Boyne Highlands Resort - Heather Course

The first BOYNE Golf course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1966, The Heather sits at the base of the resort's ski slopes and delivers a stern ball-striking test with tree-lined doglegs, water hazards, and the signature 18th hole carry over the lake. Named the 2019 National Course of the Year and 2018 Michigan Course of the Year.

The Heather at Boyne Highlands Resort opened in 1966 as the first golf course in what would become the BOYNE Golf collection, now comprising eleven courses across northern Michigan. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., a prolific and influential golf course architect of the 20th century, The Heather established the resort as a golf destination and ignited the golf boom in Northwest Michigan, a region now referred to as "America's Summer Golf Capital." Robert Trent Jones Sr. selected a property at the base of the resort's ski slopes in Harbor Springs, creating a layout that takes advantage of the rolling terrain and mature hardwood forests of northern Michigan. The design features Jones's trademark combination of strategic bunkering, challenging green complexes, and holes that demand precise ball striking. Tree-lined doglegs and water hazards require accuracy off the tee, while the greens reward players who position their approach shots correctly. The Heather quickly earned recognition as a distinguished championship course in the nation. By 1971, just five years after opening, Golf Digest included it in their Top 100 courses in America, a remarkable achievement for a resort course.

The course has maintained its reputation across more than five decades of competitive play. The championship layout stretches to 7,143 yards from the Brown tees with a demanding course rating of 75.4 and slope of 147. The course offers an unusually wide range of tee options with six sets of tees at different yardages: Brown (7,143), Purple (6,647), Orange (6,207), Blue (6,013), Green (5,743), and Silver (4,845). The Blue, Green, and Silver tees all carry both men's and women's ratings, making the course accessible to golfers of every ability. The signature hole is the 18th, which finishes with a dramatic carry over a lake to the green. This closing hole has become a photographed and memorable finishing holes in Michigan golf, demanding both distance and accuracy to reach the green in regulation.

The Heather has served as the venue for numerous significant tournaments since 1966, including Michigan Amateur championships, AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) Championships, the Michigan State Pro-Am, and events on The Celebrity Tour. These hosting duties have brought many of the game's finest players to Harbor Springs over the decades. In recent years, The Heather has earned additional accolades that confirm its enduring quality. The course was named the 2018 Michigan Course of the Year and the 2019 National Course of the Year, recognizing both its outstanding conditioning and its lasting design merit. The resort has invested in restoring the course to its original Jones design intent while incorporating modern turf care practices. The practice facility adjacent to The Heather includes a full-game driving range, two putting greens, and complimentary range balls for resort guests before their rounds.

The course is located next to The Main Lodge at The Highlands, providing convenient access for overnight guests. The Heather's influence on golf in northern Michigan cannot be overstated. It demonstrated that the region could support championship-caliber golf and paved the way for the development of courses by Arthur Hills, Bill Newcombe, and other architects at Boyne's various resort properties.