Forest Dunes

The original course at Forest Dunes and still one of the top 15 in the state. One of Weiskopf’s best and a must play in the state. The strength of the course is the terrific u I wud layout that effortlessly transitions from forested
Holes to sandy dunes ones.

The 17th drivable par four is a favorite as well as the 19tg hole par 3 with a bunker in the green.

Has to be seen to be believed. A truly reversible course that plays in both directions! The first time golfer should buckle up and plan for a beyond fast and form course and the need for a serious ground game!

The greens on this course are as unique and wild as they get and the amount of thought and planning that went into them to play in both directions had to have been staggering.

I played The Loop three times in two days; Black once and Red twice (practice round on the Red and then one round each in a tournament, ironically, my practice round was 5 strokes better than both of my tournament rounds).

Bring your ground game is what I was told (over and over again) before heading to Forest Dunes to play the Loop... my big discovery was that, despite putting in some time working on it just for this course, my ground game isn't very good. This should not dissuade you from bringing it if you've got it.

Hard fast fairways, followed by hard fast greens that are nearly impossible to hold at times (especially in the wind that I played in) lead to a really different experience than you can't find many places in the US (at least in my experience). Landing well short of the greens and running up led to my best scoring holes... I also wasn't thinking twice about putting from 20-30 feet off the green once I got over my fear of doing so. It's just that kind of course.

For the most part, all of this course (both ways) is in front of you and there are no tricks, it's just great links(ish) golf. I say "ish" because there is no water whatsoever and most of the lies are flat... in fact most of the course is flat. But my drives went further than I have any reasonable right to expect them to and my approach shots did as well (often running off the green until I got the swing of things). Once we (as a group) got over having to adjust to the greens, we all enjoyed the challenge.

While most of the lightly forested areas off the fairways are receptive to finding your balls (and the fairways are pretty wide and open), do be weary of the fairway bunkers... native grasses growing within them as well as rough edges and contours can make them harder to get out of then the other "hazard" areas.

I've heard people complain about the lack of visual charm on The Loop - especially as compared to the original Forest Dunes course - but to me this is part of why I liked it so much. While Forest Dunes is a (fantastic) resort'ish course, The Loop is a completely different (rustic/utilitarian/more difficult) feel and, for me, it's a significant feature to have both of these versions of golf available at the same venue.

I was really surprised as to how well Doak managed to make the holes play both ways without feeling tricked out or awkward. The only hole that I thought was questionable at all was 8 on Black, which is a par three into a green that slopes pretty significantly away from the tee box... it's just really hard (in my limited experience) to keep a ball on this green. To be fair, there is no danger in running off, other than a long putt/chip.

As I mentioned, I had the pleasure of playing both courses in one day as part of a tournament (The dual, held three times a year), whether you do that or stay a couple days and get both in that way, I highly recommend playing the course both ways to fully appreciate the genius of Doak's work.

While you're there, you'll certainly benefit from the outstanding service (a big part of why I've been back to Forest Dunes multiple times) and you should take the time to play the putting course as well as the short par 3 Bootlegger course. Forest Dunes is simply a terrific destination for golf and I can't wait to get back there again, if I were you, I'd make plans to go as well.

Long review, so for the TL;DR crown, here a short reader ROI...

1. Fantastic, beautiful course in terrific condition
2. A tee box for everyone, receptive and fair greens
3. Next level service experience
4. *Completely* different golf experience than the Loop, if your playing both during your stay

Forest Dunes was one of the first truly special golf courses I've played. I first played it in 2017 before I had played places like Bandon, Sand Hollow, the Prairie Club or Spyglass (to name a few examples), so I went in prepared for it to be not quite a great as I first thought it was. This turned out to be a false concern... Forest Dunes is as great as my first impression led me to believe.

