Sunday @ Boyne Highlands: Heather and Arthur Hills: Where’s Jason?

Sunday, we start off with Breakfast at the Highlands. We can walk over and the Highlands breakfast (buffet) starts at 6:30 am, not 7:00 am (Everetts at the Mountain). I pretty much always get an omelet (this time, bacon, tomato and feta cheese) and rye toast – and a big bowl of fresh berries!

Main Dining at Boyne Highlands

Then, a short drive over to Heather (yes, we drive over there because after Heather, we head over to Boyne Country Club for lunch and to check in for Arthur Hills). My “dress code” this year is: black, white, purple – any combo. Don’t ask why – I think it started because we really can’t wear black shirts in the heat of summer in Dallas. Work out fine in Michigan.

Me, Pete and Tom in the morning at Heather. Clay and Levi as twosome. Yes, we tried to go off as five, but Highlands wasn’t having it. The pro shop even alerted the starter and the marshal, since they suspected that we may try to join up. Not going to happen, even though we play in under four hours even as a fivesome. But it’s a resort and the optics of it probably isn’t great. But the pace works out fine.

Driving range at Heather is the ski slope.

The famous pond on 18 at Heather

#5 on Heather (par 5, dogleg left).

Heather is a fun course with a bit of everything: woods, marsh, water, sand. Nothing crazy but takes a minute for us to get used to faster greens than Woodbridge. Tom doesn’t have the issues we have since he plays in Portland, Oregon, these days.

I always remember hole #5, featured on Big Break Michigan (they played worse ball format). It has marsh/pond/gunk all along the left side. The right has “big trees.” I tend to go right and layup and then try to avoid the big crater sand trap in front of a green that slopes right to left (into the pond).

I birdie eight! I don’t expect many birdies and am happy with pars and bogies at this point in my life. This is a lot of golf. And I’m old. But I’m still doing this crazy trip.

We have never had a hole-in-one in Michigan but think that the really short #12 would be a good one. Yes, there’s a pond in front that sucks up balls, but it’s pretty straightforward. No luck again this year. Definitely don’t think that the longish #16 would be a hole in one, but this year at least I make the green.

I have The Open on Hulu on my phone most of the time. It was annoying at times during my backswing, but we wanted to see who would win.

#18 is the famous “bench” hole. The architect did not want a pond on this hole, but they insisted. So there is a local rule – if you hit your drive in the pond, you get a free drop. I hate this hole. Hit it in the pond, but on my second shot, not my drive.

Lunch and The Open at Boyne Country Club (I think Seminole is the restaurant). The “trueben” sandwich I get (turkey, not corned beef and radish sauerkraut) was pretty good. Food and restaurant prices have just gotten so high (in my opinion) – around $20 per person (per sandwich). At lunch, we find that Jason has made it to Traverse City. BUT, no taxi, no Uber, no rental. Until 2:30 pm. Clay asked about us going to get him – but at 2 hours each way, would definitely miss out on Arthur Hills. Sorry, Jason.  We all really like Arthur Hills! It’s clear while eating that Xander was running away with the tournament.

Naptime before we tee off on Heather after lunch.

We get off at 2:00 pm on Arthur Hills – probably my second favorite course after Bay Harbor (on the Boyne list – True North, Forest Dunes, get up there ahead of Arthur). It’s me, Tom and Clay – Levi and Pete as the twosome. Hoping that Jason may show up in time to play a few holes. Again, we tried to go off as a fivesome and they weren’t having it either (a little more open but say that it’s “pretty busy” on the Hills on a Sunday).

The Hills starts off softly. Hole 1 has a big bunker all of the way down the right. Hole 2 is short – with a baby volcano green. Hole 3 is a “shorter” par 5 with a big bunker all of the way down the right (and then on the left – and in front – you get it). Then, hole 4 is when I think the tree views start to show up, with hole 5 (#1 handicap hole) having woods all of the way down the right – woods, meaning tree farm. So cool. I think Clay (or Tom) birdies #5. We find out that Jason is at least on his way with Uber… It’s pretty slow going with us as a three and Pete and Levi as a two. But we’re on vacation, so oh well.

#4, Arthur Hills

#4, Arthur Hills

Looking to back tee boxes on #4, Arthur Hills

Tried a Mulligan (a John Daley, really): not so great.

The Volcano Hole (picture doesn't do the volcano justice)

The ”Volcano” hole is so cool. I made the mistake of not hitting enough club on my second shot to the green – and all of the way down to the bottom it goes. I did discover that you can putt up it (and saved par). #12 and we’ve kind of joined up (kinda) and here comes a couple of carts – a kid leading Jason in a cart to all of us!

Jason's here!

#13, Arthur Hills (signature hole, par 5)

Took this for Tony since we see signs like these on our motorcycle rides. This is the cart path!

Switchback on a cart path!

The 17^th hole at Hills has two sets of tee boxes, one on the right and one on the left. I was hoping for left this year since they always seem to be on the right. They were on the left. But, of course, I hit my drive into the right fairway. Clay makes a joke of it.  Next to the green, before 18, there is a Port A Potty. And our GPS tells us to respect the residents (meaning: don’t pee in their yards – makes you want to with all of the signs!).

Power out at the house. It was raining in Dallas, but no storms. Muggy. Every year there seems to be some power outage, or AC issue or something. And here we are in a much cooler Michigan (not as cool as we’d like).

Dinner downstairs at the bar area. Again, I think it’s pricey and service a little lackluster. I make the mistake of asking the server whether the club or the chicken sandwich is better. He said chicken sandwich—over cooked piece of dry, flat and huge chicken, with mediocre bacon. Oh well. I wasn’t terribly hungry anyway.

Note: I am not a photographer, nor do I try to be one. I hire photographers. Excuse the crappy photos!