Golf Destination Bay Harbor/Petosky

As golf enthusiasts in the Midwest, we are truly spoiled with some of the finest golf courses in the nation. Being from Wisconsin, I've been able to amuse myself with a collection of glorious venues such as two-time PGA Championship host, Whistling Straits, and Erin Hills, host of the 2017 U.S. Open. Yet for years I have been able to avoid the plethora of "Pure Michigan" ads trying to lure me to the industrious state across the Great Lake. Having played great courses in my home state I was stubborn enough to think all golf in Michigan would be redundant, but wow I was wrong.

Boyne Highlands Resort is home to a compilation of Michigan's finest. With designs by Robert Trent Jones and Arthur Hills, as well as a Donald Ross Memorial course featuring the great architect's finest holes, you know you're in for a treat. As a first time subscriber to the 'Pure' golf state, I must admit I was skeptical. However, that feeling quickly washed away as I pulled up to the clubhouse of the silent and peaceful Hidden River Golf Club, and my Pure Michigan journey began.

Awarded as one of the "Top 20 Best You Can Play in Michigan" by Golf Week in 2013, Hidden River is a Boyne managed property. Any golfer displays feelings of excitement at the opportunity to play somewhere new, but any pre-round jitters dissipate when pulling in to the tranquil scene that is Hidden River. The aged course with towering coniferous trees lining the fairways reminds me of sitting out on the deck of a calm lake in a summer's morning in the north woods. You just know it's going to be a good day. The course itself offers a variety of holes, with every one being different than the last. Smooth greens and tight cut fairways, this was one of my favorite courses on my trip. The challenges include two monster par-3's on the back nine that require a fairway wood or hybrid from the back tees depending on the wind are absolute winners! The course is immaculate in condition, fair and offering holes for you to swing away as well as ones to play for position off the tee. When choosing courses to play in Michigan, if you're looking to really feel like you've gotten away from the world, a sunny, afternoon tee time at Hidden River Golf and Casting Club will offer you quite possibly one of the most serene environments one can enjoy.

For many of us, the opportunity to play legendary courses like Pinehurst #2, Oak Hill and the Seminole Golf Club is merely a dream. These grand courses were all designed by the one and only Donald Ross and fortunately for us, Boyne happens to be the home to a memorial replica track of the finest holes Mr. Ross has to offer. With par-3's requiring precision and par-4's you may have only seen on TV or in video games, every hole was one to stop and admire. The real delicacy was the massive 617-yard par-5 5th, a replica of Oak Hill Country Club's iconic 13th. Seeing Jason Dufner win the PGA Championship the day before at Oak Hill CC made playing the course even more special!

From one legendary designer to another, Boyne's Heather Course is a Robert Trent Jones masterpiece. This is one that benefits the straight ball hitter, but incorrect placement on any hole brings hazards in play meaning immanent doom. For the advanced player, you may find yourself attempting to hit shots not typically found in the arsenal. Narrow teeing grounds on holes play to the favor of those who fade, and will dare the "I draw every shot player" to bravely hit shots eerily close to thick vegetation down the right side. I would say it welcomes the player looking to bomb every tee shot, as long as that courageous soul isn't keeping score, and doesn't mind counting how many balls they have departed with over the last four hours instead.

For the widest variety of scenic beauty displaying the Michigan landscapes, there is no course at Boyne better than Bay Harbor Golf Club. 30 minutes removed from the Boyne Highlands Resort, Bay Harbor Resort seems to have been built directly into the Lake Michigan coast line. With three nines (Links, Quarry and Preserve) of shocking surroundings, it's no surprise if pace of play suffers a setback. The opening four holes on the Links are elevated hundreds of feet above everything, running along a cliff spelling out danger for any shot down the left side and overlooking a harbor of yachts and crystal clear waters. The par-3 4th might as well be an island green as standing over the tee-shot could paralyze oneself with such a breathtaking view. As you play on to the Quarry Nine, you realize a reoccurring theme, gorgeous tee-box views with elevation changes to massive green fairways and perfectly rolled greens. There was a point when I thought this beautiful portion of territory would elude our Boyne experience. I am so glad it did not, as this was the most scenic of the properties and gets my highest recommendation of all the Boyne courses.

If I had a vote for best all-around Boyne property, it's the Hills Course. Designed by Arthur Hills, this track calls out everything a player has: shot shaping, placement off the tee, and long and short approach shots. In other words, it will test all aspects of your golf game in a delightful way. The Hills course features layouts unseen anywhere else in the Midwest from elevation drops, to split fairways. A few examples, the 481-yard 5th, arguably the toughest par-4 Boyne has to offer. It is insanely long, but offers a fair tee shot allowing golfers to stripe a ball out to the fairway with a long, but unobstructed shot into the green. Then there is the short par-4 10th. Sure you can rap a driver up to pitch and putt range, but a severely elevated green and difficult wedge shot will make you wish you'd hit a fairway metal off the tee for a full shot to the putting surface instead. The cherry on top though, is clearly the par-5 13th. Step up to the tees and behold Pure Michigan, woodlands and skyline as far as you can see. The thought of golfing escapes your mind for a brief moment until you look down to find a 450 foot drop to an ocean of striped fairway. Yet it isn't the view that makes this the iconic hole of this Arthur Hills design, it's the tee-shot. For many, this is the reason we play golf, buy the newest driver technology, or pummel a bucket of balls at the driving range. The 13th allows players to swing out of their shoes, clobber the ball off into the abyss, and watch it fall for what seems like time without end. This is a career long drive opportunity for golfers of all levels, and if that wasn't enough, I spy another giant drop to a green opportune for birdies and eagles. It may not have lakeside views of the sunset or rolling landscapes on every whole, but The Hills presents exactly what a golfer looks for in the ultimate golf course.

A more traditional track than its sister courses, Crooked Tree Golf Club, is full of opportunities. Since it is not particularly long, it does offer short shots into greens and fantastic scoring chances. The signature at Crooked Tree has to be the massive combination green of the 9th and 18th holes in front of the clubhouse. Both finishing holes reward well placed tee shots and potential offer birdie opportunities to close out the side. It should be noted as well the Mr. Arthur Hills is now in progress of renovating the finishing holes (#16-18) at Crooked Tree Golf Club. As a legendary designer, we can expect to see some big changes to the more inland Boyne property.

Surrounded by beautiful Midwest landscapes, famous restaurants, and ice cream parlors, the Boyne resorts are truly remarkable. I have played golf courses with that pedigree before, but not in such close proximity and with that kind of hospitality. As I learned from a wise and sensible Rory Hughes of Golf Chicago! Magazine, golf is a game of integrity. To bravely use the word "Pure" as a destination slogan, Boyne does an extraordinary job of preserving the Integrity of such a word. With 11 stunning courses manicured to excellence and scenery that conveys the magnificence of some of Michigan's finest countryside, one is bound to find unforgettable views typically only found on canvass at such a fine resort. For more information on all that Boyne has to offer including their Stay and Play Packages, visit www.boyne.com or call 1-800-462-6963.