Upper Peninsula Golf Courses & Tee Times

Who runs public golf in Upper Peninsula

The courses here are mostly clubs and resorts rather than a parks system. The closest thing to a community course is Young's in Iron River: George and Margaret Young gave their 3,000-plus-acre property to Iron County, George designed the 18 that opened in 1984, and a trust keeps fees low, with a better rate for Iron County residents. Highland is member-owned but books tee times for the public. Wawonowin in Champion is semi-private, with guest play daily from May to October. In Houghton, Michigan Tech students get golf at Portage Lake Golf Course through the Experience Tech fee.

Public courses worth knowing in Upper Peninsula

• Marquette Golf & Country Club: Home of Greywalls, a 2005 Mike DeVries design over granite outcrops above Lake Superior, and The Heritage, whose first nine Langford and Moreau laid out in 1926.
• TimberStone at Pine Mountain: Jerry Matthews design at Pine Mountain Resort in Iron Mountain, over 7,000 yards on 240 acres.
• Highland Golf Club (Upper Peninsula): Founded in 1930 with sand greens; Delta County's first 18-hole course in 1968, and once on the Men's Upper Peninsula Golf Association tournament rotation.
• Young's Golf, Recreation & Dining: George Young's own 18-hole design, opened in 1984 on land he and Margaret Young gave to Iron County.
• Michigan Tech Portage Lake Golf Course: 18 holes on 160 acres in Houghton, two nines with different character; open to Michigan Tech students through the Experience Tech fee.

Booking tee times in Upper Peninsula: the local rules

Wawonowin in Champion welcomes guest play daily from May to October. Highland says it holds tee times for walk-ups and callers even on league days. Portage Lake runs a Trackman simulator so golf in the Keweenaw goes year round.

Why tee times in Upper Peninsula are hard to get

The season in Upper Peninsula is short, running roughly from late spring into fall, so every good weekend in that window is contested. The first warm Saturdays of the year are the hardest tee times to get.

Each course releases its tee times on its own schedule, commonly a week or two out, with residents of town and county courses often booking first. Leagues, outings and members claim chunks of the sheet in advance, and whatever prime weekend times are left tend to go on release day.

When tee time cancellations happen

Booked-up doesn't mean gone. Plans change: groups cancel ahead of the course's cancellation deadline (often 24 to 48 hours out), players drop when the forecast turns, and a group that shrinks leaves an open spot. Those times quietly come back on the booking page, usually for minutes, not hours.

How to get a tee time in Upper Peninsula

Doing it by hand? Here's what works.

1. Know the booking window. Find out how many days ahead each course releases times, and whether residents get an earlier window. Be ready the morning it opens.
2. Look again 24 to 48 hours out. That's when most cancellation deadlines pass and spots come back.
3. Be flexible on group size. Singles and twosomes fit into gaps a foursome can't.
4. Try twilight and weekday afternoons. They're the last to fill and often cheaper.
5. Keep a quicker course in your back pocket. Nine-hole and executive courses are easier to get on and play faster. Around here that includes The Miners 9.

Read the full guide to getting a tee time when everything's booked