Escape to BOYNE Golf - The Flagship of America's Summer Golf Capital
Whether you’re a golfing purist or just a golfer who loves playing in beautiful places, it only takes one visit to discover why Northern Michigan has become one of America’s premier summer golf and vacation destinations. From mile after mile of majestic Lake Michigan coastline, towering sand dunes, idyllic small towns, deep hardwood forests, vast serene lakes, meandering rivers and breathtaking elevations, Northern Michigan brings you face to face with pristine nature at its finest.
The region showcases one of the most enchanting- and plentiful - golf destinations in the country. The quality and abundance of unforgettable golf courses by top architects in this region can make a multi-day trip daunting to plan, so it pays to put your trust in an experienced local who knows how to best optimize the region’s unusually long summer days.
Unsurprisingly, many seasoned visitors to the area will suggest booking a golf journey “Up North” with the region’s leading brand in resort golf experiences, BOYNE Golf. With 10 acclaimed golf courses sprawling across three separate and distinctive resort properties and an abundance of packages to fit a broad array of itineraries, you can’t go wrong putting your next golf trip in the hands of the folks who’ve been curating the destination in Northern Michigan for more than 70 years.
So, how does one golf destination present 10 different golfing experiences? Starting in Harbor Springs, Boyne Highlands greets you with a stately inn resembling a Scottish country estate and four sensational golf courses, all carved through 3,500 acres of densely forested terrain. New for 2022 will be the renovated elegant luxury accommodations, which are part of a major transformation to the iconic resort. Boyne Highlands made its name as a golf property in 1966, when Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed the Heather Course. One of Michigan’s premier courses, the classic parkland layout was recognized as the 2019 Golf Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association.
Boyne Highland’s Donald Ross Memorial Course pays homage to the spectacular design work performed by the legendary designer, including holes from Seminole, Oakland Hills, Oak Hill, Pinehurst, Inverness, Bob O’Link, and Aronomink, among others. A current renovation is taking place to bring in even more Ross feel to various holes. The Arthur Hills course uses the most dramatic land on the property. And, indeed, the tremendous elevation changes on the 13th hole allow for not just a great hole but a breathtaking 40-mile view of Northern Michigan forests. The Moor Course, which is also undergoing renovations to create more fun for golfing guests, is a members’ favorite. The course twists and turns through the forested land where dogleg par-4s are the dominant theme.
In nearby Petoskey, BOYNE Golf’s flagship property, Inn at Bay Harbor and Bay Harbor Golf Club are draped along Lake Michigan and Little Traverse Bay. Bay Harbor Golf Club offers 27 dazzling holes designed by Arthur Hills that are played in three 18-hole combinations (Links/Quarry, Quarry/Preserve, and Preserve/Links). With its thrilling views and excellent shot values, Bay Harbor’s Links/Quarry routing has been a staple on Golf Digest’s biannual list of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.
The Links course is full of daring, imaginative holes with the reachable 490-yard par-5 seventh, providing big-time thrills and a shot at glory if you hit a long drive into a narrow landing area. The Quarry is full of fantastic holes, but the three finishing holes are noteworthy. The par-4 seventh features an intimidating tee shot over rocks and wetlands, followed by the iconic eighth to an island green in the lake, and a finish with a most beautiful green setting along the shoreline. While more understated in its routing, The Preserve plays well up to the lofty standards of the Links and Quarry. Winding extensively through the hardwoods for much of the nine, The Preserve, like the Quarry, also opens to the calming Lake Michigan shoreline.
As part of the Bay Harbor experience, located right across the street, scenic 18-hole Crooked Tree Golf Club is perched atop a scenic bluff facing the Inn with breathtaking views of the Bay. This course delivers stellar panoramic views and an underrated stretch of quality, finely maintained golf holes.
At Boyne Mountain Resort, a scenic 20-minute drive south of Petoskey, the Alpine and Monument courses open with a breathtaking 10-minute golf cart ride from the clubhouse upwards to the first tees providing players a good indication of the type of topography over which the courses were built.
Both courses weave its way from atop the mountain down toward beautiful Deer Lake featuring fantastic views. The Alpine combines the scenic mountain golf with beautiful parkland holes, while its counterpart the Monument, features a bit more rugged land with an epic island green finish.
BOYNE Golf guests can enjoy award-winning spas, waterfront dining, sandy beaches, watersports, gaming, microbreweries, wineries, hiking, biking, tennis, zip-lining, shopping and more capped by the spectacular million-dollar northern Michigan sunsets. Getting there has never been easier with airport upgrades at Boyne Mountain Resort and direct service from 17 U.S cities into Traverse City (TVC).
For more information, visit BOYNEGolf.com
or call 877.269.8034