Leelanau Net – Lodging and Travel – Sleeping Bear Dunes

Toast the Season ~ Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail ~ Nov. 3 ~ 5 and Nov. 10 ~ 12, 2023

Toast the Season – Leelanau Style!

November 3 – 5 and
November 10 – 12, 2023

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Before the hustle and bustle of the holidays, before the frosty weather settles in…start your winter festivities off with a celebratory toast, during the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail’s annual Toast the Season wine event this November.

During the first two weekends of November (Friday – Sunday), attendees will enjoy a 1.5oz pour of hand-selected wine along with a delectable food pairing, at all the participating Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail wineries. Additionally, each ticket comes with  “Cork Cash”, redeemable at any winery.

This incredible food and wine event is a can’t-miss hallmark of the holiday season. In celebration of the upcoming holiday season, participants can savor their favorite food and wine pairings during Toast the Season while also enjoying the second annual Lights over Leelanau winter promotional event, as participating wineries deck the halls with holiday lights for all to enjoy!

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Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail On Facebook

Below are the latest postings from the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Page On Facebook.

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Manitou Passage Golf Club – A Northern Michigan Adventure

By Jim Barnes

It may seem unthinkable, even sacrilegious, to make any changes to a course designed by the great Arnold Palmer. Originally opened in 1998 as King’s Challenge, the course languished a bit when Sugar Loaf Mountain Ski Resort closed (the course is built alongside the ski hill), so it needed some rejuvenating and updating. The new owners, headed up by Robert Kuras of The Homestead Resort, have done an excellent job.

From the first turn in the drive and glimpse of the renovated clubhouse, the place feels welcoming. Once you’re on the 1st tee, nestled among trees, natural landscaping, and that big looming “mountain,” you know you’re in for a classic “up north” golf adventure.

Palmer said during the course construction that it was one of the most dramatic sites he’s ever worked with, and he made full use of the extreme terrain. After a few fairly flat holes, he takes the track up the side of the mountain, perches a few holes up on the plateau, and then plunges back down to dramatic effect. The redesign has increased playability by enlarging many of the tee boxes, taking some severity out of a few doglegs, and widening some landing areas. The excellent bunkering throughout the course has been cleaned up and re-cut, giving it the crisp look such a monumental design deserves.

One of the most noticeable and dramatic changes is the No. 8 tee box, where some earth was moved to raise the surface and give golfers a better view. Now, a glimpse of Lake Michigan between Pyramid Point and South Manitou Island is visible, the namesake Manitou Passage. Those who know the historical significance of the Passage and its nickname “the Graveyard of the Great Lakes” can treat this as a sign to “batten down the hatches” and not let their round get shipwrecked.

It’s a beautiful view to begin the course’s signature and probably most challenging hole. The downhill par 5 drops like a black-diamond ski slope, and when it finally flattens out, the dogleg reveals a water-guarded green — with your approach shot dead into the prevailing wind coming onshore from the aforementioned Passage. The pond is teeming with plants and wildlife, you can see the “mountain” in the background, and landing your approach shot dry is a major accomplishment and a great finish to one of northern Michigan’s most exciting golf holes.
Maybe the most striking thing about this course is the variety — of terrain, of fairway slope, of green shape — there is always a surprise and always an interesting feature. On No. 4, you break out of the woods with a sweeping dogleg right that ends at a huge amphitheater green — not a tree in sight. The next two links-style holes are high and dry, a brief respite before you duck back into the forest.

If you’re looking for a golf adventure in one of the most unique settings in northern Michigan, this is the course for you. Be prepared to cast off, trim your sails, and have a rollicking good time navigating this great Arnold Palmer creation at Manitou Passage.

Manitou Passage Golf Club Photos (Click on photos for slideshow view)

 
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Dunes Golf Club: Finding Your “Zen” Zone in Sleeping Bear Country

Dunes Golf Club

Dunes Golf Club – Hole #18 – A great finishing hole with a dramatic approach shot over the water.

By Jim Barnes

The Dunes Golf Club is one of the hidden gems of northern Michigan golf. Lying just a few miles east of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore visitor center in Empire, the course is carved out of the deep woods and rolling hills that helped earn the Sleeping Bear park its title of “Most Beautiful Place in America.”

Although conveniently located on highway M-72, all but a few holes are isolated in the forest, and once you tee off you’re left with only the sounds of birds and wind in the trees.

The fairway grass is lush, the rough is fair, and the greens roll smoothly and hold approach shots well. It’s a wonderful place to get away from it all and find that relaxing “zen” zone of golf.

“Here at the Dunes we’re all about bringing accessible, reasonably priced golf to the area,” says Chris Wall, the course owner/operator. “We encourage families, kids, and players of all levels to come out and play and have a great time. We’ve always tried to keep it affordable, enjoyable and playable.”

Chris’s father Dean Wall designed and built the course, opening the first nine in 1983 and the back nine in 1991. His mother Joy ran the clubhouse until retiring in 2013. The whole operation has a welcoming, friendly feel that is perfect for a vacation outing or an after-work twilight round.

On a recent holiday weekend visit the course was filled with players of all ages, and when I asked some of the golfers for their impressions, the most prominent comments were “fun” and “beautiful.”

