Doon Brae
If you’re not familiar with the outstanding golf at BOYNE Golf, you should be and here’s why: There are 10 stellar championship golf courses spread over three different resorts in Northern Michigan, arguably one of the best summer golf destinations in the country.
What’s even more remarkable, however, is that with each year, the resorts and golf at BOYNE continue to evolve, most notably with renovation work and the addition of a brand new short course and a putting course.
In other words, somehow, BOYNE Golf just keeps getting better and better.
And it’s been great for a long time.
New course on the block
Set to open in 2025, the new short course at BOYNE is named Doon Brae. Doon means “going down into a valley,” and Brae translates into “steep bank” or “hillside” in Scottish. It was built on the site of the former Cuff Links nine-hole, par-3 course set along the hillside that’s a ski slope during the winter months. It’s situated right behind the Main Lodge at BOYNE Highlands, one of the three different locations of BOYNE Golf.
This course, however, while meant to be casual, has lots of design elements in it. It’s routed such that golfers aren’t constantly climbing the hill to get to the next hole. And this design by Michigan-based architect Ray Hearn – who has been so instrumental in all the renovation work at BOYNE – includes all kinds of features, like sod bunkers, and even a Biarritz Green.
The new putting course is also immediately accessible from the back of the Main Lodge. The idea is to give every kind of golfer a fun opportunity to get into the game.
These two new additions are just a small part of what’s been going on lately at BOYNE Golf. A couple of years ago, a massive new Trackman driving range and practice facility opened at BOYNE Highlands between the Donald Ross Memorial Course and the Heather Course.
And the new range isn’t just for tech geeks. Groups and families can use it to play closest to the pin and other games. It’s all about entertaining, though the new range is also where the state-of-the-art BOYNE Golf Academy is located.
The academy is one of about 30 places around North America that offers the GEARS Golf system, which among other things, can fit you into the best-possible equipment for your game.
The BOYNE Golf range and practice facility
How it all began
It all started in 1947 when Everett Kircher, a former Studebaker car salesman from Detroit, acquired 40 acres of land with a modest ski hill for $1. He has since then built the largest family-owned golf and ski company in North America.
It was that first ski hill as well as an investment in a ski lift in Gatlinburg, Tenn., where daily lift rides generated the capital that allowed Kircher to acquire the land for The Highlands and expand into golf when he wanted to create summer activities to keep employees year-round.
As the game of golf was exploding on the scene in the 1960s, Kircher saw a demand for golf that warranted a championship layout from a renowned course architect, which at the time, was Robert Trent Jones Sr., who created The Heather course. It opened immediately as one of the top public golf courses in the country and would be the beginning to one of the premier world-class golf destinations in the world. In 2019, the Heather course was honored as the National Golf Course of the Year.
Today, Kircher’s vision has been passed on to his son Stephen, an accomplished golfer himself, and one who continues to elevate the BOYNE experience across golf, skiing, and lodging.
The Heather
The Incredible Bay Harbor
To appreciate what BOYNE Golf is all about is to see the course portfolio, the incredible lodging, dining, and a couple of other things to do when you are at one of the three resorts.
Any discussion of BOYNE Golf, however, has to start with its most spectacular course, Bay Harbor Golf Resort. Located on Lake Michigan, it’s been billed as the “Pebble Beach of the Midwest,” particularly when it comes to the Links Nine, most of which is perched on the cliffs above Lake Michigan. Because the lake is so large, of course, it looks like the sea, and the vantage point from several holes is awe-inspiring. Add in the incredible conditioning, quality and variety of the holes, and well, you get the picture.
The other two nines are stunning as well. The Quarry Course, built out of an old quarry as you might expect, has so many cool looks, and it too, opens up on the last couple of holes with more Lake Michigan views. On The Preserve, which is played more by the members than resort guests, the quality doesn’t drop off at all. You get more hardwood trees, and the final hole on The Preserve also brings in the shoreline.
