THE LEGEND GOLF COURSE at Shanty Creek Resorts
Michigan Golf Course Review
General information
Shanty Creek Resorts in Bellaire just NE of Traverse City is a four season resort that has been has been ranked Silver Medal Resort by Golf Digest, Top 25 Golf Resort by Travel &
Leisure Reader's Survey, and Best Golf Resort in Michigan by The Detroit News Reader's Poll. Five18-hole championship layouts include the upscale 4-1/2 star Arnold Palmer
designed Legend, the spectacular Tom Weiskopf designed Cedar River, one of Michigan's long time top public courses Schuss Mountain, Hawk's Eye - one of the top 25 layouts
in the country, and the player friendly and original design at Shanty Creek, the Summit. Three distinctive villages at the Summit, Schuss, and Cedar River offer a variety of
accommodations ranging from standard rooms and suites to condominiums, chalets and fully equipped homes. A great variety of dining and recreational opportunities are
available. For more info on the resort, visit the Shanty Creek Resorts website by clicking here.
THE LEGEND GOLF COURSE
The Legend Golf Course is a revered Arnold Palmer design that has been named as one of the top four resort courses in the United States and the # 1 resort course in the
Midwest by Golf Magazine readers. Golf Digest has awarded the Legend 4-1/2 stars out of five! This is a challenging layout that also provides some generous fairways and mildly
undulating but true rolling greens which make it possible to play to one's handicap. As Mr. Palmer declared when he designed the course, "If a golfer is a 12 in Detroit, he should
not be a 20 here". The Legend fits right into the naturally stunning landscape that defines this area of the state.
There is a great variety and rhythm to this design, which features many elevated tee areas, doglegs that bend pretty equally to the left and right, and slightly raised, well bunkered
putting complexes. There are 57 sand traps total, and water comes into play on 6 holes. The first six holes play up and down along manicured fairways that present some good
scoring opportunities. The uphill par four 2nd features two carries over ravines, with the last one coming into play along the right side about 100 yards out. This may surprise
some folks that are playing this course for the first time. On the course's number one handicap - the par five 7th, there is a pond on the right and a creek cuts directly across about
190 away. The second shot must fly this hazard to set up a reasonable approach that needs to land softly on a thin green that is fronted by another creek with a beautiful rock
retaining wall, which provides aesthetics for the hole. The eighth also features a babbling brook immediately in front of the raised putting complex - two gorgeous holes in a row.
Elevated tee areas and doglegs dominate the landscape on the back, as the terrain becomes even more undulating. The par three 12th is outrageously beautiful - and is pretty
challenging as the 18th handicap. Water is situated immediately to the left and a sand bunker awaits shots that attempt to approach safely to the right (hole is pictured below). The
# 2 handicapped 13th is extremely rolling, and plays longer as the second shot (and third for many golfers) is noticeably uphill. Bunkers play a role in defining the doglegs on the
three finishing holes, and the approaches to these holes are some of the tightest on the course.
From the championship tees the Legend is quite a test, as it measures 6764 yards and warrants a slope of 137. The blue tees measure 6269/131 slope and the whites play to
5801/129 slope for men and 132 for women. The forward tees provide ample breaks on the forced carries and doglegs, as they measure 4953 yards with a slope of 121. 100, 150
and 200 yard stakes are visible on the fairways, and some sprinkler heads are also measured to the center of the green. As with the other courses at Shanty Creek Resorts, small
indicators on the flag sticks are positioned high (back of green), middle, and low (front of green) for pin placements. The canvas/vinyl covers on the back of the carts are a much
appreciated feature during inclement weather.
The Legend Golf Course shares a clubhouse and practice facilities (range, putting greens and short game area) with the Summit course. On property is a pro shop and Arnie's
Grill for grab-n-go items. This facility and both golf courses are located in the Summit Village, making it very convenient for folks staying in this section of the resort. The Schuss
Mountain and Cedar River courses have separate clubhouses and practice facilities, and are situated a few miles away. Great packages are available to stay and play at any of the
four courses, and at any of the three villages. For more info on The Legend Golf Course, visit out page for them on our web catalog of Michigan courses to play by clicking here.
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