Schuss Mountain Golf Course Review
Schuss Mountain Golf CourseMancelona, MichiganGrade: BTeacher’s Comments: A nice Northern Michigan resort course
Part of the Shanty Creek collection of courses, Schuss Mountain is a Warner Bowen design that dates to 1972. The “mountain” part of the name is a bit of a misnomer, for most of the routing is through relatively flat forest and wetlands. There are five holes on the back nine with significant elevation changes, but I walked it with no difficulties whatsoever.
Warner Bowen (1935 – 2022) was a relatively prolific Michigan-based golf course architect. He crafted the back nine at one of my favorite courses, Indian River Golf Club, as well as Centennial Acres, Dearborn Hills, Glenkerry, Benona Shores, Alpena Golf Club and The Double R Ranch Resort.
Schuss Mountain is an enjoyable design, with the sort of isolated, tree-lined fairways that I love so much about Northern Michigan golf. On these holes, a group will often get the sense of being the only ones on the course. I find the isolation relaxing.
Interest on the course is kept with the variety of hole shapes. Barring the par threes, there really isn’t a straight shot from tee to green on any of the holes. The first sets the tone with a sharp dogleg right. In all, there are ten doglegs, including a double dogleg with the par five eleventh. A dozen fairway bunkers and ponds are well positioned to catch players cutting it too close.
There’s a lot to think about at Schuss Mountain.
The thirteenth at Schuss Mountain is a 376-yard par 4.
My favorite hole was the downhill, dogleg left thirteenth. There’s always a thrill hitting a downhill shot to a downward sloping fairway.
The landing zone slopes to the right, with a shallow bunker in front of the woods.
A view of Schuss Mountain’s thirteenth from the bend in the fairway.
From the landing zone, the fairway dips, then rises again to the green, which is protected on the right by a steep sided bunker, and on the left by a steep slope.
The eleventh at Schuss Mountain is a 592 yard par 5.
I also really enjoyed the par five, double dogleg eleventh, which began with an open field and then basically played down a canyon.
From the tips, Schuss Mountain is a difficult course, coming in at over 7,000 yards with a slope of 130. Play this one forward.
TeeYardageRatingSlopeBlue701373.5130Blue/White675272.2128White646370.9 (M) 77.3 (W)126 (M) 139 (W)White/Silver597168.9 (M) 75.9 (W)122 (M) 133 (W)Silver561166.9 (M) 72.1 (W)119 (M) 127 (W)Red537065.4 (M) 70.7 (W)116 (M) 124 (W)
Continuing a theme that I noted throughout the 2024 season, conditions were a mixed bag. Some holes had top notch conditions, others, not so much. Schuss Mountain was much more on the good side, which made the lapses that much more jarring. Some spots were weirdly soggy, while others were bone dry dirt.
I played Schuss Mountain this past summer using the First Tee of Northern Michigan Players Card. The card let me play for $39, which was an astounding bargain. If you don’t have a card and play even semi-regularly in Northern Michigan, you should get one.
That said, Schuss Mountain’s regular pricing puts it in line with other resort courses. This wouldn’t be my first choice if you’re vacationing Up North, but it’s worth a play if you’re looking for something different.
The Schuss Mountain Golf Course review was first published January 14, 2025 from notes and photos taken on a round played during the 2024 season. For a list of all of GolfBlogger’s Michigan golf course reviews, follow the link.
A photo tour of Schuss Mountain follows.
The first at Schuss Mountain is a 355 yard par 4.
A view from the fairway on Schuss Mountain’s first.
The second at Schuss Mountain is a 373 yard par 4.
Three at Schuss Mountain is a 410-yard par 4
The fifth at Schuss Mountain is a 586 yard par 5.
A view from the bend on Schuss Mountain’s par five fifth
The sixth at Schuss Mountain is a 438 yard par 4.
Seven at Schuss Mountain is a 483 yard par 5
The eighth at Schuss Mountain is a 466 yard par 4.
A view from behind the green on Schuss Mountain’s 209 yard par 3 ninth
Ten at Schuss Mountain is a 407 yard par 4.
The eleventh at Schuss Mountain is a 592 yard par 5.
The twelfth at Schuss Mountain is a 369 yard par 4.
The thirteenth at Schuss Mountain is a 376 yard par 4.
A view of Schuss Mountain’s thirteenth from the bend in the fairway.
Fourteen at Schuss Mountain is a 479 yard par 5
The fifteenth at Schuss Mountain is a 186 yard par 3
The sixteenth at Schuss Mountain is a 463 yard par 4
The seventeenth at Schuss Mountain is a 181 yard par 3.
Eighteeen at Schuss Mountain is a 400 yard par 4.
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