Forest Dunes in Roscommon is 19 holes of WOW!

Forest Dunes is really an outstanding track.

Dean Campbell- The GM at Forest Dunes also talks to us. Plenty of video and pictures
http://youtu.be/30nUWGKRgW8

  This year (2013) I have played nearly three dozen golf courses and almost all of them a couple of times. I would say I have played three great golf courses and now can add a fourth. I would say the Donald Ross Memorial Course at Boyne was absolutely fabulous. It was a walk in both history and golf architecture in playing that beautiful layout and very tough course. I would add the Sharf at Oakland University. From the false fronts, true rolling and readable greens and demanding shots from both the tee box and fairway, the Rick Smith design was excellent. Mystic Creek in Milford had many incredible holes winding around lakes, marshes and Mystic Creek with elevation changes, both short and long par fours and an architect that took advantage of routing a prime piece of property. Saying that, Forest Dunes in Roscommon is 19 holes of wow!

   This Tom Weiskopf design plays as the name of the course suggest. Forrest Dunes. The front Nine plays cut out from the Forest and possibly meadows ( a lot of dirt was moved in this project) and the back nine is more wide open and has plenty of dunes throughout the layout and will come into play for the golfer that is not careful. What strikes people when they come to the resort are how friendly the staff is and how they make you feel right at home. Everything that can be personally done to make your experience a positive one is done and with a smile on their face.  General Manager Todd Campbell couldn’t have been more gracious and his staff including Chad Maveus, Justin Fox and the rest were great.

Forest Dunes also believes in educating their customers. There are signs with pictures on how a golfer should hit behind their divots instead of make a mess on the range and their starters tell you Forest Dunes’ expectations of golfers using carts, keeping pace and replacing divots.

     The starter Bob did just that on the first hole and helped you focus on the expectations. Yes, I have heard it all before but who knows how many times this has helped them keep the course in pristine condition. Even though the front nine is cut out of the forest, do not think there is an absence of sand. The four tee boxes including the combo which is the number two and three tees alternated give golfers an experience that plays from 3,000 for the juniors to just under 7,200 yards from the tips. The very first hole is one that gives you an idea of what you are in for. Depending on your tee box, you will be hitting over the dunes, and sand traps will come into play for golfers looking to cut the dog leg right. While the hole only plays at 403 yards from the back tee box, the layout seems much further when teeing off. Golfers that hit the dunes in front of the box might as well play three off the tee so if you get nervous, hit the bar for a fresh drink before teeing off. While right down the middle is always a good idea on just about any golf hole, it really comes into play at the first. Going into the sand could give you a big number. Go too far left will give you a hole that plays over 420 to 430 yards and brings a big tree line and your ball will clip some branches if you are not careful. If you think you will bail out right, a huge sand trap that frames the right side of the hole is waiting. Many of the greens at Forest Dunes are undulated and this is the case at the starting hole. This course is designed for you to be at your best with the flat stick. Birdie shots turn into double bogeys if you put your shot on the wrong side of the green. I had a five both days and three-putt on both as I did not putt well either day.

   One of the amazing par threes is the very first you will encounter. The third plays from 119 to 203 yards and dubbing one off the tee will almost certainly give you a four at best. With a large dune, fescues and four very large sand bunkers, this hole is about all you want to handle. The sand at Forest Dunes is country club calliber. Fine sand which you can lift the ball to the target is refreshing. You can choose whether to hit it thin behind the ball to hit it further or hit behind the ball 3-5 inches and let the ball roll true. What happens when the ball hits the green is certainly another matter. One word about the sand bunkers at FD is that with the greens being so large, hit the ball into one of them and you have no one to blame but yourself. Par is a very good score on this hole. If you play the third or fourth tee box, you will play no more than 143 yards and birdies are more likely.

You should not be in the dunes here

Two sloping areas in the landing areas help you gain yardage

   For me, the 5^th hole, the very dangerous 608 yard dog leg left is one where it gives you all you can handle and also rewards long hitters. For those players who want a shorter experience it plays from (255-572) yards and this is a case where you must be playing the right tees. With trees dotting the hole all the way down both sides, there are two places where the landing area slopes forward and can propel your ball down the fairway. This can happen on both your tee shot and your second which could end up in front of the green after rolling down the slope. I did this on day one. Once again, if you play a tee box at 608 yards and cannot play the slope on your best day, perhaps you should move up one. Two massive dune bunkers await golfers on the hole. There is a third dune that is scenic to the right (you should not hit that one) but there are five more sand bunkers that could catch errant shots. You can birdie this hole and you should get a free drink for doing it but treat yourself to a beverage as par is a great score and the cart girls are very friendly.

     For me, the best par four on this nine is the par four 6^th. Playing between 256 and 378 yards, you have no less than three ways to play this outstanding hole. The fairway is two-tiered and golfers can decide whether to blast over a sand bunker to the right side of the fairway where the hole plays very short with only about 110 yards in and it is cotton candy. You can also play short of the large tree that splits the fairway both short of the large sand bunker and over it to the left. You club choices are anything from driver to iron and depending on your tee box and driving ability, you could mess the hole up and still be in the running for a birdie to a snowman. You see, the green is surrounded by five sand bunkers and a trampoline green. If you hit from the fairway below the green, you better make sure that you are on the right part of the green. Even the most well-struck putts tend to end up as tough comebackers and three-putts are as common as a rant by a diva. A par is a great score but it would not surprise me to see some birdies in tournaments.

