Golfers have come to anticipate extraordinary golf experiences at highly-ranked Northern Michigan retreat Forest Dunes, and soon there will be a new fun-focused golfing attraction that matches the unmatched aesthetics of the property.
Home to the celebrated Tom Weiskopf-designed Forest Dunes course (ranked No. 28 on Golf Digest’s list of America’s Top 100 Public Golf Courses) and the innovative reversible Tom Doak layout, The Loop, Forest Dunes recently announced that construction is underway on a 10-hole, all-par-3 design.
The course will sit on a peaceful, rolling bulge of land positioned between The Loop and Forest Dunes and near the clubhouse, pavilion, practice area and HillTop Putting Course. With fun, strategic holes measuring between 50 and 155 yards, the course will be an energetic hot spot for golfers of all ages and skill levels.
Forest Dunes owner Lew Thompson considered a handful of top golf course architects before entrusting the par-3 course project to Riley Johns and Keith Rhebb, who have previously partnered on the acclaimed renovation at Orlando’s Winter Park 9 course. Johns and Rhebb have also worked on high-profile design projects around the globe with legendary architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.
“We were thrilled at how quickly this project came together this year and with the huge amount of trust Lew has given us,” Johns says. “He wants a course that will be fun and playable for his grandkids and any golfer of any skill level, so that’s the main goal we’re keeping in mind as we build holes where you can play a variety of shots and trajectories and take different angles to get to the hole.”
While not at all penal or overly-demanding, the 957-yard layout promises to be visually striking, enticing guests to play it before or after a round on The Loop or Forest Dunes or any time they’re on the resort grounds.
