Indian River Greets Golfers In November
By Greg Johnson –
The Gaylord Golf Mecca’s 16 incredible golf courses had great 2026 golf seasons, and per tradition, one of them decided to stay open even into November.
Corey Crowell, the general manager at Indian River Golf Club, does it every year. He makes sure people have a place to play, at least until Halloween. Of course, even if you can’t make it to Indian River or have already put the clubs away for the winter, rest assured you are always welcome, and it’s never too early to start making plans for a Mecca visit next golf season.
While the Mecca is America’s favorite summer golf destination, you don’t have to limit your trip to the middle of summer. The courses usually open in early May and stay open as long as possible in October, and sometimes into November. That gives you almost six months to land a spot on the calendar for your pilgrimage to the Mecca. Fall golf, by the way, is tremendous. You get a color tour of beautiful Northern Michigan as you play. Of course, spring golf is great and the long summer days are special.
Crowell says the Mecca has had another wonderful year. “The weather this fall has been so nice, and we still may have a few nice days left, so we will be open, maybe until Thursday (Nov. 5),” he said. “I’ll be here, so we might as well be open if the weather is good.”
Just this past Friday, a group of golfers came off the course and talked about how great the course conditions were for them, even at the end of a long season. “You can still play, and still play on some great greens,” he said.
Crowell also sets up a temporary simulator after Christmas and New Year’s to let golfers keep the winter rust from forming on their golf swings. The course is also home to a popular restaurant called Birdies, which has winter hours, too.
Here’s the thing about the Mecca. Like Indian River, all the properties go out of their way to serve golfers, from helping you set up Mecca trips to getting in that single round or two when you’re in the area.
The dedication and cooperation from our member courses is the reason why the Gaylord Golf Mecca will celebrate 40 years of serving as America’s favorite summer golf destination in 2027.
