By Fred Altvater
Two of the best kept secrets in Michigan are The Nightmare and The Dream golf courses near West Branch, owned and operated by the Courtemanche family.
The Dream opened for play in 1997 and The Nightmare came six years later in 2003. Both courses feature wide forgiving fairways with beautifully designed and well maintained greens.
In the late 1960’s Art Courtemanche owned a trucking business, but was looking for other business opportunities. While listening to his friends talk about their golf experiences, he decided it would be a good idea to build a golf course.
North of Bay City, near Pinconning, he found a suitable property. Armed with a bulldozer, front end loader and excavator, Art and his sons, Tom and Dan spent their evenings building and shaping the Green Hills Golf Course, which opened in 1971. Art put his family to work operating the new endeavor and it became successful.
As they grew older Tom and Dan dreamed of owning their own course. In 1994 the acreage that is now, The Dream, near West Branch became available and the brothers bought it. The course was a hit with local golfers, plus the prime location along I-75 drew in golfers heading farther north. Their new course was a hit and five years after opening The Dream, they purchased a piece of property near their first course on which they constructed The Nightmare.
Be advised, the name, Nightmare has nothing to do with the difficulty of the course. It is simply a play off the name of their sister course, The Dream. Both courses are a joy to play and are always maintained to tournament quality.
The courses offer multiple tee options for every skill level. Women and juniors will like the forgiveness and appreciate the rolling terrain with subtle breaks on the greens. From the back tees The Dream can play up to 7,000 yards and The Nightmare maxes out at 7,019 yards. Both will provide a true test for the avid golfer.
You will not play any course, that charges double the green fee, in better condition than these two beauties. I have played both courses on numerous occasions and have found them to be in excellent condition on every visit. In addition, the naturally rolling sand hills of the area provide an aesthetically pleasing round for every golfer.
For over fifty years the Courtemanche family has persevered in the golf business, plus added a fourth course in nearby Gladwin, owned and operated by their sister and her husband, Jann and John Schumacher.
One note, neither The Nightmare, nor The Dream have a liquor license. These may be the only golf courses, you will ever play, that allows golfers to bring their own adult refreshments to the course.
If you have a golf group heading farther north to play at Gaylord, Garland, Forest Dunes, or Boyne, why not add The Nightmare and The Dream to your golf junket? They are two of the best courses you can play, plus they won’t deplete your wallet. Weekday green fees are as low as $60.00, including cart and range balls.
With ‘stay & play’ packages available, you might want to consider making The Dream and The Nightmare your final destination. Learn more, or reserve a tee time at: http://www.thedream.golf/.