Cut through forest and rolling sand every hole is scenic, challenging, and - largely - unique. After my first round there my favorite hole was split fairway par 4 sixth and, while I still love that hole, I think I may have switched allegiances to the par 4 ,12th. It's just a beautiful (yet rather simple) hole, with a pretty open fairway and a dogleg left into a green semi-protected by water front right... yet still very accessible.

This course is almost perfectly manicured from tee to green with the biggest flaws I found being unfixed ball marks on the greens (obviously not the clubs fault). I found the greens to be fair and roll nicely, the speed was good, but never punitive (*very* different than the Loop, if you go and play both, be sure to use the practice green for whatever course you play second for a bit before you jump on). I only found the sand once and it played very well, light and deep enough to take your normal sand swing and get the expected results.

Again, in a stark contrast to the Loop, your drives on this course are more a function of carry than roll out, so tee it high and let it fly. I had several tee shots that wound up within just a couple yards (sometimes feet) of where they landed. The greens were very receptive to approach shots and you can certainly put up a score here if you are on the right tee boxes for your skill level. On that note, there is no real reason not to be, Forest Dunes has 5 tee boxes before getting into combo tees... there is a proper length/difficulty for everyone here.

The courses defense is multifaceted, which I appreciated. It uses angles on several holes, strategic bunkering on others, and course management (with a few different risk/reward plays available throughout the course) on many. With the exception of a truly wayward shot into the thick scrub lining the course, not-good shots are not overly punished here, and in most cases, if you can find/see your ball, you can recover decently.

On thing I like about the course is that there are few side by side holes, so you rarely actually feel the presence of other golfers (although I did "take the opportunity" to share a fairway waste-area between 10 and 18 with some golfers going the other way while playing 10), It's just kind of you and the trees. My wife and I stopped multiple times to just enjoy the sound of the wind going through the trees... and pretty much nothing else (caveat to this: in the afternoon, as you play 10 and 18, you probably will hear the music coming from the Bootlegger short course).

I cannot say enough about the service at Forest Dunes. From the clubhouse, to the starters, to the random maintenance person driving by on a cart in the parking lot... everyone on the property seems genuinely vested in you enjoying your stay. It's worth noting that this is not the "snooty" kind of "invested" you might receive at some high end places, it's more of a family/good friend investment vibe. Attention to detail is nice as well... I had a morning time on the Loop (Red) and then an afternoon time on the Dunes... the first thing the starter at the Dunes asked me was how my found at the Loop way, the second thing he said was "this is a different course" and then talked about speed of fairways, greens, etc. It was great.

There is no doubt I'll be back to Forest Dunes as soon as I'm able to be, and I highly recommend visiting and playing, it's is one of my favorite all time courses and the culture/environment only adds to that.

Making my second trip back to the Loop made me remember just how much I love this golf course. The unique style of the course is fascinating; it gives players the opportunity to play shots that they would likely never have to play anywhere else. The condition of the course was excellent, the greens barely had a ball mark on them and they rolled fast and true. Golfers who cannot embrace the firm and fast conditions of the course and the ground game required for many shots will likely not enjoy their round. But for those that due, the course is an awesome and fun experience. The wide open fairways also facilitate a very good pace of play. On a packed Saturday, our foursome got around the course in just over four hours and waited on only a handful of holes. Our foursome consisted of handicaps between 0 and 14, and all of us ranked this course as our first or second favorite on a trip that included 6 courses, 3 of which are in the Golf Digest Top 100 Public. The wide open nature of the course also makes it a great buddies trip stop as the course is very accommodating to higher handicappers who will probably enjoy never losing a ball. Embrace the idea of how you're supposed to play this course and its unique challenge and you'll have an amazing experience!

The course was amazing. It was in great shape and was a real challenge for all levels of golfers. We played the combo tees to ensure members of our group would enjoy the track and was very much a challenging experience for of us all. Par 3 were long and we protecting by big bunkers. There were a wide variety of par 4s, #14 being the toughest. The par 5s required great tee shots and accurate approaches.

