Arcadia Bluffs vs Forest Dunes: Northern Michigan's Best
Northern Michigan has resort courses from Boyne to Shanty Creek to Treetops, all solid options that have anchored golf trips above the 45th parallel for decades. But two facilities operate at a higher level. Arcadia Bluffs, on the Lake Michigan shoreline near Frankfort, offers links-style golf 200 feet above the water. Forest Dunes, inland near Roscommon, offers a walking-only reversible course by Tom Doak and a Tom Weiskopf design through towering pines. They sit 120 miles apart, a two-and-a-half-hour drive that can define a Northern Michigan road trip. For the golfer building a serious trip through the region, these are the two essential stops.
Arcadia Bluffs
The Bluffs Course, designed by Warren Henderson and Rick Smith and opened in 1999, plays 7,300 yards at par 72 with a slope of 146. The course sits on bluffs 200 feet above Lake Michigan, with views of the water from most holes and a links-style playing surface that rewards the ground game. Walking is encouraged, and caddies are available. Green fees run $175 to $250.
The course ranks among Golf Digest's top 100 public courses in America, and the ranking is earned by the combination of setting and architecture. The bluffs provide elevation changes that links courses in flatter terrain cannot offer. The wind off Lake Michigan is persistent and variable. The firm, fast turf allows shots to be played along the ground in a way that most American courses, overwatered and oversoftened, do not permit.
The South Course, a Dana Fry design that opened in 2018, sits inland from the bluffs. At 7,412 yards with square tees and greens paying homage to golden-age architecture, it plays as a deliberate contrast to the links-style Bluffs. Green fees are $150 to $225. Walking only.
Together, the two courses at Arcadia Bluffs provide 36 holes that span links and golden-age styles, both walking-friendly, both with conditioning that matches the architectural intent.
Forest Dunes
The Loop, Tom Doak's 2016 creation, is the world's first reversible golf course. On odd calendar days, it plays as the Black Course. On even days, it plays as the Red Course. The routing uses the same 18 greens and fairways but in opposite directions, creating two distinct courses on a single piece of land. At par 70 and approximately 6,704 yards, it is shorter than the Bluffs but no less demanding strategically. Walking only. Green fees run $119 to $160.
Doak designed the landforms, bunkers, and green complexes to function equally well from either direction. Playing both versions on consecutive days reveals how the same terrain produces different strategic questions depending on angle, wind direction, and pin position. It is an intellectual exercise that rewards the thoughtful golfer.
The concept is more than a gimmick.
The original Forest Dunes course, a Tom Weiskopf design that opened in 2002, plays 7,116 yards through towering pines and natural sand at a slope of 146. Named Best New Upscale Course by Golf Digest upon opening, it provides a more traditional parkland counterpart to the Loop's open, reversible landscape. Green fees match the Loop at $119 to $160.
The Comparison
Arcadia Bluffs has the more dramatic setting. Playing 200 feet above Lake Michigan, with the water visible across the horizon, creates a visual experience that Forest Dunes' inland location cannot match. The Bluffs Course is the more memorable first impression.
Forest Dunes has the more intellectually engaging golf. The Weiskopf course, with its mature pines and championship length, adds a third dimension to the facility.
The Loop is unlike any other course in the world, and playing both directions across two days provides a unique architectural experience.
Arcadia Bluffs offers two courses. Forest Dunes offers three distinct playing experiences across two courses (two Loop directions plus the original). For the golfer spending two or three days at a single facility, Forest Dunes provides more variety.
Walking Culture
Both facilities prioritise walking, which is increasingly unusual in American golf. Arcadia Bluffs encourages walking on the Bluffs and requires it on the South Course. Forest Dunes requires walking on the Loop and encourages it on the original course.
The walking culture at both facilities is part of the experience. The pace is slower, the connection to the terrain is stronger, and the courses are designed for golfers who cover the ground on foot. For the player who prefers a cart, neither facility is the right choice.
Logistics
Arcadia Bluffs is two hours north of Grand Rapids, near the Lake Michigan shoreline town of Frankfort. The nearest airport is Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) in Traverse City, roughly 40 minutes away.
Forest Dunes is two hours north of Grand Rapids via US-127, inland near Roscommon. The nearest airport is MBS International Airport (MBS) in Saginaw, roughly 75 minutes away, or TVC (two hours).
The 120-mile drive between them takes approximately two and a half hours on two-lane highways through rolling Michigan terrain. A trip combining both requires planning around the driving time, but the route passes through Traverse City, which offers wine tasting on the Old Mission Peninsula, lakefront dining, and the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Price
Two rounds at Arcadia Bluffs (Bluffs and South) total $325 to $475 in green fees.
Three "rounds" at Forest Dunes (Loop Black, Loop Red on consecutive days, and the original course) total $357 to $480 in green fees.
Forest Dunes delivers more golf for essentially the same price.
The Decision
Choose Arcadia Bluffs for the setting. The Lake Michigan bluffs create a visual and atmospheric experience that Forest Dunes cannot replicate. The Bluffs Course is the single strongest 18-hole experience in Northern Michigan. If you have one day, play the Bluffs.
Choose Forest Dunes for the depth. The Loop's reversible design is a genuine innovation, the Weiskopf original is excellent, and the walking-only culture creates an atmosphere that appeals to the serious golfer. If you have two or three days at a single facility, Forest Dunes provides more variety and more architectural interest.
The verdict