Michigan golfers are rediscovering the Upper Peninsula’s compelling golf region, characterized by long summer days, cool breezes, and diverse landscapes. This evolution, which began in northern Lower Michigan with major golf resorts, now extends across the Mackinac Bridge into the central Upper Peninsula, where a new chapter in Midwest golf is unfolding.
At the forefront of this transformation is Island Resort & Casino near Escanaba, now recognized as a premier multi-course golf destination. The journey itself, crossing the Straits of Mackinac and tracing the scenic U.S. 2 shoreline, sets a tone of arrival in a remote, unspoiled location deeply connected to the game’s traditions.
A Destination Defined by Architectural Vision
Initially known for a single standout course, Island Resort has grown into a multi-course experience celebrated for its variety, strategic challenges, and commitment to thoughtful design. This identity is further enhanced with the introduction of the Cedar Course, a new nine-hole layout slated for preview play in Fall 2026.
The name “Cedar” (Kishki in Potawatomi) signifies cultural importance as one of the four sacred medicines, representing protection and purification. More broadly, it embodies a design philosophy rooted in the Golden Age of golf architecture, where strategy, angles, and creativity were paramount over sheer length.
Sweetgrass: The Welcoming Experience
Understanding Cedar’s significance is easier when considering Sweetgrass, the resort’s inaugural course designed by Paul Albanese. Since its 2008 opening, Sweetgrass has become the resort’s signature offering and was honored as the 2023 National Golf Course of the Year, a remarkable achievement just 15 years after its debut.
Set across open, prairie-style terrain, Sweetgrass hosts the Island Resort Championship, a prominent event on the EPSON Tour, the official “Road to the LPGA.” Its wide fairways, native grasses, and expansive views contribute to a distinct Midwestern character, yet beneath this openness lies considerable architectural sophistication.
The green complexes are Sweetgrass’s defining element. Albanese integrated Golden Age templates—including a Redan, a Biarritz, and a double green—subtly referencing early design traditions. The par-3 12th, with its striking Biarritz swale, and the island-green 15th remain among the region’s most photographed and memorable holes.
Sage Run: Bold, Rugged, and Distinctly Different
A decade later, Albanese returned with a dramatically different vision. Sage Run, opened in 2018, provides a rugged contrast to Sweetgrass. Routed through hardwood forests and along exposed ridgelines, it features elevation changes seldom found in Midwestern golf.
Bold, physically demanding, and visually striking, Sage Run evokes the windswept traditions of the British Isles more than the flatland courses often associated with the region. Its design garnered national acclaim, including recognition on Golf Digest’s list of “Best New Courses, 2019.”
Together, Sweetgrass and Sage Run present a deliberate dichotomy: open versus enclosed, lyrical versus muscular, traditional versus dramatic. Cedar introduces a third dimension to this varied experience.
Cedar: A Strategic Nine-Hole Masterclass
“We experience significant volume during the summer, with both of our existing courses often fully booked in the morning,” explains Tony Mancilla, General Manager of Island Resort & Casino. “We decided to add nine holes to accommodate guests seeking early tee times before their departure. These nine holes are designed as their own distinct course, not an extension of Sage Run.”
Cedar is not merely an expansion; it’s a focused architectural statement—a nine-hole course built around strategy, angles, and the enduring principles of early-20th-century design.
“We are drawing inspiration from seminal concepts of the Golden Age of course architecture from the early 1900s and integrating them into the Cedar course,” states Albanese. “The course will feature some of the game’s most celebrated green templates, such as the Punchbowl, Double Plateau, and even a Juniper hole reminiscent of Augusta National’s famous 6th.”
From the opening tee shot, Cedar’s intent is clear. The first hole, “The Bottle,” narrows as it recedes from the tee—a departure from modern design trends. Inspired by the National Golf Links of America, it immediately prompts golfers to balance aggression with risk.
The course’s centerpiece, the par-5 sixth, is a layered, three-shot journey that masterfully blends multiple Golden Age concepts. A deep Himalaya bunker guards the tee shot, while a sprawling Sahara hazard dominates the landing zone. The boomerang-shaped green, inspired by Alister MacKenzie, rewards imagination as much as precision.
Two holes later, Cedar shifts its tone with a short par-4 modeled after Riviera’s iconic 10th. Tempting yet treacherous, it challenges players to decide their level of boldness and punishes imprecision around a sharply contoured green.
For golf architecture aficionados, Cedar offers a curated journey through design history. For recreational golfers, it simply provides a fun, strategic, and refreshingly unique experience.
A $19 Million Investment in the Future
The Cedar Course is part of a larger $19 million expansion that underscores Island Resort’s confidence in the future of golf and group travel. The resort recently added nearly 17,000 square feet of convention space, including a grand ballroom capable of hosting up to 1,200 guests—a development that has already improved midweek occupancy and enhanced its appeal for corporate events and weddings.
A new 3,000-square-foot Sweetgrass golf shop, constructed in a traditional Hardy Plank style, overlooks the finishing holes and serves as both a retail center and a social gathering space, complete with terraces, locker rooms, and communal areas.
A Five-Course Summer Golf Adventure
Island Resort’s popular “Perfect Foursome” package has long enabled guests to pair Sweetgrass and Sage Run with two of the Upper Peninsula’s most esteemed courses: Greywalls and Timberstone. Greywalls, with its dramatic rock formations and Lake Superior vistas, delivers a rugged, almost surreal experience. Timberstone, located near Iron Mountain, winds through forests and wetlands with significant elevation changes.
With Cedar’s debut, this foursome effectively expands to a five-course rotation, adding a strategic, Golden Age-inspired dimension to an already diverse lineup.
The resort offers customizable packages ranging from 1 to 4 nights with up to four rounds of golf, with prices varying from $136 to $772 depending on the season.
A Destination Worth the Journey
Golfers are drawn to Island Resort for various reasons: the value, the variety, the architecture, the cool northern air, and the long summer evenings that seem to extend endlessly. However, most return for a simpler reason—the feeling that this remote corner of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula offers an authentic, unspoiled golf experience.
Here, exceptional courses, thoughtful design, and genuine hospitality converge to create memorable rounds, one after another.
Plan your visit now, whether for this summer or fall. You are sure to be impressed. Book today to secure savings on an extraordinary golf experience.
For more details on Island Resort and Casino and its golf packages, please visit islandresortgolf.com.
