Boyne vs Treetops

golfortennis · May 29, 2009

wife doesn't play, so golf not only consideration

So we're looking at heading to Northern Michigan this summer for a bit of an anniversary trip. She wants to get away, and doesn't mind if I play a bit, so going to a golf resort is ok. But I also want to make sure that there are things for her to do, and at a decent price.

From what I understand, Treetops has the advantage of everything being essentially right there. No driving to and from places. But it is more expensive.

Boyne on the other hand, appears to have some great deals, but there is some driving involved to get to the different courses.

Have any of you been to either with a non-golf spouse/partner, and how did they enjoy things? She is a runner so trails nearby would be a plus, and we would go do things together as well(I'm an early morning player, so she would just be getting up when I get done!).

The assumption is the quality of courses is similar. I'm not concerned that one course is a 98 as opposed to another being a 94 on a scale of 1-100, so long as courses aren't 65s that's fine. I'm not driving that far to play dog tracks, but I don't have to play the absolute very best greatest in the world courses either. Very good golf courses are fine.

I know there have been threads on these two locations, but none of them deal with much besides the golf from what I read through. Gotta keep the wife happy as well you know.... Thanks for any feedback.

3_Jack_Par · May 29, 2009

I think Boyne has a lot more in the way of spa and non-golf activities. If you go to the Highlands, that's near Harbor Springs, which has quite a bit more to do than Gaylord, too.

Course quality is pretty similar between Treetops and the Boyne courses that I've played.

BParis · May 30, 2009

My opinion only, but I have always felt the Sylvan Resort (Treetops) courses are a notch above the Boyne courses. Also, there are so many other great courses in the immediate Gaylord area that you aren't confined to only playing at the Resort.

FairwayFred · May 30, 2009

Go with Boyne imo a much better place to take the wife and the golf is better too.

BandonOrBust · May 30, 2009

I agree with Ari, Boyne is sweet and Harbor Springs is ridiculously cool. Also, right down the road from Boyne is True North -- www.truenorthgolf.com -- which is a sweet Jim Engh track.

seamusthemick · June 1, 2009

Gaylord area golf is better but your in the center of the state away from the big lakes, there's good fishing hunting and hiking and the overall feel of the area is rustic. Boyne area is much more gentrified. Harbor Springs, and Petoskey to a lesser extent, is an area with alot of "old money."

In Gaylord I'd reccomend in order:

Black Forest

Treetops Fazio

Treeetops Smith

Threetops

Treetops Tradition

Otsego-The Tribute

Treetops RTJ

At Boyne I'd reccomend in order:

Boyne Ross Memorial

True North

Boyne Hills

Bay Harbor (over priced)

Boyne Heather

Little Traverse Bay (not my cup of tea, but gorgeous views)

golfortennis · June 18, 2009

Well we've booked Boyne Mountain. Given the proximity to larger bodies of water, the waterpark and some of the other things Boyne Mountain has, my wife was cool with that. I was kind of hoping to stay at Highlands, but since all the courses are very good, I let her choose which resort. I'll play Alpine and Monument. May slip out if she's ok with something in Harbor Springs, but if not, no big deal. We'll see how it goes the first week of August.

(Ari, I would have been coming to see you but we just couldn't find flights in our budget. If she doesn't qualify for Boston, we may be there next may for her to run the Eugene Marathon. I can't wait to get back to Eugene.)