Best Walkable Public Golf Courses in Michigan for 2026
Some links on this page are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, GolfThis earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Michigan is one of the better states in the country for walking a golf course, and it is worth saying why before the list starts. Our directory has 505 public Michigan courses that permit walking against 32 that do not. Florida, for comparison, is close to cart-mandatory across much of the state. The short season does the work here. A course that is only open five months a year is not trying to move you round it in a cart to protect the turf from August heat.
So the constraint that shapes a Michigan walking list is not access. It is which courses are worth the walk.
We sorted our Michigan public records by slope rating, which measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch player. The national average is 113. Every course below sits at 137 or higher, so this is a list of Michigan’s demanding public golf rather than its easiest strolls. All eight permit walking according to our records, all are 18 holes, and the green fees run from $18 to $155.
How we picked: These selections come from our course directory records: walking policy, slope rating, yardage, course rating, and posted green fees. They are not based on subjective play impressions. We have not played all eight. Everything stated below is drawn from the directory data, and every course links through to its full record. Conditions and policies change, so call the clubhouse before you drive out.
This is part of our state-by-state walkable golf series, alongside Best Walkable Public Golf Courses in Ohio and Best Walkable Public Golf Courses in New York. Jump to the comparison table if you just want the shortlist.
Looking for the wider state picture? Our original best golf courses in Michigan list covers the state without the walking filter.
Walkable Michigan Public Courses Comparison Table
| Course | Location | Par | Yardage | Slope | Green Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timber Ridge | East Lansing | 73 | 6,010 | 147 | $ |
| The Chief | Bellaire | 72 | 6,556 | 145 | $$ |
| Lyon Oaks | Wixom | 72 | 6,067 | 145 | $ |
| Sugarbush | Davison | 72 | 6,914 | 142 | $ |
| Garland Swampfire | Lewiston | 72 | 6,854 | 141 | $$ |
| Crooked Tree | Bay Harbor | 72 | 6,671 | 140 | $$ |
| Lake Forest | Ann Arbor | 72 | 5,933 | 139 | $ |
| Forest Dunes | Roscommon | 72 | 6,581 | 137 | $$ |
1. Timber Ridge Golf Club
Location: East Lansing, MI Holes: 18 · Par: 73 · Length: 6,010 yards · Slope: 147
The hardest walkable public course in our Michigan records, and the numbers are worth sitting with. A slope of 147 across 6,010 yards is an unusual pairing. Most courses that rate near the top of the slope scale get there with length, and this one does not have any. The difficulty is in the trouble, not the walk to the green.
The course rating of 76.2 against a par of 73 reinforces that. A rating more than three shots above par on a course this short means it defends scoring by design. Bent grass greens with bluegrass fairways, water in play, and between 51 and 60 bunkers.
Opened in 1989, with a putting green, chipping area and teaching pro on site. Green fees run $35 to $70, which is remarkable value for the most demanding course on this list. Twilight and senior discounts are listed.
Who should skip it: High handicappers looking for an enjoyable walk. A 147 slope on 6,010 yards means you will be in trouble often and it will not be because you hit it too short.
Full details: Timber Ridge Golf Club
2. The Chief Golf Course
Location: Bellaire, MI Holes: 18 · Par: 72 · Length: 6,556 yards · Slope: 145
Northern Michigan golf, and a more conventional test than Timber Ridge. At 6,556 yards with a slope of 145 and a course rating of 72.6, the numbers describe a course where the length and the trouble are working together rather than one compensating for the other.
Bent grass throughout, both greens and fairways, which is the surface most golfers associate with northern Michigan resort golf. Water is in play, and the bunkering is lighter than you might expect at this slope: between 21 and 30, fewer than half what Timber Ridge carries.
Opened in 2000, the newest course on this list. Green fees are $79 with a twilight discount, and there is a restaurant, snack bar and beverage cart.
Who should skip it: Anyone who wants a quick round close to Detroit or Grand Rapids. Bellaire is a long way north of both.
Full details: The Chief Golf Course
3. Lyon Oaks Golf Course
Location: Wixom, MI Holes: 18 · Par: 72 · Length: 6,067 yards · Slope: 145
The best value on this list by a clear margin. Green fees of $25 to $40 for a course with a slope of 145 is not a combination that turns up often, and Lyon Oaks sits half an hour from Detroit rather than four hours north.
The course rating of 75.5 against par 72 tells the same story as Timber Ridge: a short course that plays much harder than its yardage suggests. At 6,067 yards you are not hitting driver on every hole, and the scoring difficulty has to be coming from somewhere other than length.
The practice facilities are the fullest on this list. Putting green, teaching pro, chipping area and a golf school, which is unusual at this price. Junior and senior discounts are listed.
Who should skip it: Golfers who want a resort experience. This is a county course and the amenities reflect that, a restaurant and not much else.
Full details: Lyon Oaks Golf Course
4. Sugarbush Golf Club
Location: Davison, MI Holes: 18 · Par: 72 · Length: 6,914 yards · Slope: 142
The longest course on this list and the one where the slope is most clearly earned by distance. At 6,914 yards Sugarbush is nearly 900 yards longer than Timber Ridge, and its slope of 142 sits five points lower. That is the trade being made: this is a course that asks you to hit it a long way rather than to keep it out of trouble.
