There's another reason to book a great golf vacation with one of the three Boyne USA Resorts in northern Michigan this summer.
Golfers staying on any Boyne 2012 golf packages now have the option to add a round of golf at Forest Dunes for significantly discounted rates starting at $59.
Forest Dunes Golf Club is a 7,104-yard, par 72, Tom Weiskopf course that has drawn comparisons to Augusta National and Pine Valley. Forest Dunes was named one of America's Greatest Golf Courses by Golf Digest in 2011/12 and Golfweek listed it among the Best Modern Courses in the publication's 2012 list.
Guests driving to or from Boyne properties along I-75 can easily book a round at Forest Dunes on the first, or last, day of their golf trip. The course is located in Roscommon just 60 miles south of Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls and 90 miles from Boyne Highlands Resort in Harbor Springs. Call BOYNE Central Reservations at 800-462-6963 to book.
As good as Boyne's other top courses are - namely Bay Harbor Golf Club designed by Arthur Hills and The Heather designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. - Forest Dunes might be the best of the bunch.
Showing posts with label Boyne USA Resorts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boyne USA Resorts. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Gary McCord's antics kicks off the 100th Michigan Amateur at Boyne Highlands Resort
When it comes to first-class golf organizations in Michigan, the Golf Association of Michigan and Boyne USA Resorts come immediately to mind.
Putting the two together is pure magic.
Today kicked off the 100th edition of The Michigan Amateur at The Heather course at Boyne Highlands Resort in Harbor Springs. This is a special week for the GAM. And Boyne, Michigan’s largest course operator, rolled out the red carpet for the affair. Monday was a great day for all to kick off the week.
Gary McCord, the sharp-tongued CBS announcer, did a clinic in the afternoon and was the special guest speaker at a spectacular Champions Dinner later that evening. While players were preparing with practice rounds on The Heather, a special outing was held on the Arthur Hills course. I hadn’t played the Hills in at least 3-4 years, so I couldn’t remember how good of a course it really was. It’s as fun as any in northern Michigan.
The green surrounds are tricky. Some are shaved. Others are carpeted with thick rough. Most greens are table-top, elevated plateaus that are hard to hit. The elevated 13th tee – which crashes downhill – might be the most scenic in the state. Check it out below.
True to form, McCord did more talking than hitting shots at his clinic after golf. He dove into a lot of heavy swing theory without taking too many swings himself. McCord – more famous for his mouth and his mustache than his game – went 22 years on the PGA Tour without a single win. Most people know him more as the announcer who was booted from The Masters for life than his handful of Champions Tour wins. He knows where his bread is buttered.
After the golf clinic, McCord and defending champion Joey Garber, a Petoskey High product fresh off an NCAA appearance with the University of Michigan golf team, held an intimate press conference. Garber mentioned that he's hitting his irons better than ever and doesn't feel pressure to defend. He's happy to be able to play in front of so many family and friends this week.
Then McCord held court on all topics, ranging from Rory McIlroy’s historic U.S. Open win to Tiger’s troubles. McCord wouldn’t touch the subject of Tiger too indepth because he repeatedly noted that “Tiger is keeping track” of all those who criticize or doubt him.
As only Boyne can, the Champions Dinner was a classy reception of several hundred people. Everybody was dressed up in jackets, and ties and the food was excellent. WJR’s Steve Courtney was a riot as the emcee. As soon as he got up on stage, he pulled out his wireless phone and said “Did anybody just get a text from former Senator Weiner?’
The gloves were off at that point. After guests met the past champions in attendance and had dinner, McCord knocked them dead with his tales of the “muni” where he grew up in southern California. His risqué stories of illegal aliens, uzis, bookies, gambling, a stay in jail and general debauchery with his friends named “Fairway Louie” and “20/20” (a blind guy) were off the hook. He ended the night with a story that he said “couldn’t leave the room.” I won’t break the code of brotherhood McCord made us swear by, but it involves David Feherty and ashes. You can take it from there.
Today the tournament kicked off with a ceremony that included Michigan Am. Legends Bud Stevens, Glenn Johnson and Peter Green this morning. After two days of stroke play, the tournament turns to match play to decide the champion on Saturday (weather permitting). Whatever happens this week on the course (see the iconic 18th hole below), it is sure to be a special one for the players and fans who attend. Another celebration like this probably won’t be held for another century.
To follow the action, visit gam.org, or to take a bite out of The Heather yourself after the tournament, check out boyne.com.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Michigan's golf season winds to an end
I've got my last round of golf scheduled, do you?
I'm planning to play this week not for fun but for work. I've had a few review products show up at my door that need to be tested before the weather turns sour.
I just got a facebook message that Manitou Passage is closed for the season. Most courses up north can't be far behind.
Now's the time to reflect on what's been a great season. Both the spring and fall weather was good enough to extend the season a couple weeks on either end, a pleasant surprise for courses that have been starved for revenue a couple years in a row. Boyne USA Resorts reported last week that this has been the longest golf season in its history. Several Boyne courses are scheduled to stay open until the end of the month.
