Free golf up north!

Free golf? Where?

Well, as we all know, nothing is free. But these promotions for great golf in northern Michigan are as close as it gets.

The Gaylord Golf Mecca's FREE Fall Golf Weekend is set for Oct. 16-18. Visitors who book an overnight stay at one of the participating hotels will be able to play a FREE round of golf on one of the participating Gaylord Golf Mecca courses. Golfers simply call one of the participating hotels to book your room and mention you would like to participate in the FREE Golf Weekend. The hotel will then make the tee-time and present a golf certificate to golfers upon check in. The certificate is then presented to the golf course in order to get the FREE round of golf.

If you've been reading this blog you know my love for Gaylord and its mix of 21 different courses. It's a convenient destination right of of I-75 and there's a price point for everyone, from standard hotels to the more golf-centric resorts like Treetops Resort and the Otsego Club and Marsh Ridge.

Also to note, the Hawk's Eye Resort in Bellaire will hand out free golf on The Chief for the remainder of the season starting Oct. 5. All it costs is the $20 cart fee Monday thru Thursday or $30 on the weekend. I've only played The Chief once and the shortish John Robinson design ate me for lunch. I thought I could drive up north, hop out of the car after five hours and tangle with a course that measures just 6,600 yards from the tips. How wrong I was. About 8 holes into my round, I moved up a tee box. The Chief isn't the real draw here, but for that price, it's a steal. The Hawk's Eye course is one of the top 10 courses up north.

As I write this post, the weather outside -- it's pouring rain on my roof -- reminds me why golf courses up north are dying for your business. They're trying to squeeze in a couple more rounds before they close for the season. But if the weather breaks, you could be the one smiling.