Southwest Michigan Golf & Second Homes | A Chicago Buyer’s Guide
For Chicago golfers, Southwest Michigan can be easy to think of as a weekend destination: pick a course, book a room, play a couple of rounds and head back home Sunday afternoon.
But look at the map a little differently and another possibility starts to emerge.
What if, instead of choosing one golf resort for the weekend, you had a Southwest Michigan home base surrounded by courses worth playing again and again?
From the Lake Doster area, you can build an entire golf season around championship resort courses, distinctive public layouts, historic private-club golf and Lake Michigan destination golf. Then add the rest of Southwest Michigan: inland lakes, Lake Michigan beaches, fishing charters, boating, trails, wineries, breweries, restaurants and the small towns that make exploring this corner of Michigan part of the experience.
Suddenly, the question isn't simply where to play this weekend. It might be whether you'd like a place here to come back to.
Exploring a brand new construction home located on the 17 green at Lake Doster and an introduction to the Southwest Michigan Golf Communities can be the first step. Come along and let us introduce you to just a few of the amazing golf opportnities nearby.
Lake Doster Golf Club — Everyday Golf Living
Lake Doster Golf Club offers something different from the larger destination courses.
It is woven directly into the surrounding residential community, creating the possibility of golf becoming part of everyday life rather than an excursion you have to plan.
Lake Doster is a semi-private club that welcomes public play and offers individual, couple and family memberships. Its membership program also includes men's and women's golf associations, men's and women's leagues, a couples league, member events and other club activities.
The golf experience includes:
rolling Southwest Michigan terrain
mature trees and established surroundings
strategic but approachable golf
league and social play
a semi-private club atmosphere
public tee times
driving range
oversized practice putting green
golf shop
lessons
outings and events
For someone accustomed to Chicago-area golf costs, traffic and congestion, the appeal isn't simply having another course nearby.
It's the possibility of having a home course in your backyard.
What If the 17th Fairway Were in Your Backyard?
Imagine reading on your deck…..and being able to enjoy watching golfers navigate the 17th green.
That's what makes 237 Markus Glen at Lake Doster particularly interesting for someone considering a Southwest Michigan second home.
This new Cornerstone home overlooks the 17th fairway at Lake Doster Golf Club, but the golf-course setting is only part of the story.
Main floor Primary suite, laundry and living space with 3 additional bedrooms upstairs and a walkout basement ready for your dreams.
Main floor at 237 Markus Glen
The upper floor plan of 237 Markus Glen. Note the huge flex space/bedroom above the garage. Amazing space
The layout makes unusual sense as a getaway because it can live relatively small when the owners are there alone—and become a very different house when everyone comes to visit.
Why Markus Glen could make an exceptional Southwest Michigan golf home base:
Golf-course setting overlooking Lake Doster's 17th fairway.
Main-floor primary suite that allows the owners to keep most everyday living on the main level.
Main-floor kitchen, dining, living and laundry, making a weekend for two uncomplicated.
Four additional bedrooms upstairs, creating a separate sleeping area for children, grandchildren, friends or the rest of the foursome.
Five bedrooms and 2½ baths overall, with approximately 2,459 finished square feet.
Three-car garage, giving a second-home owner valuable space for vehicles, golf clubs, bicycles, kayaks and the equipment that tends to follow a Michigan lifestyle.
Unfinished walkout lower level, providing an opportunity to create another substantial living or recreation area.
Lower-level bath potential, with plumbing already planned for an additional bathroom.
Potential private guest suite, with the walkout making the lower level particularly interesting for visitors who would appreciate more separation.
Potential golf and fitness training center. The approximately 8-foot basement ceiling means a full-driver simulator should be tested against the individual golfer's height, swing and final ceiling clearances rather than promised. But the unfinished space could still be designed around putting, chipping, fitness, strength and mobility training, launch-monitor work or a simulator configuration appropriate to the available height.
New construction, reducing the appeal of spending precious Michigan weekends catching up on an older second home's deferred projects.
Lake Doster itself should be understood correctly. Ownership of Markus Glen does not provide power-boating rights on Lake Doster. A separate beach membership may provide an opportunity for swimming, kayaking and other permitted beach activities.
But that hardly leaves a second-home owner without water.
Southwest Michigan is lake country.
Like the Location, But Want to Build A Different Plan?