Looking back, the summer weather was stunning. I read somewhere it was the fifth-warmest summer on record in metro Detroit. Most of the weekends were rain free. The weather stayed consistantly wonderful ... 80 to 85 and sunny from June to September.
There were some cool first-time events that I'll never forget, too. The grand opening of the Golf Club at Harbor Shores was as good as any event we've had in Michigan (Just as good as the 2008 PGA Championship and 2004 Ryder Cup if you ask me). Watching Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer was a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
Meeting Butch Harmon at the Loon Golf Resort in Gaylord for the opening of his golf school there was another treat. There's a chance he and Natalie Gulbis could return to the resort next summer, so stay tuned.
I even got the chance to play The Bear in its 25th anniversary. The legendary Jack Nicklaus design that spearheaded the growth of northern Michigan as a golf destination is as good as ever.
Speaking of bears, this blog will go into a bit of a hibernation mode as winter settles in.
But if big news breaks -- like if the PGA Tour decides to come back to Michigan in 2011 -- I'll post an update.
I'm planning to play this week not for fun but for work. I've had a few review products show up at my door that need to be tested before the weather turns sour.
I just got a facebook message that Manitou Passage is closed for the season. Most courses up north can't be far behind.
Now's the time to reflect on what's been a great season. Both the spring and fall weather was good enough to extend the season a couple weeks on either end, a pleasant surprise for courses that have been starved for revenue a couple years in a row. Boyne USA Resorts reported last week that this has been the longest golf season in its history. Several Boyne courses are scheduled to stay open until the end of the month.
Looking back, the summer weather was stunning. I read somewhere it was the fifth-warmest summer on record in metro Detroit. Most of the weekends were rain free. The weather stayed consistantly wonderful ... 80 to 85 and sunny from June to September.
There were some cool first-time events that I'll never forget, too. The grand opening of the Golf Club at Harbor Shores was as good as any event we've had in Michigan (Just as good as the 2008 PGA Championship and 2004 Ryder Cup if you ask me). Watching Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer was a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
Meeting Butch Harmon at the Loon Golf Resort in Gaylord for the opening of his golf school there was another treat. There's a chance he and Natalie Gulbis could return to the resort next summer, so stay tuned.
I even got the chance to play The Bear in its 25th anniversary. The legendary Jack Nicklaus design that spearheaded the growth of northern Michigan as a golf destination is as good as ever.
Speaking of bears, this blog will go into a bit of a hibernation mode as winter settles in.
But if big news breaks -- like if the PGA Tour decides to come back to Michigan in 2011 -- I'll post an update.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Golfers flock to Michigan Golf Show in Novi
There are all sorts of explanations why the Michigan Golf Show at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi was a hit last weekend.
The weather was mild and sunny, giving everybody a good excuse to get out of the house after a long winter. The Detroit Free Press reported that Sunday's temperature of 58 degrees was last experienced in the area Nov. 29. That's a long three-month stretch of cold solitude.
As the largest consumer golf show in the country, the Novi show has been popular stop for the past 19 years. Working at the Michigan Golf Magazine booth on Saturday, I was amazed at how many golfers drove in from Canada and Ohio just to check out the shenanigans. Courses and resorts were giving away their usual promotional rounds of free golf. Savvy fans printed out sticker labels with their names, e-mail and address on them so they could swoop from booth to booth in seconds for their shot at the prizes.
But the No. 1 reason for the show's success? The bargains were everywhere. The package prices if you signed up early and on the spot were insanely low. I'd never seen Boyne USA Resort packages so affordable.
Everybody who stopped at the Arcadia Bluffs booth were disappointed its prices were remaining the same, but the No. 1 course in the state can get away with that tactic, even in this economy.
I've been going to the show for more than a decade and Saturday's robust crowd was the busiest I've ever seen it. I doubt that will translate into a booming year for course owners and operators, but the signs that people want to play golf are at least encouraging.
John Hover, owner of True North Golf Club in Harbor Springs, said this show didn't have the gloom-and-doom feel of the past couple Michigan Golf Shows. He said the weather was a big reason for last summer's struggles.
If only that sun will shine a little stronger in 2010, everybody would be a lot happier ... bad economy or otherwise.
The weather was mild and sunny, giving everybody a good excuse to get out of the house after a long winter. The Detroit Free Press reported that Sunday's temperature of 58 degrees was last experienced in the area Nov. 29. That's a long three-month stretch of cold solitude.
As the largest consumer golf show in the country, the Novi show has been popular stop for the past 19 years. Working at the Michigan Golf Magazine booth on Saturday, I was amazed at how many golfers drove in from Canada and Ohio just to check out the shenanigans. Courses and resorts were giving away their usual promotional rounds of free golf. Savvy fans printed out sticker labels with their names, e-mail and address on them so they could swoop from booth to booth in seconds for their shot at the prizes.
