Red Hawk Golf Course, East Tawas, Michigan - A Northern Michigan Golf Course in the Tradition and Style of the 1920s and 30s

Red Hawk Golf Course is an Arthur Hills design set amid 205 acres the Huron National Forest in Northern Michigan. The course, which opened in 1999, is situated in a valley and features many of the hallmarks of Northern Michigan golf, such as natural ridges, ravines, valleys, wetlands and an abundance of trees. Towering pine, oak, maple, birch and beech trees line the fairways and provide both a challenge and a dramatic backdrop.

One course feature that tends to surprise golfers is the elevation change found on a course on the east side of the state, an area not typically known for it. Hole No. 3, for example, features an elevation drop of 63 feet from tee to green, and the green is perched above Fountain Creek farther below.

The 18-hole, par-71 public course plays to 6,589 yards from the back tees, with a USGA rating of 71.6 and a slope rating of 139. It's a relatively short course, with the White tees playing to only 5,676 yards. The challenge comes from the rolling landscape and undulating greens that feature subtle, yet deceptive, breaks. The landing areas are not as tight as they might appear off the tee, and bunkering on the course is minimal, but has been described as magnificent. When taken all together, the course is a classic design that is said to mirror the great courses designed in the 1920s and 30s.

Some of the more noteworthy holes include No. 2, a short par-4 that plays to only 292 yards from the back tees, and a mere 262 from the Whites. Golfers thinking of driving the green may think twice, however, as the hole features seven bunkers, the most of any on the course. The fairway and green are both elevated, guarded on the left by dense trees and the right by deep bunkers.

Hole No. 11 is a scenic and demanding par-5 that plays to 509 yards from the back tees and 486 from the Gold. Tee shots should easily carry the large pond just in front and find the large uphill landing area, but it's what comes next that makes this hole tricky. The hole doglegs left from there, and the green is two-tiered and severely slopes from the front to the back.

The course has accumulated a number of awards since its opening, including being ranked #40 by Golf Digest in 2007 among the Top Public Golf Courses in America. And Great Lakes Golf Magazine rated Red Hawk the #3 Public Golf Course in Michigan in 2003.

Practice facilities at Red Hawk are some of the finest in Northeastern Michigan, and include a driving range with two tiers. The same Bent grass as found on the course is used on the teeing area and the practice fairway. There are also four target greens complete with bunkers. There's also a short-game practice area, with Bent grass green and practice sand bunker, along with another 7,000-square-foot putting green. Lessons are also available.

Red Hawk also features a clubhouse with a fully stocked pro shop, as well as the Red Hawk Grill for dining.