This lot is one of 2 available yet on the green. Floor plans are available and your selections can guide the finishes.
This may be one of the most interesting parts of the Lake Doster opportunity.
237 Markus Glen isn't the only Cornerstone opportunity here.
Cornerstone Construction currently has two additional lots adjacent to the Lake Doster golf course that can be reserved for a future build.
That creates a very different option for someone who falls in love with the golf setting but wants the home itself to work differently.
Rather than waiting for another finished golf-course home to come onto the market, a buyer can explore building a semi-custom or custom Cornerstone home on one of these remaining opportunities.
That might mean:
choosing a different Cornerstone floor plan
emphasizing main-floor living
creating a larger or different primary suite
planning more deliberately for frequent weekend guests
adding a dedicated office or flex room
designing better golf, bicycle and recreation storage
considering a lower level around fitness, entertainment or golf practice
creating additional guest accommodations
planning outdoor living around the golf-course setting
or working with Cornerstone to explore a more individualized home
For a second-home buyer, that can be particularly valuable.
You may not need the same house you would build as your primary residence in Chicago.
Maybe you want easy main-floor living for two and generous guest space when the kids arrive.
Maybe you want fewer formal rooms and more recreation space.
Maybe the garage needs to accommodate golf equipment, bicycles and kayaks rather than simply cars.
Maybe you want the lower level planned from the beginning around weekends with friends.
Or perhaps you're thinking farther ahead and want a home that could eventually become more than a weekend property.
That's where the conversation becomes more interesting than simply asking:
“Do we like this house?”
It becomes:
“If this is where we'd like to spend our time, what kind of house would we want here?”
Jason Veenstra and the Veenstra Team can help buyers explore the available Lake Doster opportunities with Cornerstone, understand the different building paths and determine whether an existing home, a semi-custom Cornerstone plan or a more individualized build makes the most sense.
The Secret Advantage: Lake Doster Sits in the Middle of a Championship Golf Region
A home course is great.
A home course surrounded by an entire collection of courses worth traveling to play is considerably better.
And that's where this part of Southwest Michigan becomes particularly compelling for a serious golfer.
Gull Lake View Golf Resort
Six Courses. 108 Holes. One Remarkable Golf Region.
Gull Lake View isn't simply another nearby course.
It is one of Southwest Michigan's major golf destinations, with six championship courses and 108 holes spread among four nearby locations.
The resort reports that all six courses have earned Golf Digest ratings of 4½ stars or higher.
Put another way:
You could play 18 holes a day for six days without playing the same hole twice.
For a golfer with a home base nearby, that changes Gull Lake View from a destination you visit once into a collection you can spend years getting to know.
Stoatin Brae
Stoatin Brae provides one of the region's most distinctive golf experiences.
Perched on one of Kalamazoo County's highest points, it is a windswept links-style course that feels deliberately different from traditional wooded Midwest golf.
Golfers come for:
panoramic countryside views
open links-style design
wind as part of the strategy
firm playing characteristics
dramatic elevation and sightlines
a course consistently recognized among Michigan's best
This isn't simply another course in the rotation.
It's the kind of course that gives you a reason to invite your Chicago golf friends up for the weekend.
Stonehedge North
Stonehedge North moves between grassy, wind-exposed holes and forested terrain, with significant elevation changes creating a very different experience from Stoatin Brae.
Expect:
rolling terrain
wooded corridors
elevation changes
varied shot-making
beautiful Southwest Michigan scenery
Stonehedge South
Stonehedge South is set among dramatic rolling and forested countryside and has developed its own following among golfers who appreciate the combination of scenery, conditioning and shot variety.
Gull Lake View East & West
These are the courses where the Gull Lake View story began.
The East Course uses hilly terrain and numerous natural water hazards to create strategic decisions throughout the round.
Together, East and West provide the more classic side of the Gull Lake View experience:
elevation movement
mature surroundings
strategic shot-making
risk-reward opportunities
layouts that reward learning them over repeated rounds
And there is still Bedford Valley, completing the six-course collection.
For a second-home owner, that's the real attraction: Gull Lake View isn't one Saturday tee time.
It's practically a golf itinerary of its own.
Harbor Shores Golf Club — Championship Golf Meets Lake Michigan
If Lake Doster represents everyday golf, Harbor Shores represents the destination day.