This would certainly be a course I recommend to anyone that enjoys a golf focused escape!

FOREST DUNES THE LOOP (RED & BLACK)
This is one of the most interesting golf courses I’ve ever played. The golf course is very well maintained. The greens were slightly fast and putting them was a pleasure. The ever changing tee pads were very unique and the routing was so very much fun. We actually met the course superintendent and he was a pleasure to chat with. He thinks the course should be played 3-4 times each direction to figure it out. After playing each direction only once...I agree. But I think this (these?) layout needs a little more time to mature.

The staff and services were good, but not quite in the excellent category (see my Forest Dunes write-up for more detail). The driving range, chipping area and the Hilltop (large putting course) were all very good. The driving range seemed very sandy, but that was a minor inconvenience. There is now a 10 hole Par 3 short course available, but my group did not play it, but it looks great!

I think the food/drink options were good, but they seemed a bit overpriced. But the atmosphere on the patio made the food and drink worth it.

Again my central complaint about this course is the LOUD MUSIC and seeming unawareness of some of the members to realize that many of us traveled a long way to play here, and we did not want to hear there music or hear there group to group banter.

If you can get past the Bushwood atmosphere (or be lucky enough to play where there wasn’t a party on the course), it’s a great experience.

I have to break this down into three parts: Golf Course, Staff/Services, and Golf Environment:
1. Golf Course: Tom Weiskopf did an outstanding job with this routing. Plenty of length for the long hitters and plenty of golf course for everybody else. There are 5 sets of tees and also a combo set to satisfy all tastes. The course provided the opportunity to use every club in the bag, as well as giving a reachable par 5 (maybe two), a driveable par 4 (for longer hitters), a long par 3, and a short par 3. The two finishing holes on both front and back nines are some of the best I’ve played. There are some elevation changes and plenty of changing green complexes. This course was manicured in an excellent manner as well. The greens were fast but receptive, but the fairways were a bit soft (some rain earlier in the week). I EASILY give this golf course a 5-star rating.
2. Staff and services: All of the Pro Shop staff were very courteous, and very customer oriented. The starters were all very friendly, knowledgeable and wanted to be sure all the guests had an opportunity to have a great time and that all the groups started on time. The outside staff were friendly and accommodating. We had requested caddies for our foursome, but somehow that got mixed up and we only had a forecaddie available. Our forecaddie was friendly, but truly provided no real additional knowledge that we did not gather fo ourselves from our hand-held GPS. His green reading was average. Our group determined that the $30/player would have been better spent on souvenirs from the Pro Shop.
3. Golf Environment: This is the area that needs MOST IMPROVEMENT if Forest Dunes wants to be held in the same regard as a golf destination as Whistling Straits, Bandon Dunes, etc. Imagine going to play Pinehurst, and Bushwood Country Club breaks out...That was much to our surprise. VERY LOUD MUSIC coming from multiple carts, 5+ hour round and course assistants that did nothing to move groups along. Many groups were yelling back & forth and just generally had no regard for normal golf course etiquette. At one point in the afternoon, we were told by a course assistant “To play ready golf, so every group can finish before dark.” But nothing was done to speed up play. We were told that “a couple of groups were holding everyone up (but nothing was done to remedy the pace). We were already on #15 and had been playing ready golf since the round started, so the admonishment to play ready golf did not sit well with us, as we waited almost every shot.

All this being said, Forrest Dunes is an excellent golf course and was lots of fun to play. I would go back there again, I would just have a better idea what to expect.

FOREST DUNES THE LOOP (RED & BLACK)
This is one of the most interesting golf courses I’ve ever played. The golf course is very well maintained. The greens were slightly fast and putting them was a pleasure. The ever changing tee pads were very unique and the routing was so very much fun. We actually met the course superintendent and he was a pleasure to chat with. He thinks the course should be played 3-4 times each direction to figure it out. After playing each direction only once...I agree. But I think this (these?) layout needs a little more time to mature.

