3962 Wilkinson Road, Gaylord, Michigan 49735, US
(989) 732-6711
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About Treetops Resort

With 81 holes, Treetops Resort in Gaylord is one of the world's largest resorts and one of the Midwest's finest getaways. Treetops offers 226 guest rooms and suites among five separate locations on property. There's also a spa and 25,000 square feet of meeting space. The six different dining options range from buffets to casual dining serving 17 beers on tap and 100 craft beers. Architects Robert Trent Jones Sr. (The Masterpiece), Tom Fazio (The Premier) and Rick Smith (Threetops, The Tradition and The Signature) all took advantage of the rolling landscape to create memorable golf.

Facts

Price Range$$$
Property Class★★★
Acres3300
Year Opened1954
Number of Units100-300

Amenities

RestaurantsCasual, Bar
Room TypesRoom, Suite
Short CourseYes
TennisYes
Fitness CenterYes
Practice FacilityYes
Golf School/AcademyYes
Banquet SpaceYes
SpaYes

Services

Kids ProgramYes

Rules

Is the resort pet friendly?No
Is resort stay required for a tee time?No

Golf courses at Treetops Resort

Reviews

4.8
104 Reviews (104)
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Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 43
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

I'd Skip This Masterpiece This Year

Masterpiece has been the center of a lot of negative attention lately due to it's conditioning. I saw pictures from a few weeks ago and was considering changing our tee time to one of the other courses, but we decided to stick with it and hope the conditions improved by the time we played. The conditions were definitely better than the pictures I saw, but still not as good as they should be or as good as the other courses.

So, two years in a row they have had major issues with the greens at the Masterpiece, but not at any of the other courses. This year, they aerated (on the 4th of July) and then the extreme heat killed large parts of them. By the time we played, the greens rolled ok, but didn't look good at all. You could still see evidence of the aeration and some deep lines from a verticut gone wrong. Overall, it's disappointing for what should be such a great course to have greens that aren't great.

Aside from the greens, there were some brown spots in the fairways, but they weren't an issue. Some of the back tee boxes were also brown, but you have a tee anyway.

The views on the Masterpiece are truly impressive and the layout is truly challenging. It is the toughest of the Treetops courses by far and there are some holes that will likely tick you off the first time you play because it's unclear where to hit the ball.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend Premier and Signature (even with the $20 upcharge) over Masterpiece due to the conditioning issues this year.

Conditions Fair
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Previously Played

Do better.

1st time reviewing anything. I have only ever read reviews directed towards the busy little ma and pa public course I manage, but I felt compelled to take time out of a short weekend getaway to comment on the appalling course conditions at this “Top Golf Destination” and Masterpiece of golf design. Weather conditions over the last couple months in Michigan as always have stressed our golf courses and course superintendents to new highs and lows but as someone who works on a maintenance budget 5 times less than the Masterpiece and charges 3 times more money for a round of golf; I just have to simply say that was the worst I’ve ever seen or played. The views and golf course design are priceless at this venue but Id rather play on our local no name track any day. Also, 75% of the practice range balls we were given to hit were spilt in half from mowers chopping them up or otherwise ones you’d find at the bottom of a swamp. Do better, TreeTops Masterpiece Golf course. Do better.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 43
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Definitely Worth the Money

So, I know paying $45-$50 for 9 holes sounds bad, but you have to play Threetops at least once. The course is a ton of fun and it's easy to squeeze in before or after a round at one of their other courses.

The first hole isn't much, but after that it's pretty awesome; especially from the back tees. The views on some of the holes (3 and 7 in particular) are completely incredible. Hole 4 gives you a great view of 15 on Signature (a very unique hole) as well.

Overall, I've always walked off the 9th green happy that I spent the money. It makes what is typically already a great day at Treetops even better.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 43
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

Second Best of the Treetops Courses

I had the chance to play all five Treetops courses in the past week on two Group Golfer Vouchers. After playing them all, Signature is my second favorite behind Premier.