The public Jack Nicklaus Signature Course in Benton Harbor has hosted the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship multiple times and takes golfers through four dramatically different environments.
The round progresses through:
inland terrain
Lake Michigan dunes
woodlands and ravines
river and wetland terrain along the Paw Paw River and Ox Creek
Holes 7 through 9 bring golfers into the dunes with dramatic Lake Michigan views before the course transitions again.
Harbor Shores describes itself as the only Jack Nicklaus Signature Course on Lake Michigan.
And for the Chicago golfer, there's another interesting piece of perspective: Harbor Shores promotes itself as roughly 90 minutes from Chicago.
When Lake Doster is your home base, Harbor Shores doesn't need to be the golf vacation.
It can simply be today's round.
Pair it with lunch, Lake Michigan, a beach walk, St. Joseph or a fishing charter, and championship golf becomes part of a larger Southwest Michigan day.
Angels Crossing Golf Club — A Modern Classic in Vicksburg
A welcome site for those who love good golf in Southwest MI
Angels Crossing was designed by W. Bruce Matthews III around Golden Age design principles.
Its inspiration includes celebrated courses such as:
Shinnecock Hills
Country Club of Charleston
Fox Chapel
The result is a community-owned course built across approximately 350 acres with:
generous fairways
large, contoured greens
bold bunkering
prairie grasses
wetlands
Portage Creek
Barton Lake views
multiple tee options
The objective wasn't simply to make the course difficult. It was to create strategic choices that change depending on the golfer's position and the day's pin locations.
Its practice facilities add another reason to visit, with a driving range featuring 15 hitting stations and three target greens, plus putting, chipping and bunker practice areas.
For golfers who enjoy architecture and strategy as much as score, Angels Crossing deserves a place in the rotation.
In the middle of the renovation at the Kalamazoo Country Club
Kalamazoo Country Club — A Deep Golf Tradition
Even the storage garage at the Kalamazoo Country Club is classy.
Kalamazoo Country Club adds the private-club side of Southwest Michigan's golf culture.
Its Better Ball Invitational dates to 1954 and has developed into one of the region's enduring amateur golf traditions.
The tournament's history includes generations of accomplished amateur golfers as well as players who went on to PGA Tour careers.
The club has also been deeply connected to Michigan PGA leadership and elite golf instruction. Longtime head golf professional Richard Stewart became a Michigan PGA Hall of Fame inductee after more than 40 years at KCC.
The greater Kalamazoo golf community has produced notable golf talent and champions, including accomplished Michigan amateur champions and PGA professionals.
That history demonstrates something larger about the region:
Southwest Michigan doesn't merely have golf courses. It has golf culture.
For a serious golfer considering spending considerably more time here, that distinction matters. We have created a separate video and blog post that introduces you to the amazing rebuilding that is happening at the Kalamazoo Country Club.
Check them out here!
More Outstanding Golf to Put in the Rotation
Island Hills Golf Club — Centreville
220 acres adjacent to Lake Templene
Designed by award-winning architect Raymond Hearn, Island Hills spreads across approximately 220 acres adjacent to Lake Templene.
The course transitions through remarkably varied landscapes:
open meadow and prairie
hardwood forest
farmland
wetlands
creeks and streams
rolling pasture
lake views
Six tee locations on each hole make the course approachable for different abilities while preserving the strategic challenge for stronger players.
Island Hills also operates an extensive practice facility with driving range, putting green, chipping area and practice bunker.
It's the sort of course that makes the drive itself part of discovering another corner of Southwest Michigan.
The Lynx Golf Club — Otsego
The Lynx provides a very different public-golf experience close to Lake Doster.
Both nines begin and finish at one of the highest points on the property, roughly 120 feet above the Kalamazoo River.
Its signature 10th hole includes an approximately 85-foot elevation drop from tee to fairway.
The appeal includes:
dramatic elevation
Kalamazoo River views
public daily-fee golf
scenic surroundings
approachable atmosphere
the feeling of getting farther “up north” without actually driving there
For a Lake Doster owner, this is exactly the kind of course that can become a spontaneous afternoon round rather than an organized golf trip.
Golf can be a wonderful family activity and way to enjoy the SW Michigan region
Milham Park Golf Club — Kalamazoo
Milham Park is proof that a memorable Southwest Michigan golf rotation doesn't have to consist entirely of destination-priced courses.
