Michigan

Southwest Michigan is one of the more understated golf destinations in the United States, featuring a number of acclaimed clubs that have avoided the spotlight of other areas in the state. At the top of this list is The Dunes Club, one of the top-ranked short routes in the world. If you’re looking to play a course in the area with similar Pine Valley-esque sand hazards and forested surrounds, you may have a better chance at the slightly-less-private Wuskowhan Players Club, located near Holland, MI.

Rick Smith, known for his work at Arcadia Bluffs up the coast, created a course that winds through forests and over marshlands; management is dedicated to maintaining the natural treasures of the local ecosystem.

The naturally sandy terrain also allows for some great golf, of course. Smith takes a rather unique approach to the Pine Valley Hell’s Half-Acre concept at No. 10: Rather than requiring a full-forced carry, players can also walk the plank on a thin strip of fairway sandwiched between massive waste bunkers.

Wuskowhan Players

Lost Dunes

North America

With fairways routed around wetlands next to Pigeon River, many of the holes at the Wuskowhan Players Club require substantial carries over marshy ground from tee to fairway or fairway to green.