At 5,730 yards, there are some pretty short par 4’s and 5’s that can be real ego-boosters — but only if you keep it “down the middle.” The moderate length combined with tight fairways and dogleg angles make it a balanced and challenging experience.

Bottom line: this is really fun golf course to play.
 

Hole #8 – Longish par 3 with a receptive green.

Hole #13 – Short par 4. Batman shaped bunker. A classic.

Hole #15 – Final par 5 and it’s the shortest.



 
Dunes Golf Club Photo Album
For a hole-by-hole tour of the Dunes Golf Club, visit the Dunes Golf Club Photo Album and click on the photos for a slide-show view of each hole.

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The Homestead Resort

Lake Michigan’s spectacular vistas make this a resort unlike others. The color of the water–sometimes blue, sometimes turquoise, sometimes golden–is one reason why. Another is relaxing along the water. You and each member of your family or group can do as much or as little as you like.

That’s why this resort is celebrated, both near and far, as The Homestead, America’s Freshwater Resort.

Lake Michigan Resort

Though expansive, the resort is quite simple to picture.

It was designed, built and is managed to help you enjoy the Most Beautiful Place in America.

On its west are miles of sandy beaches on which you can walk for hours. The beaches are soothing by day, spectacular at sunset, remarkably romantic on starry nights. To its east is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the area chosen by the viewers of ABC’s Good Morning America as “The Most Beautiful Place in America.”

Within the resort, neighborhoods separated by nature provide a wide range of high-quality accommodations. Some are perfect for couples, some for families, and some for groups. All are beautiful. There are shops, restaurants, and recreational facilities. There are places for weddings, , and meetings. All of them are staffed by caring and attentive professionals.

You could be pampered at the spa or salon, sit by a pool, play a round of golf or hike in the National Lakeshore. Or, you could teach your kids to swim, play tennis or golf, ski or snowboard.

Simply said, you decide how you want to spend your time in the Most Beautiful Place in America. We take care of the rest.

The Homestead
1 Wood Ridge Road
Glen Arbor, MI 49636
231-334-5100

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The Homestead Resort Photos (Click on photos for slideshow view)
 

The Homestead Resort On Facebook

Below are the latest postings from The Homestead Resort Page On Facebook.

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The Homestead Resort – Photos via Instagram

The latest photos from the instagram account of The Homestead Resort.
 

It’s Lilac Time on Mackinac Island! The Lilac Festival kicks off tomorrow, June 4th, and the lilacs are ready and starting to bloom here in Marquette Park and across the island.

It’s Lilac Time on Mackinac Island! The Lilac Festival kicks off tomorrow, June 4th, and the lilacs are ready and starting to bloom here in Marquette Park and across the island. ...

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The Adirondack chairs are out on the great lawn at Mission Point Resort.  A wonderful spot for watching the freighters pass by on Lake Huron. #missionpoint #mackinac #mackinacisland

The Adirondack chairs are out on the great lawn at Mission Point Resort. A wonderful spot for watching the freighters pass by on Lake Huron. #missionpoint #mackinac #mackinacisland ...

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A little windy and a bit chilly but looking like summer on the Pink Pony patio on Mackinac Island… #mackinac #mackinacisland #pinkponymi

A little windy and a bit chilly but looking like summer on the Pink Pony patio on Mackinac Island… #mackinac #mackinacisland #pinkponymi ...

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Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one to the Secret Garden…. Always a beautiful spring treat to see at Grand Hotel. #grandhotelmichigan #mackinac #mackinacisland

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one to the Secret Garden…. Always a beautiful spring treat to see at Grand Hotel. #grandhotelmichigan #mackinac #mackinacisland
...

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You gotta love that welcoming view of Mackinac Island as you come into the harbor. Yes, you have arrived. #mackinacisland #mackinac

You gotta love that welcoming view of Mackinac Island as you come into the harbor. Yes, you have arrived. #mackinacisland #mackinac ...

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We’re getting an early start on the Memorial Day Weekend. It’s a beautiful Wednesday morning on the Straits of Mackinac. Here’s a view of the Mackinac Bridge shining in the morning sun. #mackinac #mackinacisland #mackinacbridge

We’re getting an early start on the Memorial Day Weekend. It’s a beautiful Wednesday morning on the Straits of Mackinac. Here’s a view of the Mackinac Bridge shining in the morning sun. #mackinac #mackinacisland #mackinacbridge ...

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Beautiful fall day on Torch Lake...

Beautiful fall day on Torch Lake... ...

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Some clouds, some fog, some rain and the Mackinac Bridge in the distance. The boat ride to Mackinac Island is always an adventure. (Some whoop-tee-doos too) #mackinacbridge #mackinac #mackinacisland

Some clouds, some fog, some rain and the Mackinac Bridge in the distance. The boat ride to Mackinac Island is always an adventure. (Some whoop-tee-doos too) #mackinacbridge #mackinac #mackinacisland ...

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The Homestead – Photos From Instagram

Here are the latest photos of The Homestead via instagram. If you have an instagram photo to share of your visit to The Homestead, choose “The Homestead” as your location and your photos will appear in the photo stream below.
 

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