Here’s what I put together as a sample itinerary.

On the first day of any golf excursion, you never want to bite off more than you can chew so I suggest starting with something easy – OK, easier. The Summer Breeze Golf Course on Warner Ave in Fremont, MI is a par 3 course featuring 9 holes that range in length from the 75-yard 2^nd hole to the 180-yard seventh. It is easily walkable, and you don’t need more than an 8 and 9 iron, a couple of wedges, a putter, and whatever you hit 180 yards.

Considering it’s a par 3 course – meaning you should hit the green from the tee box every time – there’s no need to pay a lot of detail to the turf between the tee and green. The green complexes are well-maintained, and the greens are firm and fast with subtle undulations that will make you want to play the course again. If you’re not using a tee, it’s a great way to practice approach shots, and, with the greens being smaller than what you’ll encounter the rest of the week, it helps with accuracy.  Summer Breeze is a great place for beginners to learn and play the game.

After your first nine, head inside to Brew Works www.fremontbrewworks.com, where they have arguably the best steaks in the State. Their steaks are locally sourced and dry-aged for 21 days before they are hand-cut and served with mashed potatoes and gravy, a side salad, and a roll. Brew Works offers several local beers on tap, along with a full-service bar. Neither the golf course nor the food will disappoint you.

I suggest playing nine in the morning, grabbing a bite to eat at Brew Works, and playing nine more in the afternoon. Cap off Day One with dinner at Smugglers at North Shore. It’s an amazing waterfront restaurant with outdoor dining and enough outdoor activities to keep the kids busy. They offer one-of-a-kind menu selections such as Pork Belly Lollipops and Mexican Street Corn Ribs for appetizers, a Fried Goat Cheese salad, and several interesting entrees like a Walleye Po Boy, a Truffle Mushroom Gruyere Burger and Lobster Mac and Cheese. Their wood-fired pizzas are very popular too.

You’ll need a place to stay during your visit so check out the Harrington Inn in Fremont. This charming hotel offers well-appointed and spacious rooms, with many of the amenities you would find at luxury hotels including a complimentary hot breakfast, an onsite fitness center, and a heated outdoor pool. Best of all, it’s centrally located to the golf courses you’re going to play. Choose one of their State Rooms and bathe yourself in luxury!

Day two of this golf trip calls for 36 holes, beginning at Northwood Family Traditions Golf Course. (www.facebook.com/Northwoodfamilytraditions). According to Stan in the pro shop, the course fell on hard times a few years ago, and the new owners are determined to return it to its original glory. While it’s still a little rough around the edges in some spots, it’s player-friendly and provides a challenge. There’s a small irons-only driving range and a putting green to get you warmed up before heading to the 1^st – or 10^th – tee. Northwoods offers two sets of tees (His and Hers) and a lot of cowbells that keep up the pace of play. The course plays 6,218 or 5,253 yards and has a large number of blind shots throughout the round that add to the challenge and intrigue of the golf course. Plus, it’s the best golf value in the area.

There are some nice elevation changes, most notably on the 9^th hole which features an approach shot over water and then uphill at least an extra club or two. The greens are well-maintained and are always in great shape. Grab a quick bite in the pro shop  – they have fabulous hot dogs – before embarking on your second round of the day at Waters Edge Golf Club, about 6 miles away.

Waters Edge (www.watersedgefremont.com) is a somewhat demanding golf course. It came under new ownership in 2016, and the new owners have invested significantly in the property. When the building of The Bunker practice facility resulted in the rerouting of two holes, Waters Edge turned to renowned Michigan golf course architect Ray Hearn to redesign the 5th and 6th holes.  He also redesigned the green complexes around the 9th and 18th greens and is slated to do further design work on the 10th and 12th holes. Overall, it’s a well-maintained golf course that provides a fitting challenge for golfers of all abilities.

You’ll find a fair amount of elevation change as you play the golf course. It’s particularly evident on two of my favorite holes, Numbers 10 and 11. Both are par 4s – 380 and 335 yards, respectively, and both have water in play on the right side off the tee, which is not good for the average right-handed golfer. Number 10 can be a tricky tee shot with the fairway sloping left to right – towards the water.

At 335 yards, the 11th hole may seem easy, but with a creek running through the landing area, maybe not. You tee off from a highly elevated tee box to a narrow fairway with water right, trees left, and a creek in front.

After your afternoon round, head up the hill to The Lakes Restaurant and indulge in their delicious menu. Start with 1 lb. of smoked chicken wings before moving on to your main course. The steaks are fantastic and cooked to perfection; the baby back ribs and prime rib are only available on the weekend, so plan accordingly! The fireplace room makes it an excellent location for parties and large groups.

