Public

The Lake Course

The Loon Golf Resort

Gaylord, MI, USA
+1
18 holesPar 726,418 yds70.6/130

About this course

The Lake course at The Loon Golf Resort in Gaylord, Michigan represents the work of Jerry Matthews and Michael Tellshow, though detailed public documentation of this particular design collaboration remains limited. Gaylord sits in the northern Lower Peninsula, a region that experienced significant golf development from the 1980s onward as developers recognized the area's natural terrain—rolling topography, dense forests, and numerous lakes and wetlands—as well-suited to resort golf. The course name suggests water features play a prominent role in the routing and strategic character. Northern Michigan courses typically incorporate the region's glacial landforms, with fairways carved through second-growth pine and hardwood forests and greens sites that take advantage of natural elevation changes. The growing season is relatively short, with courses generally open from late April through October, and conditioning reflects the climate's constraints. The Loon Golf Resort operates as part of Gaylord's broader golf tourism economy, which attracts players primarily from southern Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana during summer months. The area offers multiple courses within a short drive, and resorts typically bundle accommodations with golf packages. Course difficulty and character vary widely among northern Michigan designs, ranging from accessible resort layouts to more demanding championship-style tests, though specific details about The Lake's yardage, slope rating, and signature holes are not widely documented in major golf publications or databases.

Quick facts

Location
Gaylord, MI, USA
Access
Public
Year built
1988
Holes
18
Par
72
Length
6,418 yards
Difficulty
70.6/130

Getting there

The journey to The Loon Golf Resort begins at either Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City, roughly an hour northwest, or Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, a three-hour drive that traces Interstate 75 deep into Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula. The route from Detroit gradually sheds urban sprawl for rolling farmland and dense hardwood forests, the landscape growing wilder as you cross into Otsego County and approach Gaylord - a town perched at the threshold of the state's storied lake country. The final miles wind through stands of birch and pine, the air noticeably cooler and crisper, before arriving at The Loon's secluded grounds where the quiet call of its namesake bird echoes across pristine water.

FAQ

Common questions about The Lake at The Loon Golf Resort

Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.

The Lake was designed by Jerry Matthews and Michael Tellshow.

Yes. The Lake at The Loon Golf Resort is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.

Par at The Lake is 72.

The Lake plays 6,418 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.

The slope rating at The Lake is 130.

The Lake is a 18-hole course.

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