Sweetgrass Golf Club Jumps Two Spots on Golfweek's 'Best Casino Courses' List

The Paul Albanese-designed Sweetgrass Golf Club in Northern Michigan captured top-50 honors on Golfweek's "Best Casino Courses" list.

An amenity of the Island Resort & Casino, Sweetgrass climbed two places to claim the 26th spot in the ranking. The course has been included in the Top 50 for the past four years, and is the sole layout in the Great Lakes State on the 2013 list.

"Golfers love Sweetgrass for its challenging, and ultimately playable design," says Head Golf Professional Dave Douglas. "Championship conditioning and the course's walking proximity to the casino floor make it an easy choice for many Midwestern golfers."

Golfweek's elite rater panelists rank courses based on a series of criteria to determine a final score. This latest award is one of several garnered by Sweetgrass since its 2008 opening, including top accolades from GOLF Magazine, Golf Digest and Golfweek as well as several casino publications.

The layout welcomes the return of the LPGA Symetra Tour for its fourth consecutive year in early July for the Island Resort Championship.

Beyond its Tour-quality care, Sweetgrass boasts one of the best golf values on the list, with green fees starting at $80 and discounts offered for the casino's Island Club loyalty members. Early season stay-and-play packages begin at only $85 midweek.

The 24/7 gaming floor features more than 1,200 slot machines and a variety of table games including poker, Blackjack, craps and roulette. Five restaurants, private dining/banquet rooms, recently updated accommodations and weekly live entertainment draw visitors annually from the United States and Canada.

The course's 2014 rates and packages can be found on the resort's website.

For more information: www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com; 877-ISL-GREEN.