Forest Dunes Expands

The long-awaited news broke on Thursday that Forest Dunes will add a fourth course to its Michigan resort. Skyfall (possibly named after the 2012 James Bond movie) will be designed by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner and join the resort’s collection of courses: Forest Dunes, a Tom Weiskopf design (2002), Tom Doak’s reversible The Loop (2016), and The Bootlegger (2021 ), a Keith Rhebb and Riley Johns short course.

Unlike the others, Skyfall will incorporate a “private/public” model likely inspired by the success of The Lido Club adjacent to Sand Valley. At the Lido, there is a private membership that has exclusive blocks of time during the week and sole usage during the weekends. During the non-peak hours on weekdays, resort guests are able to access the club. This business model is enticing to a developer because you can fund the construction aspect of a project with initiation fees and also earn the day-in, day-out cash flow that public golf presents.

Construction is set to begin in late 2025 or early 2026, with (speculating, of course), preview play likely to follow in 2027.

From a golf course standpoint, the Loop and Forest Dunes courses both occupy rather subtle land. They sit on sand but they are not filled with dramatic movement like you might find at other big-name resorts such as Bandon Dunes, Sand Valley, or Streamsong, the resort that Forest Dunes co-owner Rich Mack managed for Mosaic.

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What stands out to me about Skyfall is the 70-foot elevation change the routing will encounter. That topographical interest will distinguish it from other courses at Forest Dunes which are far more modest in elevation. My biggest question will be how does Skyfall compete as a private club in Roscommon, Michigan, which is a little over an hour from Traverse City. This club will compete with Kingsley Club, which is rumored to be eyeing a second course, and High Pointe. Both are close to the paradise that is Traverse City, an area filled with good restaurants, a great airport, and family-friendly activities.

It’s my feeling that this course would work on its own as a resort. Financially speaking, I just wonder if it’s more appealing to go with the Lido model.

What does everyone think of the routing?