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Rating Index Rating
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4.4
79 Reviews (79)
5 Stars
50
4 Stars
21
3 Stars
4
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
3
Conditions
4.4
Value
4.3
Layout
4.6
Friendliness
4.8
Pace
4.6
Amenities
4.3
90.2%
Recommend this course
72 out of 79 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.0
2 Reviews (2)
5 Stars
0
4 Stars
2
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.0
Value
5.0
Layout
4.5
Pace
5.0
Amenities
4.0
StaffFriendliness
5.0
100.0%
Recommend this course
2 out of 2 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.4
33 Reviews (33)
5 Stars
21
4 Stars
8
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
2
Conditions
4.3
Value
4.3
Layout
4.5
Pace
4.5
Amenities
4.3
StaffFriendliness
4.8
84.8%
Recommend this course
28 out of 33 reviews
Read Reviews

About

Holes 18
Type Resort
Par 71
Length 6668 yards
Slope 133
Rating 72.0

Formerly known as Kings Challenge Golf Course.

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Manitou Passage Golf Club
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Course Details

Year Built 1997
Fairways Bent Grass
Greens Bent Grass
Golf Season Open: 4/01 Closed: 10/30
Architect Arnold Palmer (2009) Ed Seay (1997) MacCurrach Golf

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range No
Golf School Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Discover Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes
Dress code Appropriate golf attire.

Food & Beverage

Snacks, Restaurant, Beverage Carts

Accolades

  • Golf Advisor: Top Courses in Michigan (2019 #6)

Reviews

4.4
79 Reviews (79)

What Golfers Are Saying

Course Challenges Include:
Elevation Changes 7
Bunkers 6
This course/club is great for:
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 6
This Course's Location is:
Worth the Drive 6

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Wet weather
Used cart
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 12
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 34
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Fun time

Always a pleasure to play this course when in the area. Good test of your golf skill but not crazy difficult. Will play again.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

Classic Up North Golf

Second time playing here. Greens were rolling nicely and even though it was busy pace of play was great. I don’t think we waited on a single shot. Staff was great. Only wish they had a range but the nets were ok.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Another Michigan gem!

Great day. Great price on a Hot Deal!

Beautiful conditions and layout. Super friendly staff. I'll be back. Worth any drive.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Beautiful northern Michigan golf course.

Great course with attractive amenities: Electric carts with onboard gps course layout and yardages, small cooler with ice and water, ball cleaner. Not one thing to complain about.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 94
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Michigan Advisor
Top 250 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Scenic and challenging layout

Manitous Passage is in my top 5 favorite northern Michigan courses. I consider it to be somewhat of a hidden gem. The conditions are always excellent and the staff is very friendly. I could play this course over and over and not tire of the layout. The enormous elevation changes make for a gorgeous round, especially in the fall. I will continue to come back multiple times a year. Great value, great course!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 12
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

Excellent course

Had a great time playing here this August during a family vacation in Northern Michigan. It's a beautiful course that challenges you more often than not. I found myself not playing my best on this particular day, but it never took away from the experience. I loved the history in the clubhouse (lots of tribues to Arny). The course was in great shop. The bartender was a sweetheart. All said, it was a great afternoon! Thanks Manitou Passage

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 93
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Top 500 Contributor
First Time Playing

Great experience, worth the trip

Very friendly staff, nice layout, - semi tricky shots required but gps on carts helps a lot. The greens were nice, moderate speed but a little bumpy (it is fall golf). Some excellent vistas and very pretty scenery. Very favorable women's tees.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 14
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Good weather
Used cart

Wonderful Arnold Palmer Tribute

Clubhouse filled with information about Arnold Palmer. Golf course is challenging from all tees and is in very good condition. Cart paths only on par 3's and GPS restricts where carts can travel on the course. Pace of play was a little slow but worth playing again and again and again and again. Hope to be back soon.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Beautiful course

Do yourself a favor and play this Northern Michigan gem.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 22
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Best course I've ever played

This is the best course that I've ever played. Excellent layout. Errant shots are penalized and I had plenty of those, but still had a blast! Played 2 course in NW Michigan on this trip and I'd come back here in a heartbeat. Excellent staff that was very accommodating.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

First time was better than the second time

First time was better than the second time

First-time starter was on point, rhythm of play was consistent I felt like I was at a high dollar course.
Second time the play was extremely slow and had trouble finding somebody who worked there.
Hope my third experience is like the first!

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 48
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Hidden Gem!

First time playing this course in 20 years -- very nice course. Well kept. Rolling hills and scenic holes but fair -- played off the whites.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 49
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Average weather
Used cart

worth the drivve

a bit off the beaten path, but well worth the drive. Course plays a bit long, undulating, twisting, very difficult when shooting into prevailing wind. Great views, not crowded, well maintained, wonderful friendly staff. Will definitely play again!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Manitou; first impressions

I liked this course. My friend didn't. Maybe because he was not playing as well. We had a wonderful golfnow deal so the price was good. The regular rate is pretty steep. With the name I expected some nice vistas overlooking Lake Michigan, but there aren't any. This course plays through the woods. There is some water, some nice sand and decent undulating greens. The tees showed remarkable wear for this time of year. The fairways are well kept and dry. If you can find a deal this is a nice course. All the carts have GPS and they say they will control your rate of play, so if you are slow and like to ball hawk there might be better options when it is busy. The staff was super friendly and helped make us feel comfortable about some of the elite aspects of the course.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 324
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Texas Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
First Time Playing
Used cart

A resort course that feels more like a member's club

It's not often a northern Michigan resort course goes under the radar, but Manitou Passage, part of The Homestead, seems to get a lot less ink than some of Michigan's famed multi-course resorts.

The result is a smaller, 18-hole club that feels a lot more low key than the bustling resorts shuffling groups off multiple first tees. Since The Homestead took it over (it used to be named King's Challenge named after designer Arnold Palmer) they've made constant strides in course maintenance and service. You can even order beverages and food from their own app.

The course winds pleasantly around the old Sugarloaf Ski Hill, which has been defunct for years. On the back nine, you pass right under an old wooden ski lift and wonder who ever trusted that thing with their children decades ago. But I digress...

The routing features a mix of wooded holes with a few more open and surrounded by heather. The elevated tees are awesome, particularly the par-5 8th which offers a glimpse of Lake Michigan and Manitou Island.

It's certainly one of the best options within minutes of the summer hotbed of Traverse City. And if you stay at The Homestead, enlist in a 1- or 3-day golf camp from the Dave Pelz scoring school.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
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