Tullymore Golf Club in Michigan: Caledonia Golf & Fish Club of the north - or the other way around

Probably my favorite course during a recent trip to Michigan was Tullymore Golf Club. You may have heard of it, its getting plenty of love from Golf Digest, sitting at the 14th best public course in America.

It has a pretty low profile compared to some of the other heavyweights at the top. It’s in pretty obscure territory: too far south to be called a “Northern Michigan” course. It’s about 20 minutes from Big Rapids in Central Michigan - less than an hour away from Grand Rapids.

The course reminded me of my favorite (so far) course in the Myrtle Beach area: Caledonia Golf & Fish Club. They are similar in design and character. There are plenty of beautiful, unique trees that stand out and really make some holes. Though set on flat wetlands, they’re shaped beautifully and the bunkers fit very well.

Both are wonderful settings, modern-yet-timeless designs and are hard to beat.

Tullymore officials tell me they even looked at hiring Caledonia’s designer Mike Strantz, but he was booked solid. They went with Jim Engh, known mostly for his mountain west courses - and he delivered.

One big difference is acreage: 800 for Tullymore, about 120 for Caledonia. That’s a testament to Caledonia’s ability to make you feel like each hole is isolated from the next even though its really a very compact routing. You also shouldn’t have a problem with alligators at Tullymore (though there are plenty of snakes).

Tullymore is also just $87-107 this summer - a fine bargain.

Tullymore Golf Club in Stanwood, Michigan.