Aside from some rocks in the bunkers and tree damage from a huge storm that rolled through two days before, the course was in very good shape. The course had already started cleaning up the tree damage when we were there and it only really affected play on one hole the entire day. The greens were slower than usual, but rolled nicely. There were a few brown spots on the edges of greens, but now that the weather has cooled down, those are probably gone.

The course is really well designed.There a lot of very unique holes that are visually appealing and a good test of golf as well. There are scenic views, major elevation changes, and difficult greens throughout the course. It is one of the tougher par 70s you will find.

Overall, Treetops is a great resort and Signature is an example of that.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 43
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Different Than the Others, but Still Nice!

The typical knock on the Tradition is that it is not as nice as the other Treetops courses. While that is true, it's still a great golf course and if it were located elsewhere, people would focus on how great it is rather than comparing it to other courses. It is also the easiest of the Treetops courses, so that is something to keep in mind.

With the sustained heat and lack of rain in Gaylord, the course is having some conditioning issues. Almost every fairway has some large brown spots that make the course not look as visually appealing. Aside from those brown spots, the fairways are green and thick. Around the edges of a few greens there were some large brown/dead spots as well. Overall, though, the greens were in good shape and were rolling true. Their bunkers have a lot of rocks working their way to the surface, so that was an issue too.

The layout is very nice and pretty open. It doesn't have the huge elevation changes or views that the other courses have, but as far as the actual golf course goes, it has varied hole design and no bad holes. Even if it isn't as great as the other courses, it's still definitely worth playing!

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 43
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Still the Best Course at Treetops!

I usually get out to Treetops once per year and I always try to play Premier. I have seen people bashing Treetops recently due to conditioning issues, so I wanted to provide some info.

It has been 90+ in Gaylord with close to no rain for about two weeks and you can see some of those effects on the Premier, but it's still in very good shape. The greens are still perfect (although a little slower than usual) and the fairways are also in very good shape. There were a few dry and brown spots in the fairways, but nothing that affected play. The black tee boxes were in rough shape as many were totally brown and dead. You're teeing it up anyway, so while it didn't look good, it also didn't really affect anything. The bunkers seem like they need some new sand because a lot of rocks have worked their way to the surface.

Overall, you can see some effects of the heat and lack of rain, but it is still an awesome golf course. It has all the great Treetops features like huge elevation changes, scenic views, interesting green complexes, and unique hole design. It is also not as difficult as Signature or Masterpiece.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Wet weather
Used cart

Great Course, very challenging

Played here while vacationing in the Gaylord area. I just can't say enough about this course. It kicked our butts for sure, but the layout is absolutely stunning.

The staff is absolutely topnotch. Our tee-time was delayed due to rain, but everyone was very friendly.

Will certainly come back to play this course again.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Beautiful

The course this year is already in great shape. The greens were true, the grass is healthy. And the view around the course is off the charts. The 5th hole par 5 may be the hardest hole in Michigan. Highly recommend to anyone.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Ok course

out of the 4 courses in Tree tops this is the worst of all 4.
The greens were too slow and putts were not rolling.
Need to improve the course conditions and though the lay out ws very good

Conditions Fair
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 59
Handicap 15-19
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Illinois Advisor
Top 1000 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

A Beautiful, Rare Construct. Highly Challenging Course.

This was the second year in a row that I joined some buddies to play Treetops. They had been going for years and they claimed that I'd be in for something I've never seen before and that I would love it. They were right.

If you love golf, you will love all of Treetops for its views, variety, and above all, some of the most challenging greens that you will ever experience. The most difficult among them you will find at Rick Smith's Signature Course. How challenging? Well, One of the best golfers in our group who is about a 13 handicap took a 5 putt on the 1st hole and endured eight 3 putts on his way to shooting a personal worst (a certain number over 100). It just wasn't his day and he was left beyond frustrated.

He and others will call the Signature's greens "gimmicky" and I cannot argue otherwise. If out of position, you WILL find there are literally almost impossible putts that will absolutely run off the putting surface and far away from your intended target.

