Arcadia Bluffs No. 11
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Arcadia Bluffs No. 11
The 11th hole at Arcadia Bluffs heads downhill over 100 feet and is over 600 yards long. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
True North Golf Club in Michigan - No. 7
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True North Golf Club in Michigan - No. 7
In Harbor Springs, Jim Engh-designed True North features a handful of elevated tees, like the 7th. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Par-3 Threetops golf course at Treetops Resort - hole 3
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Par-3 Threetops golf course at Treetops Resort - hole 3
Threetops is a nationally-known par 3 course thanks to thrilling shots like the 3rd. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Timberstone Golf Course in Michigan - hole 17
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Timberstone Golf Course in Michigan - hole 17
In the Upper Peninsula, Timberstone features a course cut thru wilderness. This is the par-3 17th. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Signature Course at Treetops
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Signature Course at Treetops
More tees are elevated than not on the Smith Signature course at Treetops, this is the gorgeous 3rd hole. Courtesy of Treetops Resort
Shanty Creek Resorts - Legend golf course - hole 1
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Shanty Creek Resorts - Legend golf course - hole 1
The opening hole on the Legend golf course at Shanty Creek Resorts is a short, downhill par 5. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Bay Harbor Golf Club - hole 7
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Bay Harbor Golf Club - hole 7
The tee shot on the 7th hole isn't the most elevated at Bay Harbor but it's hard to argue against it being the most spectacular. Courtesy of Brian Walters
Otsego Club - Tribute No. 3
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Otsego Club - Tribute No. 3
The third hole on the Tribute Course at Otsego Club heads sharply downhill from tee to green. Courtesy of Brian Walters
Manitou Passage - No. 8
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Manitou Passage - No. 8
The 8th hole at Manitou Passage provides Lake Michigan views from the tee before heading downward to the fairway. Courtesy of Brian Walters
Treetops - Masterpiece golf course - 6th
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Treetops - Masterpiece golf course - 6th
The par-3 sixth on the Masterpiece golf course is what ultimately earned the resort's "Treetops" namesake. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Dunmaglas Golf Course in Charlevoix - No. 14
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Dunmaglas Golf Course in Charlevoix - No. 14
Not far from the flashier Bay Harbor and True North, Dunmaglas Golf Course overlooks Lake Charlevoix, is set on over 800 acres of hilly, forested terrain in northern Michigan. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Hills golf course at Boyne Highlands - hole 13
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Hills golf course at Boyne Highlands - hole 13
The most spectacular tee shot at Boyne Highlands is the par-5 13th hole of the Hills golf course. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
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Swing for the treetops on northern Michigan's most spectacular tee shots

GAYLORD, Mich. -- Pinehurst and Donald Ross. Monterey Peninsula and the Pacific Ocean. Northern Michigan and the tee box with the long, unspoiled view. It's a key ingredient into what put this destination on the global golf map. Consider Treetops Resort: In the 1980s, Robert Trent Jones Sr. found a tremendous view from the top of a hill that would become what is perhaps the signature hole of golf in Michigan, the par-3 6th of the Masterpiece.

Since Jones, other big-name resorts, along with the game's top names in golf course design, have upped the ante. They were hardly pioneers. Alister Mackenzie was 'round these parts in the 1920s laying out fabled Crystal Downs, and Belvedere Golf Club by Scotsman Willie Watson. Because northern Michigan isn't so much a "mountain" golf destination as it is one with rolling hills (though large enough to double as ski resorts in the winter), many courses managed to build holes on some of the area's most severe terrain. Arthur Hills was able to create a long, winding cart path up the mountain at Boyne Highlands to deliver a mighty tee shot. And when Treetops expanded with their Treetops North facility in the 1990s, Both the Fazio and Smith openers are severely downhill, while there are numerous other opportunities on each throughout the round.

Not to be outdone are two of the top luxury golf experiences in the state. Bay Harbor and Arcadia Bluffs make the most of their lakefront locations with a collection of remarkable holes, many of which feature elevated tees equipped with inspiring lake views that feel like standing on the edge of the Pacific on a calm morning.

But there are lesser known courses like Dunmaglas and Manitou Passage that serve up the eye candy too. I've compiled a collection of some of my favorite drives, but there are scores to choose from. Let us know which holes are your favorite tee boxes to let 'er rip in Michigan.



Brandon Tucker is the Sr. Managing Editor for GolfPass and was the founding editor of Golf Advisor in 2014, he was the managing editor for Golf Channel Digital's Courses & Travel. To date, his golf travels have taken him to over two dozen countries and nearly 600 golf courses worldwide. While he's played some of the most prestigious courses in the world, Tucker's favorite way to play the game is on a great muni in under three hours. Follow Brandon on Twitter at @BrandonTucker and on Instagram at @btuck34.
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Swing for the treetops on northern Michigan's most spectacular tee shots