Michigan Golf Journal September

So, how does the Boyne management make those difficult decisions? It’s all about the ten-year plan that was drawn up in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic. “We have a 10-year plan for every hole on every course at all the resorts,’’ said Ken Griffin, the director of sales and marketing for the resorts. “There are very specific plans for continual upgrades.’’ And it’s been working – though not without an occasional hiccup. The biggest was at The Highlands, where the new par-3 course, Doon Brae was to be installed. They were almost finished last year, then a super storm hit. “We only had two holes to go,’’ said Griffin. “Then we got 25 to 30 inches of rain. We had three-four feet of sand ripped out in the first week of November.’’ Work resumed in the spring but neither the course, dubbed Doon Brae (Scottish for “short walk downhill’’), or the 27-hole putting course have opened to the public yet. The Grand Opening for both has been pushed back to 2025. Michigan architect Ray Hearn did the design work as part of a series of projects he’s undertaken at the resorts. Each of the nine greens at Doon Brae has a different template, each reflecting a style of green — Ridan, Punch Bowl, Volcano, Postage — played in Scotland.

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