Golf Packages In Northern Michigan: 5 Best Stay-and-Play Resorts (2026)

Looking for a relaxing break away with a golf package in Northern Michigan?

Then you’ve come to the right place as I’m a Michigan local and I love a round of golf!

I’ve done a lot of traveling in Northern Michigan so I know all of the best spots that you should consider when thinking about a golfing stay.

This post will discuss all of the best golf play and stay packages available in Northern Michigan, exploring the perks of each of them!

Whether you’re looking for admittance to a thrilling casino or a filling evening meal alongside your golfing stay, this list has you covered! Let’s get straight into it.

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Northern Michigan calls itself America’s Summer Golf Capital, and the numbers back it up. The state counts more than 650 courses, and a cluster of resorts across the northern Lower Peninsula has banded together under that banner, packing celebrated layouts within easy reach of one another. For a traveler who wants golf bundled with lodging and dining on a genuine getaway, the stay-and-play package is the smart way to book it.

This guide does something the resort pages and booking engines cannot. It compares five of the region’s strongest stay-and-play resorts side by side and tells you who each one suits, what the trade-offs are, and what to confirm before you put money down. No two golf trips are the same, so the goal here is to help you match the resort to the trip you want.

What a Stay-and-Play Package Actually Includes

A stay-and-play package bundles a night of lodging with a round of golf, and the value comes from booking the room and the tee time together rather than separately. Most packages add a bucket of range balls and the option to layer on extra rounds, spa time, or meals. Watch for three details that vary widely and shape the real cost: surcharges on premium courses, tee-time windows that limit when you can play, and minimum-night requirements during peak weeks. Those are the fine-print items the booking pages tend to bury, so they are worth checking on
every quote.

The Five Resorts at a Glance

Grand Traverse Resort and Spa near Acme suits a traveler who wants championship pedigree with full resort polish. Boyne Golf around Harbor Springs and Boyne Falls is built for the golfer who measures a trip by rounds played. Treetops Resort in Gaylord works best as a base for a multi-course trip. Garland Lodge and Golf Resort near Lewiston is the pick for a secluded, allon one-property getaway. Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville is the choice when not everyone in the group plays golf.

1) Grand Traverse Resort and Spa (Acme)

BEST FOR: Championship golf with full-service resort amenities.
Just outside Traverse City, Grand Traverse Resort and Spa anchors the region with 54 holes across three championship courses. The Bear, a Jack Nicklaus design that opened in 1985, has ranked among the toughest courses in America by Golf Digest. The Wolverine, Gary Player’s first signature course in Michigan, plays from four sets of tees and welcomes a wide range of skill levels. Spruce Run is the most approachable of the three and the easiest to add as a second round.

The resort’s One-Night Golf Package covers a night of lodging, one round per person, and a medium bucket of range balls. A second round can be booked in advance on Spruce Run, while openings on The Bear and The Wolverine depend on the tee sheet after the first round. Off the course, the property has an indoor pool, a full spa, a health club, five restaurants, and a shuttle to nearby Turtle Creek Casino. The summer golf-package season typically runs early June through mid-September.

The trade-off: Premium-course access on The Bear and The Wolverine is subject to availability rather than guaranteed, so a golfer set on those two specific layouts should ask how booking works before committing.

2) Boyne Golf (Harbor Springs and Boyne Falls)

BEST FOR: Golfers who want to play as many rounds as possible.

Boyne Golf is the heavyweight of the group, with 11 championship courses spread across three resorts: The Highlands, Boyne Mountain, and the Inn at Bay Harbor. The courses carry the work of master designers including Robert Trent Jones Sr., Arthur Hills, and Donald Ross, the last honored on the Donald Ross Memorial course.

Boyne’s package structure is the most flexible of the group. The standard stay-and-play suits a golfer who wants one round each day, pairing a night of lodging with a round after 10 a.m. on a rotating set of courses. The Unlimited Golf Package opens all-day play on five courses with complimentary range balls. For a longer trip, the Super 5 and Magnificent vacations stack five nights of lodging with unlimited golf. Mackinac Island sits about 45 minutes north for an easy rest-day excursion.

The trade-off: Tee times on the package generally start after 10 a.m., and certain marquee courses such as The Heather, Arthur Hills, and Bay Harbor carry an added charge, so the headline rate is a floor rather than the full picture.

3) Treetops Resort (Gaylord)

BEST FOR: A home base for a multi-course Gaylord-area trip.

Treetops has anchored Michigan golf since the mid-1980s, set in the heart of the Gaylord Golf Mecca off I-75. It is known for dramatic elevation changes and a course lineup that includes work by Robert Trent Jones Sr. along with Michigan’s only Tom Fazio design.

