Gaylord Golf Trip Planning Guide
Northern Michigan's golf capital: Treetops Resort alone packs 81 holes by Robert Trent Jones Sr., Tom Fazio, and Rick Smith, and a dozen more designer tracks (Otsego, Black Forest, The Loon) cluster within 20 minutes. Cheap, abundant, and built for a high-volume buddy trip.
Quick Facts
Summer, Fall
PLN (45 min drive)
$40–$175
$200/night
1 of 6
~$275/person
Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Here's a realistic 3-day itinerary for a group golf trip to Gaylord. Every venue below is real and pulled from our curated database — no filler.
Day 1
Treetops Resort — Masterpiece (RTJ Sr.) — mountain, $90–$175
Robert Trent Jones Sr.'s dramatic, elevation-charged signature course — the one that made Gaylord famous
Treetops — Legends Restaurant — steakhouse, $$$
Resort steakhouse with valley views for the group's big-dinner night
Big Buck Brewery — brewpub · Open late
Gaylord's brewery institution — pours, pool, and the natural 19th-hole HQ
Day 2
Treetops Resort — Premier (Fazio) — mountain, $85–$160
Tom Fazio's only Michigan design — a 4.5-star Golf Digest track winding through hardwood ridges
Pigeon River ATV / off-road tour — half day, $90–$180/pp
Ride the trails of the Pigeon River Country State Forest — elk country and big northern woods
BLT's (Big Buck Brewery) — brewpub, $$
Gaylord's iconic Big Buck Brewery — house beers, burgers, and a huge group room
Treetops Sports Bar — sports bar
On-resort sports bar to settle bets and watch games after the round
Day 3
Treetops Resort — Threetops (par 3) — mountain, $40–$75
Rick Smith's famed par-3 course — host of ESPN's old Par-3 Shootout and a money-game classic
Sturgeon / AuSable River fly fishing — half day, $100–$250/pp
Blue-ribbon trout streams minutes from town for the anglers in the crew
Diana's Delights / Mary's Tavern — casual, $$
Classic up-north tavern grub and breakfast to fuel a 36-hole day
The Iron Pig Smokehouse bar — patio · Open late
BBQ-and-bourbon bar with a patio for a relaxed Gaylord evening
Course-by-Course Guide
Gaylord has 6 courses worth playing. 1 are walkable if you want to save on cart fees.
Where to Stay
Gaylord has 2 group-friendly lodging options in our database, starting at $200/night for the whole house. Several options include hot tubs — a non-negotiable for most groups.
$250–$700 /night
Treetops and Otsego Club cottages and chalets — stay-and-play packages bundle rooms with tee times
$200–$550 /night
Lake-area cabins around Otsego Lake and Gaylord, minutes from the courses and I-75
Group Dining Guide
4 restaurants vetted for group golf trips. Several can handle large parties without a reservation headache.
Treetops — Legends Restaurant
$$$Resort steakhouse with valley views for the group's big-dinner night
BLT's (Big Buck Brewery)
$$Gaylord's iconic Big Buck Brewery — house beers, burgers, and a huge group room
Diana's Delights / Mary's Tavern
$$Classic up-north tavern grub and breakfast to fuel a 36-hole day
Bennethum's Northern Inn
$$$Long-running northern-Michigan supper club — whitefish, steaks, and a fireplace room
Nightlife
3 bars curated for groups. 2 stay open past midnight.
Big Buck Brewery
Late nightGaylord's brewery institution — pours, pool, and the natural 19th-hole HQ
Treetops Sports Bar
On-resort sports bar to settle bets and watch games after the round
The Iron Pig Smokehouse bar
Late nightBBQ-and-bourbon bar with a patio for a relaxed Gaylord evening
Activities Beyond Golf
3 off-course activities for rest days or afternoons.
Pigeon River ATV / off-road tour
Ride the trails of the Pigeon River Country State Forest — elk country and big northern woods
Sturgeon / AuSable River fly fishing
Blue-ribbon trout streams minutes from town for the anglers in the crew
Call of the Wild / downtown brewery crawl
Big Buck plus Alpine Tavern and downtown Gaylord's Alpine-themed Main Street
Getting There
Fly into Pellston Regional Airport (PLN) — it's a 45-minute drive to Gaylord. For groups of 8+, consider booking a shuttle or party bus from the airport (local providers include Treetops resort shuttles and Northern Michigan charter operators). Renting two SUVs usually works for groups of 4-8.