BOYNE Golf Continues to Surprise and Delight - By Neal Kotlarek
Way back in 1963, President John F. Kennedy reminded us that the world does not stand still. “Change is the law of life,” he declared. “And those who only look to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.”
Knowingly or not, the visionaries behind BOYNE Golf in Northern Michigan have fully embraced Kennedy’s words. At a time when so many golf properties across the country have settled in to enjoy the fruits of America’s post-pandemic embrace of the game, the myriad of golf courses, hotels and amenities that make up the Boyne properties have been continuously expanded, upgraded and a few even created from scratch.
As background, BOYNE Golf incorporates three hotels across a relatively short expanse of Michigan that includes Boyne Falls, Harbor Springs and Bay Harbor. Stationed at or around the hotels are 10 delightful, challenging and amazingly diverse golf courses, including two Boyne Mountain courses, Crooked Tree Golf Club, four courses at The Highlands courses and three at Bay Harbor Golf Club. Ask someone who has played any or all of them over past years and they will tell you that all 10 are picture-postcard-perfect in beauty and conditioning. That said, each course has either recently received marked improvements or is slated for such in coming months and years.
How do you improve perfection? Bernie Friedrich, director of golf course development and renovation for Boyne Resorts (and 2023 National PGA Executive of the Year) laughed at the question when interviewed in early May). “Like everything else in life, golf courses change as they mature. Maybe the bunkers have filled in. Maybe the greens have gotten smaller than the architect originally intended. Maybe a course’s drainage system needs to be improved . . . With 10 courses to manage, we try to stay on top of how we can provide the optimal golf experience for our guests and members. So that involves critical assessments of each aspect of the courses—from the design to the maintenance to the playability to the tree coverage.”
Friedrich cited the famed Donald Ross Memorial Course at The Highlands at Harbor Springs as a prime example. “Technology has really helped us understand the subtleties involved in the architecture of Donald Ross,” Friedrich said. When that course was built, famous Ross holes from around the world were emulated to provide players with the look and feel of a Ross design. “But all these decades later,” Friedrich continued, “we were provided access to the original drawings of these famous holes and even received satellite imagery of what those holes look like at their origin courses.”
BOYNE Golf employed prominent Michigan architect Raymond Hearn to review each course in the portfolio and provide input on improving the player’s experience. “Regarding the Donald Ross Memorial Course,” Hearn said in a May interview, “we talked about providing guests with a true ‘Donald Ross Experience’ that hopefully provides insights on how Ross challenged players, particularly on approach shots.” Given access to original sketches, maps and photos of some of the greatest Ross courses, the architect could convey the intricacies of Ross designs.
“The fact is,” Hearn said, “most of us will never have the chance to experience some of the great Ross works at those great private clubs like Aronimink, Seminole and Inverness. The single goal of the renovation project was to provide players with the next best option.”
Fans of great golf architecture are treated to the works of many of the world’s premier designers on any extended trip to BOYNE Golf. The Monument Course at Boyne Mountain incorporates holes inspired by the greatest holes of Dr. Alister Mackenzie, George Fazio, Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and Pete Dye. And speaking of Jones, Sr., his 1966 masterpiece The Heather Golf Course is located at The Highlands and remains one of Michigan’s premier layouts. Along with The Heather and the Donald Ross Memorial Course, The Highlands also features the roiling and rolling Arthur Hills Course. Any golf trip should include this tract on the itinerary as the par-5 No. 13 begins from a tee built on top of the world and descends across and over a valley before climbing up and down a knoll toward a massive green.
“The golf industry has experienced amazing growth following the pandemic years,” said Ken Griffin, director of sales and marketing for BOYNE Golf. “We’ve seen new interest in golf by couples, women, juniors, and groups. Golf has always been a social game of inclusiveness. We have responded to these new channels by reimaging our properties, including expanded services and activities, new luxury accommodations at The Highlands and Boyne Mountain Resort, and food offerings that span all preferences from grab-and-go to fine dining.”
