The Michigan Road: Day Five @ Boyne Highlands

There is a movement in Michigan … not a political one, nor an ethical one, but a geographic one. You move from the terrain of the “flatlander” to the heights of the “highlanders” without so much as a notion. There are no precipitous climbs up the sides of steep mountains, and in truth, I rode through more switch-backs in my golf cart than I did in an automobile. To get to Boyne Highlands, you pass through Petoskey, which is a terrific town right on the shore of Lake Michigan. You imagine it to be a small, New England fishing village with a bit more bustle, or a seaside Irish town with at least as many pubs as eligible bachelors. In truth, that town may be just up the 119, under the name Harbor Springs. To the left of Petoskey is Bay Harbor, a hopping and wealthy new community (more on that one later) and to the right, the road to the highlands, a resort trapped in time.

I’d seen the Bavarian look at the Schuss Center at Shanty Creek. Actually, I’d read about it and been told about it, but was without time to see it. The French Alps look (remember th 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville?) is prevalent in the main lodge at Boyne Highlands, and reminds you of one of the great Catskills resorts of the 1950s (Dirty Dancing-style.) There are four golf courses, a par three track, and a First Tee center on the grounds of Boyne Highlands. Down the road from the Highlands, you find the Crooked Tree Golf Club and Bay Harbor, two off-site tests. Finally, even farther down the road (toward the Flatlands) is the Boyne Mountain resort, where the Monument and the Alpine courses complete the collection: 8.5 courses, 137 holes of championship golf. Not a bad amount to access from one resort.

To finish this entry, I’ll let my lens do the talking and your eyes, the viewing. Here are shots from each of the courses at Boyne that I played: Bay Harbor Links and Quarry, Highlands Hills and Highlands Heather (the Trent Jones course.)

Bay Harbor Links

Bay Harbor Quarry

Boyne Highlands Heather

Boyne Highlands Hills

There you have it. Next: Treetops Fazio and Threetops