Treetops Resort — Masterpiece

Golf Digest named the Masterpiece the second-best new course in America when it opened in 1987, and the reason was visible from the first tee: Robert Trent Jones Sr. had access to terrain in Gaylord that allowed elevation changes of up to 300 feet across the routing. The vertical dimension of the course is its defining feature, and it produces tee shots and approach shots that feel different from anything else in northern Michigan.

The most discussed moment on the course is the par-3 6th, which plays from a dramatically elevated tee to a green far below. The vertical drop alters the playing distance significantly, and the visual effect of standing on the tee with the green visible well beneath the golfer's feet creates the kind of memory that persists long after the scorecard is forgotten. It is not the only elevated tee on the course, but it is the most extreme example of what the terrain enables.

Jones designed the Masterpiece at 7,028 yards with a par of 71, and the slope of 147 reflects the genuine difficulty that the elevation changes introduce. Uphill approaches play longer than the yardage indicates, downhill tee shots demand club selection adjustments that are difficult to calibrate without local experience, and sidehill lies in the fairways are common. The course rewards familiarity, and golfers who return for a second or third round tend to score meaningfully better than on their first visit.

The greens carry the Jones Sr. signature: large, contoured, and built to accept approach shots from specific angles. The putting surfaces at Treetops are further complicated by the sloped terrain on which they sit. Reading a putt on a green built into a hillside requires accounting for both the internal contour and the broader landscape tilt, and the two do not always agree. This is where the Masterpiece earns its slope rating.

Treetops Resort in Gaylord offers five courses across 81 holes, and the Masterpiece is the headliner. Stay-and-play packages bundle lodging with access to multiple courses, and the resort has recently renovated its rooms. Green fees of $80 to $145 for the Masterpiece, particularly when packaged with accommodation, represent strong value for a course with this pedigree and this level of terrain-driven interest.

The practice facility at Treetops is adequate for warming up before a round, though the real preparation for the Masterpiece is mental rather than physical. Understanding that yardage numbers are approximate on a course with this much vertical movement is the most valuable insight a first-time visitor can carry to the first tee. The rangefinder provides a number; the slope of the terrain provides the context that number lacks.

Gaylord is roughly an hour and 15 minutes from Traverse City, positioned in the northern interior of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The drive passes through the forested landscape that defines the region, and the relative distance from the lakefront resort corridor gives Treetops a quieter, more self-contained atmosphere. The 81 holes available across the Treetops property mean that a multi-day stay can include a different course each day, with the Masterpiece as the headliner and the other layouts providing variety without requiring travel. The season runs from May through October, and the interior location means slightly warmer summer temperatures than the lakefront courses to the west.