“Fore” A Beautiful View, Try The Perch!, Little Traverse Bay Golf Club – Harbor Springs, Michigan

Traverse Bay: image from flickr by moumukherjee

The northern portion of Michigan’s lower peninsula is a wonderful destination for those seeking camping, shopping, hunting, fishing, boating, artwork and almost any other outdoor activity, especially golf in the summer and skiing in the winter. Marla was in Kalamazoo so we decided to take a long weekend for some private time away from family and friends….read more in About Us 

On the north side of Little Traverse Bay, just beyond Petoskey and before you get to Harbor Springs, one can enjoy truly memorable golf and dining at the Little Traverse Bay Golf Club. 

Where we ate 

She said: 

Bill is a big golfer and I was just getting back into playing.  He wanted to play golf at Little Traverse Bay, just outside Harbor Springs.  It is a beautiful golf course with  many hilly holes. (how’s that for a little alliteration?).  I didn’t do too badly, but, I have to admit, I enjoyed the views the most.  Northern Michigan is one of the most beautiful areas in the country. 

We ate at the course after golf and I had the best perch dinner I’ve ever had in my life. I cannot tell you enough what a wonderful dinner we had, and the view outside the windows was beautiful. If the weather had been nicer, we could have eaten outside on the patio which would have been even better!!!! 

He said: 

I love playing here. The drive to the clubhouse, a winding, and seriously uphill road,  gets my heart throbbing every time. The course doesn’t beat you up even though the routing takes you up and down the “mountain” 4 different times. Each time, from atop your perch, the grand vista of Little Traverse Bay and the surrounding area provides “Kodak” moments that make you rue the absence of your camera. So don’t forget it!! And for you golfers, here’s a tip. The 10th hole is a downhill par 3. When you reach the green, don’t let the terrain fool you. While it looks like it slopes from back to front, it’s just the opposite!! Putts seem to defy gravity as they race towards the back, or, correspondingly, screech to a halt as they creep up the hill towards the front of the green. This green, like most others on mountainous layouts, reminds me why I putt so lousy on them. At least I can savor the views! 

I always make it a point to have at least one meal here when I’m in the area. The clubhouse rests atop a hill which provides dramatic vistas of Little Traverse Bay and the surrounding area. Locals and visitors alike have made this restaurant a regular part of their culinary itineraries. The menu has a sumptuous variety of meat, seafood and local, freshwater fish. Always delicious, and highly recommended, is the very light, beer battered perch. I enjoy this so much that, if someone I’m with doesn’t order it, I eagerly do because I simply can’t eat here without at least one filet! And, for you non golfers, don’t worry about being crammed in with boisterous, beer sucking cads. The golfer’s lounge is separate from the dining area!!

Category: Harbor Springs, Michigan, Midwest, United States, where we ateTags: golf in harbor springs, restaurants in harbor springs, scenic views |