KINGSLEY, Mich. (WXYZ) — One of the top golf courses in Michigan is adding another course, designed by two of the best golf architects in the world.
Kingsley Club, which is owned by Escalante Golf, is adding a second course designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. The club is also building a new clubhouse.
Originally founded in the late 1990s, Kingsley Club's first course was designed by Michigan-based architect Mike DeVries. The club is located about 30 minutes south of Traverse City in Kingsley.
According to Escalante Golf, the new course will be built on a newly-acquired 520-acre piece of land that's southeast of the existing property. It will feature fescue grass for playing surfaces, native grasses and minimal land disturbances.
“This project is about evolution, not change,” Kingsley Club GM Justin Mack said in a statement. “We’re committed to honoring what has always made Kingsley unique while thoughtfully investing in its future.”
The 18-hole course is expected to top out around 7,200 yards and have a par-72, plus feature a 19th "bye hole" that returns to the clubhouse after the first six holes.
The list of Coore-Crenshaw courses include Sand Hills Golf Club, Cabot Cliffs, Bandon Trails, Sheep Ranch and many more.
Tree clearing is underway on the property, and limited preview play is expected to begin in late 2028 before a full opening for the 2029 season.
“This is a rare opportunity to create a very special course in a region renowned for superb golf,” Escalante Golf President David McDonald said in a statement. “With this land and Bill and Ben’s expertise, we believe Kingsley Club will soon offer one of the game’s most fun and architecturally compelling 36-hole golf experiences.”
”The Escalante team has again given us an opportunity to work with a wonderfully intriguing, gifted site for golf, this time in the state of Michigan, home to some of America’s most acclaimed golf courses,” Coore added in a statement. “We are excited about the potential of this highly individualistic site, the Kingsley Club in general and being able to create a course in a state with such a rich golfing history.”
Kingsley's clubhouse has operated out of a retrofitted construction trailer for more than 20 years. The new clubhouse will be located on the same space behind the 9th green, featuring 4,000 square feet of indoor space and an additional 850-square-foot covered patio. It draws its inspiration from the English Cotswolds. The clubhouse is expected to open in the spring of 2027.
Kingsley Club's first course is among the best in the nation. In the most recent GOLF.com ranking of the best courses in the U.S., it came in at No. 99.
