When it comes to premier, Lake Michigan-bordering public golf experiences in the Midwest, Whistling Straits vs Bay Harbor Golf Club is a debate worth having. These two iconic tracks stand out for their scenery, challenge and memorable design.

The two courses have long been tied to one another, and both were even named among Golf Digest’s “Best New Upscale Public Courses” of 1999. Whistling Straits was ranked number two (behind the original Bandon Dunes course) and the Links/Quarry was number three. Interestingly, my beloved Tobacco Road was listed as 10th best – that must have been one hell of a year!

Both offer breathtaking views of the Great Lake and provide golf enthusiasts with unique challenges and unforgettable experiences. While the Straits Course is a perennial top-three public track in the country, Bay Harbor’s esteemed Links/Quarry layout has somehow managed to fall off many national publications’ rankings.

If anyone can explain that to me, I’d love to hear it – because these two golf experiences are closer than that.

Sure, Bay Harbor hasn’t hosted Major events. But it is a spectacularly well-designed 27-hole golf property with views that are on par with the Straits, and an overall customer experience that also rivals it. And for my money, that makes it one of the most underrated public courses in the Midwest.

So, which one holds the edge?

This article takes a deep dive into Whistling Straits vs Bay Harbor Golf Club, comparing design, scenery and the overall experience of each of these Great Lakes gems.

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Whistling Straits: The Pinnacle of Midwest Public Golf

Perched along a two-mile stretch of Lake Michigan’s shoreline in Kohler, Wisconsin, Whistling Straits’ Straits Course is a masterpiece of rugged, windblown links golf. Designed by Pete Dye and opened in 1998, it’s hosted the 2004, 2010 and 2015 PGA Championships, the 2021 Ryder Cup, and will soon welcome three more USGA championships.

It’s the kind of place that makes you feel like you’ve stepped onto the coast of Ireland – minus the long flight. Massive rolling greens, countless deep pot bunkers, windswept dunes and dramatic bluffs define the course’s aesthetic, while the wind and terrain demand creativity, shotmaking and patience, and the wandering herd of Scottish blackhead sheep only add to its spectacular charm.

Dye’s design of the Straits Course – one of his storied career’s crowning achievements, along with The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina – is incredible. Construction required over 800,000 cubic yards of dirt and sand to be moved to develop new, wild topography on what was an abandoned military training base (Camp Haven during World War II) that was then taken over as farmland.

As he’d been known to do throughout his career, Dye masterfully created drama on the Straits. Standing on many of its tee boxes, fairways look like miniscule landing strips. Don’t worry, though, there’s always more room to miss than you expect. He took full advantage of the lakeside holes, too, building in visual drama with shots along Lake Michigan that are straight off of postcards.

While most of the greens complexes are somewhat benign (much of the adventure develops from tee to approach shot), stalwarts like the downhill 13th (“Cliff Hanger”) certainly have enough undulation to keep players guessing… Or relying on their terrific caddies.

Eight holes play directly along the lake on the Straits Course, offering one of the most scenic and immersive rounds in North America. Add in pristine conditions, elite service and a tournament-caliber atmosphere, and it’s no wonder the Straits is considered one of the greatest public golf courses in the world.

And while it rightfully garners most of the attention, the adjacent Irish Course deserves its own spotlight. Also designed by Dye, the Irish is slightly more forgiving, barely inland but still packed with personality – a terrific complement to the Straits that rounds out one of the best 36-hole public golf experiences anywhere.

Bay Harbor Golf Club: Michigan’s Coastal Gem

Across the lake in Petoskey, Michigan, Bay Harbor Golf Club’s Links/Quarry Course offers a very different but equally memorable experience.

Designed by Arthur Hills and opened in 1999, Bay Harbor is a tale of two nines. The Links Course hugs the bluffs of Little Traverse Bay, delivering sweeping lake views and a Scottish-inspired layout that flows along the water’s edge. It’s calming and dramatic all at once, with holes like the par five 7th offering unforgettable vistas.

The Links/Quarry Course was a huge departure from the norm for me as it pertains to its architect. I have become so used to Hills’ layouts on inland properties that I was excited to see his handiwork on a design butting up to such a spectacular lake setting. It did not disappoint as he used the lakeside topography along the bluffs to maximum effect especially on holes like the seventh (what a scene!), the par four third (an extremely clever risk/reward opportunity) and par three fourth.

The fourth was one of the most exciting holes of the entire round, in fact, playing well downhill to a wide greens site set level against the beach with hazards all around.

