Renovations to Holes 3 and 10 advance multi-year effort to create a more authentic Donald Ross experience at The Highlands
HARBOR SPRINGS, Mich. — BOYNE Golf continues its ambitious transformation of the Donald Ross Memorial at The Highlands with newly reimagined 3rd and 10th holes inspired by Ross’s celebrated design at Wannamoisett Country Club and his home course, Royal Dornoch.
Working with Michigan-based golf course architect and Donald Ross expert Ray Hearn and Great Lakes Construction, the latest renovations mark another significant step in BOYNE Golf’s multi-year effort to create more authentic renditions of the original Ross holes that inspired the course.
“These two holes add something very different to the Ross Memorial,” said Hearn. “Wannamoisett’s third is a wonderful example of how Ross could create strategy and interest in a very short par-3, while Royal Dornoch’s 14th reflects the natural movement, contours and character that influenced so much of his work. Bringing those qualities into the Ross Memorial gives the course more variety and makes the overall experience stronger.”
Inspired by the short, revered par-3 third hole at Wannamoisett Country Club in Rhode Island, the new 139-yard version of hole 3 at the Donald Ross Memorial replaces the previous Oakland Hills 17th and adds another layer of variety to the round. Its strategic character comes from a single greenside bunker and a fall-off along the right side of the putting surface. The new hole will be fully open for the 2027 golf season.
Hole 3 – Donald Ross Memorial (Wannamoisett Country Club)
In addition, hole 10 underwent an equally dramatic transformation and reopened earlier this year. It was rebuilt to more closely reflect the famed 14th hole at Royal Dornoch in Scotland, where Ross served as the club’s professional and greenskeeper and developed many of his architectural ideas under the influence of Old Tom Morris. The transformation included reshaping the entire fairway, enlarging and reshaping mounding on both sides, and adding fescue to better capture the character and inspiration of a Scottish links-style hole. The green was more than tripled in size and lowered approximately 4.5 feet, significantly improving sightlines into the putting surface.
Hole 10 – Donald Ross Memorial (Royal Dornoch)
“It’s been really encouraging how golfers have responded to what we’re doing,” said Bernie Friedrich, Director of Golf Course Renovation & Development for Boyne Resorts. “The Ross Memorial gives you a chance to experience some of these great Donald Ross holes that most golfers may never get to play, and you can do it all in one round. Since we started this work, it’s continued to be one of our busiest courses, even when we’ve had individual holes under construction. I think that says a lot. People enjoy the course, they understand what we’re trying to do with it, and they want to come back and see what’s next.”
More than 35 years ago, BOYNE Golf founder Everett Kircher envisioned a unique golf course paying homage to Donald Ross and the Golden Age of golf course architecture. The concept was to recreate signature Ross holes from many of his most celebrated courses east of the Mississippi River.
Today, the Donald Ross Memorial features renditions of holes from historic venues including Seminole, Pinehurst No. 2, Oakland Hills, Oak Hill, Scioto, Detroit Golf Club, Aronimink, Wannamoisett, Plainfield and Inverness. Boyne Resorts President and CEO Stephen Kircher continues his father’s vision of creating a distinctive Donald Ross experience for resort guests.
“My father’s vision was simple. Give golfers the chance to experience some of Donald Ross’s greatest holes in one place, including many they might never otherwise have the opportunity to play,” said Kircher. “More than 30 years later, we have access to historical information and technology that simply wasn’t available when the course was built. That gives us the opportunity to go back and make these holes even more true to Ross’s original designs. We’re not changing the idea behind the Donald Ross Memorial. We’re building on it, making the experience more authentic, one hole at a time.”
When the BOYNE Golf team initially developed the course, they relied largely on site visits, photographs, and firsthand observations. Today’s process incorporates Ross’s original drawings, historical imagery, Google Earth, CAD drawings, photography, and LiDAR mapping, allowing BOYNE Golf to reproduce dimensions, contours, bunkering, and green complexes with considerably greater accuracy.
The transformation has already resulted in extensive renovations to Hole 2, modeled after No. 4 at Plainfield Country Club; Hole 13, based on No. 15 at Seminole Golf Club; Hole 15, recreating No. 11 at Aronimink Golf Club; and Hole 16, modeled after No. 10 at Pinehurst No. 2. Among the most dramatic improvements is the rebuilding of the green complexes. For example, on Hole 16, the putting surface was expanded from approximately 4,100 square feet to 8,300 square feet to more accurately reflect Ross’s original design, with additional runoff areas created around the green.
The Donald Ross Memorial is one of four 18-hole courses at The Highlands and part of BOYNE Golf’s collection of 11 courses across the award-winning northern Michigan resort destination.
For more information and to book your 2027 BOYNE Golf package and experience the latest version of the Donald Ross Memorial, visit www.BOYNEGolf.com.
