Arcadia Bluffs Golf Course overlooking the bluffs along Lake Michigan
From the onset you know that this isn’t going to be like most rounds of golf in Northern Michigan, you could be in Ireland or Scotland. Arcadia Bluffs was designed by Rick Smith, plays to 7300 yards, 143 slope from the tips, and is spectacular. It’s routed over 245 acres of rolling land along 3,100 feet of Lake Michigan shoreline with 50 sod-walled bunkers, with wide fairways bordered by native tall grasses. The greens are good sized, and are impacted heavily by the slope of the land, in addition to the undulations. It’s a beautiful setting for a golf course, especially I would imagine in good weather. The day we were here, a fog bank was rolling in off the lake, which was cool to watch, until it enveloped us. The tees, greens, and fairways are bentgrass, with the fairways carved through the rolling sand dunes of the land. It is located a few miles south of Crystal Downs.on the same type of property. There’s no water hazards on the course, and the fescues, bunkers and grass chipping areas around the greens gives the feel of a true links course, if it wasn’t Lake Michigan, it could be the Irish Sea. There’s good elevation changes throughout, playing to holes with the background being the Lake, gives each hole its own unique setting on land that was barely touched in the design. A classic and true gem, must be played. Arcadia Bluffs is beautiful – the panorama of the golf course (contrasts of greens and browns) and the lake is spectacular. And tee to green I believe it’s a great test – but as far as I’m concerned the greens are completely over the top – especially when you factor in the wind.
