Marsh Ridge and The Natural

Gaylord’s Best Double-Play

The recent purchase of the golf course at Marsh Ridge Resort by the same folks who’ve run the unique resort and also The Natural just down the road are giving travelers to Northern Michigan a spectacular double-play package as good as anything the Tigers can turn down in Motown.

The courses are both 4-Star Golf Digest Places to Play and have a similar relaxing ambiance, but are decidedly different tests. Mike Husby’s Marsh Ridge design features fairways lined with mature trees and changes in elevation that make the par-71 layout play much longer than its listed 6,231 yards. Marsh Ridge makes players get to think their way from shot to shot. The par-3s have some stunning panoramic views and most also require forced carries over marshland. The signature par-5 18th is reachable in two with a great drive and a dry second that negotiates a pond front and left of the green. 

The simple fact that The Natural got built in the first place ought to be reason enough to play it. Builders patient with the environmental permitting process, and architect Jerry Matthews’ crafty design has resulted in a showcase of how golf can actually enhance the natural environment.

Besides the birdies you’ll be chasing on its large, undulating greens, you’ll be watched by turkeys, deer, ducks, foxes, coyotes, herons, and other feathered friends native to this par-71 that’s less than 6,400 yards, but is in no way short on excitement, and exquisite views. The stunning visual of the wetlands and forests of oak, maple, birch and pine trees below the par-3 14th, where the drop is over 100 feet from tee to tiny green, with another 100-foot drop behind that, should not be missed.

Marsh Ridge and The Natural are both very female and couples-friendly, making it a great place to get away from it all. A recent facelift of the Resort has resulted in upgraded guestrooms, unique Scandinavian-style lodges that sleep up to 10 or 12, and now condominiums you can own without many of the responsibilities of home ownership. Some of the fully-renovated condos have golf views, some have wooded views, some you can still customize to your own tastes. The food at Jac’s Place might keep you from ever wanting to leave!

For the latest specials on Northern Michigan’s Best Stay-and-Play Double Play, visit www.marshridgelodging.com or call (800) 743-PLAY.