Elk Ridge Golf Course, CLOSED 2016

Elk Ridge Golf Course is a Public 18 holes golf course located in Atlanta, Michigan .

Elk Ridge Golf Course first opened for play in 1991.The course was designed by Jerry Matthews.

This course is known for the amount of wetlands incorporated into its design.  At least five of the eighteen holes have wetlands coming into play. Many of the slightly sloping greens are well bunkered. The terrain varies between flat and hilly, and there is a standard cut of rough defining the borders of the fairways. The course offers the golfer a variety of well-groomed, contoured holes.  Sculpted out of Northern Michigan woodlands, Elk Ridge is home to some of Michigan's largest elk herds.  

Hole #16, a 381-yard, par 4, was once picked by "Golf Digest" as one of "The Best 18 Holes You Can Play."  From the back tees, this hole features a distinct dogleg left fairway that veers around a marshland. Trees at the corner of the dogleg dictate the tee shot. 

Par for the course is 72. From the back tees, the course plays to 7,058 yards. From the forward tees, the course measures 5,261 yards. The longest hole on the course is # 18, a par-5 that plays to 600 yards. The shortest hole on the course is # 15, a par-3 that plays to 179 yards from the back tees.

Watch out for # 18, a 600-yard par-5 challenge and the #1 handicap hole on the course. The easiest hole is # 2, a 395 yard par-4.

The course closed in 2016. Industry insiders indicate the course seemed to be doing fine, but an offer to buy the land for use as a private hunting preserve was too good to pass up in the uncertainty of the 2016 golf climate.