Located about a 10-minute drive from the main resort is Treetops North. They offer another four more outstanding layouts that must be discovered while in the Gaylord area of northern Michigan.

Premier
I would say the Premier is probably my favourite of all the 18-hole championship golf courses at the Treetops Resort where you are guaranteed to see deer and maybe even wild turkeys. This hilly layout offers reasonably wide mature tree-lined fairways with a good mix of small and large putting surfaces that have plenty of movement. This is the only Tom Fazio design in Michigan, but unlike most of his signature layouts they have cut down the fescue around the bunkers making it much most player friendly. The course was in great shape, but the sand traps had gravel that needs to be looked after. There is only one water hazard to contend with and that’s on the par-3 11th which features a peninsula green.
There are several excellent holes here but my most memorable must be the 15th. This short par-4 is a sharp dogleg right to a huge three-tiered green that slopes severely to the left. This was one of the most unusual yet fun greens I’ve ever played. It was also the best 2-putt I’ve ever made.

Signature
The Signature is a Rick Smith design that offers huge elevation changes on a picturesque piece of property. The mature tree-lined fairways make them seem more tighter than they are, but the greens are large with quite a lot of undulations. The course was in great shape and all the bunkers were soft and consistent however the tall fescue surrounding them needs to be avoided to tackle this layout. This is not a walking course because of the distance between greens and next tee box.
Tradition
The Tradition is another Rick Smith design that was conceived as a heathland or inland links style layout, so it is relatively flat in comparison to the other courses. After 25 years the course started to lose some of those original characteristics, so, in 2022, the resort decided to remove over 800 trees and reseed the rough with native grasses, making it much more vulnerable to the elements as intended. There will only be four of the original design that will not be touched. The renovations should be completed in the summer of 2023.
My favourite is the 13th, a reachable downhill par-4 but there seems to have bunkers everywhere. Favour the left side for the best approach angle or you will be faced with a short shot over a high flanged bunker guarding the right.

Treetops
No matter what courses you decide to play make sure you test your skills on this 9-hole Rick Smith design. Golf Digest has named it on many occasions as the #1 ranked par-3 course in America. All holes are downhill except for the 9th and the smaller greens are very demanding. Every hole here could be a signature anywhere else but I found the 3rd at 217-yards straight down 145 feet to a shallow but wide putting surface to be my most memorable.

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