Sage Run Golf Club (Island Resort)

Paul Albanese opened Sage Run at Island Resort & Casino in 2018 as the second 18-hole course on the Hannahville Indian Community property, complementing the prairie-links Sweetgrass with a routing built around a natural drumlin, an elongated glacial-formed ridge that becomes the primary architectural feature. In 2019 Sage Run was named the #4 Best New Public Course in America by Golf Digest, one of only five public layouts to make the list. The course meanders through Upper Peninsula hardwoods and open vistas with dramatic elevation changes that distinguish it from Sweetgrass next door. Casino-resort pricing keeps it in the $$ band. For a UP trip with 36 holes per day, Sweetgrass + Sage Run pairs naturally, distinct designs from the same architect on the same property, both worth playing.