BOYNE Golf New Short Course Named Doon Brae
BOYNE Golf’s newest, and 11th overall, golf course in Michigan has been named Doon Brae.
It’s the new par-3 short course located on the backside of The Highlands Main Lodge and is scheduled to open summer of 2024.
“What excites me most is how beautiful and different it is,” said Bernie Friedrich, Director of Golf Course Renovations and Development at Boyne Resorts said about the course constructed on the downslope of an active ski hill. “There are three or four stacked wall bunkers. Instead of using tee boxes, we'll have just one marker on each hole and let guests play wherever they want.
“And the greens are inspired by some of the great ones around the world. They're not copies of any specific greens, but they look different and are big. There's a lot of excitement about short courses. We want to keep people excited about golf and wanting to play. If playing 18 or 36 holes is not enough on any day, this gives golfers another option.”
The name Doon Brae, where Doon means going down into a valley and Brae means steep bank or hillside in Scottish, is fitting as the routing of the course is set along the hillside that doubles as a ski slope during the winter months.
Michigan golf course architect Ray Hearn was selected to create Doon Brae, among other work he’s been doing to renovate several courses in the BOYNE Golf portfolio.
“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 green templates include Eden, Punch Bowl, Redan, Reverse Redan, Volcano, Steep Slope, Postage Stamp, and Biarritz."
The course, which will measure 993 yards from the back and 678 yards from the forward areas, will feature 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 to 134 yards, with very few uphill walks.
The new course, along with the 1.5 acre nine-hole Himalayan-style putting course, are both designed to be fun for everyone. They will create an entertainment area for golfers and families alike to hangout well into the evenings, creating a new level of energy in this space. The golf course will also be lighted, play music, along with food service and fire pits.
"Guests will really enjoy the uniqueness, character and fun atmosphere around the new course and putting green," said Josh Richter, Senior Vice President of Golf Operations for Boyne Resorts. “And with the new Himalayan putting green also being built, we're creating a pretty cool and huge golf gathering space. Guests can gather for games and fun, while enjoying their favorite beverage and taking in all the beauty of Northern Michigan. It's going to be a heck of a space for all to enjoy in way that is best for them. Having music playing as well will make it a fantastic entertainment environment."
