Gaylord, MI
Treetops Resort
81 holes above the Pigeon River valley — home of America's most famous par-3 course.
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The place
Treetops earned its name from tee boxes perched above the Pigeon River valley, and it packs 81 holes into the heart of Gaylord's golf mecca. Robert Trent Jones Sr.'s Masterpiece brings the biggest views and the sternest test, Tom Fazio's Premier plays smooth and strategic, and Rick Smith's Signature and Tradition round out the big-course rotation. Then there is Threetops — the elevation-drop par-3 course made famous by televised skins shootouts — which might host the week's loudest hour. Lodge rooms, chalets and multiple restaurants keep the whole operation on one hillside.
The courses on property
| Course | Designer | Notes | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masterpiece | Robert Trent Jones Sr. | The valley-view flagship — big drops, big carries, the resort's namesake treetop tees. | resort |
| Premier | Tom Fazio | Fazio's only Michigan resort design — smooth, strategic and the smoothest walk of the big courses. | resort |
| Signature | Rick Smith | Sweeping ridgeline golf from the resort's longtime teaching guru. | resort |
| Tradition | Rick Smith | A walkable, old-school routing — the sleeper favorite. | resort |
| Threetops | Rick Smith | America's most famous par-3 course — huge elevation drops and shootout history. Mandatory skins. | resort |
Where you crash
The resort
Treetops lodge & chalets
Hillside lodge rooms and chalet suites above the valley — pools, restaurants and every first tee minutes away.
◆ The private house
The Private House
A Gaylord-area chalet or lake house — game room, grill deck and hot tub, ten to fifteen minutes from the resort and the rest of the mecca's courses.
4-6 BR · sleeps 8-12 · ~$400–$1,200/nt
The 5-day plan
- 1
Arrive & Threetops
AM Travel morning — into Gaylord by early afternoon.
PM Check in, then the Threetops opener — the trip's loudest hour. Dinner at the lodge.
- 2
Premier
AM Fazio's smooth operator to open the big courses.
PM Tradition afternoon loop for the keen; wings and pool in town.
- 3
Signature (36 optional)
AM Smith's ridgeline views.
PM Replay Threetops or rest the legs; steak night at the resort.
- 4
Masterpiece — the Cup
AM The RTJ flagship for the team match — the treetop tees decide it.
PM Trophy dinner, then a sunset Threetops decider if the cup finished tied.
- 5
Morning nine & home
AM A last Tradition nine or a long breakfast, then the trip home.
Why it wins
Five courses on one property — including designs from Robert Trent Jones Sr., Tom Fazio and Rick Smith — plus Threetops, the par-3 course made famous by televised shootouts. The most golf per square mile in Michigan's Gaylord golf mecca.
Booking notes
Stay-and-play packages cover all five courses — sequence the Masterpiece for cup day and book a Threetops slot every evening it fits. Gaylord's course density makes add-on rounds easy if the crew wants variety.