
Courtesy of Boyne Resort
Boyne Golf in Northern Michigan is adding a new par-3 short course, Doon Brae, and a Himalayan-style putting course, the Back Yaird, both scheduled to open this summer. The new short course will be Boyne Golf’s 11th golf course.
Doon Brae, which is now accepting tee times, takes its name from the Scottish words Doon, going down into a valley, and Brae, steep bank or hillside — fitting as the routing of the course is on the site of the former Cuff Links 9-hole par-3 course set along the hillside that doubles as a ski slope during the winter months.
“As far as I know, this is the first modern golf course ever built on a ski hill,” said Bernie Friedrich, director of golf course renovations and development at Boyne Resorts. “The combination of small greens inspired by some of the great green templates from overseas with sod-faced bunkers and tight mowing patterns will be a fun, perfect add-on to the daily golf itinerary. It also provides a wonderful option for families, kids, and beginners to try golf for the first time.”
Complementing the new par-3 short course is the Back Yaird — the Scottish word for yard — a 1½-acre, 27-hole putting course featuring three 9-hole combinations. Inspired by great putting courses like the Himalayas at St. Andrews and Thistle Du at Pinehurst Resort, the course features a variety of slopes and swales.
“Adding the Back Yaird putting experience creates the perfect combination for a fun golf experience for everyone,” Friedrich said. “Having experienced some of the top resorts in the country with their short courses and putting courses they have created for guests, it is exciting to bring that type of golf entertainment for our Boyne guests.”
Golf course architect Ray Hearn was selected to design the leading golf destination’s latest golf attractions. A Michigan native, Hearn has worked closely with the Boyne Golf team, modernizing and renovating many of the resort's golf courses during recent years.
Although Doon Brae is routed on a ski hill, Hearn focused on minimizing uphill walking. The course, which measures between 993 yards and 678 yards, 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, providing multiple angles and fairway options, with shorter-length holes having fewer bunkers on the path toward the greens, while longer holes provide more strategic angles with bunkers more in play.
“I wanted to make sure we were creating something fun and unique without being a difficult walk,” Hearn said. “We also considered all the families taking their kids out to play the short course and then the putting course. Every time I visited Scotland with friends, I was always inspired by The Himalayas at St. Andrews. We just kept playing it over and over and never got bored. The Back Yaird will provide that kind of experience.”
Hearn’s favorite part of the project was the creatively designed green complexes.
“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 inspirations include Eden, Punch Bowl, Redan, Reverse Redan, Whinny Brae, Steep Slope, Postage Stamp and Biarritz.”
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