The staff and services were good, but not quite in the excellent category (see my Forest Dunes write-up for more detail). The driving range, chipping area and the Hilltop (large putting course) were all very good. The driving range seemed very sandy, but that was a minor inconvenience. There is now a 10 hole Par 3 short course available, but my group did not play it, but it looks great!

I think the food/drink options were good, but they seemed a bit overpriced. But the atmosphere on the patio made the food and drink worth it.

Again my central complaint about this course is the LOUD MUSIC and seeming unawareness of some of the members to realize that many of us traveled a long way to play here, and we did not want to hear there music or hear there group to group banter.

If you can get past the Bushwood atmosphere (or be lucky enough to play where there wasn’t a party on the course), it’s a great experience.

The Good: The Loop at Forest Dunes, designed by the great Tom Doak in 2016, is one of the most unique golf experiences in the Midwest. A reverse routing with 18 green complexes and fairways that can be played either way on consecutive days, it has some of the most severe and fun greens that I’ve played. The Black course has better Par-4’s in my opinion compared to the Red design, particularly on the front nine. The green complexes for this routing appear even more interesting & challenging compared to the Red. Course conditions are meant to be extremely firm and fast, so they aren’t nearly as pristine as its sibling Forest Dunes. Now a full-fledged resort with the additional of many great lodging options, it has a huge, immaculate clubhouse with full restaurant and very nice outdoor dining area with views of the 9th & 18th of the Weiskopf course. Great service and very accommodating staff.

The Bad: Those expecting a beautifully conditioned resort course will be disappointed, but those that enjoy the bump-&-run style of play will be overjoyed. The concept of the design is brilliant; however I felt that several greens felt “out of place” on the Black compared to the Red. Perhaps this is simply because I played the Red routing first and it caused bias but of the green complexes are borderline unfair. Lacks some of the on-course amenities compared to Forest Dunes.

The Verdict: While many marvel at The Loop, particularly the Red routing, as their favorite course in Michigan, I don’t rank it quite as high. It’s a unorthodox concept that is brilliantly executed, but the Forest Dunes course is more my cup of tea. With that said, it’s a magically fun place to spend an afternoon with buddies and beers.

Best Hole: The long, 450-yard first hole is a TOUGH Par-4 to open. Typically into the wind, it is a demanding way to start your day.

The Good: Forest Dunes in Roscommon, MI (about 30 minutes south of Gaylord) is an impeccably conditioned Tom Weiskopf design with beautiful contrasting nines that wind through woodlands on the front and sand dunes on the closing nine. What this Northwoods course lacks in lake views and elevation change makes up with fun, strategic holes with several interesting doglegs, excellent Par-3’s, and a super closing Par-5. Now a full-fledged resort with the additional of many great lodging options, it has a huge, immaculate clubhouse with full restaurant and very nice outdoor dining area with views of the 9th & 18th. Great service and very accommodating staff. Very solid amenities including expansive practice area and several comfort stations throughout the course. Decent value at $160 peak season considering the conditioning and overall experience.

The Bad: The golf carts lacking GPS is a little bit of a bummer. The greens putt very true but the complexes aren’t as interesting as the Loop and many of the other courses in the area. If you’re staying at one of the houses off-site from the course, make sure to not try to find it at night and after several dinner drinks.

The Verdict: Forest Dunes might be the best-conditioned public course I’ve played in a long time. Just a fun, pleasant walk (cart drive) in the park and a joy to play. A Top 5 public golf course I’ve played in the Midwest.

Best Hole: The Par-4 8th is an awesome dogleg right with a drive that must needle through trees left and a large fairway bunker on the right, unveiling an open approach to a downhill, peninsula green guarded by water right. The huge clubhouse in the distance is a nice touch.

What a waste of time and money! To pay $160 for that course was an absolute joke! About 4 nice holes out of 18. The maintenance on the course was totally lacking. Tees in the fairway (which is supposed to be novel) had uneven surfaces and bunkers in need of some serious attention. The fairways were extremely hard and boy could I go on!

