Detroit

Detroit has a rich history of cars, sports and music, from Motown and the MC5, to Eminem and Kid Rock. It's golf legacy is also strong. Walter Hagen was the first head professional at Oakland Hills Country Club, which would go on to host the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, Ryder Cup and many other top events. Donald Ross designed numerous courses around Detroit in his hayday, including a few public courses like Rackham Park and Warren Valley.

Downtown casinos have bolstered the city's nightlife. The region's historical attractions like the Detroit Institute of Arts, Greenfield Village (in Dearborn) and the Ford Rogue Factory Tour (part of the Henry Ford Museum) are intriguing and insightful. A summertime visit should also include a Detroit Tigers game at Comerica Park. Detroit's surrounding suburbs, especially to the north, are stocked with public golf courses. Shepherd's Hollow Golf Club in Clarkston and Boulder Pointe Golf Club in Oxford are two strong 27-hole facilities that headline Oakland County, a haven of fine restaurants, shopping and private golf clubs. Arnold Palmer-designed Northville Hills Golf Club straddles the Wayne County border closer to downtown. Farther flung are the Coyote Preserve Golf Club near Fenton, Moose Ridge Golf Club near South Lyon and The Majestic at Lake Walden near Hartland. All are Livingston County gems that look more than northern Michigan than metro Detroit. College towns Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti are both within a 30-minute drive of Detroit Metro Airport and have not only top university courses but a slew of great public courses, too.

Click here to read our Top 10 Golf Courses to play in Metro Detroit