No. 2: American Dunes Draws International Attention to Michigan
By Tom Lang
Barbara and Jack Nicklaus
The one and only Golden Bear joined forces with Air Force reservist Lt. Col. Dan Rooney to create a one-of-a-kind golfing experience in Michigan – American Dunes.
Now… you might find a few courses around the country that have a rich mix of contrasting green grasses and naturally rolling, exposed sand dunes like those that are commonplace along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. But playing American Dunes is as much or more about the overall experience than it is just hitting a little white ball.
American Dunes – the former Grand Haven Golf Club that became the founding location of the Folds of Honor developed by Rooney several years ago – truly is an incredible place to chase after your Titleist or Callaway sphere. But Rooney and his followers, as passionate as they are about golf, are quadruple passionate about honoring veterans and military men and women by providing education scholarships for children of fallen and disabled soldiers.
“What’s on my soul is that when people come here to golf, they’re going to play the most heroic round of golf they’ve ever played – and that means you’re not playing for yourself, you’re playing for someone else when you come to American Dunes,” Rooney said. “But we also wanted a place that was fun. We want people to come here and celebrate everything that makes this country great and have an awesome golf experience.
Rooney continued to explain the uniqueness of any 18-hole round played at American Dunes, by always reminding people why they came. The only way to get into the clubhouse is to go by the memorial wall, which memorializes fallen U.S. soldiers with plaques showing names, service branch and duty, dates died and military boot prints along the pathway.
Then at 13:00 hours every day, 1:00 p.m. translated military time, the course play taps on some hidden loudspeakers and have a bell that tolls 13 times that can be heard all across the golf course. That signifies the 13 folds that bring the American flag to its triangle shape (presented to families when a solider dies), the ultimate symbol of freedom in this country, Rooney said, adding “and we will pause for 2-and-a-half minutes every day at this golf course... and remember the fact that freedom isn’t free.”
American Dunes truly is about the experience. A goal of Rooney’s, Nicklaus’ and general manager Doug Bell is that golfers will enjoy the day remembering others more than themselves, pay tribute to lives lost and when they talk about the experience, the golf course they played will be about 5th down their list of topics.
The course officially opened on May 1, to great fanfare with Nicklaus christening the event by hitting first drives with Rooney as antique airplanes did a fly-over. Nancy Lopez also visited that day to lend her support to the Folds of Honor cause. Even the Budweiser Clydesdales made their first public visit after the start of Covid.
Virtually every single tee time in 2021 was sold out, and by early November the new grasses needed some rest. Tee times in 2022 are now able to be reserved online. Go to the website for more information before calling: http://americandunesgolfclub.com/
“I love the game of golf, but I love my country even more,” Nicklaus has been quoted many times.
“So, to be part of that, when Dan came down to ask me (to develop the property), I knew there was no way I was going to say no. I was very honored to be part of it…and when we got here we were blown away by what a great piece of property it was.”
The exceptional property has always been there near the shoreline of Lake Michigan, but over the generations became covered by trees that smothered the fairways. Nicklaus told Rooney that with a name like American Dunes, everyone needs to see the dunes. After removing over 1,000 trees, the end result is a spectacular golfing experience that highlights some of our Great Lakes State’s best geography and topography.
Rooney said his favorite moment on the golf course – and it’s hard to disagree – is going up the hill of the 11th fairway as you crest the blind tee shot to the dogleg right.
“Whether you’re walking up into Wrigley Field, going up the stairs, in that moment where you see the friendly confines, and there’s just this rush as a sports guy,” he said in likening it to other exciting moments in sports. “When people go over the hill on No.11 … it takes your breath away. It’s a spiritual, emotional moment when you look out and you can see 6 different holes from that point all traversing through the dunes. I’m with Jack in that I think the course plays in such an awesome cadence, from long to short (holes) to big greens to small greens. It’s so memorable.”
The front nine has trees along each hole but they are pushed way back from the former design and are utilized to rim the property. The par 3, 4th hole is possibly the most difficult to score on. It’s not a long downhill shot but the green is fairly small, guarded by sand and is crowned, so a golfer’s aim has to be most true here.
The back nine opens up like a massive curtain across God’s stage of rolling sand dunes. The layout has six ponds, only one of which is on the back nine at the left front of the green of my favorite hole – No. 15. The tee box at the downhill par three is the highest point on the property and sadly signifies that you’re only a few holes away from finishing an experience you don’t want to end.