The 7th from the tee box is tight

The 7th fairway before the dogleg left

The eighth from the fairway. Water to the right of the green

Everyone shoots over the water on the 9th

The ninth hole is another hole that can bring a golfers tournament chances to a wet end. The par three ninth (203 to 97) yards is shot over water, five bunkers and swirling winds. A long carry for the first three tee boxes and unplayable foliage await errant shots. The green is slick so an iron shot with a soft landing works best. Rolling off the back and chipping downhill into the front sand bunker is no fun so be deft with the wedge.  There are plenty of obvious and not so obvious undulations and a noticeable slope from back to front. Once again, a birdie is well-earned and a lot of double bogeys will be marked by golfers who either earn penalty strokes from the H20 or green can happen.

So you want a welcome to the Dunes back nine. Be careful what you wish for. This hole appears wide open from the tee box but trouble is everywhere. With dunes, vegetation and sand everywhere, going up the right side is shorter than the left but golfers must carry the natural sand to at least 180 yards with a fairway that demands a tight shot most likely into the wind. Most golfers will play the left fairway which is longer but has much more of a bailout area and the fairway is much wider. What is very challenging is the green is a horseshoe shaped experience and with a dune bunker guarding it. End up on the wrong side of the green as the pin and you will literally have to chip to the other side of the green. That’s a no-no in golf. This hole is a great test of golf when you are at your best and a nightmare for someone that is playing poorly.

   The 11^th hole is a par three where shooting over a large dune with beautiful fescues, five sand bunkers and a green where landing on the wrong side will turn your birdie chance into a five or six quickly. Playing from 127 to 193 yards but seeming longer, clubbing up is better to take most of the sand out of play. I hit the green on day one and still three-putt this monster. The second day I was on the ridge to the left of the bunker and hit a chip flush and with the pin at the bottom of the right side against the ridge I did all I could and still three-putt the green. That is with a beautiful chip. This hole is another dandy. Hit a solid tee shot in front of the pin uphill and you should have a birdie to bogey. The greens are slick at Forest Dunes so have fun.

   Many of the ponds at Forest Dunes are man-made. That is not a bad thing. The 14^th at FD is a dandy. Playing from 322 to 464 yards, you will hit over the dunes and fescues into the wind and it will take your best poke to propel you ball down the fairway. If you are in the hazard, I do not know what to say. There is no drop area and no guarantees that you will find your ball. The pond juts out and really narrows out your second shot. With trees, natural habitat and the water, you will have your hands full. The green has three sand bunkers and with some serious undulation to make you earn your par. This is not a birdie hole. This is just one tough test of golf. Par is a great score and a birdie is awesome here. 

A long carry is required on the 15th from the tee box

    

The 16th has a long carry over the dunes

Missing the green on 16 is not an option

      Skipping to the 17^th hole. It is by far the shortest par four on the course. It plays from 280 to 302 yards and holes in one have been earned on this par four. With dunes running almost entirely to the left side and natural cabbage running along the tee boxes and sand in strategic places, it will take a very accurate and long carried shot to pull off the feat. Dunes are everywhere here. Pull off the shot and your feat will be rewarded. Most golfers will pull out their wedge from the fairway or will take a shovel to plow out of the dunes. The green is brutal as it runs downhill and the putts are very fast.

18th Fairway from an iron out

The 18^th is one worthy hole of a finish for a major tournament. Yes, you have heard this commentary before but the dunes run down both sides of the 18^th. It plays only 385 to 530 yards and with the wind playing off of the pond, a long bomber can get to the hole in two. Ending up short and the dunes will stop your ball to the left and sand will come into play to the right. Another sand bunker resides in the back of the green with a bailout area. Birdies can be had here but driving accurately and once again on the second shot is imperative. The view of the clubhouse from the tee box just gets better and better.  

The 19th Green is over water with sloped greens 

and a crater bunker in the middle

Link to the Forest Dunes site

The 19th Hole from the tee box

http://www.forestdunesgolf.com/course/course-info/about-the-course-forst-dunes

The Skinny.

Forest Dunes is nothing short of spectacular. The Golf Channel has ranked the course as of of the bucket list golf courses a player should hit at least once and this course is truly outstanding. The rumor is that they are building at least one more golf course and they have plenty of land to build two more.

Speaking with Todd and Chad, not only are the ponds man made but a ton of dirt was moved. Tom Weiskopf used both the contour of the land and golf architecture creativity to construct the course. While I included plenty of pictures in this review

dirt

Practice facility- Once again, it is outstanding. They have a driving range, chipping area and practice range that are all top notch.

Design- This is truly an upscale and outstanding design. Tom Weiskopf said that this course is one of his three best. I would like to see number one and two.

Markings- Very good- Stone markers at the 150, 100 yard markers. They have many sprinkler heads marked. Buy a yardage book for $10. It is a good investment.

Shape- Outstanding. They have workers out all day long taking care of the course. You can see why it is an upscale course. The greens are very hard to read.

Friendliness of staff- They are outstanding and very friendly.

amenities




Bottom Line- Truly outstanding. You cannot go wrong playing this course


An interview with GM Todd Campbell can be found at www.michigangolfscene.co under course reviews/resorts.