Situated
just east of I-75 in Gaylord, Treetops Resort is the closest major resort to
the metro Detroit area and the rest of the I-75 corridor, and allows visitors
easy access to all of the great attractions in Gaylord.
Treetops
Resort is a truly unique property with 81 holes spread across five distinctly
different courses. It is the only facility in the world that boasts courses
designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., Tom
Fazio, and Rick Smith. According to Treetops Resort Director of Golf, Kevin
McKinley, all five courses “give you a different feeling when you walk off of
them, giving us the best variety of golf in the Midwest.” That sentiment is
reflected in the golfers’ reviews of the course, as McKinley went on to say,
“the quality on each is so high that in past surveys when asked what our
customer’s favorite course is, we often get five different answers from five
different people.”
The
first course is the Masterpiece and was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. The Masterpiece is the most challenging course of the five and was
built in the 1980’s when everyone was trying to build the hardest
course. Many of the fairways slope away from the middle and towards
trouble; and elevation changes throughout the course make it very challenging.
The course is located at the headwaters of the Pigeon River and takes full
advantage of natural valleys, ravines, and broad plains. The signature sixth
hole features a 120′ vertical drop and a panoramic view of the Pigeon River
Valley.
The
second course is the Premier and is the only course in Michigan designed by Tom
Fazio. According to McKinley, Fazio built the Premier to
“complement the Masterpiece as many fairways slope in towards the middle and
the course is much more playable for the average player.” The green complexes
are large and do provide a great challenge as well.
The third course on the property
is the Signature course and was created by Rick Smith. There are also many
elevation changes in this course and the beauty is astounding. McKinley
says that “landing areas are very large but the challenge here is also in the
green complexes as often players do not know if they are putting up or downhill
and have a difficult time reading the greens.” The Signature course has been
rated as a Top 50 Course for Women.
The
fourth and final 18-hole course on the property is the Tradition and was also
designed by Rick Smith. The Tradition was
originally designed for walking, and it is certainly the most playable course
as elevation is not as much of a factor. McKinley says, “although it is our
youngest course in age, it is our most historic course in playability as it
brings you back to golf’s roots with wooden pins, pennant flags and a parkland
design with a links feel lacking a whole lot of trees.” The front nine wraps around
the starter house, allowing for nine-hole play.
The
fifth course on the property is the famous Threetops course, which has received
national recognition since it opened, consistently ranking as the #1 par three
course in America by multiple sources.
Threetops may be what Treetops is best known for, and for a number of years the
course hosted the ESPN Par 3 Shootout. The course provides a great challenge to
players as elevation change makes club selection a premium. The third hole is
accurately named “Devil’s Drop” as it features the largest tee to green
elevation change on property at 145 feet. According to McKinley, “club
selection depending on the wind can be as much as 4 clubs less than you would
normally hit for the distance and you never know how good your shot is going to
be until it hits the ground.”
All
five courses come together to create one of Michigan’s best golf resorts. In
addition to being a great golf resort, Treetops is a full-service facility that offers something for everyone.
Treetops has a spa and salon, five different dining options, state licensed
child care, 238 hotel rooms, 2 pools, disc golf, skiing, and so much more. For
golfers looking to improve their game, Treetops Resort even has a golf academy
for all ages, genders, and abilities. The academy features state of the art
equipment such as V1 Video analysis and Foresight Sports launch monitor
technology, which doubles as a golf simulator, allowing guests to play indoor
golf year-round.
The Treetops culinary team has
been the leader in the industry in terms of unique dining experiences for many
years. “Our summer experience includes Farm to Fork meals with beer pairing for
each course,” says McKinley. “We partner with a local farmer to put everything
fresh from the farm on our guest’s plates and the farmer is actually there to
describe what they are eating and what went into its production.”
If
you are looking for some friendly competition this golf season, Treetops offers
multiple tournaments that cater to golfers of all experience levels, including
the Couples Jamboree and the Treetops Cup. For a full list of the tournaments
and other events at the resort, visit: http://treetops.com/golf/tournaments/
To
book your next tee time or to experience everything that Treetops Resort has to
offer, call (866) 348-5249 or visit www.treetops.com/ today.
-Sal
LaFata, membership services associate
