Northern Michigan courses. Help us decide which to play.

Four of us are going up to the Petoskey area next summer for a while to golf. None of us have ever been up there, and don't know what courses we should play. Based on things I have read, etc we have come up with a list of courses. The problem is narrowing it down. They all look outstanding. If you don't mind, please pick 6 of the courses that you think we should choose to play. Of those 6, which 2 would you spend all day at for 36 holes? Just simply basing it on the best course, in your opinion. Nothing else like driving time, cost, etc makes a difference. Thanks for the help

In no particular order......

Little Traverse Bay
True North
Black Lake
Forest Dunes
Bay Harbor
Boyne - Hills
Boyne - Heather
Black Forest
Hidden River
Dunmaglas
Tribute
Indian River
Treetops - Masterpiece
Treetops - Signature
Treetops - Premier
Treetops - Tradition


Thanks for the help.

I would add one more to your list. Play Sundance at A-Ga-Ming. But if you are only choosing off what is listed:

True North
Forest Dunes
Bay Harbor*
Boyne - Hills
Boyne - Heather
Dunmaglas
Treetops - Signature*

* denotes the ones I would stay at all day. The Par 3 course at Treetops called ThreeTops is just awesome.

True North
Black Lake
Forest Dunes
Bay Harbor
Boyne - Hills*
Treetops - Masterpiece*

*Great courses (although not the best) but ideal for 36 because you could change it up with Heather & Signature. Personally I would sub in Elk Ridge for Treetops.

It's hard to choose as there are so many great courses up there. If you want to stay in one area and play local courses you can't go wrong with the Petoskey area. If I were you I'd stop at Forest Dunes on the way up then stay at Boyne Highlands. From there it's easy to play the Ross Memorial, Heather, Bay Harbor, Hills and also Little Traverse Bay. Black lake is great but a bit of a drive from most of the others.

Anothe option is to stay at Shanty Creek and play the Legend and Cedar River courses. Cedar River is another Weiskopf track and is great. Also in that area is A-Ga-Ming, Dunmaglas, and others. You don't list Belvedere in Charlevoix but it is an old fashioned track with great strategic holes. Tom Watson played this growing up and loves it. It's not a spectacularly beautiful course but is old school and has some great natural holes. One other great course is Tom Doak's High Pointe. It was his first course and uses the land beautifully. This is just east of Traverse City in Acme. It's a better course than Black Forest.