Manitou Passage at Manitou Passage Golf Club

Manitou Passage Golf Club sits in Cedar, Michigan, a small community in the Leelanau Peninsula region of northwest Lower Michigan. The course was designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay, a partnership that produced numerous layouts across North America from the 1970s through the 1990s. The Palmer-Seay collaboration typically emphasized playability for resort and daily-fee golfers while incorporating strategic elements that reward thoughtful course management.

The Leelanau Peninsula landscape offers rolling terrain, mixed hardwood forests, and proximity to Lake Michigan and the Manitou Islands, which lie offshore in the lake. Courses in this region generally feature elevation changes, wooded corridors, and seasonal color that makes northern Michigan a popular golf destination during summer and early fall. The routing likely takes advantage of natural land movement and tree-lined fairways characteristic of the area.

Cedar and the surrounding Leelanau region support a mix of agriculture, particularly cherry orchards and vineyards, alongside tourism and outdoor recreation. The course serves both visitors exploring the peninsula's wineries, beaches, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, as well as local golfers. The Palmer-Seay design philosophy generally aimed to create courses that balance challenge with accessibility, making them suitable for a range of skill levels while maintaining visual appeal through the natural setting.