ROSSCOMMON, MI – The list of accolades for Forest Dunes Golf Club grew longer in August with the course’s debut at the 45th spot on Golf Magazine’s latest ranking of its Top 100 Courses You Can Play.
Former British Open champion, Tom Weiskopf, who has praised it as one of his three best designs, designed the 10-year-old course, nestled in the Huron National Forest in northern Michigan.
Securing a place on Golf Magazine’s Top 100 is a natural for Forest Dunes. Last year readers of Golf World magazine selected it as the top public course in the country. It was also ranked No. 18 on Golf Digest magazine’s list of the 100 greatest public courses in America. It is a perennial choice on Golf Week’s list of their top 100 modern courses in the country.
“The course has been here for 10 years and its still climbing up in the rankings. That says a lot about the golf course,” said General Manager Mark Gurnow, who acknowledged that Forest Dune’s remote location has been a detriment to getting critics to review the layout. “Our goal is to move up every list that we can not just from a golf course stand point but from a service stand point as well.”
Gurnow saluted course superintendent Jim Bluck, who he said is the best in the business, and deserves the credit for maintaining the course in such a pristine fashion that voters for the magazines cannot help but be impressed.
While Weiskopf was the artist who created this masterpiece, Forest Dunes owes its wide appeal to its roots – the 40,000-acre Huron National Forest with rolling white sand dunes underfoot. The 7,141-yard course has five sets of tees and is cut through and around acres of gleaming natural sand that adds to its unique looks for an inland course in a forested area.
Complementing the golf course is a huge practice facility, a two-and-a-half acre-putting course, and a 15,000-square-foot clubhouse reminiscent of a great Adirondack lodge.
The golf club’s location is also an environmentally sensitive one as it is in the Au Sable River valley, adjacent to the Mason Tract stretch of the river.
Because of its unflagging efforts to protect the river, the course earned a coveted Gold Signature Certification from the Audoban International organization in 2003. It is the highest level of certification a golf course can receive, and Forest Dunes is the only course in Michigan to achieve that distinction. There are only 21 other golf properties in the world with that gold certification. Troon Golf, a worldwide leader in luxury golf clubs, manages the club.
Members and guests of Forest Dunes Golf Club enjoy a scenic lifestyle experience unique to northern Michigan. For more information, call (989) 275-0700 or visit www.forestdunesgolf.com.
Contact:
Resort & Golf Marketing
Dave Richards
(248) 642-6420
dave@resortandgolf.com