This municipal course occupies approximately 130 acres on Kalamazoo's south side.
Its first nine dates to 1931, with the second nine opening in 1936.
Today, golfers know it for:
mature surroundings
18-hole, par-72 layout
strong conditioning
practice facilities
city and county tournament history
remarkably approachable public pricing
That mixture—destination golf one day and a well-kept municipal course the next—is part of what makes the region so much fun to explore.
You have loved visiting here.
Perhaps you've spent years coming to Michigan for weekends.
A golf trip.
A beach weekend.
A winery weekend.
A fishing trip.
A fall-color drive.
Eventually, there's another question worth asking:
What if you didn't have to fit Southwest Michigan into a weekend itinerary?
Imagine this being your SW MI vacation home and base for all the golf and recreation in SW MI.
Imagine arriving at your own place Friday evening.
Saturday morning, you walk out to a golf-course view and decide whether today's round is Lake Doster, Stoatin Brae, Stonehedge or somewhere you've never played.
Maybe Sunday isn't golf at all.
Head to Gull Lake. Spend a day on Lake Michigan. Book a fishing charter. Bike a section of the Kal-Haven Trail. Wander South Haven or Saugatuck. Visit a winery or brewery. Find a restaurant in a town you've never stopped in before.
And next weekend, do something completely different.
Southwest Michigan offers the unusual combination of:
championship and destination golf
approachable everyday golf
inland lakes
Lake Michigan
beaches
fishing charters
boat-club opportunities
kayaking and paddling
hiking and biking
wineries and breweries
restaurants and farm markets
small towns worth exploring
rolling countryside
and enough variety that owning here doesn't have to mean doing the same thing every weekend
By the Way, A Second Home Doesn't Have to Mean Owning a Second Boat
So…even the most avid golfers like to do other outdoor activities and boating is certainly a relaxing and fun way to relax. One of the more interesting possibilities for a Chicago second-home buyer is nearby Gull Lake.
Gull Lake is a large all-sports inland lake, and Carefree Boat Club operates a Gull Lake location in Richland as well as a South Haven location on Lake Michigan.
That creates an intriguing alternative to purchasing, storing, maintaining and winterizing another boat.
A membership can provide access to the club's fleet at its locations rather than requiring you to trailer a club boat from lake to lake. The local club specifically promotes two different boating experiences: Gull Lake for inland boating and South Haven for Lake Michigan, with reciprocal privileges at participating Carefree clubs elsewhere.
That could mean:
golf at Lake Doster one day
inland boating on Gull Lake the next
a Lake Michigan day out of South Haven
and no second boat sitting in the garage waiting to be maintained
And boat-club membership is only one option.
Southwest Michigan contains dozens of inland lakes with public boating-access opportunities within day-trip range, giving owners who bring or keep their own boat an enormous variety of water to explore.
Then there is Lake Michigan itself.
South Haven offers charter fishing, paddling, boating and miles of lakeshore recreation. For someone who loves fishing, a summer weekend can just as easily be built around an early-morning Lake Michigan charter as an early tee time.
That's part of what makes this region different from owning a house in a conventional golf development.
The golf can be the anchor without having to be the entire lifestyle.
Winter sports in SW Michigan are plentiful.
And the great thing about SW MI is that the season doesn't necessarily end when the golf clubs go away.
Southwest Michigan's colder months bring:
downhill skiing
snowboarding
cross-country skiing
winter hiking
snowmobiling
winter trails
Lake Michigan winter scenery
restaurants, breweries and wineries without summer crowds
and weekends where staying home by the fire may be the entire plan
The Kal-Haven Trail connecting the Kalamazoo area toward South Haven is another example of how recreation here extends beyond the golf season.
That changes both the economics and the emotional appeal of a second home.
You're not necessarily buying a place to use for ten summer weekends.
You're creating a four-season base for exploring Southwest Michigan.
You Don't Have to Figure Out Southwest Michigan by Yourself
This is an important part of the conversation, especially if your primary home is in Chicagoland.
Looking at properties online is easy.
Understanding where you would actually enjoy owning one is much harder.
Southwest Michigan isn't one market or one lifestyle.