Then there’s the Quarry Nine, which feels like an entirely different planet – in the best possible way. Routed through a reclaimed shale quarry, the Quarry features bold elevation changes, dramatic stone outcroppings, water hazards and narrow fairways. It’s inventive, visually striking and full of memorable holes that reward precision (plus two bonus holes played beside Lake Michigan!). To me, its architectural quality was the biggest surprise of our 2024 BOYNE Golf team trip – I expected to fall in love with the Links nine, but had no idea what to expect on the Quarry. I especially didn’t expect it to be this good.

If I was surprised by Hills’ incredible versatility in designing the Links nine, I was floored by what he did with the Quarry. Even inland, views of the lake were almost always present, and the shot values he created on holes like the par five third and fifth, and on the par four fifth and fascinating, short sixth – talk about risk/reward! – are exceptional.

Everyone talks about the 17th on the Straits Course as one of the hardest par threes in golf, and I’ll agree.

But, if a tough penultimate one-shotter is what you’re looking for then the eighth on the Quarry nine is up to the task, as well. Even significantly longer, being played directly toward the lake with winds coming off of it made this downhill three play at least 20 yards longer – and with trouble everywhere. It is a beast and absolutely stunning to look at.

The combination of the two nines creates one of the most scenic and varied 18-hole public rounds in the Midwest. And yet, it’s often absent from major rankings – an oversight I find hard to justify. The course might not be a walker’s dream, and the routing can lead to some lengthy transitions, but the setting, design and experience more than make up for it.

Final Thoughts: Great Lakes, Great Golf

Whistling Straits stands as the Midwest’s flagship for championship public golf. It’s bold, beautiful and battle-tested – a crown jewel of American golf course design with the trophy case to back it up.

Bay Harbor’s Links/Quarry, meanwhile, is a coastal stunner and one of the most underappreciated golf experiences I’ve had the pleasure of playing. Its blend of visual splendor, architectural creativity and diverse terrain make it more than worthy of inclusion in any list of the nation’s best public courses. In fact, I think it belongs well into the top 50.

So, who wins?

Both courses are incredibly dramatic, jaw-droppingly beautiful and challenging – though the Straits is certainly a bit more stern of a test than the Links/Quarry.

That is not a knock – there are few courses in the world with a slope of 152 or a 77.2 rating, and the Links/Quarry’s 146/74.3 is far from a walk in the park.

The Straits has a few more holes on the water than Links/Quarry does, too, and the lake is within view from every hole on the course. That said, the Links/Quarry Course’s inland holes can be seen as slightly more dynamic than the Straits’ (especially several stunners from the Quarry nine).

Bay Harbor has more holes that have a lower memorability factor, though, like the first couple on the Quarry nine and maybe even the sixth and eighth holes on the Links.

I struggle to think of any on the Straits Course that fail to awe me each and every time I’ve played it. If there’s one I’m not a huge fan of, it would be the par five 5th (“Snake”) – it would be a tremendous golf hole anywhere else, but to me it does not fit well cohesively within the Straits Course’s layout.

Neither course’s greens will leave players confused too badly – I can’t imagine the length of rounds if they added that to the challenge – but both were thoughtfullly designed, highly-optimized for location (eg: for natural settings) and extraordinarily well maintained. You’d expect that at either location with standard rates well into the hundreds ($600+ at the Straits, and I’ve heard $400+ at Bay Harbor though I have not found evidence of that).

Bay Harbor has one important thing Whistling Straits does not have: the ability to take a cart. I know there are plenty of golf enthusiasts who find the Straits a difficult walk, and it can be. Being able to ride the Links/Quarry Course is certainly a luxury for some, although for a course of the quality of both of these giants I would always prefer a caddied experience.

Ultimately, the winner depends on what you’re looking for. If you want major championship pedigree and a test unlike anything else, it’s Whistling Straits. If you’re chasing a round that’s equal parts scenic, varied and fun, Bay Harbor’s Links/Quarry is an absolute must-play.

Either way, you can’t lose.

And while Wisconsin might still wear the crown for the best top 10 public course lineup in the country, Michigan is making a serious case for the throne. With over 735 public courses and incredible depth from top to bottom, it’s not just about quantity – it’s about the deep quality throughout.

We’ll be putting that theory to the test soon as the Midwest Golfing Magazine and WiscoGolfAddict teams head to Arcadia Bluffs, American Dunes, Garland, TreeTops, A-Ga-Ming and Grand Traverse in just a few short weeks. We’re excited to explore more of what Michigan has to offer – and to see just how close this race really is.

Let the Great Lakes golf debate ensue.