Gil Hanse to design new SkyFall course at Forest Dunes

13 Feb 2025

Michigan’s Forest Dunes is expanding, and adding a private 18-hole golf course designed by Gil Hanse to its resort. Named SkyFall, the new course is expected to begin construction in late 2025 and, like The Lido at Sand Valley, will be available to both private club members and those staying in the luxurious Forest Dunes lodge.

Forest Dunes currently has three golf courses on its property, the original 18-hole Tom Wieksopf design, the reversible Loop course and a short 10–Hole Par 3 course built during Covid.

According to the Forest Dunes website;

The property where SkyFall will reside offers a distinct change from the existing courses at Forest Dunes. Hanse says the course will certainly have some nods to a couple of his noted designs, including the sandy and rustic expanses that punctuate Ohoopee Match Club in Georgia mixed with the strategy and naturalism found in Scotland at Castle Stuart, and the rolling charm of the firm’s latest projects, France’s Les Bordes.

But beyond any previous work, Hanse’s inspiration comes from SkyFall’s intriguing landscape.

“This design is focused on some of the landforms on the property,” Hanse says. “When you look at some of the old courses by Tillinghast or Ross, there tends to be a landform they go away from and come back to. On the front nine at SkyFall, that hub is a big compelling ridge which dissects the property with elevation changes approaching 100 feet.”

Hanse says the conclusion of both nines will be unforgettable, and he points to 9th hole as a potential highlight: “We’ve talked about a comparison as the second hole at Pine Valley where you have a level to slightly downhill tee shot playing through some interesting terrain and then a significant uphill shot to the green. Given the sandy nature, the vegetation and the grasses that are out there, we feel we can build a really compelling hole.”

One of the keys to crafting a great golf course, Hanse says, is the team. In the case of SkyFall, Hanse is returning to work with Forest Dunes owners Rich Mack and Tom Sunnarborg at Streamsong, the award-winning resort in central Florida. Hanse equates his connection to the ownership at Forest Dunes as “putting the band back together” to bring SkyFall to life.

“This is the first time we’ve worked on separate projects with the same owner, having worked with [Tom and Rich] on the Black Course at Streamsong,” Hanse explains. “They understand how we work and that will ultimately yield the best possible course.”

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