A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort

A-Ga-Ming is one of the most underrated stops in Northern Michigan, and I don't say that lightly. It's a 72-hole resort in Kewadin, sitting between Torch Lake and Grand Traverse Bay, with four courses, on-site lodging, and dining all in one place. The headliner, Sundance, is one of my favorite courses I've played at any resort anywhere. Here's the honest rundown, course by course, plus where to stay, where to eat, and how I'd actually play it.

Why A-Ga-Ming is worth the trip

A-Ga-Ming is a 72-hole resort spread across four courses, with lodging and dining right on property. That's the whole pitch in one line: you can post up in one spot, play great golf, eat well, and not live in the car. The name means "on the shore," and the setting earns it, with Torch Lake and Grand Traverse Bay framing the property.

For a group, that all-in-one setup is the draw. You get real golf variety without hopping between towns, and lodging that puts everyone under one roof. I think it's genuinely underrated, and after a weekend there with my group, we're already planning to go back.

Sundance, the one you came for

Sundance is the reason to come, and it's one of my favorite courses I've played at any resort. I'd go back and play it any day, and I wish it were closer to me so I could play it more often. It opened in 2005 on glacier-carved bluffs, with water views in both directions, Torch Lake to one side and Lake Michigan to the other. The fairways are wide and playable, there's heather-clad mounding framing the holes, and there are enough tee options that it's fun for a range of players while still having real teeth from the back.

The front nine is the more memorable side for me. Holes 3 and 4 are a great back-to-back: a protected par 3 into a pick-your-path par 4 where the fairway splits and you choose your route. Hole 9 is an awesome dogleg-right par 5 with an uphill green, a really cool way to finish the front. On the back, 14 is a fun par 5 with a massive waste bunker in play down the right, and 18 is a great finishing hole. The closing scenery is the stuff people remember, including a dramatic drop to the green on 17 over Torch Lake and a semi-peninsula 18 guarded by water.

One honest note: the stretch from 11 through 13 was forgettable to me. It's not a knock on the course overall, just the part of the round that didn't stick. Everything around it more than makes up for it, and the course was in great shape when we played.

The other three courses

Torch is another good one, with awesome views, you can see out onto the lake from the tee box on 7. It plays very differently from Sundance and gives you a unique challenge, but it's a great time and an easy one to pair with Sundance for a stay-on-property day.

Charlevoix Country Club is just a really solid course all around. I enjoyed everything about it, and it made a great opening round for us. Unlike the others, it's lined with houses, so it plays a bit tighter, worth knowing if your group sprays it around.

Antrim Dells is the honest weak link, and it's also off-property, a bit of a drive from the resort. The front nine was my least favorite stretch of golf we played all weekend, it plays like an ordinary muni. The back nine is a complete 180 though, a lot more enjoyable, with a real up-north feel. It's a fine course, just not on the level of the other three.

Where you'll stay

The lodging was arguably my favorite part of the whole trip. There's a range of options on property, and for a bigger group the newer houses are the ones to ask about. We had 20 guys and stayed in two attached 10-person houses that felt brand new. Two levels each, with massive gathering areas and huge TVs on both floors, walkout patios off the basement, and an overhanging deck on the main floor with great views for your morning coffee. We were right on the fairway of Sundance number 4.

That's the real strength of an A-Ga-Ming trip for a group: everyone's under one roof, right on the course, with room to spread out and hang after the round. It's the kind of setup that makes a golf trip feel like a proper trip.

The food

The food was a home run, and that's not something I say about most courses. The halfway house alone is worth it: great sandwiches, and the pizza was unreal. We probably ordered a dozen of them over the weekend. The actual restaurant is great too. That's where we had a steak dinner and a breakfast buffet each morning, and it's a great spot to grab a bite right after the round without going anywhere.

How I'd play it

A-Ga-Ming works best as a stay-and-play destination in its own right, especially for a group that wants to settle in one place. It sits near Torch Lake and is within easy reach of Traverse City and Charlevoix, so you can fold it into a bigger Northern Michigan trip too, but you don't have to. There's enough here to fill a weekend without leaving.

If you want to keep it simple, you can double up on Sundance and Torch and never leave the property. Antrim Dells is the one that takes you off-site, it's a drive, and with our group of 20 we rented a trolley to get everyone there and back. Worth factoring that into your plans if you want to play it.

One honest piece of advice

Play Sundance more than once. It's the best golf on the property and it's good enough that a second loop is a better use of a round than chasing all 72 holes just to say you did. If you're tight on rounds, I'd skip Antrim Dells before I'd skip a second Sundance, and if you do play Antrim, don't judge it by the front nine. Build the trip around Sundance and Torch, eat well, and enjoy having everyone in one house on the course. That's the version of this trip I'd send a group to.