Hanse & Wagner at Forest Dunes is official: Skyfall Golf Club

[Andrew Harvie]

Title is fairly self-explanatory and I suspect a lot of you already knew this was coming (caddies at Forest Dunes were leaking information, after all), but Gil Hanse & Jim Wagner will officially be part of the Forest Dunes compound with a private/resort guest hybrid model at Skyfall Golf Club. Plan below:





2028 opening. Thoughts?

[Bob_Garvelink]

I cant wait to see the finished product and Northern Michigan continues to prove it truly is one of the best places on the planet for golf.  I have always loved Forest Dunes and the Loop and I have do doubt this new private course will be fantastic as well.  I find it interesting they talk about elevation change of up to 70 feet so that is interesting as the other two courses don't have a ton from what I can recall.  Should be a great addition to an already loaded field of amazing Northern Michigan golf courses

[Ben Sims]

A few things jumped out. The ninth hole appears to be wicked uphill. I counted 28-30 contour lines from the far western end of the fairway to the green. That’s either ~30ft or ~60ft uphill. Unless these are 6 inch contour lines.


The alternate angled par three happens twice in one nine. Generally speaking I find that feature to be superfluous. I think the walk and the hole itself will almost always be better from one angle.


I need to get back to Northern Michigan badly.

[Tim Gavrich]

I count 89 planned bunkers, with one unbunkered green and one unbunkered tee shot landing area. The uphill 9th looks a bit Shinnecock-coded, which is cool.

[Ryan Book]

I see Tillinghast but I'm biased. Shinnecock comparisons are fair as well.

[Joe Wandro]

That's a tough corner of land to work in!

[MCirba]

This is likely a concept design plan for Marketing purposes, not to be confused with exactly what gets built on the ground on construction begins.   I wouldn't put too much stock yet in things like bunker placement, green sizing and shape, etc.

[Ben Sims]

Upon further study the ninth hole looks like it will have around the same elevation change as #2 at Pine Valley. Did that hole get mentioned on the uphill holes thread?

[Matt Schoolfield]

I apologize in advance, but I couldn't help myself:

[Jaeger Kovich]

Thoughts?

Has the ownership changed at Forest Dunes? My understanding is that the man who was the driving force behind the development of Streamsong is now the main man at FD.

[Tom_Doak]

Has the ownership changed at Forest Dunes? My understanding is that the man who was the driving force behind the development of Streamsong is now the main man at FD.

That's correct, it's Rich Mack who was the general counsel for Mosaic back then, and the guy who hired me and Bill Coore and later Gil.  Rich tried for the job as CEO of Mosaic when his boss retired, and when he didn't get it, the new CEO gave him a big severance package, and he had nothing to do with Streamsong anymore. 


Rich is very friendly with Gil so I didn't push too hard to do the next course over there, even if it would have been a home game . . . he already owns some of my best work!


There are rumors of a Coore & Crenshaw project near Traverse City, as well.  I guess I will have to consider projects in Scottsdale and Philadelphia now.