Petoskey, Michigan
Crooked Tree combines rolling terrain, elevated lake views, and inventive greens into a well-balanced public test. Regional golf travelers will appreciate the refreshed closing stretch and the classic resort ambiance under the BOYNE banner.
Pause behind the 16th green for a panoramic vista of Little Traverse Bay—one of the course’s most remarkable overlooks.
Crooked Tree Golf Club offers a rolling, tree-lined escape along the Michigan bluffs above Little Traverse Bay. The course routing wisely leverages the dramatic site, with elevation shifts that create variety across holes and a finish that was reimagined by Arthur Hills to deliver a more playable and memorable closing stretch. Undulating, well-conditioned greens are the lynchpin of the challenge while the setting offers views you’ll remember long after the round.
Harry Bowers established Crooked Tree as a pure northern Michigan test; Arthur Hills elevated the finish to fit the setting’s potential.
A true three-shotter with a rolling fairway and an undulating green that rewards smart layups and precise wedges. The correct angle on the second sets up a birdie look, but aggressive approaches risk being short-sided below the hole.
Play to position off the tee, favoring the right angle into the sloped green. Lay back to your best approach yardage rather than chasing heroics.
Push for the green in two and you’re flirting with deep bunkers and a green that quickly exposes weak wedge play.
Resort-groomed fairways and fast, undulating greens
Variable—expect moderate rounds, but peak times can play slower in summer
Relaxed northern Michigan hospitality with a polished public-golf feel
Standard golf attire; respectful resort style encouraged
Practice lag putting on undulating surfaces—Crooked Tree’s greens will test your touch and patience.
Wind off the bay can affect club choice, especially on elevated holes; pack a windbreaker.
Walking is welcome but terrain can be demanding; consider a push cart or plan for hilly stretches.
Course opens for play, original Harry Bowers routing debuts
Arthur Hills begins renovation of holes 16–18
Hills' improved finishing stretch reopens to golfers
Course receives public praise for conditioning post-redesign
Arthur Hills’ 2013–2014 intervention on holes 16–18 wasn’t just cosmetic: it reimagined the closing stretch to make every club in the bag relevant coming home, improving playability and spectacle while leaving a memorable lasting image.
Repeatedly celebrated—and feared—by resort guests and locals alike, Crooked Tree’s undulating greens make putting and approach strategy the day’s biggest challenges. If your flatstick goes cold, the scorecard gets crooked fast.
Set dramatically atop bluffs overlooking Little Traverse Bay, the course uses its setting for maximum visual drama. Several tee shots and greens offer panoramic lake views, especially late in the round.
Arthur Hills’ redesign of holes 16-18 in 2013–2014 was driven by player feedback for a more dramatic and playable finish.
Despite its name and bluffs setting, Crooked Tree is not considered a true links but rather classic northern Michigan resort parkland.
The course is part of Boyne’s famed Petoskey-area portfolio, but avoids crowding by routing cleverly atop the bluff instead of hugging the shoreline.
Seasonal color on the bluffs makes fall rounds especially photogenic.
For the area’s most dramatic lakeside holes
Northern Michigan's classic resort round
Challenging complement to The Heather; varied terrain
Sweeping elevation vistas and friendly fairways
Top-tier side trip for adventurous itineraries
Petoskey or Bay Harbor for convenience across the Boyne family of courses
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: The Sagamore Golf Course is a natural next stop after Crooked Tree Golf Club: it a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character.
Why it matches: If Crooked Tree Golf Club is your kind of course, Country Club of Asheville is worth a look because it a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character.
Why it matches: Linville Golf Club is a natural next stop after Crooked Tree Golf Club: it a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character.
Community Sentiment
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