If you’re looking for the ultimate Midwest golf getaway, there are five very good reasons to point your car toward Gaylord, Michigan. Treetops Resort isn’t just another stop on the map; it’s a 1,500-acre playground that captures everything we love about Northern Michigan golf. With five courses that have racked up Golf Magazine Silver Medals like a pro racks up birdies, it’s a destination that belongs on every serious player’s bucket list. The story behind the name is legendary among those of us who appreciate course history. Back in the early ‘80s, owner Harry Melling brought in the dean of architecture, Robert Trent Jones, Sr., to build the first course. While standing on a high point overlooking the Pigeon River Valley, Jones took one look at the sprawling vista below the treeline and told Melling he needed to change the name from Sylvan Knob to “Treetops.” The rest is history.
While the resort has all the trappings—great fly-fishing, a solid spa, and plenty of après-golf spots—the real action for the dedicated sticks is five miles north at the Treetops North complex. This is where you’ll find the Smith
Signature, a course that perfectly bridges the gap between a scenic resort stroll and a tactical championship test. Designed by Rick Smith—the man who coached Phil Mickelson to greatness—the Signature was his first foray into 18-hole championship design. Smith clearly brought a coach’s eye to the layout. He carved the course through a dense forest of maple, spruce, and beech, ensuring that each hole feels like its own private sanctuary. For those of us who enjoy the solitude of a well-designed track, the Signature delivers in spades. There’s a reason the locals claim this as their favorite; the views stretch for miles, and the isolation makes you feel like you own the mountain.
From the tee, Smith gives you a fair shake with generous fairways, but don’t let that fool you. These aren’t just “hit it
and hope” landing zones. The fairways are uniquely shaped, requiring you to think two steps ahead. A drive to the “fat” part of the grass might leave you with a restricted angle into a tucked pin, while an aggressive line over a bunker—some of which are positioned right in the center of the fairway to keep you honest—can open up the green for a scoring opportunity.
The real defense of the Signature, however, lies in the greens. Most of them are multi-tiered, effectively turning a large target into three small ones. If you leave your approach on the wrong level, you’re looking at a three-putt waiting to happen. It forces you to be precise with your wedges and rewards the player who can control their spin and trajectory. Whether you’re staying in the Jones Cottage with your regular foursome or a slope-side condo with the family, the Smith Signature is the kind of course that stays with you. It’s challenging enough to keep a low-handicap player focused, yet fair enough that you aren’t spending your entire afternoon hunting for balls in the timber. It’s a masterful balance of “fun factor” and technical demand, all set against a backdrop that reminds you exactly why we play this game.
The fairways on the Signature are generous but oddly shaped, forcing the golfer to consider their angles carefully. While a wide-open fairway looks inviting, a drive to the wrong side can leave a blind or blocked approach to the green. Smith also utilized strategic bunkering—some even placed defiantly in the middle of the fairway—to keep players on their toes. The greens are the course’s final defense, often featuring multiple tiers that divide the putting surface into smaller, distinct sections. Finding the correct tier is essential; otherwise, you face the daunting prospect of navigat
ing a “mountain range” on your way to the cup.
The Smith Signature manages a rare feat: it is challenging enough to test the low-handicap player while remaining fair and enjoyable for the casual resort guest. It is a journey through the Michigan wilderness that maximizes the “fun factor” without ever losing its sense of grandeur. For anyone visiting Gaylord, a round here is more than just a game—it is an immersion into the very landscape that gave Treetops its name.
By Chuck Fox, Owner, Quintessential Golf, Resident since 2012