maps.golfThe hardest golf courses in Michigan, by slope rating
We ranked 27 Michigan courses with a maps.golf guide using the numbers on their own scorecards. Greywalls at Marquette Golf & Country Club is the hardest: a slope of 147 from the Black tees (course rating 73.5).
Updated October 30, 2026
| # | Course | Location | Slope | Rating | Tees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greywalls at Marquette Golf & Country Club | Marquette, MI | 147 | 73.5 | Black |
| 2 | Arcadia Bluffs – Bluffs Course | Arcadia, MI | 146 | 75.7 | Championship |
| 3 | Bay Harbor Golf Club – Links/Quarry | Bay Harbor, MI | 146 | 73.9 | Brown |
| 4 | Hidden River Golf and Casting Club | Brutus, MI | 138 | 74.3 | Black |
| 5 | Washtenaw Golf Club | Ypsilanti, MI | 137 | 72.3 | Blue |
| 6 | Lakes of Taylor Golf Club | Hubbard, MI | 136 | 74.0 | Black |
| 7 | Groesbeck Golf Course | Lansing, MI | 136 | 70.2 | Black |
| 8 | Hawkshead Links Golf Course | South Haven, MI | 135 | 74.1 | Black |
| 9 | Coldwater Golf Course | Coldwater, MI | 135 | 72.2 | Blue |
| 10 | Blackshire | Oscoda Township, MI | 134 | 72.5 | Black |
| 11 | Lac Vieux Desert Golf Course | Watersmeet, MI | 133 | 71.4 | Gold |
| 12 | Arcadia Bluffs – South Course | Arcadia, MI | 132 | 75.6 | Black |
| 13 | Belvedere Golf Club | Marion Township, MI | 131 | 73.6 | Black |
| 14 | "The Old Course" at Sugar Loaf | Cedar, MI | 130 | 73.6 | Blue |
| 15 | Binder Park Golf Course | Newton Township, MI | 130 | 71.1 | Black |
| 16 | Solitude Links Golf Course & Banquet Center | Kimball, MI | 128 | 71.9 | Black |
| 17 | Indian River Golf Club | Indian River, MI | 124 | 72.5 | Blue |
| 18 | Wawonowin Golf Course | Ely Township, MI | 124 | 71.1 | Blue |
| 19 | Giant Oak Golf Club – Championship | Mansfield, MI | 123 | 70.0 | Blue |
| 20 | Cracklewood Golf Club! | Macomb Township, MI | 122 | 70.4 | Blue |
| 21 | Escanaba Country Club | Escanaba, MI | 122 | 69.3 | Blue |
| 22 | Grand Beach Golf Course | New Buffalo Township, MI | 122 | — | Blue |
| 23 | Alpena Golf Club | Alpena, MI | 121 | 70.0 | Blue |
| 24 | Pictured Rocks Golf Club | Munising, MI | 119 | 68.7 | White |
| 25 | Elmbrook Golf Course | Traverse City, MI | 119 | 68.6 | White |
| 26 | Bay City Country Club | Frankenlust Township, MI | 118 | 69.0 | Blue |
| 27 | Raisin Valley Golf Club | Tecumseh, MI | 112 | 67.5 | Blue |
How we ranked them
Slope rating measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer; 113 is average and 155 is the maximum. Each course is ranked by the highest men's slope on its own scorecard, from whichever tees carry it. Ties go to the higher course rating.
The list covers courses with a free maps.golf guide whose scorecard we’ve published, and it updates on its own as new guides go live. Numbers are as printed on each course’s card; courses re-rate and re-tee, so check the course’s own scorecard before you play. Running one of these courses and see a wrong number? Tell us.
You’re welcome to cite or link this ranking; please credit maps.golf.