The Bootlegger short course
Here’s a sure-fire way to meet people at a busy golf resort: lose your cell phone and start to panic.
That happened last week while I was on a buddies fall golf trip to Forest Dunes in Roscommon. I’ll get to golf in a moment which, as expected, was terrific, but the episode with my missing phone was quite revealing on several levels.
After our foursome completed our round on The Loop, Tom Doak’s ingenious and, at times, diabolical reversible layout, we headed to Bootlegger Bar. It’s a smartly done and covered outdoor area that overlooks Forest Dunes’ traditional “Bye Hole” and the starting and finishing holes of the popular Bootlegger 10-hole short course.
After settling wagers and claiming the usual excuses, we hung out at the bar and caught up on emails and texts on our phones—those pesky tethers of modern life. Meanwhile, other golfers arrived on the upbeat scene as the morning tee times came in.
Along the way, I got up to chat with Don Helinski, Director of Operations for Forest Dunes, a long-time colleague of Michigan golf. He had been talking to some women who were part of a large group of golfers outside Michigan on a stay-and-play package at the resort. Don told me that out-of-state play represents at least half of Forest Dunes guests. Given the continued high rankings and positive reviews for the resort and the course designs by Tom Weiskopf and Doak, this didn’t come as a big surprise. And it certainly reinforced the opinion that northern Michigan golf remains ever attractive on a national and regional scale.
Afterward, I returned to where I was sitting and realized my phone was missing. After frisking myself, looking around and under the bar, and asking the friendly bartender for leads, I asked my cronies to call my number—that last-gasp measure of senior cell phone desperation. No response; no pick up. They kept calling to no avail. Then I remembered I probably muted my ringer as I usually do on the course. Where in the blazes was it? It naturally became a hot topic of conversation at the bar because it happens to most people.
Just when I thought this idyllic golf getaway with buddies was officially off the rails and disrupted by a lost phone, suddenly, I saw a woman running back to the bar from the second tee of the Bootlegger. And glory be, she was carrying two phones, one of which was mine.
“I’m so sorry. Thinking it was mine, I picked it up at the bar,” she confessed. One of my pals couldn’t resist retorting with a laugh, “What a pick-up line, Miss!”
The contrite and congenial culprit turned out to be Sue C., a PGA teaching pro from New York who was part of that group staying at the resort, as indicated by Helinski. As I later learned, this gathering of four foursomes was an annual fall golf ritual.
The common ties were Innisbrook Golf Resort in Tampa, Florida, where most of the group had winter or year-round homes, and Connecticut, another domicile for many.
Beginning a dozen years ago, they alternated between playing at Innisbrook or Lake of Isles at Foxwoods Resort in Connecticut. Then, the group branched out to new destinations, including Pine Needles in Pinehurst, NC, Turning Stone Resort in NY, and Hammock Beach Resort (then managed by Innisbrook) in FL
Tom Weiskopf’s Forest Dunes is a gem
So why Forest Dunes in Roscommon? Another PGA teaching pro in the group—Dawn from Innisbrook—had been to Forest Dunes before and recommended it. (Incidentally, Dawn had an ace the day before on The Loop.)
Another clincher was this: “Some of the Florida and southern girls wanted to get out of the heat. That was probably the number one reason,” said one of the golfers. “And we loved it here. Great golf, accommodations and an overall fun time together.”
Despite my brief and comical panic episode over the missing phone, our foursome felt the same. Here are a few added takeaways about Forest Dunes:
The Bootlegger short course is a winner. A walkable short course has become a “must-have” amenity for upscale destination golf resorts. Kudos to designers Riley Johns and Keith Rhebb for delivering an entertaining collection of short holes ranging from 50 to 140 yards. Our foursome, like most, grabbed a handful of clubs in one hand and a light libation in the other. In a neat touch, speakers are deftly placed throughout the course, pumping out upbeat music to complement the laid-back vibe.
The Tom Weiskopf-designed Forest Dunes layout always pleases. It’s challenging but fair without a weak or odd hole in the mix. The variety of holes and the shots required are thoughtfully rendered. And its bunkering is majestic. Before he passed away two years ago, the World Golf Hall of Famer Weiskopf proudly said Forest Dunes was one of his top ten designs. As often noted about Weiskopf’s swing, the course is both elegant and powerful.
The Loop is an amazing design by Tom Doak. I’m still baffled at how he and his team pulled off this reversible course where golfers play it clockwise one day and counter-clockwise the next. Doak observed the concept years ago when he traveled and played in the British Isles. Several courses were designed to be reversible to relieve divot areas. The veritable Old Course at St. Andrews occasionally reverses itself and is played clockwise. With tight, bouncy turf and fast, demanding putting surfaces, The Loop can be like minding an unruly child at an amusement park. Hold on, stay alert and try to have fun. Instead of medal play, it’s best to play Stableford or match play, where if you’re out of the hole, pick up and move on.
A special shout-out to the superintendents and their staff at Forest Dunes, particularly John Wessels, who oversees the Forest Dunes course, and Rob Falconer for The Loop and Bootlegger. The resort’s turf conditions and greens were consistently of a top-notch quality, enhancing the playing experience.
One final note: if you lose your phone at Forest Dunes be patient and don’t sweat it. You’ll soon enjoy meeting a small village of people.
images courtesy of Forest Dunes and Patrick Koenig
For more information, visit www.forestdunesgolf.com
