golf courses: The Bluffs Course and The South Course. The Bluffs Course is the original course and the one we golfed at. The course is known for its dramatic, cliff-top views and challenging layout. It has been ranked among the top public golf courses in the United States by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine.
The South Course is a more traditional layout that winds through a forested area and has a links-style feel. It was designed by golf course architect Dana Fry, who also helped design The Bluffs Course. I have not golfed this course and would like to on our next trip there.
Arcadia Bluffs had been on my golf bucket list pretty much since I started playing.
If you golf in Northern Michigan, you have probably heard all about The Bluffs . The views. The greens. The challenge. The difficulty getting a tee time.
And, of course, the price.
That last one always gave me a little pause.
Every once in a while we would talk about trying to get a tee time, and then I would look at the cost and think maybe another day. I always figured Arcadia Bluffs would be one of those courses I played once, just so I could say I had done it.
Getting on the course isn’t always easy either. Tee times are in high demand, and if you want a particular day or time, you had better be paying attention when the tee sheet opens.
Fortunately for us, my son was friends with the man running the resort at the time, and through that connection we were able to secure a tee time.
Finally, I was going to play The Bluffs.
And you know what?
It was everything everyone said it was.
The course sits high above Lake Michigan, and the views are spectacular. There are moments when you have to remind yourself that you are there to play golf and not just stand around looking at the scenery.
Then you have to actually hit the golf ball.
That’s where things get interesting.
The Bluffs is challenging, and it certainly wasn’t going to let me off easy just because I had waited years to play it. But that is part of the experience. The setting may get most of the attention, but this is a golf course that makes you think your way around it.
And those greens you hear so much about?
Yes. They deserve their reputation.
Playing Arcadia Bluffs was one of those rounds where I really didn’t care what ended up on the scorecard. I wanted to experience the course, take in the views, take plenty of pictures, and enjoy finally playing somewhere that had been on my list for so long.
Before our round, I wondered if Arcadia Bluffs could really live up to all the talk.
For me, it did.
Would I still call it a little rich for my blood? Probably.
Would I play it again if given the opportunity?
In a heartbeat.
Sometimes a bucket list course is a bucket list course for a reason. Arcadia Bluffs is one of them. ⛳
Read about the fun we had, the golf, the dining and the resort in our December 2021 Newsletter. Make sure you don’t miss an issue by clicking on Golf Up North Newsletter and subscribing to our monthly newsletter.
The Bluffs – Arcadia, Michigan
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