North Stars

A good trip to my native state of Michigan always includes at least three elements: Hanging out with friends, playing great golf courses, and scarfing down a Coney Dog. So I didn't balk at the chance to attend a four-day Boyne Resort golf media trip this summer. I fly into Traverse City, hook up with some buddies at the airport, and head the hour northeast to Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls.

Just minutes after we check into the Mountain Grand Lodge & Spa, we're off on a shuttle bus to play The Alpine course, one of two layouts at the resort. This 7,056-yard beauty has rolling hills and tree-lined fairways. The cart ride from the clubhouse to the first tee is just over a mile, but it's incredibly scenic. The first tee shot is downhill from an elevated tee box, and starts quite a winding journey. Fairways are wide, but trouble is widespread. Veer your shot a few yards offline in some places, and you could be facing a chip-out into better territory. The greens are running fast this evening, and have no blemishes on them whatsoever. Overall it's a very enjoyable course for all handicap levels, and certainly as visually dazzling as they come. Several holes on the course border its sister Monument course. And from what I see and hear, I've got to make it back to play that layout at some point. But what I love most about playing golf up here is that the sun is truly out until 10pm in July, so you can easily pack in 54 holes per day, if you dared.

Afterwards, we attend a happy hour at the course's deck and watch the sun set over Deer Lake. Gorgeous. I'm so engrossed in conversation that I soon realize they've taken away the freshly made pizza. Guess I'm not having thirds tonight! But the Kilwin's gelato dessert more than satisfies me. Kilwin is a local ice cream company with seriously the best ice cream I've ever indulged in. We return to the hotel, and I finally get to enjoy my room. This is a huge ski resort during the winter, so it has that chalet charm to it. And unlike any hotel I've ever stayed in before, the cable system includes NHL Network. I'm a happy guy. At the far end of the lodge is Avalanche Bay, one of the largest indoor water parks in the country. My bed is heavenly, and it takes no time to fall asleep.

Next morning, I'm off to a buffet breakfast at Everett's, which is off the main lobby. The omelet bar is outstanding and thankfully armed with egg whites. Our group then takes about a 45-minute ride to the Boyne Highlands Resort in Harbor Springs, which is home to five courses. Today we're playing the Arthur Hills Course, a 7,312-yard layout named after its designer. It has a modern feel - the kind of layout that could be placed anywhere in the country and stand out nicely. I've played here once before, and loved it. This return visit didn't disappoint. If anything, I fell further in love with the place. No. 5 is lined with thousands of tall skinny White Pines, eerily all symmetrically laid out. And it's all natural -- the trees were not planted like this. It just happened. Very cool. There's lots of break on the greens, especially noticeable on short putts. The chipping can be severe, so it's probably easier to hit full shots into the greens rather than chip from difficult and sometimes thin lies. You'll encounter some gorgeous pathways through the woods in between holes. And your longest tee shot of the day will likely come on the dramatically downhill No. 13. The front nine is relatively flat, and the back nine has plenty of elevation change. As one of my buddies noted, no matter where you are on the course and no matter how packed the tee sheet is, you feel like you're the only golfers on the land. Very serene. And I imagine it's equally challenging yet friendly from every tee box. All of your shots' bounces and rolls are predictable and fair. Your score will realistically reflect how you played. And that's the way it's supposed to be.

During a downpour between nines, I duck into the clubfitting center. There I check out Boyne's new Gears Golf fitting system and swing trainer. I'm told there aren't many of these around the country yet. I've been through many clubfitting sessions at all of the major club manufacturer headquarters, and this system may be the most-thorough I've seen. Sparing you the technical details, I'm decorated with sensors -- the kind you see athletes wear when they're being recorded for video games. Then the software and cameras do the rest of the work. The pro teaches me within an hour things I never knew about my swing -- and proceeds to add five or 10 yards to my shots. He corrects my hand path and alters the openness of my hips on my backswing, then gets me to stop coming up on my toes during the downswing. The result: Much more solid ball contact than I'd been achieving. Wow.

After golf, I check into my room -- the hotel is a mile from the Hills course -- and lay down in the bed for a little R&R. It's so comfortable I don't want to get up. Eventually, I have to though -- to attend a welcome reception back at the golf course. I try some of the club's various appetizers, and fall in love with the sauteed, bacon-wrapped scallops -- among others. The next morning, we eat the breakfast buffet upstairs in the hotel's main dining room. From the omelet bar to the donuts, this remains an eater's paradise -- just as I remembered from my previous visit. And the service is over-the-top friendly. Love this place.

Now it's off to Bay Harbor, another Boyne property that's maybe a half-hour away. This is a world-renowned upscale, 27-hole facility. We play the Preserve/Quarry 18, in which the opening four holes take you along the cliff above Lake Michigan and Little Traverse Bay. The views are spectacular and the water is deep blue. Eight of the first nine holes have water views, and the gusts off the water are picking up on this day. The course is in ideal playing condition, and is a blast. The Quarry nine wraps around a large rock quarry, starting out in the woods, then becoming more open by No. 3. There are some long carries and uphill climbs, as well as a great downhill par-3 right at the water and a downhill par-4 as the two finishing holes. Several large magazines rate this among the top courses you can play in America, and it doesn't disappoint.

After our round, we take a five-minute ride to tour the recent changes Arthur Hills made at Boyne's Crooked Tree Golf Course, a 1991 Harry Bowers design. The three finishing holes have been made much more playable for everyone. What really struck me is the outstanding condition of the entire course. I played here two years ago and the conditioning was more than fine, but now it appears completely blemish-free. I love all of the up-and-down holes on this course that make you feel as if you're playing at the corner of the earth. There's isolation, yet you have lake views. It's fun and fair, and now the improvements make it play even faster, according to course officials.

We check into The Inn and Bay Harbor. This may be one of the nicest resorts I've ever stayed at. It resembles the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego -- it's even right on the water's edge -- but it's much newer. My room is a one-bedroom suite, replete with a full kitchen and Murphy bed option in the living room. It's clearly a family resort. My balcony overlooks the lake, and has a pair of quaint rocking chairs. Adjacent to the hotel is a shopping village that even includes an Original Pancake House. Down in the lobby, the gift shop has a full-service ice cream bar. There's officially no need to leave the property!

Our group has dinner on the main floor, at the intimate Vintage Chophouse and Wine Bar. For whatever reason, I pass on the popular steak and order salmon instead. It's succulent and perfectly complements all of the dinner conversation. As is the Boyne standard, the service here is very attentive.

The next morning I take advantage of the breakfast buffet in Sagamore's, which is the dining room off the lobby. Then it's off to play the Preserve nine at Bay Harbor, before jetting back home. This course is sheer beauty. Unlike the Links and its panoramic water views, or the Quarry with its elevation changes and water views, this nine is more a parkland-style course. It seems like all of the holes are lined with tall trees. The fairways are wide and forgiving, yet the holes are so private-feeling that you get the sense you're the only group on the course. The greens were immaculate and rolled true. There's some trouble to find -- and I did -- but nothing that's severely punishing. As a group, we couldn't decide which Bay Harbor course we liked the best -- this was my favorite -- but we all noted that each nine was superior in its own way.

I'm biased because Northern Michigan is my single-most favorite golf destination in the world. And vacationing just at the three Boyne resorts while playing golf solely on their 11 courses makes for a spectacular golf getaway. No two golf courses are alike, so you can experience a variety of challenges and jaw-dropping scenery on one trip.

The only thing I need to finish off this perfect trip is a Coney Dog, which I quickly find at the Detroit airport en route home. I fall asleep on the plane, already dreaming of coming back.