Cap the evening off with a visit to The Bunker, which features eight heated Toptracer bays that can seat up to six people. Toptracer uses some of the industry’s top-rated range technology to enhance the overall driving range experience. The system captures a lot of data about the golf swing, which is vital for improving your game. When not being used for game improvement, Toptracer can be used to play famous courses virtually and for other games and competitions. These bays can be used year-round, and with a full-service bar and fixed food menu available, it’s a great weekend entertainment venue during the winter months. Head back to the hotel and get ready to play again in the morning before departing the area.

Pilgrim’s Run Golf Club in nearby Pierson, MI became an 18-hole golf course in July 1998, and since then, there has been no looking back. Pilgrim’s Run has received high praise and several well-deserved accolades from notable golf media sources such as Golf Magazine, Golf Advisor, and Golf Week, and a 4 ½ star rating from Golf Digest.

The golf course is the brainchild of Robert Van Kampen, a Chicagoland entrepreneur who moved to the Grand Haven Michigan area to pursue his vision of building and owning a championship golf facility. Van Kampen was a devout Christian and a student of the Bible; he also collected rare and ancient copies of the Bible. One of his favorite works of Christian literature was The Pilgrim’s Progress, a book written in the 1600s by an Englishman named John Bunyan. This is where the golf course and each hole get their names.

Van Kampen called upon six friends and business associates to help design the golf course. Each person selected three numbers out of a hat and designed that particular hole. Up-and-coming golf architect Mike DeVries took their designs and laid out the course, which is pretty much what you see today.

You’ll find a good mix of holes, including several that offer risk/reward-type opportunities. Standing on several holes, the course first appears somewhat intimidating; however, the spacious landing areas and no out-of-bounds say otherwise!

One of my favorites is the 4^th hole – aptly named Deception. It’s the first par 3 of the day and truly lives up to its name. The hole plays slightly downhill, however, if you don’t hit enough club and find the massive false front, you can expect the ball to roll back at least 25 ft. The green is protected by four deep and challenging bunkers.

This was my first time playing any of these courses, and I look forward to getting back and playing them again. For more information on golf in Newaygo County and to see all of the courses in the area, visit their website at www.newaygocountyexploring.com/golf-courses.

Forsgate Country Club was the brainchild of John A. Forster, a Scottish immigrant who arrived in the US literally in rags, but through hard work and dedication, went on to become the chairman of Crum & Forster Insurance Company.

Forster was an avid golfer who purchased 50 acres of land in Monroe Township right before World War I. He used the land as a dairy farm, which he named Forsgate—a combination of his surname and his wife’s maiden name, Gatenby. Forster continued to operate the dairy farm and did quite well; it was perhaps his most profitable business venture. In 1921, the Cranbury Press reported that Forsgate Farms had broken a World Record for producing the most milk in sixty days.

Forster continued to buy up land around the farm to create a “playground” for his employees – a golf and country club. In the late 1920s, he commissioned Charles Banks, an associate of C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor, to design the golf course. Clifford Wendehack was hired to design the clubhouse.

Banks’ foray into golf architecture is interesting. He was an English teacher at the Hotchkiss Preparatory School in Lakeville, CT, and a member of the school’s building committee. When the school decided to build a nine-hole golf course and hired renowned designer Seth Raynor, Banks worked closely with Raynor on the project and became so fascinated with golf course design that he left teaching and went to work for Raynor, eventually becoming his partner. When Raynor passed away in 1926 at the tender age of 47, Banks took over the business and went on to design and build about 30 courses until he died in 1931. He earned the nickname “Steamshovel”  by using heavy equipment to dig out those deep greenside bunkers you’ll see on every hole. Unfortunately, neither Banks nor Forster lived to see the opening of Forsgate Country Club. In 2007, architect Stephen Kay made several modifications to bring the course up to modern standards, and he’s been tinkering with it ever since!

Over the years, the Banks Course has received its fair share of accolades including a Golf Digest ranking in the top 20 courses in New Jersey from 2015–2018 and 2021–present, a #13 ranking by Golf Magazine in the state in 2020–2021, and the 12th best Biarritz holes in the US by Links Magazine. The club is also highly ranked on Top100GolfCourses.com.

With Forsgate, Banks has created a challenging parkland-style golf course with rolling fairways that produce a variety of stances that require finesse and creativity.  These meticulously maintained fairways lead to some of the most incredible green complexes in New Jersey. You’ll find 18 elevated greens that vary in shape and size, some with false fronts and others with classic features such as a Redan and Biarritz. Each green complex has incorporated bunkers that sit well below the putting surface, some up to 16 feet.  Banks was a master at creating replica holes, and many of the holes he built were inspired by some of his Scottish favorites. Many golf historians consider Forsgate to be among Banks‘ top three designs.

