| Bay Harbor is a renowned 27-hole golf facility that is part of Boyne Resorts. Most regard the Links and Quarry nines as the best 18-hole routing on property. Arthur Hills laid out these 27 holes on a relatively narrow tract of land that hugs the coast of Lake Michigan between Charlevoix and Petoskey. The Bay Harbor courses are premium offerings from Boyne Resorts and provide a noteworthy Northern MI golf experience driven by memorable golf shots and stunning scenery. The Links nine starts off with a striking tee shot oriented towards Lake Michigan. This opener that allows you to take in the wonderful vista before heading inland for the 2nd hole. The 3rd hole is probably the most strategic and memorable hole on the Links as the golfer is asked whether they want to take on a forced carry over the lakeside cliffs in order to setup a relatively easy second shot. If the player prefers to take the more conservative line off of the tee along the right side of the fairway then they are left with a difficult shot to a narrow green fronted by a massive bunker. This is a really fun hole. This is followed by the memorable downhill par 3 4th hole at the farthest point of the property. Another highlight on this nine is the par 5 7th hole, a reachable par 5 that hugs the coastline. The coastal holes are easily the most memorable holes of this nine although the long par 3 8th and dogleg right par 5 9th certainly present the golfer with a challenging finish. Unfortunately, the inland holes suffer in relation to their coastal counterparts as it relates to both the beauty of the visuals and the quality of the design. The Quarry nine is a unique golf experience that is less of a cohesive sequence of holes and more of grouping of opportunities for the golfer to hit heroic shots. There is a feel of target golf on some holes as golfers will often hit irons off of the tee in order to avoid hazards at the end of fairways or forced carries through the quarry that gives this course its name. While this can feel disjointed, it does offer the golfer a chance to hit some really memorable shots. Some holes that stand out include the par 5 12th as players encounter the quarry for the first time, looming to the right off of the tee. The approach shot into this green is a heroic downhill shot into the quarry to a multi-tiered green. The 14th hole is a long par 4 that asks golfers to take on a forced carry over rocks and water off of the tee followed by an approach to a shallow green flanked by a hazard in the front and a rock wall behind the green. The 15th is a potentially drivable par 4. Players who elect to go for this green are faced with a carry of over 250 yards to a peninsula green surrounded by trouble. Anyone who decides to lay up to the left fairway must still face a tricky approach to a green that offers no area to bail out to. The course leaves the quarry and approaches the lakeshore for the 17th and 18th holes. Two closing holes that highlight both the aesthetic beauty and penal design at Bay Harbor. |