Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls, MI

No golf trip to Northern Michigan is complete without a visit to Boyne Resorts near Petoskey, MI. In my mind, no other Michigan golf resort offers the variety of golf courses that Boyne has. Golfers have the opportunity to play ten uniquely different golf courses; stay in a variety of accommodations designed to meet anyone’s needs and dine at some incredible restaurants.

Recently, I was able to play several courses in the Boyne Resorts lineup including two of my favorite courses, the Alpine and the Monument at Boyne Mountain. Regardless of which course you play, both start with a one-mile drive up the mountain to the first tees. Then it’s all downhill from there, so to speak. Each of the resort’s 36 holes presents a challenge in its own right and uses every aspect of the beautiful northern Michigan terrain, from the summit of the ski slopes to tee boxes with views of the lake. The Alpine Course plays host to Michigan's Tournament of Champions each year and offers stunning panoramic views of Deer Lake from its mountain setting. Since you’re starting at the top of the mountain, most holes play downhill, and well-hit drives are rewarded with much more manageable approach shots. The forgiving greens will give you more confidence in your short game, something that will come in handy at Boyne’s two off-property courses – Crooked Tree Golf Club and Bay Harbor.

Boyne continues to reinvest in the infrastructure of their golf courses which will pay huge dividends down the road and have an immediate impact on their golf courses. For example, work was recently completed on the Central Irrigation installation on Donald Ross Memorial and Arthur Hills courses. This new system can be controlled remotely and is significantly more efficient. There were also upgrades to the pump houses and irrigation systems on several other courses and a brand new system that services The Heather and The Moor courses.

Other improvements include over five miles of new cart path on The Heather, Arthur Hills, and Donald Ross Memorial golf courses, and taking measures to speed up play on a couple of courses.

Perhaps the biggest news at Boyne this year is that during the summer of 2023, construction began on the Ray Hearn completely redesigned nine-hole short course which will be routed across a sloping site set among fescue grasses. Hole length will range from 8 to 120 yards. “Hearn will be recreating nine of his favorite greens from Scotland, Ireland, and England. With no formal tees golfers will have the opportunity to put tees anywhere they want so they can play shots from different lies and angles.