
George Young Recreation Course
George Young Recreation
About this course
George Young Recreation is a municipal golf facility located in Gaastra, a small community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula near the Wisconsin border. The course was designed by George Young, a regional architect who created several layouts in the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin during the mid-twentieth century. The facility serves the local communities of Iron County, an area historically centered on iron mining and forestry. The course occupies terrain typical of the western Upper Peninsula, with rolling topography shaped by glacial activity and surrounded by mixed hardwood and coniferous forest. The layout reflects the practical design approach common to municipal courses of its era, offering straightforward golf that accommodates players of varying abilities. The routing makes use of the natural land movement without extensive earthwork, and the tree-lined fairways provide definition and character to the holes. As a public facility in a rural region with a modest population, George Young Recreation serves primarily local golfers and visitors exploring the Upper Peninsula. The course operates within the constraints typical of small-town municipal golf, maintaining accessible green fees and a welcoming atmosphere. The surrounding area offers limited commercial development, and the course functions as a recreational amenity for a region where outdoor activities center on the area's forests, lakes, and mining heritage.
Quick facts
- Location
- Gaastra, MI, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1984
- Designer
- George Young
- Holes
- 18
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 7,041 yards
- Difficulty
- 74.3/130
Getting there
George Young Recreation sits deep in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, accessible via Marquette County Airport (MQT), roughly ninety minutes south of the club by car, or via the smaller Menominee-Marinette Airport (MNE) to the southwest if routing through Wisconsin. The drive north from Marquette traces a quiet corridor through dense boreal forest and alongside the rocky shores of Lake Superior, the landscape gradually shifting from civilization to the raw, windswept character of the UP's interior. Private aviation options remain limited in this remote corner, though regional operators familiar with bush flying can arrange landings at smaller strips closer to Gaastra itself. The final miles unfold through a landscape of birch and pine, where the club emerges as a genuine retreat from the modern world - a place where the journey's isolation becomes part of the privilege.

FAQ
Common questions about George Young Recreation
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
George Young Recreation was designed by George Young.
Yes. George Young Recreation is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at George Young Recreation is 72.
George Young Recreation plays 7,041 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at George Young Recreation is 130.
George Young Recreation is a 18-hole course.