In addition to Bay Harbor, golfers can also check out nearby Crooked Tree Golf Club, which is carved through stands of centuries-old hardwoods, while perched on bluffs overlooking Little Traverse Bay. It’s actually the only course of the 10 that Bay Harbor didn’t develop itself. Rather, it was purchased a few years ago, has been renovated, and presents a terrific golf experience on its own.
Finally staying at the Inn at Bay Harbor, located on the shores of Little Traverse Bay, is the cherry on top of this luxurious experience. This Victorian-style luxury resort is the ultimate summer getaway, offering spacious suites, fine and casual dining, spa facilities, and cabana loungers on the beach.
The Links at Bay Harbor
More upgrades at The Highlands
While Bay Harbor certainly offers the biggest wow factor of BOYNE Golf, The Highlands’ 72 holes of championship golf collectively offer a perfect golf experience where groups can check into the Main Lodge and never get back into their car during their stay. It’s that good, and as we mentioned earlier, it’s getting even better.
A major part of the resort’s golf transformation has occurred at the Donald Ross Memorial, which is a composite re-creation of classic golf holes Ross designed in the early part of the century at some of his most renowned courses.
Working with Hearn, a Donald Ross expert, significant renovations are bringing the holes even closer to their originals. This was the first resort destination to ever create a tribute course in honor of a legendary architect like Ross.
This course has been incredibly popular among guests and visitors, even during the renovation work that has closed down a hole or two. All of the holes – which include replicas from famous Ross courses such as Oak Hill Country Club, Oakland Hills, Seminole, and Aronomick and its diabolical green – have an “authentic” feel and look to them.
The other courses at The Highlands include the aforementioned Heather as well as The Moor, and the popular Arthur Hills Course (designed by Michigan native Arthur Hills).
The Moor is very player friendly, and is widely regarded as one of the members’ favorite tracks. It has also undergone renovations that include widening fairways, expanding collection areas around the greens with tree removal, and new bunker sand. And the Hills Course takes golfers through a variety of landscapes including the hills of Northern Michigan reaching a pinnacle on the 13th tee with a 50-mile view of the hills and mountains beyond.
Additionally, the Main Lodge has undergone significant renovations, transforming into a high-end boutique hotel that includes a new spa and steakhouse with accommodations that are reminiscent of an English country estate with Scottish Highlands charm.
Donald Ross Memorial
BOYNE Mountain stands tall
And finally, the third property, BOYNE Mountain, has been upgraded, too. Located 30 minutes south of The Highlands, BOYNE Mountain features a variety of lodging options including the Mountain Grand Lodge, condos, and the cool new Chalet Edelweiss located right on the hillside. Among the perks for guests of Chalet Edelweiss is a 24-hour self-serving spa with a steam room, sauna, and cold plunge.
There are also two fantastic golf courses at BOYNE Mountain, and they are sometimes overlooked. The Monument and Alpine courses have some of the most sweeping panoramas in the state. Both of them have received recent upgrades including tree removals to open up the holes, new mowing patterns, and even better conditioning, if that was possible. The Alpine Course is very player friendly, while the Monument, long considered one of the tougher layouts at BOYNE, is definitely easier to navigate, but still a very tough test.
And now there’s a bonus if you’re at BOYNE Mountain, the recently opened SkyBridge Michigan.
Billed as the world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge for pedestrians, it spans 1,200 feet between the peaks of McLouth to Disciples Ridges, 118 feet in the air. Open all year, the panoramic views are breathtaking. There’s even a glass floor portion of the bridge, which gives you a 360-degree look around and underneath you.
The cool thing about visiting BOYNE Resorts is that you’re in an incredible part of the state, where you can take in the charm of the nearby lakeside resort towns of Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Charlevoix, BOYNE City and Traverse City. And getting there is getting easier with more nonstop flights being added in recent years to Traverse City’s Cherry Capital Airport or short connections through Chicago or Detroit to Pellston Airport in Emmet County.
The Monument