Lake Huron's peaceful western shoreline has given birth to some of the finest golf in Michigan —and to a string of new courses that have sprouted in the past 10 years to make Michigan's Sunrise Side a golf destination of extraordinary flavor. Nothing from this land of rolling hills, hardwood forests, wetlands and sand, cuts to the heart of Sunrise Side quite like The Sunrise Challenge. It treats golfers to a 72 or 90-hole tour of terrific courses crafted by marquee designers and to first class accommodations at Thunder Bay Resort in Hillman, between Alpena and Gaylord.

Black Lake (Rees Jones), Elk Ridge (Jerry Matthews), and Red Hawk (Arthur Hills) make up a golfers batting order laden with state and national awards. The Sunrise Challenge is the only package available where you can play 3 of the top 8 public courses in Michigan according to Golf Digest's 2001 Best in State ranking. Add to these three heavyweights the strategic golf course at Thunder Bay Resort as well as deluxe, up-north lodging and you have all you could ever dream of in a Michigan golf package.

Red Hawk Golf Club East Tawas on Lake Huron, is a perfect stop along the Sunrise Challenge pathway. Arthur Hills has given Red Hawk a classic feel while taking full advantage of the glacier-carved hills and valleys in the area. Red Hawk is ranked as Michigan's #3 public course by Great Lakes Golf 2003. Most recently, Red Hawk was voted as having the Best Service in the Great Lakes in the 2003 Great Lakes Golf Magazine Player's Choice Awards. The course is carved out of a mature forest of huge oak, maple, birch, beech and pine trees. Each hole is unique, offering a distinct challenge to the low handicapper while remaining fair for the beginner.

Elk Ridge Golf Club has earned a reputation for premium conditions and spectacluar glimpses of nature. This is contry where wildlife has flourished—from elk to bald eagles. The wilderness gave way to one of the most challenging 18-hole experiences in Michigan's northlands - a course that offers a test to any level of golfer, thanks to its rolling fairways, doglegs, marshes, and wetlands. Elk Ridge is a vast course covering 400 impressive acres and allowing for a variety of different shots. Elk Ridge has received numerous awards including being named the #8 public course in Michigan by Golf Digest in 2001. Most people consider Elk Ridge to be Architect Jerry Matthews's finest work to date, which is saying a lot to be sure.

Black Lake Golf Club is located in Onaway and is part of a 1000-acre forest retreat - the UAW's Walter and May Reuther Family Education Center. Rees Jones, the respected architect whose work restoring U.S. Open courses has earned him special status, has brought a classic feel to Black Lake. Holes mesh seamlessly with the surrounding terrain and dense tree lines. Greens are built largely on plateaus, with bunkers recessed into the faces, giving Black Lake an old-fashioned northeastern look. Black Lake was named the #2 Best New Upscale Public Course in America by Golf Digest in 2000.

The centerpiece to the Sunrise Challenge is the host property, Thunder Bay Golf Resort. Known also for its elk-viewing/gourmet dinner tours, Thunder Bay Resort features a golf course of excellent shot-quality, as well as a layout that treats visitors to a sampling of Northern Michigan's natural pluses. New cart paths, additional tees, and an enhanced maintenance program have made this course even more inviting.

The Sunrise Challenge included five rounds of championship golf over four days, and three nights of lodging in Thunder Bay Resort's large luxury villas, chalets or suites. Foursomes find accommodations at Thunder Bay to be perfect for socializing, card playing or simply relaxing after a day on the links. The Sunrise Challenge package rates range from just $85 to $115 per day with quad occupancy. Black Lake Golf Club has also made it possible for UAW members and their guests to receive preferred package pricing.

The Sunrise challenge brings it all together - dramatic designs, friendly staffs, great food, and a quality and quantity of golf not likely to be matched anywhere in the Midwest. Call 1-800-729 9375, and visit the websites at WWW.THUNDERBAYGOLF.COM, WWW.BLACKLAKEGOLF.COM, WWW.ELKRIDGEGOLF.COM, AND WWW.REDHAWKGOLF.NET.