Gaylord Golf Club Review

We spent the month of June in northern Michigan and it certainly lives up to its moniker – America’s Summer Golf Mecca – and given the area’s 21 world class courses, and 20 lodging facilities, the good folks of Northern Michigan are probably right.

As our time in the area was coming to a close, we were able to play one more round of golf before we left the area and man was it a great round!

And not just because I shot an 88.

OK – that may have been a BIG part of it.

But also because the course we played was in almost perfect condition, with fast greens, beautiful trees, birds singing, well-manicured fairways and greens, and it was a wonderful 75 degrees.

We couldn’t ask for much more!

The track was recommended by a local we met while playing another course in the area. It is her home course and she told us that if we were only going to play one more course before we left town, it had to be Gaylord Golf Club.

Now we are firm believers of the “figure the locals know best” policy….so we booked a tee time and headed to Gaylord Golf Club.

Prior to arriving at the course, I did a bit of research and found that Gaylord Country Club was founded in 1924 and is one of northern Michigan’s oldest golf clubs. Gaylord Golf Club is not a long course, but was tough enough for me.

There are four sets of tee boxes that measure 6506 yards, 6113 yards, 5691 yards, and 4966 yards, as well as a set of forward tees that measure 3610 for higher handicap players.

At check-in, J.T., the Course Pro, told us the course has many elevation changes and it is better to be short than long on the greens. He pointed out that the greens roll true, and he strongly recommended we not over-read the breaks to ensure to not misjudge their speed.

I really felt like this course is a player friendly design. It is a nice open course. Water is a factor on five holes and there are 30 sand bunkers located along the landing zones of the fairways.

The track twists and turns through the hills and hardwoods. The layout features a blend of open and tightly tree lined holes, some playing fairly flat while others roll up and down. There are several doglegs that bend in either direction, plus water hazards and bunkers that had us discussing what club to use prior to our shot on a few of the holes.

Once we began our round we found J.T.’s advise to be spot on. The greens did in fact roll true, as well as fast. Many were contoured, forcing me to pick my landing zones carefully.

Marc enjoyed the risk-reward option on the par 5 fifth hole, which had him calling forth the “John Daily” option – “Grip It and Rip It!”

But honestly the front and back nine had a multitude of challenges to test both of our games. We encountered wonderful conditions and friendly employees that helped to make this a pleasant experience, on a course that features a great variety of golf holes.

From tee to green, it was like playing on a piece of green velvet. The course condition was immaculate and the track was great. Kudos to the superintendent and his staff.

One of the more interesting takes on the course is its classic parkland design which features close proximity from greens to tees and a variety of designed holes allowing a more enjoyable round in less time.

Marc found the course to be fairly forgiving and we both certainly would recommend this course to golfers of all skill levels.

If you are going to be visiting northern Michigan’s Golfing Mecca and want to play some golf, I recommend you play the Gaylord Golf Club!!

Based on our score card rating – I would rate the Gaylord Golf Club a Birdie!

Fairways and Greens – We are 18 Holes and Counting

Written By Kathy Festa

COURSE REVIEW SCORE CARD

Course: Gaylord Golf Club

Type: Semi-Private Club

Date Played: 28 June 2023