Northern Michigan-based Forest Dunes retreat is adding a 10-hole, all-par-three course that’s deigned for golfers of all ages and skill levels. The new course will be only 957-yards with holes measuring between 50 and 155 yards
It will be located between the resort’s highly regarded courses — The Loop and Forest Dunes.
Forest Dunes owner Lew Thompson considered a handful of top golf course architects before hiring Riley Johns and Keith Rhebb, who have previously partnered on the renovation at Orlando’s Winter Park 9 course. Johns and Rhebb have worked on high-profile design projects with architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.
“We were thrilled at how quickly this project came together this year and with the huge amount of trust Lew has given us,” Johns said. “He wants a course that will be fun and playable for his grandkids and any golfer of any skill level, so that’s the main goal we’re keeping in mind as we build holes where you can play a variety of shots and trajectories and take different angles to get to the hole.”
Thompson wants the course to be anything but stuffy.
“When you come to Forest Dunes, we want you to have a good time,” said Thompson, who says he’ll allow music, bare feet and eightsomes on the new par-three course.
The course is scheduled to be ready for play in the summer of 2020. Shaping of the 10 holes will continue through June with irrigation work taking place in July and grassing of the course scheduled for August.