Cheboygan Golf and Country Club (Cheboygan, MI)

Up near the top of the Michigan mitt lies the town of Cheboygan. It’s just down the road from Mackinaw City and offers a respite from the high summer costs. While the hotels and restaurants are gouging every dollar they can get, this little course is family friendly and will take it easy on your wallet for a day. 

(The short par three ninth is only 139 yards but deuces are hard to come by. The pin can be tucked in a few tight places. The simplistic clubhouse provides onlookers a view of the action.) 

The front nine was designed in 1922 and the back nine was recently added. The original holes take advantage of a valley and creek that flow through it. You’ll be challenged to avoid the hazards and navigate the slight elevation change. It’s solid architecture. 

(This is the approach to the 401 yard par four fourth. The hole doglegs left, leaving this mid iron shot to a back to front sloped green. The front pin is probably the toughest since anything coming up short will spin back down the hill. A par is a nice score.) 

The back nine enters a more heavily treelined parcel of land. There’s a few doglegs that I feel detract from it, specifically twelve with its nearly ninety degree turn around tall trees, but overall, it’s a decent addition. The eighteenth is a really cool finisher. 

(The 380 yard par four eighteenth leads to this green. Note the bowl in the rear which is higher than the flagstick! It’s not a big green, but one can take solace knowing a long shot is probably going to slingshot back onto the putting surface.)

Cheboygan reminds me of Eagle Rock in Defiance. Both are par 70 courses that play just over 6,000 yards. They both also host quality regional tournaments. [Cheboygan hosts the Northern Michigan Open] It does a good job keeping scores close to even. 

(The 471 yard seventh is a reachable par five that plays over a couple shallow valleys. Breathe in the pastoral setting as the northern Michigan climate soothes your senses.) 

This part of Michigan is a wonderful vacation spot. It has a lot to offer, and I’d be the first to admit Cheboygan is not the first option when it comes to golf. However, this little course is a nice getaway without the high costs. I give it a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-40 minutes). 

                  Mackinaw Bride

Fire Ridge Golf Course (Millersburg, OH)

Fire Ridge enjoys a prime location in Amish Country just outside downtown Millersburg on state route 62. 

(The opening hole is a par five from the back tees but a par four from the alternate tee.)

I’m going to skip any discussion about the back nine. Instead, I’m going to focus on the front which was designed in 1929. It played as an eighteen hole course by using alternate tees. I’ve mentioned this concept before, but Fire Ridge is the time I’ve seen it actually incorporated. What’s cool is many of the ladies tees are the old alternate tee. In my opinion, the course should reestablish the old tees, and give golfers the unique experience of playing eighteen holes via both ways. 

(The 235 yard par three second is much easier from the 163 yard tees. From the rear tees, it’s close to being a Redan where a draw that finds the front will release to the rear.)

(It’s been a while since I’ve seen a sleeper bunker. The wooden slats add an imposing quality to the short par three seventh.)


(The view of the valley and countryside from the ninth green is a beautiful sight. This is a short par four that literally climbs straight up the hill. Even from 120 yards, you won’t be able to see the flagstick.) 

I’ve played nearly every course in the region and Fire Ridge was one of the exceptions until recently. The greens were in nice shape but fairways were only marginal. The back nine is beyond quirky and is the biggest reason why I think the alternate tees should be reintroduce. I’d like to see the old fifth restored where the player drives to the creek and hits his approach uphill to the green which is now the ladies tee box for eighteen. 

(This view shows the remnants of the old fifth hole.) 

Amish country is the biggest tourist draw in Ohio, and Fire Ridge is positioned to capture much of the golfing dollars. While it saves many husbands from a day of shopping for faux Amish goods, it’s not worthy of a trip in itself. I give Fire Ridge a 3 (average)(worth driving 15-30 minutes to play). This is predicated on playing the front twice. The back nine is an absolute waste of time. 

(The two tiered par three fourteenth is pinched in the middle by this huge rock. It’s uphill and semi blind. It maybe the best hole on the back which should tell you how vacuous the others are.)