Along with amenities that include swimming pools, an indoor waterpark, ziplining, horseback riding, and Segway tours, the resorts continue to expand with a European Spa and a 1,203-feet-long pedestrian Sky Bridge at Boyne Mountain to provide exhilarating views and light displays of that vast property. “We pride ourselves on locating unique ways to enhance the Boyne experience,” Griffin said. “We want to provide ‘wow experiences’ to new and returning guests.”
In total, the three anchor Boyne properties offer hundreds of accommodation options, from the elegant cottages and suites at the Inn at Bay Harbor (a Marriot Autograph property) to family villas at Boyne Mountain; townhomes at The Highlands and charming, affordable hotel rooms at each resort.
Golf, of course, remains a point of emphasis at all three Boyne Resorts. Located in Boyne Falls, Boyne Mountain is renowned across all of Michigan for its towering and popular ski hills. Parts of those hills serve double duty during spring, summer, and fall in the designs of both the Alpine and Monument courses. Players get to understand the size and scale of both courses right out of the gate as the ride between the clubhouse and the first tee takes you up the mountain for a magnificent view and tees us towering drives toward fairways below. The Monument Course incorporates the aforementioned tribute holes, while The Alpine course- which serves as the annual host to the Michigan PGA’s Tournament of Champions—offers up breathtaking views on holes lined with soaring trees.
Designed by Art Hills, the 27 holes at Bay Harbor Golf Club are three unique 9-hole courses, each with a different landscape. The Links takes players alongside cliffs hugging Lake Michigan. The stunning par-5 No. 7 highlights the Scottish links-inspired course, which serves up a huge tee shot landing area between mounds and a thick rough. Following a well-placed second shot, which avoids the perilous right side of the fairway, the approach must keep to the right side of the putting surface, which hovers above the lake. You will need an additional few minutes following the hole to take photos of your foursome standing behind this green seemingly on the edge of the world.
The Quarry nine reminds of that property’s humble roots as grounds for a cement factory decommissioned in the 1980s. One hole calls for a tee shot over a 40-foot gorge while others weave around the quarry and around natural ponds and wetlands. The par-3 No. 8 features Lake Michigan as both a backdrop and a hazard behind the green. No. 9 is a memorable finishing hole lined by the lake on the left and drops down to a huge green protected on the right side by a massive bunker.
The Preserve is nestled in a hardwood forest and abounds with wildflowers, native wetlands, and wildlife. After eight holes through the woods, the course ends on a 186-yard par-3 featuring a sloping green poised above the crystal blue waters of Lake Michigan.
Located just across the highway from Bay Harbor, Crooked Tree Golf Club provides 18 perfectly manicured championship holes perched high on bluffs overlooking Little Traverse Bay. No trip to Bay Harbor is complete without drinks and dinner at the opulent Inn at Bay Harbor. A gourmet dinner on the veranda overlooking the lake will make for the most memorable meal of your year.
Two new golf experiences will become available at The Highlands next year. Doon Brae, a 9-hole short course designed by Hearn, is built along the base of the property’s sprawling ski hill. It will feature greens inspired by some of the legendary putting surface designs on British Isles courses. Next to the first tee of Doon Brae will rest a massive Himalayas-style putting green.
“This is a really interesting and exciting project,” said Hearn. “Since Boyne has a diverse clientele, which includes avid groups of golfers along with couples and families, the goal was to make a course that would be fun for every level of player. The course is laid out on the side of an impressive ski hill, so the goal was to have the majority of holes downhill and sidehill to reduce the number of uphill climbs required to navigate the nine holes. The emphasis will be on fun!” By the time Doon Brae and the Putting Area open next year, don’t be surprised if more plans are unveiled for even more amenities at the three resorts.
“Our vision of Boyne Resorts goes well beyond 2030,” said Friedrich. “If you like what we have offered golfers, families, and couples up until now, stay tuned for even greater and better experiences in the coming days, months, and years.”
To book a trip or for more information, visit BoyneGolf.com or call 877.269.8038. Let one of their experienced agents help you plan your dream golf vacation.