Shanty Creek Golf Club

Cedar River at Shanty Creek Golf Club is a Tom Weiskopf design that opened in 1999 in the northern Michigan resort region near Bellaire. The course occupies rolling, wooded terrain characteristic of the area's glacially shaped landscape, with elevation changes and natural corridors carved through dense hardwood and conifer forests. Weiskopf, who designed several notable courses in Michigan during the 1990s, routed Cedar River to take advantage of the property's natural contours and integrate the golf holes into the existing topography rather than impose dramatic earthwork. The layout features relatively generous fairways by modern standards, though accuracy off the tee remains important given the tree-lined nature of most holes. Water comes into play on several holes, and the greens typically show Weiskopf's preference for subtle internal contours that reward precise approach shots. The course sits within the larger Shanty Creek resort complex, which has offered golf and skiing in this part of Grand Traverse County since the late 1960s. Cedar River serves primarily as a resort course, attracting visitors to northern Michigan's summer golf season alongside the property's other layouts. The setting provides views of the surrounding hills and forests typical of the region between Traverse City and the Straits of Mackinac. The course fits into the tradition of northern Michigan resort golf that has drawn players from Detroit, Chicago, and other Midwest cities for decades.