LOCATION: Roscommon, MI ADDRESS: 6376 Forest Dunes Dr YARDAGE: 7,104 yards ARCHITECTS: Tom Weiskopf YEAR OPENED: 2003 PHONE: (866) DUNES-MI WEBSITE: www.forestdunesgolf.com

YOU CAN HEAR AND READ ALL THE ACCOLADES BESTOWED ON FOREST DUNES, BUT UNTIL YOU VISIT IT AND PLAY IT YOU WON'T TRUELY UNDER-
stand. It is every bit a great golf course; one of the finest east of the Mississippi. From the Adirondack lodge-style clubhouse, to the opening tee, to the epic par 5s, to the demanding par 3s, to the actual 19th hole, to the untouched natural beauty of the setting; even the practice facility is in a class by itself.

Forest Dunes’ richness is owed to millenniums of glacial sand deposits, which over time, were covered with indigenous dune grasses and a mix of hardwoods and pine. Beckoned to the site, professional tour player and architect Tom Weiskopf saw immediately the potential for a remarkable golf course. The result is 7,100 yards of minimalist classic design incorporating a mix of parkland, timber-lined and links-style golf.

Approaching the first tee you get the impression that little was done to create this monument to Michigan golf. You’d be correct. Aside from the trees that were harvested for about 12 to 13 of the holes, there was little land moved in relationship to a course this size. Let’s understand, too, that the residential development that Forest Dunes sits within is 1,200 acres, excised from some 400,000 acres of surrounding Huron National Forest.

The most remarkable holes are the gentle, opening par 4, the first par 5 (#4), the par 4, right dogleg eighth hole, the 440-yard, split fairway tenth hole – which introduces you to the dune-scape back nine – and the bookend par 5s of 15 and 18 that punctuate your experience. Should any bets be unsettled after 18 holes, there’s the one-of-a-kind par 3 19th hole.

Adding to Forest Dunes distinctiveness is this – it is the only Michigan golf course to earn Audubon International’s prized Signature Gold certification. Forest Dunes sets the gold standard for excellence in many areas including chemical and pest management practices, use of low impact chemicals and organic based fertilizers, bi-annual soil testing, pesticides sprayed on a curative basis only, and use of grasses which are drought tolerant and have good disease resistance.

Stay and play packages are very attractive, with lodging provided via beautiful lakeside guest houses.

Forest Dunes will someday be private. Make haste to include it among your golf plans this season.