Do yourself a favor and play Forest Dunes twice!!! This one is worthless!

The Good: The Loop at Forest Dunes, designed by the great Tom Doak in 2016, is one of the most unique golf experiences in the Midwest. A reverse routing with 18 green complexes and fairways that can be played either way on consecutive days, it has some of the most severe and fun greens that I’ve played. The Red course opens with a fairly benign, open tee shot but suckers you into thinking all is well. You’ll find this is the precursor to the rest of the course. Most Par-4’s Par-5’s are fairly straight away, but the standouts are the beautiful, tough Par-3’s. While several are short in stature, they have some bite! Course conditions are meant to be extremely firm and fast, so they aren’t nearly as pristine as its sibling Forest Dunes. Now a full-fledged resort with the additional of many great lodging options, it has a huge, immaculate clubhouse with full restaurant and very nice outdoor dining area with views of the 9th & 18th of the Weiskopf course. Great service and very accommodating staff.

The Bad: Those expecting a beautifully conditioned resort course will be disappointed, but those that enjoy the bump-&-run style of play will be overjoyed. The concept of the design is brilliant; however I wish there was more uniqueness to the holes, particularly the Par-4’s. Some of the green complexes are borderline unfair. Lacks some of the on-course amenities compared to Forest Dunes.

The Verdict: While many marvel at The Loop, particularly the Red routing, as their favorite course in Michigan, I don’t rank it quite as high. It’s a unorthodox concept that is brilliantly executed, but the Forest Dunes course is more my cup of tea. With that said, it’s a magically fun place to spend an afternoon with buddies and beers.

Best Hole: The uphill, Par-4 18th with several fairway traps framing the hole is a beautiful end to an interesting round.

I summed up a lot of my comments on the reversible Loop in my previous review of the Black routing yesterday.

However, after going in both directions, the Red routing is more fun, but the Black is the tougher test, and probably has more standout holes.

If you pay attention to your surroundings, it is amazing what you will notice about holes that you never saw when playing the other direction. Much like this track’s inspiration - the Old Course - it will take multiple loops to uncover the nuances it offers.

For me, the best single green complex for both courses, in my opinion, lies with the Black’s seventh and Red’s 11th. It plays as a short par-4 on the Black route and a long par 3 on the Red. What is interesting about this hole is that the pronounced slope on the left and back sides surrounding the green from the Red approach can be used to funnel balls to a back right hole location. I didn’t even notice it when playing the Black routing the day before. That is the pleasure of playing The Loop.

The direction of the wind will dictate not only your score, but what type of shots you will be required to play. That is fun to me, but it could beat some golfers up.

So here are my initial thoughts after playing just one half of the routing. This is for the Black course, playing the Red tomorrow:

This is a concept born of the Old Course’s ability to play in reverse, and I think we will see more of these in the near future.

Doak’s design is simplistic, yet intricately thought out. There is not a lot of trouble on the course. The bunkers are the main land mines. The natural areas are extremely playable. The course’s defense however is in its’ contouring around the greens. I didn’t find them so severe that they border on unfair. I think you simply must “think” about the shot you want to play and see if it matches the shot you probably should play. That is essentially the key to scoring here.

The wind was up this afternoon, which kept my attention. But, I could see where you could kind of get lulled into a comfortable stretch in the beginning of the round. When you turn the scorecard over, however, the holes played scary long into the wind and the bogey train is boarding. The par-3 13th played uphill 211 yards into the wind. Do not go long! The finish can be a grind but there are some scoring opportunities in the final holes waiting to right the ship.

Here is another misconception I feel too many golfers have made and will make when playing The Loop: don’t compare it to Forest Dunes across the parking lot. They are two different philosophies. They rely on two different conditioning principles. What may look like bad conditions, brown grass and a barren landscape is just what is necessary to provide the linkslike experience the Loop is seeking.