The bunkering supports that reading. Between 11 and 20 bunkers is the lightest on this list, roughly a quarter of what Timber Ridge carries. Bent grass greens and fairways, water in play, course rating 73.8.
Opened in 1995. Green fees of $25 to $35 make this the cheapest full-length walk here, and twilight, junior and senior discounts are all listed.
Who should skip it: Short hitters. Walking 6,914 yards is one thing, playing it is another, and there is no version of this course where you are hitting short irons into greens.
Full details: Sugarbush Golf Club
5. Garland Golf Course Swampfire
Location: Lewiston, MI Holes: 18 · Par: 72 · Length: 6,854 yards · Slope: 141
One of four courses at the Garland resort, and the one our records carry the most detail on. At 6,854 yards with a slope of 141 and a course rating of 73.4, Swampfire is the second-longest course on this list and plays close to how its yardage suggests it should.
Our record for this course is thinner than most here, with no grass types, bunker count or year built listed. What we do have is the walking policy, the practice facilities (putting green, teaching pro, chipping area) and green fees of $50 to $85. Homes line the course.
If you are making the trip to Lewiston for resort golf, this is the course to walk of the four.
Who should skip it: Golfers who want to know exactly what they are booking. Our directory record is incomplete for this one, so call ahead for the details that matter to you.
Full details: Garland Golf Course - Swampfire
6. Crooked Tree Golf Club
Location: Bay Harbor, MI Holes: 18 · Par: 72 · Length: 6,671 yards · Slope: 140
Bay Harbor sits on Little Traverse Bay near Petoskey, and Crooked Tree is the walkable public option in an area better known for expensive resort golf. At 6,671 yards with a slope of 140 and a course rating of 72.0, it is the most balanced set of numbers on this list, a course rating almost exactly at par with a slope well above average.
That combination usually means a course a good player can handle and a mid-handicapper cannot. Bent grass greens and fairways, water in play, between 31 and 40 bunkers. Opened in 1994.
Green fees of $87 with a twilight discount. Snack bar and beverage cart on site but no full restaurant listed.
Who should skip it: Mid and high handicappers on a tight budget. At $87 there are cheaper places on this list to have a hard round.
Full details: Crooked Tree Golf Club
7. Lake Forest Golf Club
Location: Ann Arbor, MI Holes: 18 · Par: 72 · Length: 5,933 yards · Slope: 139
The cheapest course here and the shortest, at $18 to $25 for 5,933 yards. The interesting number is the course rating of 74.7 against par 72, which is nearly three shots above par on a course under 6,000 yards.
The bunkering explains a lot of it. Between 61 and 70 bunkers on a course this short is heavy, more than double what The Chief carries over 600 more yards. Water is in play as well. Bent grass greens and fairways, opened in 1999.
Practice facilities are minimal, a putting green and a driving range with no teaching pro or chipping area listed, and the food offering is a snack bar. Twilight, junior and senior discounts are all available.
Who should skip it: Anyone who needs range time before a round to play well. There is a driving range but nothing else in the way of warm-up.
Full details: Lake Forest Golf Club
8. Forest Dunes Golf Club
Location: Roscommon, MI Holes: 18 · Par: 72 · Length: 6,581 yards · Slope: 137
The most expensive course on this list at $90 to $155, and the lowest slope of the eight at 137, which is still well above the national average. The course rating of 72.3 sits almost exactly at par.
Our record for Forest Dunes is lighter on the scorecard detail than most, with no grass types, bunker count or year built. The facilities are listed: putting green, teaching pro, chipping area, driving range, pro shop and a snack bar.
At this price the walk is a genuine saving rather than a preference. A cart fee on top of a $155 green fee is a meaningful addition, and this course permits walking.
Who should skip it: Budget golfers. Seven of the eight courses here are cheaper, and three of them rate harder.
Full details: Forest Dunes Golf Club
Frequently Asked Questions
Is walking common at Michigan public courses?
More common than in warm-weather states. Our Michigan directory records list 505 public courses as permitting walking against 32 that do not, which is a far better ratio than Florida or Arizona. The shorter season helps: Michigan courses are not fighting summer heat for eight months of the year.
What does a slope rating actually tell you?
Slope measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch player. 113 is the national average. Anything over 135 will punish a mid-handicap round. It is a better guide to whether a course will beat you up than yardage is, because a short course with heavy trouble can rate higher than a long open one.
Can you walk the northern Michigan resort courses?
The three northern resort courses on this list all permit walking in our records. Whether you want to is a separate question, since resort routings often put long transitions between holes. Call the pro shop and ask specifically about the walk between greens and next tees rather than whether walking is allowed at all.
If you want the hardest walk in Michigan public golf for the least money, Lyon Oaks is the pick: slope 145 for $25 to $40, half an hour from Detroit. Timber Ridge rates harder still and costs a little more. Lake Forest is where to go if the budget matters more than the test.
One caution on the three northern courses. Walking permitted is not the same as walking pleasant, and resort routings frequently put long distances between a green and the next tee. Our records tell you the policy, not the layout, so ring the pro shop and ask before you drive four hours.
Browse every course we have on file in our Michigan course directory.
Cover image artificially generated for illustrative purposes.