Monday: Forest Dunes in Roscommon

I guess since I posted two blogs already that I’m committed to blogging this trip. Sitting on the floor, stretching and watching Channel 74 NBC (Traverse City) news – it’s a departure from NBC 5 in Dallas – so much more local and funny. They have little smiley faces on today’s weather (I’m kinda live, but not live, blogging. Probably two-day delay on posts – I’m typing this at 530 am on Tuesday – Bay Harbor (aka Liz’s) day).

I realize that having been on this trip so many years, that I don’t take near the amount of pictures on the golf course that I used to take. If you want, you can bore yourself and read older posts that may have more photos.

Monday morning we have to leave too early to get breakfast as part of our package (Boyne Mountain breakfast buffet doesn’t open until 7:00). With our first tee time at 830 am, and an hour and 17 minute drive to Forest Dunes, we stop at Big Boy in Gaylord on our way. It’s their 80^th anniversary of delicious! And, we can “play” Shazzam (a putting game we play at Woodbridge – if someone calls you on a long putt, if you make it in one you get $2, in two you get $1, or you owe if you three putt – kinda mean game, so we don’t play much).

After Big Boy, we have another 45 minutes to Forest Dunes – in the middle of nowhere and they have enough land to add a par 3 (under construction) and probably at least another 18 holes.

Check in an have no trouble with Pete and my 6 free rounds of golf (this ends up meaning that our 8 rounds add up to $25/round/person – that’s awesome considering rounds run $100/person+). The driving range is on the back side passing the newish par three course on the way (we didn’t get time to play) with wonderful black tees to take home (you are welcome, Ron). Paul and I grab Bloody Mary’s.

Mike, our starter, is the same from a couple of years ago (don’t ask how I can remember). He tells us that all of the sand on the course is from there – none brought in. In fact, they had to line all of the ponds in order to keep water in them.

The gnats are still around an no spray really works. They don’t bite, so I don’t mind them like everyone else does. But they do swarm around you and can be annoying.

The original Forest Dunes is one of my favorites. Tree lined (love the wind in the trees sound), lots of ferns, dune like bunkers, lush fairways. This trip, the greens seem a little bit distressed, like the traffic isn’t fixing their ball marks. But, the greens run fast.

Example of dunes on the first tee box at Forest Dunes

First teebox at Forest Dunes

Example of where not to be.

Paul

#2 at Forest Dunes

Paul on #8, left side -- where not to be (he makes bogey 5).

#8 at Forest Dunes (pond right side of the green, view to the club house).

Rain at Forest Dunes (but they have great carts with club covers).

Our little alley at the Loop to hide from the rain.

tee markers (I want one)

The Loop. Someone ahead of us must not have liked the pin position, but I hit it close.

The first hole is a dog leg right – I don’t typically like dog leg rights, but this one doesn’t “get me” and Paul and I make pars.  I really love this course as you wind through the “forest” – even the cart path needs a comment – it’s stamped concrete and they are in great condition. The second hole is the #1 handicap hole and I’m not 100% sure why, but it’s long.

You finish the front 9 with a par 3 and Tom and Paul both almost ace it. The 10^th tee gives you a split fairway with “dunes” in the middle. I go to the right side, but hard bounce into the dune, but manage to make par (it’s not a long par 4). As we play the back, it’s getting darker. And darker. At 14 there is a halfway house (with a fireplace), but it’s not raining. Until we get in the fairway at 14 – the carts have the club “cover” and Paul and I get ours down and my umbrella out. On we go, playing 15 in the rain – pretty light on this hole (par 5 with a really downhill green).

And then you get to 16 – a long par 3 (I think it was 199 yards from II tees, I had 145 yards). And it starts sheeting down sideways rain. Paul and I hide out in the woods and wait it out.  Pete and Tom don’t take cover and eventually I hear them hit and we come out from under cover to hit – and both Paul and I make par. Nice. It’s a pretty cool looking par 3. 17 is a drivable par 4 – not today – with a large dune from tee to green, with fairway on the right. And 18 is a par 5 with dunes right and left and a rather narrow fairway that slopes into the left dune. [side: as I’m typing, the weather guy on channel 5 sounds like Ken Kaltoph (sp) from Channel 5 in Dallas].

Lunch and then they get us off on the Black Course at 145 pm instead of 155 pm. The guys at the table next to us at lunch are bailing and leaving early because the bad weather hasn’t come yet.

Forest Dunes

Men’s

I               75.2/146               7116

II             72.4/139               6550

II/III       71.3/135               6330

III            69.2/127               5888

Women’s

III            74.8/143               5888

IV            69.9/136               4993

Bye hole               117         97

Last time we played the Loop, our flight was delayed and we only played the Black Course “back nine” to the clubhouse. We’re playing the full Black Course today – without caddies and in carts – this will be new to us.

Black Course – The Loop

Back       71.7/125               6704

Middle  68.6/119               6078

Front     63.8/103               4982

Women’s

Middle  74.3/131               6078

Front     68.0/114               4982

They now have little flag tee markers designating where the “box” is – they aren’t really boxes, which is one reason it works as a reversible course.  Only three sets of markers. The starter tells us that in carts, it should be pretty identifiable where to drive – but if you see “dark” it may be a hidden bunker. On greens, when in doubt, aim for the “flat spot.”

On we go, none of us doing well on the first, but Tom pars the second. It’s so different, but so much like links with just wide openness. Paul and I don’t particularly like not having something to really aim at (we don’t know about Pete – we know Tom likes links). And with hard greens, it’s tough to figure out where to land it (note: good to have a caddie or forecaddie on this course). But, it’s a cool track. Until we get to 8 and the clouds open up. Really open up. Paul finds a little wood alley for us to camp out in and stay dry. Again, Pete and Tom hang out by themselves, on the tee box (eight is a par 3), in the pouring rain. I call the pro shop – we’re in the middle of the Loop and if we want to bail, the best way is to go to the halfway house (no real cover) and then get on the road and head to the clubhouse by road. But, they say it’s almost over. A marshal passes us on the way to the rain shack (half a mile away). But, it does look like it’s almost over and we hang out.

The rain stops, and the sun comes out. Glad we waited it out and we play the rest of the loop. [new note: the gnats aren’t as bad on the Loop –probably because it’s wide open and nowhere for them to go]. On the back, I start eyeballing the flags on the tee box. I really want one – so I tweet. And I tweet. And I tweet. They tweet back that they are available for purchase in the pro shop – I say leave one on the counter. I really want one for my “tee garden.”

We finish up the Loop and it’s a much better experience than the first time (even though we needed the caddies to help with ball positioning and green reading). I’ll do it again – and like that per person per round equated to $25, totaling $200 (a big savings at Forest Dunes!). I go to the pro shop and unfortunately no flag for me or any available (not sure where the tweeter is tweeting from).

Off we go, back to the Mountain, for dinner at Everetts (completely uninteresting, eventful except for my vanilla ice cream with berries). Being on the Super Five package gets us dinner, but resort food is sometimes uneventful

Tomorrow is my day at Bay Harbor!