Treetops Resort — Masterpiece

The Masterpiece at Treetops is Robert Trent Jones Sr.'s 1987 Gaylord design, named the second-best new course in America by Golf Digest the year it opened. The reason was visible from the first tee: Jones had access to terrain that allowed elevation changes of up to 300 feet across the routing. The vertical dimension is the defining feature, and it produces tee shots and approach shots that feel different from anything else in northern Michigan.

The most discussed moment is the par-3 6th, which plays from a dramatically elevated tee to a green far below. The vertical drop alters playing distance significantly, and the visual effect of standing on the tee with the green well beneath your feet creates a memory that persists long after the scorecard is forgotten. It is not the only elevated tee on the course, but it is the most extreme example of what the terrain enables.

From the back at 7,028 yards with a par of 71, the slope of 147 reflects the genuine difficulty the elevation introduces. Uphill approaches play longer than the yardage indicates. Downhill tee shots demand club adjustments that are difficult to calibrate without local experience. Sidehill lies are common. The course rewards familiarity, and second or third visits typically score meaningfully better than first ones.

The greens carry the Jones Sr. signature: large, contoured, built to accept approach shots from specific angles. Reading a putt on a green built into a hillside requires accounting for both internal contour and the broader landscape tilt, and the two don't always agree. This is where the Masterpiece earns its slope rating.