On the other hand — at a 15 handicap — I managed to shoot 90 on the same day. I did this by managing my approach shots, away from bunkers, and pitching/chipping close and leaving the ball in position beneath the pin. (Nine 1 putts and only two 3 putts) with only 6 fairways hit and just one green in regulation So go figure and make of it what you will.
At any time, a course just is what it is and it's the same for all players (from the same tee box) There is a very good reason why this par 70 course has a rating of 71 and slope of 139 from the blue tees at only 6,285 yards. It's just super difficult!

Just know that if you aren't a scratch golfer (or better), you're almost certainly going to take a bigger number here than you are comfortable with, and I hope that you are able to appreciate and enjoy the difficulty and the unique experience the Architect, Rick Smith, was able to deliver. These diabolical undulations are an incredibly rare treat that is immensely difficult to plan, build and maintain. So as you are taking your third fourth or even fifth putt, think about this, laugh about it as your friends laugh with you and enjoy!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 59
Handicap 15-19
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Illinois Advisor
Top 1000 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

A Par 3 Must-See Must-Play Experience

If you find yourself at Treetops, do the right thing; Take a couple of hours and add the Threetops course to your plans. This is pure joy in the form of a Par 3 golf course carved out of the side of Mountain. An hour here feels like minutes so take your time. Soak it in. Take some pictures and enjoy! It's a breathtaking experience that I will not ever forget.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 94
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Michigan Advisor
Top 250 Contributor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Enjoyable but slightly underwhelming

I came into my round hearing great things about the Signature course, but I walked away feeling a little underwhelmed. There are some good holes, but there are also some that are pretty pedestrian. The par 3s seemed particularly weak. The par 4s, however, were pretty fun for the most part. The variety between them was good. If you're looking for a round with a cart and lots of downhill tee shots, you'd be happy playing here. If you're concerned with architecture, there are some better courses in Michigan.

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Layout Fair
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 7
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

So sick. Caught me by surprise. Top 100 Public You Can Play

If this course was appropriately rated, it would be my 11th top 100 course I’ve played. So legit. Conditioning is FLAWLESS.

I will say that you don’t have to be a bomber and the fairways are most definitely generous but you have to have a good idea of where the stick is on the green. Some of the toughest putting surfaces anywhere. But the course isn’t long so you are able to always have a shot. I shot a 78 and I’m a 7.4 handicap. Had 4 birdies hit 6 doubles and 8 3 putts. Once you’ve seen the greens you’ll know why. It’s a well manicured Tobacco Road. Just so sick.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once every three months
2.0
Previously Played
Wet weather
Used cart

Bad Design

For the second year in a row our group played the Tradition, Premier, and Masterpiece (in that order), and for next year I will be recommending that we skip the Masterpiece. The conditioning was quite bad this year, and when combined with some really poorly designed holes, it's just not an enjoyable experience.

My main issue with the course is some really bad holes. It starts with the 3rd hole, where the fairway in the driving zone is domed and ejects all shots. Playing less than driver off of the tee is really the only option, leaving a mid- to long-iron into a sliver of a green. Despite a rainy spring, the greens played very firm, and this green kicked every one of our approach shots to the back section. This green does allow for a run-up shot, though, unlike many of the other holes. However, it's still one of the more difficult approaches, which is forced by the lack of options off of the tee.

The next hole, the par 3 4th, has been altered with a new green, as the original green has been turned into a practice area. The shot into the practice green is beautiful and framed perfectly by the woods. The alternate green, on the other hand, is a 180+ yard forced carry uphill with no fairway or run-up option, and surrounded by condos. The hole is unfinished, exactly as it was a year prior. It's a bad hole, and even more disappointing that nothing has been done to it in a year.

Up next, the par 5 5th is among the worst holes I've ever played. The fairway is domed and ejects drives down the right side into the woods, and down the left side into a deep ravine. The amount of holdable fairway on a drive has to be less than 10 yards wide. There is more room if playing less than driver, however the layup area has the same features as the rest of the fairway, kicking balls into the woods right and a ravine left. Because there are so few options for landing a ball safely on the hole, the pace of play bottlenecks here.

