Discover Michigan’s Top Spot for a Quick Golf Getaway

Author: Loveable Michigan | Advance Travel & Tourism

With 13 courses 30 minutes or less from Mt. Pleasant, you have lots of options for playing 36 holes a day on a Central Michigan golf trip.

You can walk along the Chippewa River in the footsteps of PGA Tour champion Dan Pohl at his namesake PohlCat and then escape into the wooded hills of Snow Snake, a hidden gem in Clare. You can aim and carve off a chunk of the old mining quarry at Bucks Run, then experience mid-Michigan’s premier links-style course at Eagle Glen in Farwell.

Yet for all the awesome golf – including Tullymore, one of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses – there are lots of things to do after you play, too. That makes the Mt. Pleasant area the perfect place for a golf getaway. Plus, it’s centrally located right in the middle of Michigan and a lot closer than other top golf destinations, so you can get to the first tee faster.

Here’s a closer look at the championship golf courses of Central Michigan along with comfortable and affordable places to stay in the Mt. Pleasant area. Use the ideas below to build an itinerary for an epic experience both on and off the course.

You could play another 18. Or spend that time hanging out on No. 19!

Many golf courses in the Mt. Pleasant area have a great spot to eat, drink and rehash the good, bad and ugly from your round. At PohlCat it’s The Den, a patio by the 18^th green. At Bucks Run it’s the scenic Quarry Grill, which overlooks the former-sand-pit-turned-golf-ball-gobbling-lake. At The Pines at Lake Isabella, Tally’s Bar & Grill serves up cold beer and a delicious menu sourced with local ingredients.

There are bars and brewpubs all over Central Michigan, too. Head to Mountain Town Station for award-winning ribs and hand-crafted beers made right in Mt. Pleasant or sing karaoke and play trivia at Hunter’s Ale House, where the beer cheese is made with in-house brews.

Rubbles Dive Bar and Marty’s are among many classic bar options, while Blue Gator Sports Pub and O’Kelly’s Sports Bar & Grille are great spots to knock a few back while watching the game.

Sure, maybe you beat your buddies in golf. How about in games of chance? Soaring Eagle Casino right in Mt. Pleasant has the largest gaming floor in Michigan, with blackjack, roulette, craps, bingo and thousands of slots, plus live concerts and entertainment throughout the year.

For more games of skill, you can play cornhole outside at O’Kelly’s, shoot pool at Blackstone Bar or throw darts at The Bird Bar & Grill. Deerfield Nature Park is home to a pair of highly-ranked disc golf courses and Riverwood Resort has a 24-lane bowling center right on site.

If you just can’t put your clubs away for the day, Bucks Run has an 18-hole, natural-grass putting island. The Golf Center has miniature golf, open after dark, too. And Raby’s Golf Central has state-of-the-art simulators where you can play hundreds of courses, including more than 50 professional tournament venues until midnight.

Part of the beauty of Central Michigan golf is the natural scenery all around. You feel like you’re “Up North” without having to drive all the way up north.

That applies off the course, too. The Chippewa River is perfect for paddling. Visit Buckley’s Mountainside Canoes or Chippewa River Outfitters for rentals. The river has some great fishing holes, too. Just pick up a license and pick out a spot!

There also are many hiking and biking trails through the Mt. Pleasant area’s two dozen nature preserves, plus bucket-list challenges such as trekking to the top of Bundy Hill, the highest point in Isabella County.

With a variety of golf courses that are challenging for good players yet playable for less advanced golfers, plus tasty places to eat and drink and lots of off-course activities, it’s easy to plan a weekend golf trip to the Mt. Pleasant area. Because all the courses are right in the middle of the state and easily accessible off M-20 or U.S. 127 no more than 2 hours from any major city in the Lower Peninsula, you can start your weekend sooner when you play golf in Central Michigan – and have more time for fun after your rounds, too.

Find your place to stay in Central Michigan, take your pick of the many places to play around the region, and come have a blast this golf season!