A golf-course home at Lake Doster is different from a home near Gull Lake. South Haven provides a different experience from the Kalamazoo area. A new Cornerstone home solves different problems than a 30-year-old lake house. A home directly on the water may sound perfect until you compare the cost, maintenance and seasonal demands with living nearby and having easier access to several different kinds of recreation.
Jason Veenstra with the Veenstra Team
That's where Jason Veenstra and the Veenstra Team can become your Southwest Michigan real estate guides rather than simply the people who open the door to one listing.
We can help you:
explore different Southwest Michigan communities before deciding where to focus
compare golf-course, lake-area and traditional residential options
investigate new construction and existing homes
understand the differences between builders and building opportunities
explore Cornerstone's available homes, lots and semi-custom possibilities
identify other builders and new-construction opportunities when they better fit what you're trying to accomplish
compare the convenience of new construction with the character and location advantages of resale homes
think through whether you really want waterfront—or simply want easy access to the water
understand which areas make the most sense for the things you actually want to do
and ultimately help you make a wise real estate decision rather than simply sell you the first Michigan house you like
237 Markus Glen may be the right answer. Or one of Cornerstone's two additional golf-course lots may be the right answer. There are only 2 lots available so reserving one might be a priority if you are interested in a different plan. Cornerstone Construction makes building a semi custom home a pleasurable experience. You don’t have thousands of decisions to make….Cornerstone has been building homes for more than 40 years and has proven plans that work with your lifestyle AND YOU get to make the “FUN CHOICES” that personalize your home.
THe Veenstra Tean has been serving home buyers and sellers in SW MI for almost 40 years and our family team has over over 70 years of experience and can introduce you to SW MI. You may find snother new-construction home, golf community, lake-area property or resale home somewhere else in Southwest Michigan.
You don’t have to have to have all your ducks in a row to get started. Sometimes the best first step is simply: “We're starting to think it might be fun to have a place in Michigan. Can you help us explore what that could look like?” The Veenstra Team will be helpful in listening and asking questions so you gain clarity!
SO….What is the next step?
Let’s have a conversation - no commitment and no cost and you walk away with increased clarity
Schedule a 30 Minute Zoom Meeting bit.ly/MovingToKalamazooMISurvey
For a Chicago golfer, Southwest Michigan already makes a compelling golf destination.
But having a home here changes the question.
You don't need to choose one resort.
You don't need to squeeze three rounds into 48 hours.
And you don't necessarily need to head back Sunday afternoon wondering when you'll get here again.
You can have a home course. You can work from home and enjoy a round of golf right out your back door.
You can keep a running list of courses you still want to play.
You can invite friends up for a golf weekend and have bedrooms for them when they arrive.
You can leave the clubs in Michigan.
And on the weekends when nobody feels like playing 18? There is an entire corner of Michigan waiting outside the door.
That is what makes owning a second home in MI an intriguing option. So many choices! Perhaps most importantly, the house doesn't have to be the starting point at all. Start with the lifestyle you are imagining and share your vision with us. We can help you navigate the options.
Golf. Lake Michigan. Inland lakes. Boating. Fishing. Small towns. Restaurants. Trails. Family weekends. A quieter place to escape to. Maybe someday, a place where you spend considerably more of your time.
Jason Veenstra and the Veenstra Team are experts at helping you explore Southwest Michigan and finding—or building—the home that makes your dream lifestyle possible.
Having a conversation does not obligate you in any way! You get to ask questions and share your vision. 269-350-5514.
Want to See More of Southwest Michigan?
If you’re curious about what it’s really like to live, build, buy a second home, or make a move in Southwest Michigan, follow the Veenstra Team’s Living in Kalamazoo MI YouTube channel. Jason Veenstra takes you beyond the listings to explore Kalamazoo and the surrounding communities, including neighborhoods, golf courses, lakes, new construction, local destinations, housing options, and the everyday lifestyle that makes this part of Michigan worth discovering. Whether a move is nine days away, nine months away, or still just an idea, our videos are designed to help you explore your options before you ever need to make a decision. Subscribe and turn on notifications to keep discovering Southwest Michigan with us.
▶ Watch & Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@LivingInKalamazooMI
Have questions about making Southwest Michigan work for you? Call or text the Veenstra Team at 269-350-5514, email sold@veenstrateam.com, or schedule a complimentary virtual consultation with Jason.
Schedule a 30 Minute Zoom Meeting bit.ly/MovingToKalamazooMISurvey
