Boyne Golf will open its new Doon Brae par-3 short course and the Back Yaird, a Himalayas-style putting course, on June 6.
Doon Brae is the Northern Michigan golf destination's 11th golf course and is located at The Highlands in Harbor Springs. The course is situated behind the Main Lodge.
The name Doon means going down into a valley and Brae means steep bank or hillside in Scottish. The combination is fitting as the course's routing is on the site of the former Cuff Links nine-hole par-3 course set along the hillside that doubles as a ski slope during the winter months.
"As far as I know, this is the first modern golf course ever built on a ski hill," said Bernie Friedrich, director of golf course renovations and development at Boyne Resorts. "The combination of small greens inspired by some of the great green templates from overseas with sod-faced bunkers and tight mowing patterns will be a fun, perfect add-on to the daily golf itinerary. It also provides a wonderful option for families, kids and beginners to try golf for the first time."
Complementing the new par-3 short course is the Back Yaird (Scottish word for yard), a 1.5-acre 27-hole putting course featuring three nine-hole combinations. Inspired by great putting courses like the Himalayas at St. Andrews and Thistle Dhu at Pinehurst Resort, this golf experience features a variety of slopes and swales. The location, just off the Slopeside Patio of The Highlands, will be convenient for lodge guests.
"Adding the Back Yaird putting experience creates the perfect combination for a fun golf experience for everyone," Friedrich said. "Having experienced some of the top resorts in the country with their short courses and putting courses they have created for guests, it is exciting to bring that type of golf entertainment for our Boyne guests."
Golf course architect Ray Hearn was selected to design the latest golf attractions. Hearn, a Michigan native, was the perfect choice, as he has been working closely with the Boyne Golf team, modernizing and renovating many of the resort’s golf courses over the past several years.
Although Doon Brae is routed on a ski hill, Hearn focused on minimizing the walking uphill. The course offers three sets of tees, Blue, at 1,050 yards; Green at 851 yards; and Silver at 678 yards. The routing features a variety of fun yardages with downhill, flat, uphill, and sidehill lies, generally moving horizontally back and forth across the slope. Holes range from 57 yards—second hole, Silver tees—to 136 yards at the fifth hole from the Blue tees. Golfers will encounter multiple angles and fairway options, with shorter-length holes having fewer bunkers on the path toward the greens, and longer holes providing more strategic angles with bunkers more in play.
“I wanted to make sure we were creating something fun and unique without it being a difficult walk,” explained Hearn. “We also considered all the families taking their kids out to play the short course and then the putting course. Every time I visited Scotland with friends, I was always inspired by The Himalayas at St. Andrews. We just kept playing it over and over and never got bored. The Back Yaird will provide that kind of experience.”
Hearn’s favorite part of the project was the creatively designed green complexes. “Drawing on our inspiration from the British Isles allowed us to create scaled-down versions of famous template greens highlighted by The Short at National Golf Links,” he said. “Other inspirations include Eden, Punch Bowl, Redan, Reverse Redan, Whinny Brae, Steep Slope, Postage Stamp, and Biarritz.”
KIP SCHULTIES FINISHES WHAT HE STARTED AT WYCLIFFE
Three years after he completed a renovation of the West course at Wellington, Florida’s Wycliffe Golf and Country Club, Kipp Schulties has updated the club’s East course. The East was originally designed by Karl Litten in 1992.
“The goal was to create a true championship-caliber course that would position us well as a golf community of choice in Palm Beach County and South Florida,” Rob Martin, general manager and chief operating officer at Wycliffe G&CC, told GolfCourseArchitecture.net.
Comparing the work Schulties performed on Wycliffe’s West course, Martin added, “We differentiated the two designs with contrasting bunker styles, landscaping palettes, turfgrasses and trees.”
Infrastructure enhancements revolved around irrigation, turfgrass—where Celebration was converted to Bimini--drainage and bunker liners from Bunker Solution. “We’ve implemented Bunker Solution across both our courses and have observed improved efficiency in maintenance operations, better playability, and more consistent conditions for members,” said Martin. “Given the demands of our climate, having a durable and effective bunker system has proven essential.”
EL MACERO BEGINS QUICK RENO
El Macero Country Club in El Macero, California, recently began a multi-million-dollar golf course renovation project. The four-month project began April 21, will be completed by the end of August and will reopen for member play on Sept. 1.
Santa Rosa-based Golfplan – Dale and Ramsey Golf Course Architecture is overseeing the course renovation and DHR Golf Construction is the contractor.
During the project, crews will rebuild all 18 green complexes, softening their shapes to allow water to flow away from the greens. Green surfaces will be sodded with TifTuf, a drought-tolerant hybrid bermudagrass known for its durability, beauty and low maintenance needs, while collars around the greens will be sodded with bentgrass. The square footage of bunkers across the golf course will be reduced by 60%, with the renovated bunkers receiving new drainage, liners and sand. The updated bunkers will also have more points of entry, easing access and enhancing course conditions.
“We’re excited about the course renovation and the improvements being made,” El Macero Country Club general manager Chris Johnson said. "The new pure white sand will be a dramatic difference visually, while members will be given different shot options around the greens with newly designed collection areas and reduced bunker footprints. The turf conditions of the green surrounds will also perform better throughout the year compared to the previous common bermudagrass."
Located about 10 miles west of Sacramento, El Macero meanders through the El Macero development amid a 168-acre parcel. The club’s 18-hole parkland-style championship course was originally designed by Bob Baldock in 1961 and measures 7,138 yards, par 72. Notable golfers to play El Macero include Byron Nelson, Joe DiMaggio, Ronald Reagan, Peter Jacobsen, Tiger Woods, and Nick Watney. The club has been managed by Troon Prive since 2007.
