Heather Course named 2018 Michigan golf course of the year

No. 18 on The Heather (Photo credit – Evan Schiller)

Boyne Resorts’ first golf course, The Heather, has been named the 2018 Golf Course of the Year by the Michigan Golf Course Association (MGCA).

Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and opened in 1966, The Heather was the landmark golf course for Boyne Golf.

“The Heather’s challenge is absolutely timeless,” said Kate Moore of the MGCA in making the announcement. “It is widely considered to be one of the finest championship courses in the nation.”

The MGCA Course of the Year Award honors a member course that meets four criteria: exceptional quality of the course; exceptional quality of ownership and management; outstanding contribution to its community; and significant contribution to the game.

The Heather spans 7,148 yards of rolling fairways, natural wetlands, tour white sand bunkers and blueberry bogs. The Michigan Amateur Championship has been contested on The Heather four times, including the 100th Michigan Amateur in 2011. Proving its broad appeal, the course is also consistently recognized as one of the friendliest for women and senior golfers. Its many awards and rankings include being listed among “The Top 100 Courses You Can Play” by Golf Magazine and “50 Best Courses for Women” by Golf for Women magazine.

“In a state that is full of great golf facilities, to be recognized by our golf course association of owners and operators is very humbling and an honor,” said Bernie Friedrich, Boyne’s senior vice-president. “This recognition is a tribute to our wonderful staff, which has taken great pride in the vision we maintain here at The Heather.”

The Heather has been lengthened with some additional tees over the years to match golf’s technological advances, but it was built to last by Jones in collaboration with Everett Kircher.

Jeremy Neer, Shaun Osborne and Chris Burnett are the GCSAA Class A Superintendents at Boyne Resort.