Welcome to our June 2025 Newsletter!
Congratulations
Ray D.
You are the winner of the May Newsletter – You submitted the correct answer –
I am struggling with chipping this year
Thank you for including your address. Your Golf Up North Schwag is on the way!
If you would like a chance to win some Golf Up North schwag, you have to subscribe to our newsletter. Subscribe at Golf Up North Newsletter and be on the mailing list for our next issue.
Most Northern Michigan Courses are Open
It’s official—golf season in Northern Michigan is here… kinda. Almost all courses have flung open the clubhouse doors, gassed up the carts, and dusted off the scorecards. A few are still in mystery mode—either recovering from a long winter or pulling a Houdini and disappearing altogether.
Where Are They?
Here’s the short list of courses that have us scratching our heads:
- Country Meadows – Escanaba
This one I am thinking it is closed. No website, no social media, and the Escanaba Visitor Bureau is less help than a lost ball in deep rough. If you have any intel, let us know! - Les Cheneaux Golf Club – Cedarville
Closed to the public for maintenance last year. I’ve been in contact, but I don’t have clear answers. Maybe they are deciding to become a private club. If so, they need to take open to the public off their website. - Loggers Trace & Springport Hills – Harrisville
These courses were prepping for a strong comeback after some upgrades, then March’s ice storm hit like a rogue drive. Damage delayed their opening, but we’re still hopeful.
Confirmed Closed
- Tawas Creek – Tawas
Sadly, this one has closed its doors for good. RIP to many a bogey made there.
Something New on the Fairway!
We’re also getting a couple of fresh additions to the golf scene this summer:
- The Dozen – Arcadia Bluffs’ new 12-hole course is set to open July 1. Twelve holes—perfect for the attention span I have left after a winter hunkered down in multiple layers.
- Doon Brae – Boyne Highlands, Harbor Springs
A new short course with no set opening date yet. But if it’s at Boyne, it’s bound to be a beauty.
You can check for courses that are open by visiting Golf Up North and scrolling down the home page to just below the search boxes. There you can click on the region you are interested in and if any courses are open they will be listed there. Remember it is early in the season and many of the open courses are on a day to day basis. If you see any missing or incorrect info, let us know at contact@golfupnorth.com.
Early Season Golf: Cold, Wet & Still Worth It
Let’s be honest—this spring has not been gentle. Between late snow, sideways rain, and temperatures that make you question your life choices during an early tee time, it’s been a chilly start.
I like my golf like I like my summers: sunny, warm, and sometime after 11 a.m. But so far, I’ve teed off in everything from damp fog to arctic breezes. Hoping by June I’ll be golfing in a sleeveless polo instead of three layers and a thermal.
Snuck in a trip to Virginia for the little grands’ birthdays (their birthdays are a day apart—nicely done, daughter-in-law 👏). But before heading south, we played a round with Alex at Lakewood on the Green in Cadillac.
You may recall we played that course in a monsoon a couple of years ago and still loved it. More on that in a sec.
Memorial Day Round: Chilly but not Miserable
Booked a tee time at Elmbrook Golf Course for Memorial Day Monday, hoping for at least “mildly tolerable” weather. It delivered—cool but shorts-acceptable. Managed a 103, which is becoming my signature move. Still wrestling with my chipping game and trying to control loft and distance.
Tried experimenting with my pitching wedge for a full swing—had one shot that was pure magic and another that ended up somewhere in the next county. But hey, that’s golf!
Did You Know?
Did you know that a Condor is a hole in one on a par 5?
You’ve heard of birdies, eagles, maybe even the mythical albatross. But have you ever heard of a condor?
It’s a hole-in-one on a par 5—or four under par on longer holes. Only six have ever been recorded, and one happened on a par 6.
Kevin Pon, a 10-HCP in California, hit a 540-yard drive (with help from gravity), then holed a wedge on a 649-yard par 6. That’s like winning the golf lottery with a scratch-off. Wild. It is, according to the San Francisco newspaper Mercury News, the only recorded condor on a par-6 in US golf history.
Lakewood on the Green: Round Two
Lakewood on the Green Golf Course Cadillac Michigan Hole 2
Back to Lakewood on the Green—the course that charmed us in the rain two years ago. We talked about it in our August 2023 Newsletter.
The course is in a neighborhood by the same name, you drive through some of the neighborhood to get to the clubhouse. Parking was across the street, and it was raining hard. Cart staff delivered a cart to our car and helped us load our clubs and we went to check in. Even though it was chilly and raining hard we decided to play the round (paid online and didn’t want a raincheck).
