"Michigan is the most economical state in the U.S. to play golf in," says Bernie Friedrich, Boyne USA's director of golf. "Some of these golf courses would cost you $250 to play if you were in Vegas."
Our journey starts at Forest Dunes, in Roscommon, in Central Northern Michigan. In the middle of nowhere and then some. We are warned to drive very slowly and watch for deer on our drive into the property at night. Sure enough, four or five deer amble onto the road.
The course is cut into the rugged wilderness beauty of the Huron National Forest. It's a smorgasbord of sand dunes, pine forests, birch groves and grasslands, a brilliant homage to golf at its purest roots. It's definitely a walk on the wild side, with plenty of wildlife riding shotgun.
Six tee blocks stretch the layout up to 7,100 yards from the tips. If you're looking to settle up a bet, there's also a unique 19th hole (and it's not the beer tap at the bar), with a mid-green bunker.
"When you've finished playing 18 holes, you've used every club in your bag," says Forest Dunes GM Mark Gurnow. "No two holes are the same."
Forest Dunes, designed by Tom Weiskopf, has a string of awards. Among the notches in its belt: No. 2 in Michigan's Top 50 Public Golf Courses from Michigan Golf Magazine, a mention in America's Top 100 Greatest Public Courses from Golf Digest and No. 1 in Reader's Choice Awards, Top 50 Public Courses from Golf World.
"Holes 13 through 18 have a rollercoaster effect," says course superintendent Jim Bluck. "There's an emotional ebb and flow. And to me, it's the last six holes that make me want to play the course again."
"It will challenge a scratch golfer and a 25-handicapper can still come here and have a great time," says head pro Donny Fisher. "Our average customer comes from three hours away. We made a tee time today from Denmark. We get a lot of Canadians here. You won't see another course like this in Michigan. Our real focus is to go private. Anybody who plays here is treated like a member."
Weiskopf says: "I consider this course to be one of the best I have ever been involved with in the U.S." And who's to doubt a former British Open champion, with 15 other PGA titles under his belt?
There are packages available from $179 a night, with golf for as low as $80 after Aug. 25. See forestdunesgolf.com.
From there, we're off to Dunmaglas Golf Club (dunmaglas.com), in Charlevoix, a hidden treasure on our trip. It sure doesn't look like much from the road. You might mistake it for a barn and some pasture, but the course was a treat that's been tamed a bit over the years, taking away some gimmickry to make it an enjoyable experience, despite my less-than-stellar round of 103.
Boyne vacation resorts owns a series of eight golf courses in northern Michigan, including its flagship, Bay Harbor
The golf at Bay Harbor offers spectacular variety, with three sets of nine holes, from The Links, a stunning series of holes along the Lake Michigan shoreline playing out below 140-ft. cliffs and sand dunes; The Quarry, a 40-ft gorge with shale cliffs, ponds and a waterfall; and The Preserve, a natural forest and meadow course with Lake Michigan as the backdrop.
After a 45 on The Links (the signature seventh hole, where I scored a double-bogey five, has been ranked in the top 500 holes in the world by Golf Digest), The Quarry ate me alive as I scored a 52. I put up a fight at The Preserve, but the elements won, with me scoring a 48.
Then, it's off to Boyne Highlands. I shot an 83 at The Arthur Hills course, a 42 followed by a 41, with a seven on the risk-reward hole showing I likely made the wrong decision when I attempted to power a hybrid over the water on my second shot into the par-15 18th. Again, it was a tremendous experience on a terrific course, which stretched out to 7,312 yards from the tips.
"Ontario is a large market for us," says Boyne's PR manager Erin Ernst.
For more info, check out boyne.com/golf.
I shot my best round of the week at Cedar River Golf Club, a Weiskopf design affiliated with Shanty Creek Resorts, half an hour northeast of Traverse City (ShantyCreek.com). The course, ranked among Golf Magazine's Top 10 New Courses in the Country in 2000, didn't set up particularly well for me. But I shot an 82, with some magical shots to go along with the three sixes I carded. With dramatic changes in elevation, the course is plenty challenging, starting out through the woods before emerging into a meadow where you whack the ball through a stretch of holes around a lake. No question, the course has plenty of character. With four tee blocks, the course plays up to 6,989 yards.
The Shanty Creek Resort offers 600 rooms, with plenty of extras. You can get packages for as low as $109 (unlimited golf, one night stay, breakfast and a golf clinic included). A great way to close a great week.
The cat's out of the bag. Northern Michigan has some wonderful golf courses within few five irons and a pitching wedge of home.
There's plenty of info available at.michigan.org. Fore!
tim.baines@sunmedia.ca
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