But the No. 1 reason for the show's success? The bargains were everywhere. The package prices if you signed up early and on the spot were insanely low. I'd never seen Boyne USA Resort packages so affordable.
Everybody who stopped at the Arcadia Bluffs booth were disappointed its prices were remaining the same, but the No. 1 course in the state can get away with that tactic, even in this economy.
I've been going to the show for more than a decade and Saturday's robust crowd was the busiest I've ever seen it. I doubt that will translate into a booming year for course owners and operators, but the signs that people want to play golf are at least encouraging.
John Hover, owner of True North Golf Club in Harbor Springs, said this show didn't have the gloom-and-doom feel of the past couple Michigan Golf Shows. He said the weather was a big reason for last summer's struggles.
If only that sun will shine a little stronger in 2010, everybody would be a lot happier ... bad economy or otherwise.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Top Michigan golf courses worth every penny
If you didn’t know already that Michigan is among the best states in the country for the value of your golf dollar, a recent Golf Digest story just confirmed it.
In its feature about best municipal golf courses in the country, the magazine ranked the top 100 public courses by price, from least expensive to most. Amazingly, Michigan had four entries among the top 11 least expensive top-ranked courses. They were:
· No. 2 (tie), Shepherd’s Hollow in Clarkston at $60. The Arthur Hills designed 27-hole course is ranked 42nd among public courses in the country.
· No. 4, the Gailes at Lakewood Shores Resort at $65. The links-style course is ranked No. 69 among public courses.
· No. 9 Blake Lake in Onaway at $80. The Rees Jones layout is ranked No. 34 in the country among public courses.
· No. 11 (tie) Eagle Eye in Bath at $89. The course with an island green is ranked No. 47 among the country’s best public courses.
Four other Michigan courses are also among the top 52:
· No. 35 (tie), Tullymoore in Stanwood at $140. The Jim Engh design ranks No. 15.
· No. 37 (tie), Forest Dunes in Roscommon at $150. The Tom Weiskopf design ranks 18th.
· No. 46, Arcadia Bluffs at $180. The scenic gem ranks No. 10.
· No. 52 (tie), Bay Harbor in Petoskey at $199. The combo of the Links-Quarry nines ranks No. 62.
Most Michigan courses were already great buys, a byproduct of the competition of 800 public courses, the most in the country. But prices in the state have gone down dramatically the last three years, following the tumble of the auto industry. To keep customers coming in, courses have had to discount their rates. Some more than 15 to 20 percent at off-peak times.
Dave Richards, a golf marketing specialist, says that the golf packages Boyne USA Resorts has been advertising this summer for Boyne Highlands or Boyne Mountain are among the most value laden in the country for resorts of their caliber.
There are many ways to find a discount. The best one is to join a course’s e-mail marketing system. Owners and operators usually dole out impressive specials to the inboxes of loyal customers. Whether owners like it or not, discounted golf is here to stay in Michigan. It’s the best way to combat the rising unemployment and sour economy in this state.
In its feature about best municipal golf courses in the country, the magazine ranked the top 100 public courses by price, from least expensive to most. Amazingly, Michigan had four entries among the top 11 least expensive top-ranked courses. They were:
· No. 2 (tie), Shepherd’s Hollow in Clarkston at $60. The Arthur Hills designed 27-hole course is ranked 42nd among public courses in the country.
· No. 4, the Gailes at Lakewood Shores Resort at $65. The links-style course is ranked No. 69 among public courses.
· No. 9 Blake Lake in Onaway at $80. The Rees Jones layout is ranked No. 34 in the country among public courses.
· No. 11 (tie) Eagle Eye in Bath at $89. The course with an island green is ranked No. 47 among the country’s best public courses.
Four other Michigan courses are also among the top 52:
· No. 35 (tie), Tullymoore in Stanwood at $140. The Jim Engh design ranks No. 15.
· No. 37 (tie), Forest Dunes in Roscommon at $150. The Tom Weiskopf design ranks 18th.
· No. 46, Arcadia Bluffs at $180. The scenic gem ranks No. 10.
· No. 52 (tie), Bay Harbor in Petoskey at $199. The combo of the Links-Quarry nines ranks No. 62.
Most Michigan courses were already great buys, a byproduct of the competition of 800 public courses, the most in the country. But prices in the state have gone down dramatically the last three years, following the tumble of the auto industry. To keep customers coming in, courses have had to discount their rates. Some more than 15 to 20 percent at off-peak times.
Dave Richards, a golf marketing specialist, says that the golf packages Boyne USA Resorts has been advertising this summer for Boyne Highlands or Boyne Mountain are among the most value laden in the country for resorts of their caliber.
There are many ways to find a discount. The best one is to join a course’s e-mail marketing system. Owners and operators usually dole out impressive specials to the inboxes of loyal customers. Whether owners like it or not, discounted golf is here to stay in Michigan. It’s the best way to combat the rising unemployment and sour economy in this state.
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