Forest Dunes is adding a fourth golf course at its destination property in northern Michigan, a private club called SkyFall designed by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner that will allow limited play for guests at the resort.

For Hanse, it’s an exciting opportunity and a return to his architectural roots. He got his start in the business in 1987 by working for Tom Doak at High Pointe Golf Club, a nearby Michigan property that’s recently gotten new life. Hanse recalls getting to work on a bulldozer at the end of that project but remembers even more vividly the cozy confines (and smell) of the one-bedroom apartment behind a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Traverse City that he shared with his wife, Tracey, during that time.

Hanse today is one of the most accomplished modern architects in the game, designing acclaimed courses such as Ohoopee Match Club (Georgia), Streamsong Black (Florida), Castle Stuart (Scotland), CapRock Ranch (Nebraska), and Ladera (California), and working on major renovations and restorations at historic facilities such as Winged Foot, Los Angeles Country Club, Yale, The Olympic Club, Baltusrol and the recently announced Spanish Bay Golf Links.

The return to northern Michigan also reunites Hanse with Rich Mack, who owns Forest Dunes alongside business partner Tom Sunnarborg. Mack was the original visionary for Streamsong and oversaw the property when Hanse was brought on to build the Black Course. Over the years, the two have “developed a friendship that transcends architecture,” Mack says, adding that Hanse “knows what we’re looking for” in the quest to further solidify Forest Dunes as a national destination.

“I don’t know if this reflects poorly on me, but this is the first time we’ve had an owner hire us for another golf course in a different place,” Hanse joked at a recent dinner at which plans for the SkyFall project were unveiled. “This is going to be a very different golf course for us from what we’ve been building, and we’re excited about the opportunity. Great ownership, great topography, sand, great companion golf courses we’re able to work alongside.”

SkyFall to Join Forest Dunes and The Loop

SkyFall will be built on about 350 acres adjacent to the property’s two current full-length courses: the namesake Forest Dunes created by Tom Weiskopf and The Loop, the reversible 18-hole layout designed by Doak.

Early-stage construction is expected to start later this year, with most of the work taking place in 2026. When it opens, likely in 2027, the course will have a look and feel reminiscent of several of Hanse’s other designs: the sandy and rustic expanses at Ohoopee, the strategy at Castle Stuart, and the modern yet old-world charm of places like Boston Golf Club and Les Bordes in France.

The fairways will be wide, but don’t expect massive playing corridors. Instead, SkyFall will retain a tree-lined look as it alternates between woodlands and meadows on a dramatic piece of property with up to 100 feet of elevation change. There will be a punchbowl Par 3 hole, something Mack says Hanse has always wanted to do, and the ninth hole that plays back up to the clubhouse atop a ridge is modeled after the second hole at Pine Valley which has a steep hill fronting the green that’s pocked with bunkers.

The new course won’t be visible from the other public courses, a lineup that includes Forest Dunes’ short course, The Bootlegger.

No James Bond Tie

The name of the new course – and club – is sure to get some attention given the James Bond film of the same name.

But SkyFall isn’t an homage to 007, rather it’s tied to the brilliant starry nights and bright sunsets in northern Michigan that Mack is convinced is a byproduct of the glare that comes off Lake Michigan.

“They’re sharper, brighter and more vibrant, like they’re on fire,” Mack said. “We went through an ideation process and this was memorable. James Bond is kind of a side thing that some people might view to be cool. But what we’re trying to reflect here is the sunsets, the panoramic views and then at night the stars are right there on top of you.”

Unique Membership Model

Also unique is the membership model at SkyFall.

There will be roughly 100 founding members who pay $100,000 to join. And then there will be another 150 or so SkyFall members. Those members will then get money back every year based on the amount of limited public play on the course. With prices likely to be around $250 to $300 – and only for those staying on property and playing the other courses – Mack estimates that founding members could get about $5,000 back annually and still get to enjoy a course with exclusivity.

“We want to generate enough revenue where we take care of the golf course, but give money back to members,” said Mack. “And do it every year.”

Resort play would only be available on certain days and at non-peak times. No day golf is permitted, meaning golfers must stay in Forest Dunes lodging in order to try and get a tee time. Mack puts the estimated split at 75% member play and 25% resort play.

“We’ll allow as much publicly accessible play from the resort so we don’t interfere with our members. It’ll be controlled, maybe two hours a day,” said Mack. “This will feel like a private club. It will look like a private club. But there will be a special opportunity – and it might not be every day – where we allow 30 people to play it.”

Currently about 65% of play at Forest Dunes is from golfers who hail from outside of Michigan. It’s a proportion that’s gone up significantly since Mack and Sunnarborg acquired the property in 2021 and began investing in upgrades and new amenities.

Real Estate Play

Beyond the new golf course, real estate is a forthcoming play at Forest Dunes.

There are probably about 100 available lots, all near the original Forest Dunes course, and none of which are in close proximity to the course itself. The infrastructure is already there, as previous ownership spent between $50 million and $75 million on a development that never materialized, but the roads, power and natural gas lines are all in place.

But selling real estate is a side strategy, Mack says. Golf is the driving component.

“I’m interested in building something that’s really cool,” said Mack. “There’s a lot of this going on in the country right now with the proliferation of golf courses. It’s our job to replicate – not to do exactly what we did at Streamsong – but to provide an experience in the Northern Michigan environment that makes people say this is a really fun spot to be.”