What makes playing the Loop increasingly difficult is that although a primitive yardage guide is available for purchase, there is no way to tell what portion of the green the pin resides. Therefore, it is golf as it was in the beginning: inexact information, scruffy fairways, penal bunkers, wind-ravaged green complexes, generous teeing areas near the previous greens. Embracing this idea is essential to enjoying your round, no matter the routing that day on The Loop.

I was expecting Forest Dunes to be the appetizer for the main course across the state at Arcadia Bluffs later this weekend, but I was blown away by what Weiskopf created in the scrub pines of Northern Michigan.

In fact, if I didn’t know better I would think I had played in the Southern Pines region of North Carolina. There are elements of Sand Valley, World Woods Pine Barrens, Mid Pines and Ghost Creek at Pumpkin Ridge included in the round. The holes are varied. The natural areas are imminently playable.

When scouting this track online I didn’t think much of the par 3s. They appeared to look alike and I feared redundancy. I couldn’t have been more wrong. They are each unique.

I was very impressed with the early season conditioning. Fairways were superb. Greens have a little further to go, but we’re extremely pure, if a bit on the slow side.

Favorite holes were the sixth with the fairway sunken behind a massive bunker and a tree bisecting it. The 10th gives you options on which way to drive it on a split fairway. The decision will undoubtedly be determined by which side of the green the pin is. A small pot bunker Is the centerpiece of the green complex. The 12th is a textbook par 4 that you will dream about playing long after the round. The par-3 16th demands a long iron approach of roughly 200 yards, but contouring allows for balls to feed to the back and right portions of the green. The short 17th is simply a joy to unlock.

The Bye hole with the bunker in the center of the green a la Riviera and San Antonio is a fun way to close out the day.

Forest Dunes’ practice area is second to none. An expansive range is bolstered by a Himalayas-esque chipping area and a putting green that spans like an amoeba through and around trees and grass knobs. A 10-hole short course is expected to be added later this summer.

In summary, the staff’s hospitality combined with the course’s excellence creates a memorable experience that is deserving of a Top 30 American public course ranking.

Designed by Tom Weiskopf Forest Dunes is nearly flawless execution of the classic parkland style. Bunkers almost seem elegantly placed next to green sides. The course meanders through corridors of a tall pine forest. Forest Dunes is exactly what the name says, a course weaved into a forest with a great mixture of rugged dunes, large waste areas strategically placed, ball attracting native areas and perfectly molded fairways. In classic Weiskopf fashion, most holes have a risk-reward option that will tempt the most conservative of players and trap the best of players. Weiskopf is known for his driveable par 4s and he has a beauty on 17, you can lay up 160 yards or carry a vast wasteland of sand and native areas. Forest Dunes is a great resort with friendly inviting staff, if you are looking for a course executing the designer's intentions and its name at the highest level, Forest Dunes is a must-play.

Designed by Tom Doak (previously played Old Mac & Pacific Dunes @bandondunesgolf and Blue Course @streamsongresort ) The Red course is one-half of the reversible 18s at the Loop in which the course can be played in two different directions creating two courses. I only played the red course but could see that the course would distinctively different yet play a very similar Links style game. I used my 8 iron and putter for most of my shots and enjoyed engaging the creativity portion of my golf brain. You can probably put away the driver and wedges, especially if the wind is high like it was for me. The course is fun and I appreciate the concept but if I return I would rather play 36 on Weiskopf's Forest Dune and once on the loop. The course is all fescue, which I always enjoy and plays very firm and fast. The bunkering is very good but can be very penalizing with such firm greens. The pictures online do not show you but the course is not flat, and the fairways have a lot of movement on most holes. If the wind is blowing and the conditions are firm you will face a real test of your game. If you enjoy links play you will enjoy if not you will be bored and frustrated. Overall the course is good but not great and uses the Loop factor to make it seem better than what it is which is a decent course.