Northern Michigan Resorts Blog

Making Memories at the Memorial

jeccleston — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 10:19:00 -0500

It is very rare that you will find BOYNE's Director of Instruction, Brian O'Neill, at a loss for words about the golf swing. Unless of course he is learning more about it. Such was the case on the final morning before the start of Jack Nicklaus' prestigious tournament, The Memorial at Murifield Village. You see, Brian was hand picked by long time BOYNE resident and Golf Digest top 10 instructor, Jim Flick, to join he and Mike Malaska (Golf Digest top 50) as a team of instructors for Mr. Nicklaus' sponsors and guests of honor.

The privilege came with the demand of 5:00 am wake up calls, hours worth of clinics, lessons in the hot sun and trying to keep pace with Flick as he marched around inside the ropes with star pupil, Tom Lehman, in the afternoons. A small price to pay for the opportunity to participate in such a high profile event with your long time mentor and colleague. Still, after 6 straight days of the go-go-go... It is understandable that anyone might be a little drained and weary. Which takes us back to breakfast that Sunday morning.

There was Mr. Flick, eyes bright and showing no signs of fatigue. He struck up an impromptu seminar over bacon and toast with O'Neill, Malaska and others, who were enjoying listening and learning from Flick's 53 years of teaching history. He spoke not only of golf theories and fundamentals, but how to best communicate such actions and positions to students. The excitement in his voice was inspiring to O'Neill, who commented that, "His passion is stronger than ever... at 80 years old!" Out came archived issues of Golf Digest from the 1970's as he compared swing positions and ball-striking consistencies from Bruce Crampton, Lee Trevino and Sam Snead, to the best players in modern golf. The guys were huddled around the magazines trying to absorb all of the theories and observations that were being shared. Slowly, the others would chime in questions, confirmations and supporting dialogue as a full fledged round table ensued. Oh, to be a fly on that wall! With a renewed vigor that Flick's enthusiasm had infused in the team, they set out for their final tasks of the week. The breakfast had lasted 45 minutes, the memories will last forever.

-Jeff

**Pictured from left to right - Mike Malaska, Jim Flick, Brian O'Neill

Determination and Hard Work really does pay off!

jeccleston — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:48:00 -0500

Towards the end of the 2009 golf season, long time Country Club of BOYNE member Paul Yoder, age 89, decided to turn the autumn of the season into the spring of his career. He met with Director of Instruction at BOYNE, Brian O'Neill, to discuss his ambitions of improving his game to the level that he might achieve one of golf's most coveted accomplishments... Shooting his age for 18 holes.

The goal was simple. The target was clear. 18 holes in 89 shots or less. Utilizing BOYNE Golf Academy's indoor training facility, Paul and Brian met each week throughout the winter to talk shop. During their sessions, they would use a golf simulator for full swings and artificial putting greens for the short game work that was needed. Practices would be followed by workouts to boost strength, endurance and overall well-being. Soon enough, BOYNE's blanket of Alpine fun had melted into the fairways that lie below... and as they say, it was ON!

With a fresh approach and the confidence instilled in him throughout his training sessions with Brian, Paul began to see the potential in his hard work and truly believed his goal was attainable. He didnt have to wait long from there. On a gorgeous late May afternoon, he took on the Arhtur Hills course at Boyne Highlands and drove, chipped and putted his way around 18 holes in just 88 strokes! He Did It! All of the hours of drills and conditioning had been worth it! It truly goes to show the progress that anyone - at any age can make by committing to a proven system and giving it their all.

In a conversation shortly after the feat, Paul noted that if it hadn't been for a couple of double-bogies and 1 triple-bogie, his 88 could have been even better. I wonder what his next goal will be? Breaking 80?

CONGRATULATIONS PAUL!!

-jeff

Tackle your "Life List" this year

jeccleston — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:26:00 -0500

Time flies... and with it goes the opportunities to see our dreams come to life - like climbing Kilimanjaro, visiting the Eifel Tower, having an Old Style in the Wrigley Field bleachers and of course playing some of golf's spectacular courses. As I outlined some of the places that I would love to have on my list, I realized that I could only claim to have played one (Pinehurst #2), and that was over 10 years ago! Luckily for me, the Donald Ross Memorial at BOYNE is here to help.

The Donald Ross Memorial is a compilation course of many of Donald Ross' best holes, recreated at Boyne Highlands. The tour starts with Seminole Golf Club's 6th hole and makes a virtual lap around the country... including a trip to Scotland to start your back nine! (Although Royal Dornoch wasn't designed by Ross, it was included for being Ross' home track as a youngster). The holes chosen represent over 14 US Opens, 11 PGA Championships, 8 US Amateurs and 3 Ryder Cups!

In all, you would have to travel 10,433 miles in order to play the holes in order, spend a couple thousand dollars on greens fees (if you can even get on some of the private courses) and of course... make the flight from Chicago to Scotland at the turn. Or, plug '600 Highlands Drive, Harbor Springs, MI 49740' into your GPS - call 800.462.6963 to book your stay (Room and a Round from $81!)- then once your here, get your pen out and start crossing off your list. It shouldn't take more than about 4 hours.

Jeff

Check out the Course Tour to explore the history of all 18 holes!!