The Traditional Stay and Play package keeps it simple: one night of lodging and a round on the Tradition course with a cart included. From there it is built to customize, letting you add rounds, nights, spa services, and other activities. The surrounding Gaylord area packs in courses from several resorts, and local package partners can combine lodging and tee times across multiple layouts, which makes Treetops a natural base for golfers who want variety in one trip.

The trade-off: Pricing shifts with travel dates and some dates carry a two-night minimum, so the simple one-night rate is not always available when you want it.

4) Garland Lodge and Golf Resort (Lewiston)

BEST FOR: A secluded getaway with multiple courses under one roof.

Garland, tucked into the woods near Lewiston, traces its history to 1951 and offers 72 holes across four courses designed by Ron Otto: Monarch, Reflections, Swampfire, and Fountains. The setting is rustic and quiet, built around a log lodge with lodging that ranges from villas to cottages to condos, suiting everyone from couples to large groups.

Garland’s stay-and-play rates are quoted per night, per person, on double occupancy, and include one round per person. With four full courses on a single property and dining on site, it works well for a group that wants variety without driving between resorts each morning.

The trade-off: The Fountains course carries a surcharge, and Sunday rounds begin after noon, so build any tight golf schedule around those two limits.

5) Crystal Mountain (Thompsonville)

BEST FOR: Mixed groups where not everyone golfs.

Crystal Mountain pairs golf with a full four-season resort experience, which makes it the strongest pick when you are traveling with family or non-golfing companions. The property has two championship courses and is well known for an unlimited golf package that delivers strong value on a golf-focused stay. It also sits a short drive from Sleeping Bear Dunes and Traverse City, which widens the options for a non-golf day.

Beyond the fairways there is a spa, an art park, pools, and a full slate of family activities, so a companion who does not play has plenty to fill the day.

The trade-off: With two courses rather than a sprawling rotation, a golfer chasing sheer course variety may find the lineup smaller than the multi-resort options, so it rewards the trip where golf is one piece rather than the whole point.

How to Choose the Right Package for Your Trip

The best package comes down to the kind of trip you are planning. For championship pedigree and a polished base, Grand Traverse delivers Nicklaus and Player designs with full amenities. For the most golf possible, Boyne’s multi-course passes are tough to beat. For a Gaylord-area home base with courses in every direction, Treetops fits. For a quiet, multi-course property under one roof, Garland is the pick. For a family-friendly resort where golf shares the itinerary, Crystal Mountain balances the fairways with everything else.

A few principles apply across all five. Resort golf rates change often from one week to the next with season and demand, so treat any figure you find online as a starting point and call to confirm. Tee-time windows and minimum-night requirements vary by package and tighten in peak summer. And the northern Lower Peninsula’s long summer daylight, with play possible well into the evening, means a single day can hold more golf than you would expect.

What to Confirm Before You Book

Before you reserve any package, confirm the current inclusions directly with the resort: how many rounds and nights, whether range balls and a cart are included, and the exact courses your rate covers. Ask about surcharges on premium courses, the earliest tee time the package allows, and any minimum-night requirement for your dates. Verify the season open and close dates, since shoulder-season pricing and course availability shift year to year. A five-minute call clears up the details that a booking page rarely spells out in full.

When to Plan Your Northern Michigan Golf Trip

The core golf season runs from roughly May into October. Peak summer brings the longest daylight and the fullest slate of resort amenities, while early fall trades some of that for cooler rounds and striking foliage. Spring and late-season dates often carry lower rates and thinner crowds, with the trade-off that not every course or amenity is open. For a first trip, midsummer offers the most reliable conditions; for value, the edges of the season reward a flexible schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time for a Northern Michigan golf trip?

The core season runs from roughly May into October. Peak summer offers the longest daylight and the fullest amenities, early fall brings cooler play and foliage, and the shoulder weeks often carry lower rates with the trade-off of reduced course or amenity availability.

What does a stay-and-play package usually include?

At minimum, a night of lodging and one round of golf per person, often with range balls. Many resorts let you add rounds, nights, meals, or spa services. Taxes, resort fees, and gratuities usually sit outside the package price, so ask for the all-in figure.

Which resort is best for non-golfers in the group?

Crystal Mountain and Grand Traverse both pair their golf with a spa and pools, giving nongolfing companions plenty to do while the rest of the group plays.

How far apart are these resorts?

All five sit in the northern Lower Peninsula, within about a two-hour drive of one another. Grand Traverse near Acme, Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, and Boyne around Harbor Springs cluster toward the northwest, while Treetops in Gaylord and Garland near Lewiston sit toward the I-75 corridor to the east.

Do I need to be an experienced golfer?

No. Several courses, including Spruce Run at Grand Traverse and the multi-tee Wolverine, accommodate a range of skill levels, and resort pro shops can point you toward the friendliest layouts.

Are these packages good for a group or buddies trip?

Yes. Boyne’s multi-course passes and Garland’s four courses on one property both suit groups well, and several resorts offer lodging that sleeps larger parties, from villas to condos.