Bay Harbor, Heather at Boyne Highlands Layouts Ranked Among America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses

Boyne Golf is one of the largest and most-lauded golf resort companies in the U.S., and two of its acclaimed resort golf courses have been ranked on Golf Digest’s 2019 - 2020 list of America's 100 Greatest Public Courses.  The Heather at Boyne Highlands Resort joins the distinguished roster for the first time, while the 18-hole Links/Quarry pairing at Bay Harbor Golf Club has been a staple on the list since 2003. 

 

Golf Digest's biennial review of America's top public courses uses nearly 1,000 low-handicap male and female golfers on its Course Ranking Panel, and asked each to submit ballots based on eight criteria including shot options, challenge, layout variety, distinctiveness, aesthetics, conditioning, character, and fun. 

The Heather, the 2019 National Golf Course Owner's Association Course of the Year, was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and was one of the courses that put northern Michigan on the map as a premier travel destination.  The Arthur Hills-designed Bay Harbor Golf Club opened in 1999 and, according to Golf Digest, was praised as one of the "New Pebble Beaches" along with Bandon Dunes and Whistling Straits.  Both properties are must-plays on a northern Michigan golf trip. 

 

Resort Senior Vice President of Golf Operations Bernie Friedrich said, 

"It's a great honor to be recognized again by Golf Digest.  The Heather and the Links/Quarry combo are two very different courses, but the fantastic variety of unique golf offerings has been our calling card at our Boyne properties, so we're extremely pleased the Digest panel agrees." 

Boyne Highlands Resort, rated the No. 1 Golf Resort for Value by Golf.com, features 72 holes of premier golf design, including The Heather and Arthur Hills courses (crafted by Arthur Hills).  In addition, the resort features the Donald Ross Memorial, which is a rendition of the legendary architect’s great holes from around the country, and the always-fun Moor course.  The Highlands is the perfect buddy trip destination for golfers who like to play as many holes as they can during the long summer daylight hours northern Michigan features. 

 

The scenic Inn at Bay Harbor and Bay Harbor Golf Club, located along a five-mile stretch of Lake Michigan in northern Michigan, was recognized by the editors as one of the best resorts in the Midwest region. 

Complementing the beautiful Inn at Bay Harbor are 45 scenic golf holes overlooking Lake Michigan. Bay Harbor Golf Club (Golf Digest Top 100 Public Course) features 27 holes designed by Arthur Hills, which plays as three different course combinations.  The (Links/Quarry, Quarry/Preserve, Preserve/Links) combinations meander along the bluffs of Lake Michigan, trek through a rugged old limestone quarry, and wander through beautiful northern Michigan hardwoods.  Crooked Tree Golf Club is perched on bluffs high above Bay Harbor.  The course was sculpted through century-old hardwoods and the back nine opens to breathtaking views of Little Traverse Bay and Lake Michigan. 

 

Named a "Top Resort" and "Top Spa" by readers of Conde Nast Traveler, the Inn at Bay Harbor has been a must-experience destination since opening in 1998.  It became a member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection Hotels in 2016.  For more information check out www.BoyneGolf.com, and as always shoot me an email or DM on twitter of Instagram if you have any questions.