Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club - hole 13
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Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club - hole 13
The par-3 13th hole at Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club overlooks Lake Michigan. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club - hole 2
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Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club - hole 2
The par-3 second hole at Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club plays over waste bunkers on the right side. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Arcadia Bluffs golf course - hole 6
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Arcadia Bluffs golf course - hole 6
The greens at Arcadia Bluffs golf course, including the par-3 sixth hole, are massive. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club - hole 11
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Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club - hole 11
Considered by many to be the signature hole at Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club, the par-5 11th hole heads downhill toward Lake Michigan. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Arcadia Bluffs GC - hole 12
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Arcadia Bluffs GC - hole 12
The par-4 12th hole at Arcadia Bluffs GC plays entirely along bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club - 12th green
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Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club - 12th green
The par-4 12th hole at Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club plays 431 yards from the championship tees. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club - bunkers
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Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club - bunkers
Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club features 50 Scottish-inspired, sod-walled bunkers. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Arcadia Bluffs golf course - hole 14
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Arcadia Bluffs golf course - hole 14
The 14th hole is the shortest par 4 at Arcadia Bluffs golf course. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club near Traverse City
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Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club near Traverse City
Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club added a second story lodge above the clubhouse in 2010. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club - hole 16
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Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club - hole 16
The par-4 16th hole at Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club heads downhill toward Lake Michigan. Brandon Tucker/GolfPass
Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club - hole 17
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Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club - hole 17
The par-3 17th hole at Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club is an uphill shot. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Arcadia Bluffs G.C. - hole 18
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Arcadia Bluffs G.C. - hole 18
The par-4 18th hole at Arcadia Bluffs G.C. heads back up the hill toward the clubhouse. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
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Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club near Traverse City, Michigan

ARCADIA, Mich. -- Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club, sitting on bluffs high above Lake Michigan, is one of Michigan's most coveted plays.

The golf course opened in 1999 and has since been rated among America's best public courses -- some even call it "Whistling Straits East" as it sits just 60 miles across the lake. Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club, designed by Rick Smith and Warren Henderson, sits on 245 acres of land that slopes from high ground down toward the lake. Man-made fescue dunes were crafted around the entire site, giving the course a links-style feel, especially considering the 50 sod-walled bunkers and large, very firm greens that average 8,000 feet.

Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club features five par 5s and five par 3s, and three of the par 5s are in the first five holes, so be sure to bring your swing with you to the first tee box. The golf course plays 7,300 yards from the championship tees, though for daily play the course maxes out closer to 7,000.

New for 2010, Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club added a 15-room lodge above the clubhouse, which overlooks the entire course, so now golfers can stay-and-play here. Facilities include a full driving range and short game area, and golf carts are equipped with GPS. The course is a tough walk, but caddies are available when pre-arranged, and forecaddies are also available for hire.

Brandon Tucker is the Sr. Managing Editor for GolfPass and was the founding editor of Golf Advisor in 2014, he was the managing editor for Golf Channel Digital's Courses & Travel. To date, his golf travels have taken him to over two dozen countries and nearly 600 golf courses worldwide. While he's played some of the most prestigious courses in the world, Tucker's favorite way to play the game is on a great muni in under three hours. Follow Brandon on Twitter at @BrandonTucker and on Instagram at @btuck34.
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Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club near Traverse City, Michigan