Belvedere Golf Club

This course is a golden age gem in Charlevoix. There are so many great options in the area that I feel like Belvedere gets unfairly overlooked. There is great elevation changes, the conditions are fantastic and it really has a wonderful classic golf vibe to it. Public play is allowed early and late in the day, I recommend an early tee time and you can play fast and still have the rest of the day to enjoy everything else this area has to offer. The layout is classic golden age golf, lots of moderate length par 4's with subtle bends and strategically placed bunkers (that are all in great shape). You can see why they have hosted so many tournaments over the years, it is a timeless test of golf and one you shouldn't let Bay Harbor/Boyne distract you from. Also perfect for you if you enjoy walking.

Belvedere is like going back in time. Old school pro shop. Has range and practice area. Recently restored green sizes and traps make this a joy and historic adventure to play. Highly recommended. Wonderful conditions they received a lot of rain recently so there were some wet areas but overall just a joy to play. Greens were great....several tough pins and the folks there are most welcoming. Nice pretty routing and the short Par 4 16th is one of the best two shotters you'll ever get to play. Off shortly after 2pm and finished in under 3 hours. Thanks for the great day Belvedere!

Just to preface, the course had just received a ton of rain, so the course was pretty wet and the grass long. They had been closed the day before, but the accommodating staff was gracious enough to let the 20 of us out. The overall rating is reflective of what I think the course is when there are no monsoons; however, course conditions took a hit, as did amenities as I’ll discuss.

Staff was A-1 top notch. The guys let us out even though the rain had not relented the days prior and gave us a deal to boot!!! Layout is great, rough and fairways were a tad long, but that was understandable.

The clubhouse wasn’t open, so there was a fair amount of consternation in the group concerning liquids and solids. All they had was a vending machine that spit out 8oz baby-gatorades and zero food. Bonus was BYOB on the course, but a dog out the turn was out the door.

Hole 10 is a doozy, long and straight par 5 but if you push it far enough right—-roughly 150 yards over the road and onto the farm—you’ll still have a look at par if your playing partner plays “if you can find it, you can hit it.”

Overall this place will benefit greatly from a completed clubhouse and a little dry weather, I recommend.

Belvedere has a much different feeling than most golf courses you'll play in your life. While you're playing, you can feel how the course was crafted by the land, and not the other way around. The first tee box sits high above the front 9, giving you a great view of what lies before you. Many of the greens are crowned and protected, making second shot accuracy a must. There are also a lot of strategically placed fairway hazards that make it very important for off-the-tee accuracy as well. The conditioning was superb. The greens were very fast, for the most part, and rolled true. Just make sure you stick it on the green or else your ball will roll off. The elevation changes and history make this course a blast to play.

My only complaint is that I felt slightly like a lower-class citizen while playing here, but that isn't the course's fault. Some of the other players didn't make me feel as welcome as I'd like. Almost as if it's "their" course and my group (all under 15 handicap) had no business playing. One even picked up one of my tee shots and drove away with it. Luckily, I didn't have to interact with the other players (some members) very much, so that experience aside, I had a blast playing here. It's a beautiful old course that will challenge you while you're having fun soaking in the history and playing like they did a century ago.

Belvedere has so much history on its side. The classic course has hosted 40-plus Michigan Amateurs and now regularly attracts hickory club tournaments. It's the place where Tom Watson grew up playing during his summers in northern Michigan.
When Willie Watson's architectural plans were surprisingly found in an old building, the club went about restoring its greens to their original sizes, opening up more pin positions. The club even bought a roller for the first time, meaning they're faster than ever, so you've been warned.
The layout starts off on the elevated first tee and winds its way back to the pro shop. The back nine across the street gets even more interesting.
I can't give the experience five stars because, although the visitor's pro shop is cozy and cute, there's no real place for guests to unwind and hang out for a burger and beer. The clubhouse restaurant and locker room are private. All in all, just be happy you can play such a historic track.

This is what golf is all about -- interesting holes, great conditioning, imaginative greens and tradition. Nothing is tricked up here; and you can appreciate the natural contours from building courses during the golden age of American architecture. It's a course that you instantly get to know, but never truly learn, and each time you play it, there are different shots you must hit. It will test your long game, but really test your short game and putting skills. The 16th is one of Tom Watson's very favorites because its unique green, and it's one of my favorites, too.

I have taken an annual golf trip to Northern Michigan for the last 5 years. This past June was my first time playing Belvedere GC in Charlevoix. I played the course a week after the Michigan Amateur. The course was in impeccable shape and was the highlight of my trip. The conditions were perfect and I didn't find any imperfections with the greens or tee boxes. I walked the course and constantly saw employees fixing divots in the fairways. The course is a great walk in the park and is very challenging and a course you can't miss if traveling to Northern Michigan. I prefer Belvedere to others in the area such as Bay Harbor/Boyne/Treetops. 5+ stars!