Some of the best public golf in the country can be found in Michigan, including fantastic resorts like Forest Dunes, Arcadia Bluffs and Treetops–but nothing beats membership at a high-end golf club for the quintessential golf experience, and MI has a great many classic courses to choose from.
In addition to superb design, limited play at a top private club pretty much guarantees that course conditions will always be great, and you can also say goodbye to the 5-hour round.
25 private clubs in Michigan received a GolfDay rating of 90 or higher, and just over 75 were rated at 80 or better—so there’s a pretty good chance that the perfect club for you is not very far away.
We’ve included our Top 25 below, or you can spin through all of the private courses in Michigan listed by GolfDay Rating. Clubs are listed on the basis of GolfDay Rating, and include a link to the club website, the year founded, course architect(s), current USGA course and slope ratings, a link to course description (where available) as well as a link to Google Maps for each location.
The Michigan Top 25 include eight original Donald Ross designs, beginning with Oakland Hills (#1), as well as Detroit Golf Club (#8) and Muskegon Golf Club (#15).
H.S. (Harry) Colt and C. H. (Charles) Alison, among the greats of classic golf course architecture, designed The Country Club of Detroit (#4) and Orchard Lake CC (#5). Harry Colt also did the original design at Bloomfield Hills CC (recently restored by Mike DeVries, who also crafted the wonderful layout at Kingsley Club–#6).
In addition, Michigan is home to Crystal Downs Country Club (#2), an Alistair MacKenzie design that is perennially among the Golf Digest Top 100 courses in The U.S.
Tom Doak (Renassance Golf), a Michigan native who is widely regarded as one the great modern golf course architects, crafted Lost Dunes Golf Club (#3) in Bridgman. In addition, Tom recently completed High Point Golf Club in Williamsburg, which has opened to rave reviews.
To view courses by location, use the GolfDay Search Engine and select “where you are” or where you plan to be (by entering the city or zip code). You can also refine your search and save time by adding a description and the features you are looking for.
- Oakland Hills Country Club/Bloomfield Hills
- Founded: 1916
- Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen-Hole Courses)
- Course Architects: Donald Ross/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Arthur Hills/Rees Jones/Gil Hanse
- USGA Course/Slope Rating:
South: 77.1 Rating/148 Slope
North: 74.5 Rating/145 Slope - Description
- GolfDay Rating: 100
- Location
- Crystal Downs Country Club/Frankfort
- Founded: 1926
- Holes: 18
- Course Architects: Alister MacKenzie/Perry Maxwell/Geoffrey Cornish/Brian Silva
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.9 Rating/143 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 100
- Location
- Lost Dunes Golf Club/Bridgeman
- Founded: 1999
- Holes: 18
- Course Architects: Tom Doak
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.1 Rating/141 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 96.1
- Location
- Country Club of Detroit/Grosse Pointe Farms
- Founded: 1897
- Holes: 27 (Eighteen-Hole Course and Nine-Hole Par 3
- Course Architects: H. S. Colt/C. H. Alison/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Bruce Matthews/Jerry Matthews/Arthur Hills/Geoffrey Cornish/Brian Silva/Tom Doak/Keith Foster/Kevin Hargrave
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.3 Rating/137 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 95.5
- Location
- Orchard Lake Country Club/Orchard Lake
- Founded: 1926
- Holes: 18
- Course Architects: H. S. Colt/C. H. Alison/Wilfrid Reid/William Connellan/William Diddel/Arthur Hills/Keith Foster/Kevin Hargrave
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.0 Rating/135 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 95.0
- Location
- Kingsley Club/Kingsley
- Founded: 1998
- Holes: 18
- Course Architects: Mike DeVries
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.8 Rating/143 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 94.7
- Location
- Bloomfield Hills Country Club/Bloomfield Hills
- Founded: 1909
- Holes: 18
- Course Architects: H. S. Colt/Donald Ross/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Arthur Hills/Mike DeVries/Frank Pont
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.9 Rating/134 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 94.0
- Location
- Detroit Golf Club/Detroit
- Founded: 1899
- Holes: 36 (2-Eighteen Hole Courses)
- Course Architects: Donald Ross/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Arthur Hills/Tom Doak/Bruce Hepner/Tyler Rae
- USGA Course/Slope Rating:
North: 73.8 Rating/131 Slope
South: 69.4 Rating/126 Slope - Description
- GolfDay Rating: 92.6
- Location
- Meadowbrook Country Club/Northville
- Founded: 1916
- Holes: 18
- Course Architects: Willie Park, Jr./Harry Collis/Jack Daray/Bruce Matthews/Jerry Matthews/Arthur Hills/Andy Staples
