Sugar Loaf is about 45 minutes north of Traverse City in Cedar on the southeast side of Little Traverse Lake.

The Old Course is a hilly, parkland layout along tree-lined fairways with multiple water hazards, and doglegs left and right, and a modest amount of sand traps along the fairways and greens. It was designed in the mid-1960s by C.D. Wagstaff. The course has four sets of tees from 4,816 yards to 6,787 from the tips. The Whites are at 6,118 yards, 70.5/129 course/slope ratings.