Walking Nine: Forest Dunes Golf Course Part 2

The golf course that started it all at Forest Dunes Golf Resort is the aptly named Forest Dunes Golf Course.

A unique Tom Weiskopf design that features a traditional, tree-lined front nine (called the forest nine) and a more native, sand dune based, back nine (called the dunes nine).

Built in 2002, Forest Dunes has lived within Golf Digest’s Top 30 public courses since 2007, currently residing at number 28. As Golf Digest puts it, “(the course) has portions that look like Augusta National (pristine turf, pines and gleaming white sand bunkers) and other portions that look like Pine Valley (rugged holes edged by native sand dunes deposited by the nearby Au Sable River).”

This is my first time on a top 30 course and it definitely lives up to it’s ranking. The fairways are immaculate, the greens pristine, and the combination of the two styles makes for a fun and continually challenging 18 holes.

Forest Dunes also has what is called a “Bye Hole”, which is a 19th hole meant to settle any remaining bets. Between the cheers over at the 18-hole putting green called The Hilltop and those coming from shots on the Bye Hole, there just seems to be a natural buzz and general joy while sitting between the two at the outdoor bar. You can’t help but smile.

The resort is as close to golf heaven as I’ve ever been.

I play the final two holes, plus the fun 19th, with Don Helinski, the Director of Operations for the resort, and we talk about all of this, plus some interesting history regarding the previous residents of the land in which the resort resides.

This is Walking Nine: Forest Dunes Golf Resort, Part 2.

Walking Nine: Forest Dunes Golf Resort, Part 2: Forest Dunes Golf Course

Roughly five and half hours from Chicago and an hour and a half from any “big” city (Traverse City), Forest Dunes Golf Resort, in Northern Michigan, is home to three of the top 50 public golf courses in the country, according to Golf Digest.