Hardest Public Golf Courses in Michigan

Whispering Pines Golf Club in Pinckney ranks first among public golf courses in Michigan, tied on slope with Tullymore and ahead on yardage, with a slope of 150 and a course rating of 77.0 from the Spirit tees (7,468 yards). It is a public course, open to all golfers. Next are Tullymore (slope 150) and The Bear Golf Course (slope 150).

5 hardest public courses in Michigan, by slope

Every course here has had its public access checked against a named source.

RankCourseCityAccessSlopeCourse ratingTeeYardsAccess checked
1Whispering Pines Golf ClubPinckneyPublic15077.0Spirit7,468Nov 2026 source
2TullymoreStanwoodPublic15075.2SILVER7,121Nov 2026 source
3The Bear Golf CourseAcme TownshipResort15076.1BLACK7,078Nov 2026 source
4TimberstoneIron MountainPublic15074.5BLACK6,938Nov 2026 source
5Thoroughbred Golf ClubRothburyResort14974.4GOLD6,887Nov 2026 source

How this list is built

Each course is ranked by the highest slope rating from its men's tees. Women's ratings are used only where a course publishes no men's rating. Only regulation 18-hole courses are included; nine-hole courses are left out.

Only courses whose public access Stymie has checked against the club's own site or another named source are listed, and private clubs are left out. That is why this list differs from the hardest golf courses in Michigan, which ranks every rated course.

Courses are checked in order from the highest slope down, and the list stops at the first course whose public access has not been checked yet, so nothing here skips over an unchecked course. Courses that were checked and could not be confirmed as open to the public are left out. 463 golf courses in Michigan have a slope rating on file, and Stymie has checked access for 26 of them so far.

Resort courses may require a stay or hold tee times for guests. Call ahead before you plan a round.

Michigan public course FAQ

What is the hardest public golf course in Michigan?

Of the Michigan courses Stymie has checked for public access, Whispering Pines Golf Club in Pinckney has the highest slope rating: 150 from the Spirit tees, with a course rating of 77.0. Tullymore is next at 150. Courses are checked from the highest slope down, so no unchecked course ranks above the ones listed.

Can anyone play Whispering Pines Golf Club?

Yes. Whispering Pines Golf Club is a public course, open to all golfers. Stymie checked its access in Nov 2026 against whisperingpinesgolfandbanquets.com. Tee-time policies change, so confirm with the course before you go.

How is difficulty measured?

By slope rating, which measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer. It runs from 55 to 155, and 113 is standard difficulty. Each course is ranked by the highest slope from its men's tees, and only regulation 18-hole courses are included. Course rating, the score a scratch golfer is expected to shoot, is shown alongside.

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