Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club (Bluffs)

Designed by Warren Henderson and Rick Smith, Arcadia Bluffs was opened as a public course in 1999. It is situated some 130 miles north west of Grand Rapids on a wind-swept 245-acre site along the Michigan shoreline and is in play from April to November annually.

Arcadia Bluffs is sometimes belittled (like Whistling Straits at Sheboygan on the other side of Lake Michigan) for being an imitation or manufactured links. The hand of man built the acclaimed modern links at Kingsbarns in Scotland so Arcadia has absolutely nothing to worry about.

Construction problems were encountered during storms in September 1998 when a landslide caused an estimated 7,000 tons of soil to wash into Lake Michigan. These difficulties were overcome and the rugged landscape was revealed as hardwood and pine trees were removed and rolling fairways were sculpted amongst the dunes.

Arcadia Bluffs runs along more than 3,000 feet of shoreline and the course drops more than 200 feet from its highest point down to the cliffs which themselves are 150 feet above the lake – it is as dramatic a setting for golf as you can imagine and there is not a weak hole on the card to give you any respite as you play.

Fairways are generally wide and drain superbly due to the sandy soil. Greens average 8,000 square feet so they are huge. Bunkering on the course is exceptional and golfers are advised to avoid all of the 50 revetted bunkers that are scattered round the course if they want to score well.

Holes have been renumbered from the original configuration to enable a stronger finish and allow players access to the clubhouse around the turn, in effect creating two loops of nine. Three holes define the Arcadia Bluffs course, starting at the 633-yard, par five 11th hole which swings gently left and downhill toward the lake. The 431-yard, par four 12th hole then runs along the cliff top before the feature hole for many is played, the 240-yard, par three 13th where the tee shot has to carry a canyon to find the green which is perched on the cliff edge over Lake Michigan. Don’t forget the camera.

Arcadia Bluffs has a range and short game practice area to sharpen up your game before playing. And after your round, there is a wonderfully appointed clubhouse with patio deck, sunset grill and dining room to relax in. It's said that “the dining experience is almost as special as your round” with wonderful views across the lake.

A new 18-hole layout opened at Arcadia Bluffs in 2018, designed by Dana Fry as his homage to C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor’s course at Chicago Golf Club. Featuring flat-bottomed, grass-faced bunkers, along with wide, straight-lined fairways and crowned square-shaped greens, the South course goes a long way towards capturing the feel of a Golden Age design from the 1920s.