We finished out the round soaking wet, my glasses were useless (tried wearing a hat, but that created a waterfall effect) but still laughing and thankful we decided to play. We loved the course and said we wanted to try it again, but when it was warm and dry.
The good news? It totally lived up to the memory. A beautiful course with wide fairways, forgiving rough, and homes set far enough back that you don’t have to apologize for any window-related incidents. (Except maybe that one behind the 9th green, what were they thinking?
The layout’s fun—lots of zig-zagging through the neighborhood to get from hole to hole.
Clearly marked and a great variety of holes to challenge any level.
Only downside: one poor soul running the whole clubhouse on their own. But even with a crowd at the turn, we kept it moving (Jeff’s daughter had prom that night) and made it to our lunch reservation with time to spare. (Even got Jeff home for prom photos and his classic Dad Glare for the date.)
You can visit Lakewood on the Green Golf Course’s picture page on our website
Mother’s Day Cocktail Misadventures
Let’s talk about the real hazards of golf: bartenders who don’t know their alcohol!
Yep, that happened—twice this year and of course the infamous cherry whiskey that closed out the season last year. The first time it happened this year, they tried to “upgrade” my Captain Morgan with Grey Goose. The second time? Guy asked for Captain and Diet and ended up with coconut rum. Coconut. The one flavor that instantly triggers my gag reflex. 😬
Guy meant well and brought it out in my special golf cup. I tried doctoring it with Diet Pepsi until it was 99% pop, but eventually had to toss it. Tried Bacardi Gold next—mistake. Tasted like tiki torch fuel. Called it a day and stuck with soda until we hit lunch.
Lesson learned: pack my own next time. 😂
Golf Quote of the Month
Inspired by some good-natured bickering on the course with Alex:
We did a few gimmes on Mother’s Day weekend and I could feel Alex judging us. He prefers purist golf: putt everything out, hats off, handshakes on 18. I respect that. But sometimes you just want to avoid the dreaded 6-inch lip-out and keep it moving.
Reverse Uno Weather Edition
While I was in Virginia Beach where it was supposed to be warm (they were in the 80s and 90s week before) it was cold (50s & 60s) and rainy. BUT in Northern Michigan where I just left chilly and overcast it was warm (70s) and sunny. Guess the weather when I flew out of VA – Yep, warm and sunny. Guess the weather when I arrived at the Traverse City airport – Yep, cold and overcast and stayed that way until the following week.
Not funny Mother Nature, not funny at all.
But I did get to see the little grandkids on their birthdays (now 8 & 6), drove them to school and picked them (love those drop off/pick up lines LOL) and saw Brayden (the 6 year old) play coach pitch baseball. I must have been good luck, he had his best fielding and hitting game of the season. 😊
Finally, just the adults went out to eat and I had a fabulous hamburger. Not a fan of smash burgers (everyone is doing smash burgers) so was excited to finally get a “real” thick and juicy burger. I ordered the Black & Blue for those curious
More Than Just Newsletters
Sure, we send out a newsletter every month — but I’m also writing 1–2 blog posts each month. Check out Golf Up North News to read all the blog posts and catch up on past newsletters. The latest post is The Ups and Downs of Golf Ball Lies. You will never look at a slope the same way again.
Here’s to better chipping, putting out, sunny and warm at least through December!
Golf Season is here!
See you out there! Happy Golfing!
Click here to see all the pictures we have taken of courses over the years.
Lakewood on the Green Hole by Hole
Follow us on Social Media
Join the discussion on Golf Up North Facebook Group
Let us know your favorite course, tips or anything golf related! We encourage golf courses to share their news and specials with our group.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X(formerly Twitter), Pinterest, and/or Tumbler. We share information on golf courses Up North and what we think are funny or interesting tidbits about golf.
Share Your Favorite Course With Us
We would love to hear about your favorite Course in the Upper Peninsula or Northern Lower Michigan. Send pictures of golfing your favorite course and a couple of sentences about why you love the course. We will share your pictures and recommendations with our readers and on our social media accounts. If you include a mailing address, we will send you some Golf Up North schwag as a thank you!! Send your pictures and comments to marisa@golfupnorth.com
Find your Up North Golf Course
If you would like to find your perfect Up North golf course visit Golf Up North.
Disclosure: We never tell a course who we are when we book and play a course. We do not ask, nor will we accept free rounds to write about a course. We pay full price for our rounds for everyone in our group.
Golf Up North is part of the Up North Entertainment Group.
Our family of sites also includes Up North Entertainment, Up North Wineries, Up North Breweries, Up North Distilleries, Adventures in Northern Michigan, and Northern Michigan History
