Manistee National Golf & Resort - Cutters’ Ridge

$51 (cart included), played on Wednesday, August 2023 at 8:00am

Back here three (3) years later with my same Foursome and the only changes are....Our Scores and Course names. The "Cutters Ridge" is now called "The Revenge" but the score card now has seven (7) tee combinations to choose from with Black 6,651yds down to Reds at 4,567yds to a Par 36/35. This by far is still a very challenging layout with conditions to match. The other course "Canthooke Valley" is now called "The Retreat" course and it looks to be a little more friendly to the average golfer. (We didn't play it) It has five (5) tees from Blue 6,570yd / 71.6 / 134 down to Red @ 4,572yd / 62.6 / 107 with Par 35/36 and mostly rolling treelined fairways. We played the Revenge from the Blue tees at 3,217/3,040yds / 72.0 / 144 and having all we could handle on forced carries and target landing areas. I moved up to some of the White/Gold tees because of 190+yd carries needed to hit the fairways. Found the conditions here "Off the Hook" from tee to green even though it rained last night and the traps were still soft. We all got our "Revenge" from the last time we played with Barry 95 w/32 putts (6-OB), Jeremy 89 w/34putts (5-OB), Kevin 89 w/39putts (3-OB) and I shot 85 w/32putts (1-OB) showing that fairway to greens, pays off. This is a must play if your in the area for price, conditions and challenge.

$41 (cart included), played on Friday, August 2020 at 7:30 AM

Taking a Family vacation in the area and decided to drive the extra 30 minutes to give this Jerry Matthews "Cutters Ridge" 2000 designed layout a shot. In talking to the starter about the differences in the two (2) courses (Canthooke Valley) which one is more challenging, he said "Hands Down, the Cutter track" so we booked it. This track is cut through a rolling wooded landscape with a marsh in the low areas. Playing five (5) tee selections from Black 6,651yd / 73.9 / 149 down to Red 4,558yd / 63.6 / 111 everyone can pick their challenge for the day. Though the yardage looks short on the card, its long on forced carries to landing areas and highly protected raised greens by runoff areas. (Not many traps) We decided to play the Blues at 3,217/3,040 Slope 144 on this Par 35/36 target golf layout based on yards not slope, big mistake. Course conditions from tee to green were as good as its gets on a Public/Resort course that gets a lot of play. The $45 Senior price or $59 for the regular's is a real good weekday price for this caliber of course. The Front 9 #1 is a straightaway 441yd Par 4 Hcp 7 valley type fairway that offers a generous tee landing area, but don't miss green left or you'll have your first lost ball. The #2 is a all carry 158yd Par 3 with miss left in the marsh and very little short and right. The #3 is a narrow 385yd Par 4 Hcp 5 that sweeps left with "Punch out" trees all the way to the raised green. The #4 is a true 510yd Par 5 Hcp 3 with a double left dogleg that offers pain to those that try and miss cutting the corners. The #5 is another treelined narrow 370yd Par 4 that starts with a 150-180yd carry to the fairway to the don't miss right green. The #6 is a 512yd Par 5 with a narrow 180yd chute to the fairway, a dogleg right fairway for that 2nd shot and uphill to the elevated green. The Hcp 1 hole is #7 and at 372yds Par 4 you need 180yds to carry the corner landing area with another waste carry to the elevated green. (Bogey was our low score) Finishing with a 378yd Par 4 that has another 180yd forced carry just adds to the mental pain this Front 9 has inflected on this Foursome. The Back 9 we all played 5 - 7 shots better because of getting used to the target landing areas and narrow viewing that challenged every shot. The #11 Hcp 4 is a very narrow 392yd Par 4 that ends with a elevated green with a false looking front, go longer than it looks. The #12 is a 187yd Par 3 that is all water carry down the lefthand side or bailout to the right side fairway. The #17 401yd Hcp 6 Par 4 is a target landing area 180 - 230yd long and then its a narrow fairway chute to the green. Saving the Hcp 2 hole for last is just another way to say.......Good Luck. First its a marsh carry of 180-220yd to the angled right and raised fairway that rejects ANY short shots from the tee box. Having a hidden ravine directly in front to the hillside green leaves any short shot in the penalty box. Kevin shot 89 w/35 putts (2 OB's), Jeremy had 91 w/34 putts (5 OB's), Me had 91 w/36 putts (4 OB's), Barry had 105 w/34 putts (8 OB's) on this tight demanding course with NO GPS on the carts. This would REALLY help pace of play and hole layout with unseen trouble more visual to new players.

$76 (cart included), played on Sunday, June 2012 at noon

Check the Slope before choosing the tees you will play. We played the blue based on yardage, but next time I would play the white tees.

$21 (cart included), played on Friday, October 2010 at 8am

Great Course! Very high quality

$56 (cart included), played on Saturday, July 2011 at 8am

The more difficult of the two courses at this site, offers a nice challenge.

Member (cart included), played on Tuesday, August 2009 at 8am

Both courses at this resort are extremely well kept and a joy to play. Staff is always friendly and very accommodating. Can say we have never experienced a bad day on the courses (except when it rains).