The Club at Lochenheath

Lochenheath occupies rolling terrain in the Williamsburg area of northern Michigan's Grand Traverse region, designed by Steve Smyers and opened in the early 2000s. Smyers, a Florida-based architect known for his work at courses like Southern Dunes and Old Memorial, brought his design approach to this northern Michigan landscape, working with the property's natural contours and wooded character. The course sits inland from Lake Michigan, in an area that has seen considerable golf development over the past several decades. The routing moves through varied topography that includes elevation changes, wooded corridors, and open meadow areas typical of the region. Smyers incorporated strategic bunkering and green complexes that reward thoughtful course management, with playing corridors that often require golfers to consider angles of approach rather than simply distance. The design reflects the architect's tendency toward risk-reward options and multiple routes of play on individual holes. The Club at Lochenheath operates as a private facility serving members and their guests. The northern Michigan golf season runs from late spring through autumn, when the hardwood forests surrounding the property display the seasonal changes characteristic of the region. The course represents one of several upscale golf developments in the Traverse City area, which has become a destination for golf in Michigan's Lower Peninsula, though Lochenheath maintains a lower profile than some of the region's better-known resort courses.