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.3 Rating/142 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 92.5
- Location
- Indianwood Golf & Country Club/Lake Orion
- Founded: 1925
- Holes: 36 (Eighteen-Hole Course and Six Hole Spieth Lower 40)
- Course Architects: Wilfrid Reid/William Connellan/Arthur Hills/Bob Cupp/Jerry Pate
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 76.7 Rating/145 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 92.1
- Location
- Blythefield Country Club/Belmont
- Founded: 1928
- Holes: 18
- Course Architect: William Langford/Theodore Moreau/Bruce Matthews/Jerry Matthews/Chris Wilczynski
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.3 Rating/140 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 91.6
- Location
- Red Run Golf Club/Royal Oak
- Founded: 1914
- Holes: 18
- Course Architects: Willie Park, Jr./Emil Loeffler/John McGlynn/Clinton Robinson/Raymond Hearn/Bruce Hepner
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.0 Rating/140 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 91.2
- Location
- Muskegon Country Club/Muskegon
RedWater Golf
- Founded: 1908
- Holes: 18
- Course Architects: Donald Ross/Bruce Matthews/Jerry Matthews/Bruce Matthews III
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.0 Rating/139 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 91.0
- Location
- TPC Michigan/Dearborn
Invited Club Management
- Founded: 1990
- Holes: 18
- Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus/Rick Jacobson
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.1 Rating/148 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 90.8
- Location
- Lochmoor Club/Grosse Pointe Woods
- Founded: 1917
- Holes: 18
- Course Architects: Walter Travis/H. S. Colt/C. H. Alison/Larry Packard/Arthur Hills/Paul Albanese
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.0 Rating/133 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 90.8
- Location
- Barton Hills Country Club/Ann Arbor
- Founded: 1917
- Holes: 18
- Course Architects: Donald Ross/Ron Prichard
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.3 Rating/131 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 90.6
- Location
- Dearborn Country Club/Dearborn
- Founded: 1923
- Holes: 18
- Course Architects: Donald Ross/Clinton Robinson/Jerry Matthews/Bruce Matthews III
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.8 Rating/134 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 90.6
- Location
- Franklin Hills Country Club/Franklin
- Founded: 1927
- Holes:
- Course Architects: Donald Ross/Arthur Hills/Ron Prichard/Tyler Rae/Bruce Hepner
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.1 Rating/133 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 90.4
- Location
- Western Golf & Country Club/Redford
- Founded: 1926
- Holes: 18
- Course Architects: Donald Ross/Larry Packard/Arthur Hills/Bruce Matthews III
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.2 rating/140 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 90.4
- Location
- St. Clair Golf Club/St. Clair
- Founded: 1917
- Holes: 18
- Course Architects: Donald Ross/Jerry Matthews
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.8 Rating/138 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 90.4
- Location
- Cascade Hills Country Club/Grand Rapids
- Founded: 1921
- Holes: 27 (Eighteen-Hole Regulation Course and Nine Hole Par 3)
- Course Architects: Jack Daray/David Gill/Larry Packard/Bruce Matthews/Jerry Matthews/Bruce Matthews III
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.7 Rating/142 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 90.3
- Location
- Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club/Grand Blanc
- Founded: 1957
- Holes: 18
- Course Architects: James Harrison/Ferdinand Garbin/Joe Lee/Chris Wilczynski
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.5 rating/136 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 90.3
- Location
- Point O’ Woods Golf & Country Club/Benton Harbor
- Founded: 1958
- Holes: 18
- Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Michael Benkusky
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.1 Rating/140 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 90.2
- Location
- Thousand Oaks Golf Club/Grand Rapids
RedWater Golf
- Founded: 1999
- Holes: 18
- Course Architects: Rees Jones
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.9 Rating/145 Slope
- Description
- GolfDay Rating: 90.0
- Location
- The Dunes Club/New Buffalo
KemperSports
- Founded: 1990
- Holes: 9
- Course Architect: Dick Nugent/Jim Urbina/George Waters
- USGA Course/Slope Rating: 37.8 Rating/148 Slope
- GolfDay Rating: 89.8
- Location
The GolfDay private club rating is based on a variety of criteria, including the stature of the architect(s) who did the original design(s), updates that have been done on the course(s), the variety of courses located at the property, USGA Course and Slope Ratings, current local and national rankings by Golf Digest, as well as club longevity and prestige.
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