Treetops Resort makes for a great golf/family vacation

GAYLORD, Mich. - We could have stood there forever.

What a view. What a golf hole. What a moment.

Yes, standing on the sixth hole on Robert Trent Jones Sr.'s Masterpiece course at Treetops resort last summer was a moment our family will certainly never forget.

Were we really still in the Midwest?

The stunning hole - a 150-yard par-3 from the white tees - provides golfers a magnificent view that stretches for miles and miles. Trees are visible as far as the eye can see.

Oh … and then there's the reason you're standing there. To hit a golf shot in which the ball floats into that background and down a 200-foot descent to the green.

Views like this were the reason we chose to buy a golf package to play 54 of the 81 holes on the Treetops property last summer at the Chicagoland Golf Show. The course is one of dozens featured at this weekend's show at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont that tries to entice golfers with special offers … and Treetops didn't disappoint.

The courses:

Right off the bat, I have two pieces of advice for anyone who makes this trip:

1 - Play from the right tees.

This is vacation golf on some difficult golf courses, so do yourself a favor and play from the whites if your handicap is 10 or higher. The yardages of 5,888, 5,834 and 5,863 look benign, but when you see slope ratings of 132, 127 and 129, you know you're in for a serious test.

"We definitely want you to play forward tees and enjoy yourself," said Alex Hughes, Treetops' head golf professional.

2 - If you play three courses, go in this order: Premier, Signature, Masterpiece.

The Premier: The reason I recommend beginning with Fazio's course is simple: It's the most playable of Treetops' Big Three. We found the bowl-shaped fairways often brought slightly errant tee shots back into play and into perfect position for a second shot. Also, the greens were fairly easy to read and weren't surrounded by punishing bunkers.

The most memorable holes were No. 7, a 307-yard par-4 where you must take 1-3 extra clubs to get the ball onto a severely elevated green, and No. 8, a 150-yard par-3 with an 80-foot vertical drop.

Another reason you can score on this course is the fact that the par 5s are only 472, 429, 444 and 459 yards from the white tees.

The Signature: Here the difficulty level ratchets up, mostly because the greens are almost all surrounded by bunkers and much more difficult to read.

The two most memorable holes are the third, a sweeping dogleg right of a 433-yard par 4, and the seventh, a 145-yard par 3 that makes you feel like you're teeing off down a hallway of trees.

"That is true northern Michigan golf at its finest right there," Hughes said of the seventh. "You are so secluded and it's just a gorgeous little tee shot."

I found out how little room for error there was on that hole as my 7-iron sailed into the trees and led to a quadruple bogey 7. After a 42 on the front nine, it was the first of 3 quads on a back nine that saw me shoot 51.

Be careful down the stretch on this course.

The Masterpiece: This course had it all: From a nice opening 430-yard par-5 to the aforementioned sixth hole with the massive vertical drop to a brutal test of golf on holes 7-12, the Masterpiece will not disappoint. Make sure to turn around on holes 3, 7, 10, 11 and 15 for some of the best views you'll see on the property.

In addition to No. 6, we'll also never forget Nos. 11 and 15. The 11th is a 368-yard par 4 with a vertical ascent akin to climbing a small mountain. We had shots land just short that rolled 70-100 yards back down the hill. Frustrating, for sure, but a lesson in perseverance. Because of the vertical drop on 15, it is a drivable 323-yard par-4 for you long hitters. And even if you don't crush it, a decent drive leaves a simple wedge to the green as you try to save a score down the stretch.

We did not play The Tradition - a course that is perhaps the most player-friendly on the property - or Threetops, the No. 1 ranked Par 3 course in the country.

"The Tradition is a great golf course in itself," Hughes said. "It kind of brings you back to overseas. We've got the old, wooden pins and little flag sticks, little rakes in the bunkers. Pretty open, links-style golf course. I always tell people if you put that course in the Detroit area it would be sold out every single day."

Other things to do:

Whether you are making this a guys' trip or a family trip, one suggestion is to arrive on a day you are not golfing (or arrive and play Threetops). If you don't opt for the Par 3 course, check out some of the kayaking options just 30 minutes south of Gaylord.

• We rented from Borcher's Canoe and Kayak in Grayling. Cost for a 2½-hour trip was just $21 per person. This is a great way to kick off your vacation, especially if you are bringing nongolfers along.

• Other than our free breakfasts, we ate on the Treetops' property just once: At Legends on the Hill. The food was absolutely outstanding. We loved the Cobb salad, the lobster grilled cheese (slightly spicy but really tasty), the cheese ravioli bake with lobster (huge serving) and the legendary chicken sandwich.

• In town, we enjoyed the Alpine Tavern & Eatery so much that we went three times. They have cornhole on their outside patio and an oversized checkers board for the youngsters. Try the scrumptious pizza or crazy-good stuffed burgers.

For desert, be sure to hit the Alpine Chocolat Haus on Main Street.

Bottom line:

Package rates will be cheaper if you go during the middle of the week, and kids under 17 play free if they are part of the package OR accompanied by a full-paying adult Monday-Thursday.

"We really want to get juniors involved in the game," Hughes said. "That's our focus because if we don't get juniors involved, who's going to be playing golf in the next 20 or 30 years? Not too many people, unfortunately."

We found the rooms quite spacious, and although they could definitely use some upgrading, they were plenty adequate for our family.

One last piece of advice: If you want to play in under 4½ hours, book your tee time before 9 a.m.

The bottom line is we had a great time. I was slightly concerned that our 14-year-old son would be overmatched by these courses, but he played from about 5,400 yards and never felt intimidated.

He enjoyed the experience so much that when he woke up in Illinois the next day, he said: "I miss Treetops."

My response to that: Sounds like a golf/family vacation that was "mission accomplished."