October 2021 Ohio Golf Journal

activities, stayed at Boyne Mountain last year and were among the first wave of guests to stay this summer in the newly remodeled north wing of Boyne Highlands’ main lodge. They described their accommodations as “super nice, excellent.” More than four years after a devastating fire that destroyed 70 rooms, the Highlands property is undergoing a transformation from a 1960s-era ski lodge to an upscale boutique hotel, complete with marble bathrooms, padded headboards, motion- sensor lighting, in-room Nespresso machines and other contemporary amenities. “It’s not just a remodel, it’s a rebuild… a renaissance in a way,” says Bernie Friedrich, vice president of golf and resort sales for BOYNE Resorts. The goal, he explains, is to bring the nearly 60-year-old hotel back to its original 4-star status. To hear more from Bernie Friedrich, watch this Back 9 Report TV video: Additional improvements to the ivy-covered, Tudor-style main lodge are on the way, including a four-season sushi and steakhouse by late next summer. plus a European-style, multi-level spa a few years down the road. Also, on the horizon are expanded, state-of-the-art conference facilities. The Highlands recently installed a $200,000 outdoor TrackMan Range system that helps golfers of all skill levels by providing radar-based feedback on ball speed, distance and direction. It complements the resort’s high-tech swing analysis and club-fitting programs. To enhance playability, Boyne is in the midst of a selective renovation of its acclaimed golf courses, which are touted in top golf magazines for their variety, challenge, elevation changes and spectacular views, especially during the fall color season. The vista from the 13th tee on the Arthur Hills course at the Highlands, for example, is jaw- dropping, stretching across 4,000 acres of trees from nearly 400 feet up -- without a building in sight. Fourteen bunkers were removed at another scenic Arthur Hills layout, Crooked Tree Golf Club, perched on bluffs high above Lake Michigan’s Little Traverse Bay. Thanks to the generous forward tees, it has long been my favorite Michigan golf course and is even more fun now. The Moor, one of just two walkable courses in the Boyne collection, boasts widened fairways and more accessible greens, making it a delightful start to a “golf your brains out” getaway.