Forest Dunes still a magical place

The Forest Dunes Golf Club in Roscommon is celebrating an awkward 10th anniversary this summer.

Technically, 2011 should be its 12th anniversary, but after the 7,141-yard course was designed by Tom Weiskopf in 1999, it was shuttered the entire 2000 season before being revived to finally open in 2001.

The financial challenges that hindered the club from the start are still there (it is for sale), but there's no doubting this club's star power. It is one of the most dramatic, thought-provoking, soul-stirring layouts anywhere, ranking 20th on Golf Digest's list of top 100 public courses. The 22,000-square-foot timber clubhouse and 20-acre practice area are just as good. And the professionalism brought by Troon Golf, the management company, further enhances the experience.

And this side of Oakland Hills Country Club, there might not be another club in Michigan more pristine than Forest Dunes. Superintendent Jim Bluck is one of the best. His attention to detail -- such as handwatering fairways and greens -- had the course looking like a Miss America candidate when I played it earlier this week. The greens were running a cool 12 on the stimpmeter. Find me another club, public or private, in the state sporting those green speeds in this heat. There is only one other course in the state with A-4 bentgrass greens.

Weiskopf's masterpiece doesn't have a weakness. There is infinite variety. Seemingly every shot has a hero line that comes with a price if it isn't executed. The front nine cuts through northern woods with the back nine opening to sandy waste areas and meadows.

I hate course reviews that list hole by hole, but to do justice to Forest Dunes, I'll need to point out all the strong candidates to be the signature hole. There are more than half a dozen.

* The par-5 fifth, called "Mason Trail," is the longest hole on the course at 602 yards and requires two precise shots just to stay in position to hit the green for a third.
* The 375-yard sixth hole -- "Gamble" -- showcases Weiskopf's expertise for risk-reward. Playing safely up the left side of the split fairway sets up a blind approach that is extremely difficult. The other choice is to bomb a drive 200 yards from the blue tees over a bunker, while avoiding a tree in the middle of the split fairway, for an easier approach. I chose the latter and was rewarded with birdie.
* Two trees -- hence the name "goalpost" -- flank each side of the seventh green. If you're out of position like I was on this 531-yard par 5, you must decide between going over or under these obstacles to hit the green.
* The fairway of the par-4 eighth, "Forest Edge" doglegs hard right to reveal a green fronted by a pond and the striking setting near the lake and clubhouse. Everything from the fairway and green funnels to the water, so be very careful here.
* The 203-yard ninth (seen below) is the most scenic on the course. Players hit over the lake to a green in the shadow of the clubhouse.
* Although the 10th is another hole with a split fairway, I love the 12th, a sweeping 397-yard par 4 among the trees that bends left off the tee. A pond guards the front right portion of the green.
* The 13th is short at 373 yards, but the green is the toughest on the course with severe falloff zones on the right side. The hole name, "Twins", comes from the two trees along the fairway that can block the approach.
* Another feature worth pointing out, the sunken green at the end of the par-5 558-yard 15th hole, is superb, but the course's crescendo comes at No. 17, a wickedly fun drivable par 4. Or is it? I've played Forest Dunes a handful of times and never seen anybody do it. The tee shot is so intimidating with a massive waste bunker up the entire left side that even a layup shot is unnerving. The green bleeds from right to left, so any shot coming from the fairway on the right to the pin on the right has almost no chance of sticking close. I was lucky enough to hit the fairway along the proper line with a 7 wood and make birdie to close out my match.

The par-5 18th is very strong as well. The 19th hole -- no, not the bar -- provides one more opportunity to settle all bets. This "bye hole" plays roughly 100 yards over a pond to a large, canted green with a bunker in the middle.



Those who stay for dinner are rewarded with a fine menu and service.

There are drawbacks to coming to Forest Dunes -- the insects can be overbearing, the price tag isn't cheap ($130-$155) and the course is off the beaten path in the middle of the Huron National Forest.

But to those who love golf, this is one of the handful of rounds in Michigan that will stick with you a lifetime. It's that good.

Stay-and-play packages are available for six homes on property. For more, visit Forestdunesgolf.com.