Shanty Creek or Boyne Highlands

[khoyng82]

A group of 12 of us are looking to take a trip to northern Michigan next summer. Which area offers the best golf courses in close proximity to each other; Shanty Creek or Boyne? Looking to play 6 rounds of golf. All the rounds don't have to be at the resort. This year we did Treetops/Otsego and Forest Dunes. It's going to be tough to beat that but we want to see what else is out there. Thanks.

[smith851]

Boyne has 11 courses... 4 which i would say are some of the best in Northern MI... the other ones are pretty good as well. I would look to stay near Boyne Highlands as the better courses are there and Bay Harbor is only 15 min drive from there for the best course of the bunch

Treetops is about a 20-30 min drive from Boyne, Forest Dunes is doable in just over an hour

for looking to get 6+ rounds and variety for your group id vote Boyne, Shanty only has 4. my personal opinion is The Legend is the only Shanty course that is top notch

[khoyng82]

smith851,

The top 4 Boyne courses are: Heather, Hills, Bay Harbor, ????

[knickerbocker]

Boyne Highlands is in a class above the rest as far as resorts go with top notch golf courses on site and then others that are part of Boyne within a reasonable distance.

Staying at the Highlands, I would recommend in order from best to good (because none are bad):

Bay Harbor
Heather
Hills
Hidden River
Ross
Moor

[Tarantula18t]

I would definitely recommend the Highlands also. Although if I were you, I would skip out on the Ross and Moor and try to play a few other courses. I would play Black Lake, which is about a 45 minute drive. I would also play at Little Traverse Bay before either of those as well.

If you can find a way to do so, try and play Birchwood Farms and/or True North. Both private, but both excellent. I still think Birchwood Farms 9 holes named the Woods (they have 27) is probably my favorite 9 holes in Northern Michigan.

I have played True North the last few years, and as far as experience goes, you won't find a better one. They treat you like royalty there, and you will have the place virtually to yourself. Especially if you go during the week. The last two years I have played there they had less then 15 people on the course each day. This past year they had 11 players all day, and 8 of them were my group.

A lot of people really like the Ross, but I am not a big fan.

If you're a gambler, the Highlands is a better option also, as the casino is only a short drive away.

[smith851]

[quote name='khoyng82' timestamp='1445458880' post='12488524']
smith851,

The top 4 Boyne courses are: Heather, Hills, Bay Harbor, ????
[/quote]

Bay Harbor, Heather, Hidden River, Hills would be my rankings

[Mi-Golfer]

I think Shanty Creek is a good option and Cedar River & The Legend are definitely top tier courses. There are also two other courses on the property (Schuss & Summit) that are just ok. Across the street you have the Chief and right down the road (a mile or two) is Hawks Eye. Plus there is Shorts in Bellaire!

A 1/2 hour away you have the Bear and Wolverine at Grand Traverse and close to there is Lochenheath. Also close by is A-ga-ming with two more courses.
Unless your group are some pretty high rollers I'd say $450/round at True North is probably out of the picture.

Really can't lose with either one

[1puttTUT]

I've never played the Boyne courses, but Cedar River is a great golf course, worth a visit to Shanty on its own imo. I would play that, Black Lake and Forest Dunes if possible. Anything else beyond that is icing on the cake

[khoyng82]

Based on the golf ONLY, does Boyne or Shanty Creek stack up to Treetops?

[cwglum]

I've been to all 3 resorts and would rate them in the following order:

1. Boyne
2. Shanty Creek
3. Treetops


Hard to base it on Golf only, as the proximity of courses to each other, getting back and forth, lodging & accommodations, food & drink available, etc., all play a role in how much you enjoy the trip.

Been to Boyne multiple times, they are the leader for variety of golf, course conditions, lodging available. I would go back to shanty Creek, but wouldn't rush to do so. I would never go back to Treetops, was by far my least enjoyable golf trip with all factors playing a role.

[khoyng82]

cwglum, agree 100% that there are other factors outside of golf that determine a great golf trip. Our group always says that a great golf trip is: 1/2 golf course quality, 1/2 time with friends (accommodations, close proximity to courses which always more free time after golf).

[khoyng82]

If our group decides on Boyne, would you recommend Little Traverse Bay over any of the Boyne Highlands courses? Seems to get good reviews.

[chrisbellaire]

Heather, Hills, Bay Harbor (Links/Quarry), and Hidden River are all better than LTBay. Possibly the Ross also, but haven't played it for many years. As for LTBay, once you get over the incredible view from the clubhouse/first tee areas the golf course itself is just average.

[Tarantula18t]

I think Chris is right as far as the course itself being fairly average, with the exception of the elevation. Conditions are great though. There are all sorts of good views on the course, and elevated tee shots. If you aren't used to elevation, and don't get to see if very often where you're from, then I would definitely play it.

The Ross I would stay away from personally. It was voted the least favorite in my group of 8 this past year. The other courses included in that vote were: The Masterpiece, LTB, Bay Harbor, Hills, True North, Hidden River, Tribute, Cedar River and Crooked Tree.

[hanny43oak]

I have been to both Treetops and Shanty Creek. Have returned to Shanty Creek for 5 years now!

The Legend and Cedar River are top notch courses. We play Forest Dunes on the way to Shanty Creek (about an hour away) then play 36 a day at Shanty for the next 3 days. (Legend/Cedar, Cedar/Schuss and Legend/Cedar)

Shanty Creek accommodations at Summit Village are within walking distance to The Legend and a couple of restaurants. Shanty Creek also provides free shuttle service on the resort as well as in to Bellaire. No need to worry about a DD after visiting Shorts.