Forsgate is full of memorable holes, but none more than the par 3s at #3, #7, #12, and #17. It’s not often that you’ll find a course that handicaps its par 3s at 7, 5, 18, and 8! Number 3 is the first par 3 and plays 169 yards from the Forster Tees. The hole plays slightly uphill and over a deep valley. The green is surrounded by bunkers on three sides: the front right bunker sits about 12 feet below the putting surface and creeps around in front of the green. There’s also a bunker behind the green to catch anything long. The green slopes sharply from back to front, making a shot from the back bunker a lot tougher. In the event you find yourself above the hole, it’s not hard to putt yourself off the green. Banks obviously had a sense of humor – he named this hole Eden!

The 7th hole plays 183 yards from the Forster Tees and features a Redan green. The hole plays slightly downhill with very deep bunkers on either side of the green. The right side bunker is long and narrow and helps protect the front of the green, which slopes from left to right and has three tiers. Anyone who finds the left bunker will have a blind shot from the sand. Fittingly, Number 7 is named Redan!

At 140 yards, the 12th hole is the shortest par 3 on the course. The hole plays slightly downhill across a valley, with the green slightly below you. bunkers on either side of the green wrap around the front to grab anything short and take the senior-friendly bump-and-run shot out of play. The bunker on the right sits about nine feet below the surface, and the fall-off behind the green is very steep with tall fescue at the bottom. The bowl-shaped green can be tricky to putt. For obvious reasons, the hole is named Horseshoe!

The last of the par 3s is the 17th hole, the famous Biarritz! At 201 yards from the Member Tees, it’s the longest – and most difficult – par 3 out here. The green is enormous, almost 75 yards long, with bunkers on both sides running the entire length of the green. The swale between the front and back portions of the green is one of the deepest I have played and sits four feet below the front and back sections. With the Biarritz playing about two-thirds of the way into the green, back pin locations are very difficult. The 17th green is usually the last green mowed in the morning and requires two talented greenskeepers to do the job. Even then, getting the job done takes twice as long!

In addition to the challenging par-3 holes, the finishing hole will test your mettle. From the Forster Tees, #18 plays 394 yards and is dead straight, and, if the wind is blowing, dead into it. A good tee shot over the first valley will leave a mid to long-iron approach over a second valley into a small green protected by bunkers on either side. Beware of the bunker in the right front; it’s one of the deepest on the course, and your way out may not be at the green.  The green complex is one of the most challenging on the course. Anything over the green will leave a downhill pitch shot onto the green. The 18th hole is aptly named Purgatory.

In 1961, golf architect Hal Purdy created a 9-hole layout and returned a decade later to add another nine. Arnold Palmer renovated the golf course in 1995 and later the course was named in his honor. The scenic Palmer Course features water hazards on 10 of its holes and is enjoyable for golfers of all skill levels.

On top of two fabulous golf courses, Forsgate has some remarkable practice facilities. There’s a full-length driving range where you can hit every club in your bag, a short game area with a bunker, and a practice putting green.

Forsgate Country Club is a warm, welcoming, family-oriented club with countless recreational opportunities and social pursuits for the entire family. In addition to two superb golf courses, members have access to Forsgate’s 24-hour state-of-the-art fitness center, pickleball courts, and the junior Olympic-sized swimming pool complex. Each year, the staff puts together a calendar of entertainment, special themed dinners, and events to highlight each season.

The Gatenby Grille and Bar is a great place to grab a bite to eat, enjoy a favorite beverage, and catch up on the latest club news. During the season, Gatenby Grille’s terrace is open for dining under the stars and enjoying beautiful sunsets over the Banks Course.

The best way to enjoy all that Forsgate has to offer is to become a member. They offer individual, family, and corporate memberships that don’t require a sponsor. A Full Golf Membership gives you access to everything Forsgate offers, including their winter indoor practice golf simulator. For more information, contact the Director of Membership or go online and fill out an application. www.forsgatecc.com

In the words of world-renowned golf course designer, Arthur Hills, ” The championship golf course at the Hawthorns Golf & Country Club ranks among my very best designs spanning a 37-year career.  The course is playable for all levels of golfers and is exciting to play over and over again, which in my humble opinion is the true definition of a great members’ golf course.”

The Hawthorns Country Club is located in the master-planned community of Hamilton Proper in Fishers, Indiana. As you make your way down tree-lined boulevards that lead to the club, you’ll find a variety of homes ranging from luxury estate golf course homes to maintenance-free communities. There are 23 unique villages within Hamilton Proper, and many properties offer serene views of the golf course and the wetlands you’ll encounter as you play your way around the course.

