LOCATION: From Petoskey, M-119 to W. Conway Road, left on Clayton Road to Hideaway Valley Road. Turn right, course on left ADDRESS: 995 Hideaway Valley Road, Harbor Springs 49740 YARDAGE: 5,061/6,895; 4 sets of tees ARCHITECT: Jeff Gorney YEAR OPENED: 1992 PHONE: (231) 526-6200 WEB SITE: www.ltbaygolf.com

Little Traverse Bay Golf Club was fully opened in 1992. owner and developer Ted Frey fashioned the golf course after the traditional northern California clubs like Pasatiempo, the Olympic Club, San Francisco Golf Club and Riviera CC due to their hilly, seaside terrain. This, accompanied with breath-taking vistas common on courses like Cypress Point and Pebble Beach, gives Little Traverse Bay a feel of those historical clubs. The white Augusta-like clubhouse adorns the high peak and maintains a reputation as “one of the finest dining rooms in the state” and offers a view rivaled by none.

The golf course was designed as a traditional-style championship course. A premium is placed on the approach shot to the green due to all the elevation changes. The theory of “forced carry” is absent from all the holes except No. 13. The design flows through native hardwoods and pines on mostly a sandy base turf. The outward nine offers views of Lake Michigan and the Little Traverse Bay. The inward nine is carved along the eastern side of the bluff with beautiful landscapes of Round Lake, Crooked Lake and Pickerel Lake. The design team used philosophies of well-known architects like Donald Ross and Dr. Alister Mackenzie. Ross’ influence is apparent by “playing from peak to peak” and also by allowing players “to run the ball up” to most of the greens. Mackenzie’s use of “illusion and camouflage in a natural setting” and the theory that “each hole should pose a new problem” are apparent in these distinctively different golf holes. This traditional design and natural beauty of the land makes Little Traverse Bay Golf Club a favorite of both the advanced player and novice alike. Golf Digest once wrote “there’s probably not a more beautiful course on Earth.”

Don’t overlook the world-class restaurant; a dining destination in its own right with a thirty-mile view of the Little Traverse Bay. A variety of appetizers, soups and salads are a good start to the meal. The entrees include steaks, lamb, Great Lakes fish, veal, duck and even a daily special for the regulars. The restaurant includes a diverse wine list, well-stocked bar complete with many beer selections. Finish your meal with a delicious dessert from the dessert menu. Great Lakes Golf Magazine ranked this restaurant as “the 3rd Best Restaurant in the Midwest”. Michigan Golf Magazine claims “the restaurant may have no equal in the state.”

Come enjoy a round of northern Michigan golf and an exquisite dinner at the Little Traverse Bay Golf Club and Restaurant in Harbor Springs, Michigan.