Chestnut Valley Golf Club – A Popular NEW Scene in Northern Michigan

Brothers Scott and Kurt LaFave are in their second season of ownership at Harbor Springs’ Chestnut Valley Golf Club but it hasn’t taken much of an effort to get the local community excited about the popular course. “We just picked up the ball and ran with it,” said Scott LaFave.

Opened in 1994, Chestnut Valley quickly carved out a spot for itself through the ’90s and early 2000s in an area of Northern Michigan densely populated with golf courses. It has a reputation as a solid, playable and affordable course that doesn’t punish novice golfers, yet is a challenge to more experienced and more talented players. LaFave says the course that’s named for a the majestic chestnut tree standing between the No. 10 green and No. 11 tee is definitely the favorite among locals. 

As for the course itself, LaFave says it’s quite enjoyable. “It’s a great design and becomes more challenging from the blue tees but won’t discourage the average player who sets up on the white tees. “There is a lot of excitement surrounding our course right now,” he said. “I cannot begin to tell you how popular Chestnut Valley has become. We can accomodate weddings, banquets and retirement events. The property is really conducive to being an event center and is now a “home” course to many who have played here.”

Chestnut Valley, which measures just over 6,500 yards from the blue (championship) tees, has undergone a few improvements in recent months to make it even better. By the end of the 2008 season, all bunkers will have new sand, dead trees and stumps will be thinned out to improve the already impressive aesthetics of the course, and a technically efficient irrigation program will be in place. To keep the course in great shape, an aggressive fertilization schedule is underway.

Presently, 44 log cabin homes are carved out of the beautiful Northern Michigan woods surrounding Chestnut Valley Golf Club and property lots are available. If you are interested in becoming a part of Northern Michigan’s most popular NEW scene, visit chestnutvalleygolf.com, send an e-mail with your inquiry to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or just pick up the phone and call 231.526.9100.