The Arthur Hills-designed championship golf course offers golfers five sets of tees and can be played from as short as 5,616 yards up to 7,126 yards. The course winds through over 275 acres of woods and wetlands and features scenic, meticulously groomed fairways and bent grass greens. It can be as challenging as you want to make it.

The course has several memorable holes; the two I remember most are #2 and #14. The 2^nd hole is a 408-yard par 4 dogleg right that pays downhill. Playing your tee shot down the left of the fairway will provide the best angle into the green, just beware of the lone fairway bunker in the landing area. A good drive will leave a long to mid-iron approach shot into a long, narrow green with a single bunker guarding the front right. It is the course’s #1 handicap.

Playing a mere 279 yards from the White Tees, you probably see the 14th hole as a pushover, however, this par 4 signature hole demands accuracy from the tee; the longer the club you select, the more the bunkers near the green and water come into play. Once you get 150 yards out from the tee, the water runs up to and around this elevated green. Double bogeys are more common than birdies here.

Finishing holes are usually a challenge, and such is the case at The Hawthorns. Number 18 is a 398-yard par 4, dogleg left, with some risk/reward opportunities. A good drive can cut the dogleg, but it requires a long carry over a waste bunker and wetlands that run up to and around the green. The best play is to carry as much of the waste bunker as possible and leave yourself a long, manageable approach shot into an angled green. There’s plenty of trouble, too; a lone fairway bunker on the right side of the landing area, three fairway bunkers about 40 yards short of the green that eliminate running the ball up to the pin, and another guarding the right side of the green. Par is a great way to end your round at The Hawthorns Golf & Country Club.

In addition to an 18-hole championship golf course, there’s a full suite of practice facilities including a full-length grass driving range where you can hit every club in the bag, a short game area where you can practice chipping and pitching, practice putting green, and a fully equipped Golf Shop that offers the latest in logoed apparel and equipment.

We all know that the weather in Indianapolis can be fickle, especially during the winter months. The Hawthorns has a solution for wanna-be-year-round golfers that doesn’t include a trip South. The Trackman golf simulator room is where you can keep your swing grooved during the winter months or hang out with friends and family and play courses you may never have the chance to in real life. You can work on things like shot trajectory and attack angle, practice approach shots and chips, or play some games on-screen. With a quick call to the Catering Director, this could become a memorable private event.

If you’re a tennis player, Hawthorns has six outdoor hard tennis courts, three are lit for night play. You can sign up for open play or get involved in the Club’s extensive tennis program. Various events and clinics are available for men, women, and couples. Pickleball lines have been added to several courts so that you can participate in America’s fastest-growing sport. The Hawthorns’ professional tennis staff offers private lessons and clinics for everybody,  including juniors. The tennis courts are open daily from April – October, weather permitting.

During the summer months, The Hawthorns’ heated Junior Olympic-sized pool and splash pad become a popular family gathering place, too. Kids love the diving boards and slides.  The large pool deck has plenty of reclining lounge chairs, and the poolside Arbor Grill serves soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, entrees, flatbread pizza, and more. Kids can participate in The Hawthorns’ Interclub Conference Swim team and compete against other clubs in the area. Private and group swimming lessons are also available. Like most clubs, Hawthorns’ pool is open daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

There’s a good reason why The Hawthorns is recognized as the premier family-oriented club in Indiana. Many Club activities are geared toward younger members. Junior tennis and golf, summer camp, tots camp, Kids’ Night Out, dances, and much more are included. And each year without fail, the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus show up; just not together! New activities are constantly added to keep the kids busy, socialized, and learning.

The Hawthorns provides Members, their families, and guests with superior social, recreational, and dining experiences and offers a Member-first approach to everything they do. As a Member at The Hawthorns, you’ll have access to all club amenities, including the heated Junior Olympic pool, a fully equipped fitness center with cardio, weight resistance, free weight areas, childcare, the children’s playground, men’s and ladies’ locker rooms, and six outdoor tennis courts.  You will also enjoy reciprocals at all Concert Golf Partners properties nationwide.

There’s no better way to see firsthand what The Hawthorns offers than to schedule a visit. While you’re there, be sure to ask about the Titanium Dual Gold Membership, which entitles you to the golf course and all club amenities at The Sagamore Club, about 15 minutes away. That’s two country club memberships for one low monthly payment. It’s one of the best country club membership values in the US! For more information or to set up a visit, contact them at (317) 845-9100 or visit them online at www.hawthornscountryclub.com