Staff and resort are amazing....would highly recommend Shanty Creek!

[timbo08]

I've never been to Shanty Creek so I can't comment there. However, I have been to both Boyne and Treetops multiple times and in my opinion BOYNE is a better value.

I think BOYNE has a better/more friendly staff, we always get treated great there, don't get me wrong everyone is nice enough at Treetops, I just feel like the people at BOYNE really have their "stuff" together so to speak. Also, I've felt the accommodations at BOYNE are nicer as well. We've stayed in their oldest rooms at Disciples Ridge and newer Condos. At Treetops I have only stayed in Hotel Rooms, however BOYNEs older hotel rooms were still light years better than Treetops in my mind. At the end of the day, you're basically just sleeping there if it is a pure golf trip so the rooms aren't a huge deal. At the same time, Treetops rooms feel like they are from the 80s. For example we plugged a cell phone into a wall socket to charge and it blew the tube television out. Or any time anyone would walk near the window, the hanging light would shake or the couch we sat on to play cards was about as hard as the tile floor in the bathroom at Treetops. Again, not huge issues but they are issues we run into at Treetops that we don't have to deal with at BOYNE.

Treetops does beat BOYNE in terms of location. The courses are closer together and you aren't driving 20-40 minutes to get to your course depending on where you are staying. This means you get more time for golf and more time for lunch in between rounds, no rushing is nice. However, there is a better/larger variety of courses at BOYNE. To me this becomes a non-issue when you factor that in if you can try and stay at the Highlands. This is just personal opinion but the courses at the Mountain do nothing for me. Alpine and Monument just aren't anything special, we skipped them last year and no one missed them. If you stay at the Highlands, then travel becomes a bit more reasonable as Bay Harbor and Crooked Tree are a shorter drive to get to.

Courses I would put about even in terms of golf and course conditions. They both have some awesome views, fun holes, and are kept in pretty solid shape. Bay Harbor is my favorite course next to Forest Dunes that I've played so personal preference goes to Boyne.

Here's our trip that we do ever year and feel like it's pretty solid. We go earlier in the year so the price is a lot cheaper but I'd imagine you'd be around $400 per guy for 3 nights and 6 rounds of golf which is still a helluva value.

Thursday: Otsego Club Tribute, right off 75, have to get off at Gaylord to get to BOYNE, perfect drive up arrival round course. We found coupons last year online for $35 a person which is an awesome value there. Plus afterwards you can do Dinner in Gaylord which has more options than Boyne then go check in.

Friday: Two Rounds at Bay Harbor, play all 3 9's and then either the Quarry or Links for a 2nd go around for 36 total.

Saturday: Some combo of 36 at Heather/Hills/Ross/Crooked Tree. Hills is a must play for our group, everyone has a blast on that course. Outside of that, it comes down to personal preference. Heather is my favorite out of those 3, other guys like Crooked Tree, others like the Ross. Crooked Tree is my least favorite out of the 3 but that's probably because I've never played well there. Heather is very rewarding if you hit the right shots and punishing if you don't. Ross kind of depends on tee selection, I've always found it to play a bit long making it a challenge, mostly due to tough approach shots and some long par 3's.
Sunday: Hidden River, it's on the way out of town for us, fun course, not too challenging, lot of fun holes, kept in great shape and not terribly difficult so everyone enjoys it there.

We go earlier in the year (before June 1st) so our trip is well under $300. Weather is hit or miss. This will be our 6th year going, I'd say 60% of our rounds are in shorts and polos totally comfortable. 20% is pants and a pullover, maybe a little drizzle but nothing too bad. Other 20% we probably shouldn't have played cause it was so cold/rainy but we did anyways, with lots of layers and extra socks.

Personal ranking of BOYNE Courses: Bay Harbor (Quarry/Links preferred) < Hills < Heather < Hidden River < Ross < Crooked Tree < Monument < Moor < Alpine Otsego Tribute would end up somewhere near Heather/Hills for me if you went that route.

[Chigolfer2]

How would you rate the 3 resorts for after golf? ..What do they have for bars and restaurants? Shanty has Shorts..what else?.

[knickerbocker]

[quote name='Chigolfer2' timestamp='1449359473' post='12685202']
How would you rate the 3 resorts for after golf? ..What do they have for bars and restaurants? Shanty has Shorts..what else?.
[/quote]

There are some different options at Boyne and right around the property plus Petoskey and Harbor Springs. Probably the best options of the bunch.
Treetops has a Sports Bar and then Gaylord, but the Gaylord police really crack down on golfers driving around drinking, so make sure you have a DD.

[timbo08]

[quote name='knickerbocker' timestamp='1449456576' post='12689038']
[quote name='Chigolfer2' timestamp='1449359473' post='12685202']
How would you rate the 3 resorts for after golf? ..What do they have for bars and restaurants? Shanty has Shorts..what else?.
[/quote]

There are some different options at Boyne and right around the property plus Petoskey and Harbor Springs. Probably the best options of the bunch.
Treetops has a Sports Bar and then Gaylord, but the Gaylord police really crack down on golfers driving around drinking, so make sure you have a DD.
[/quote]

Park City Grill in Petoskey is a favorite for our group after golf.