That 3-hole stretch is by far the worst, but even some of the better holes have problems. After the confusing blind uphill second shot on the par 5 10th, the 11th is a nice looking hole with an interesting drive around a left-hand bunker. Drives down the right side near the woods provides the best angle into a lot of the pins on the left side of the green. The firmness and ridge in the middle of the green make it near impossible to hold an approach, though, even with a wedge, negating any advantage from playing a good drive. The massively uphill green prevents any run-up shots, which would be required here.

The greens were in brutal shape, making it near impossible to hit a true putt. Some of the blue tee boxes were also in rough shape, or laughably sloped and uneven. I don't recall it being in bad shape last year, so this may be a temporary thing and doesn't bother me that much. Combined with the bad design, though, and I was ready for the round to end early.

Like the Premier and the Threetops course, there are some holes here with large downhill drops and great views, including the par 3 6th, and the short par 4 15th. For an extended first-time stay, I would recommend seeing the course and deciding for yourself. One play was enough for me, though, and two plays was too many. I'm hoping we won't come back to this one.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Poor
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 13
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Wet weather
Used cart

Gorgeous course

This is the most inexpensive of the courses at Treetops. We played between bouts of rain. There were only a couple other groups on the course at the time, so we didn't have to wait for anyone. In fact, we were able to tee off about a half hour early, which was great. The fairways are wide and well groomed. The greens were fast. Everything looked good and I'd definitely come play this course again.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 13
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Wet weather
Used cart

I'll make the trip to play this course again!

We played between rainstorms, so the course was wet. It didn't change the fact that this course is gorgeous and very challenging. People think par 3's are easy and most times they are, however, this is not a typical par 3 course. The elevation changes from tee to green will have you guessing on your club distances. The hazards on each hole will punish every miss hit. I shot a terrible score, but loved every minute of it. I'll definitely make the drive back to Gaylord to play it again.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once every three months
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Underrated

The Tradition does not have the dramatic views that the Premier and Masterpiece do, but is easily the most playable and subtly challenging. Between those three, the Tradition usually plays as the 2nd toughest behind the Masterpiece.

The fairways are generous and can be deceiving, as you still need to play to the right areas of the fairway to approach the greens. Playing an approach from a bad angle makes it tough to get close to the hole, and the greens have enough movement to make putts difficult. Along with the generous fairways, the max length of 6300 yards says easy course, but it's challenging without bashing you over the head like some of the courses at Treetops (*cough cough Masterpiece*).

The lack of cartpaths does make for a bumpy ride through the rough, but that's the natural side effect of not having cartpaths. I'm not a fan of cartpaths, but on the other hand with the course being so far from the clubhouse and the overall resort being heavy on golf cart use, it seems like the decision to make a walking course didn't really fit the location here.

Other than that, the course was in beautiful shape, the best out of the three we played. I thought this course was subtly good the first time I played it, and it confirmed that opinion again this year. I haven't played the Signature, but out of the other Treetops courses I enjoy this one the most.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 43
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Great Layout, but the Greens are a Disaster

The short story here is something happened to their greens this year and they are terrible. It looks like a chemical mishap, but the greens are a dark brown/almost black color and many of them are very bumpy. An employee told us it was something they did on purpose and it would be fixed in a few days, but nobody in our group was buying that. It kind of ruins the experience of what is an otherwise beautiful course. f you're coming to Treetops in 2019, I'd highly recommend playing on of their other courses. The other three courses are on a different piece of property and don't appear to have the same issue as Masterpiece.

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 43
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Best of the Treetops Courses

I've played the Treetops courses a few times now and Premier is consistently my favorite. They are all great courses, but Premier is the best combination of all the great Treetops features. It has multiple huge drops from tee to green/fairway, the views are fantastic, and the course is in perfect shape. It is difficult, but not overly punishing like some people feel about the Masterpiece. If you're going to play one course at Treetops, I'd recommend Premier.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

An enjoyable beating....

They need to replicate the Bethpage Black warning sign on thef first tee here. Hardest course I've ever played... simultaneously the most fun I've ever had. Only complaint pace of play was impacted by difficulty.5 1/2 round... But the course was so astonishing I simply didn't care.....staff was awesome course was in pristine shape....I highly recommend this beating..

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
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