Call it a Comeback

jeccleston — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:36:00 -0500

It seems that The Alpine at Boyne Mountain is establishing itself among the best courses in the state... once again! The Oakland Press has just released its 2010 Golf Preview with the Top 25 places to play in Michigan and wouldn't you know, The Alpine made the list at #25! Home of the Tournament of Champions, The Alpine has long enjoyed recognition for the brilliant track that it is, but has recently had to endure some sibling rivalry in its vie for attention as BOYNE's golf course family has grown with some heavy star power.

I speak of course about the other FOUR courses that also landed on the Oakland Press' Top 25 list. They are Bay Harbor Golf Club at #4, The Heather at #8, The Arthur Hills at #12 and The Donald Ross Memorial at #18. Not making the top 25, but well rounding out the BOYNE portfolio are The Moor (Annual host of AJGA Coca-Cola Championship/ favorite of long time BOYNE resident Jim Flick), Crooked Tree Golf Club (favorite of many Gr8 Escape participants and famous for its undulating greens and spectacular views) and The Monument - Golf's Playable Hall of Fame (Golf-Digest's runner-up for Best New Resort Course of 1987).

The hardest part is figuring out what courses to play and we certainly all have our own personal favorite... but for now, let's let The Alpine enjoy its well deserved moment in the sun! The first chance to play it this season is on May 7th. I'll be leading the charge up to the top of Boyne Mountain on the winding (1.5 mile) cart path to the first tee. Care to join?

Jeff

It's a plane, it's a bird, it's April 23rd!

jeccleston — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:34:00 -0500

OK, so maybe that's not as catchy as our usual greeting to golf season - 'Hooray, hooray, it's the first of May' - but with the warm spring we are enjoying... the courses will be opening a week early this year! After chatting with several of our Superintendants and Golf Professionals, I understand that there is huge optimism that the brilliant course conditions we enjoyed last year will return once again. This has been mainly thanks to the warm weather this spring and last fall which has allowed our gurus of agronomy to work their magic. Although we very well could have entertained golfers since the beginning of the month, this extra preparation and hard work from the grounds crew has enabled us to accomplish many projects during this time so that your spring experience will be as enjoyable as possible. To all of our crews who sometimes go un-noticed and under recognized, here is a big fist pump from all of us! Thanks!

J.Eccleston

Putt with one eye open; Gripping your handle light

jeccleston — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:26:00 -0500

Try this next time you have a chance to work on your putting. Close your eye closest to the target and hit some putts. This will be your left eye if you are a right handed golfer. Think of yourself as a 'Sharp Shooter' - looking down the barrel of a rifle. By doing so, you will force your right eye to become 100% dominate and because it is behind the ball, it will be looking more down the line of your putt. As you look at the hole, your line of sight will naturally stay on the proper line as your chin tilts slightly to the left. (Reverse the process for lefties) This will help you aim more efficiently and - in turn - hole more putts.

Also, don't forget to pay attention to your grip pressure. Putting well does not require much strength, so instead, focus on generating a smooth controlled delivery with soft hands and forearms leading the way.

J.Eccleston

Call us what you want!

jeccleston — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 17:13:00 -0500

We often hear golfers use other famous destinations as examples when they describe what we have to offer in northern Michigan. Some will call us the ‘Pinehurst of the North’ when comparing our eight courses to theirs. Others will call us the ‘Myrtle Beach of Michigan’ when referring to the exceptional value of our golf packages. My favorite is the claim that Bay Harbor Golf Club is the ‘Pebble Beach of the Midwest’, but without those tricky seaside poa greens.

The truth is, we don’t care what you call us… as long as you do call (800.GO.BOYNE) and answer our one simple question. What are you up for?

-Jeff Eccleston

Too good not to share... A Brief History of Ski Aerial Acrobatics

BOYNE — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:08:00 -0500

Here in the BOYNE Web office we do a lot of traveling, but not in the usual sense. We travel pretty far and wide on the Web researching new trends, seeing what our neighboring resorts are up to and sometimes we stumble upon things too good not to share. The video below is one such example- hot on the heels of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Some of you may have seen the picture to the right before. It's Stein Eriksen, Wayne Wong long-time friend of BOYNE doing one of his famous flips at Boyne Mountain.

-Dan

(source)

Where have all the golf pros gone?

jeccleston — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:35:00 -0500

Actually, we are still here. As the fall colors gave way to the grip of old man winter, our golf pros took on their annual metamorphic change into winter roles. We become boot fitting gurus, goggle and helmet experts, event coordinators, marketing specialists, zipline adventure guides and ski/snowboard rental aficionados. We teach our golf lessons indoors on a simulator and practice our grip, stance and waggle amidst a sea of cold weather base layers and face masks. In fact you may not even recognize us as being leaders in the golf industry because of our vast knowledge and expertise in the snowsports arena.

But, with the groundhog comes the golf show season and we slowly begin to get the itch for greener grass just like everyone else. Our poles turn to putters and our skis to spikes. We experience the thrill of the holiday season all over again as we open boxes of shiny new equipment and the season's hottest fashions to display in our golf shops for you to take home. Our attention shifts to ensuring your golf package is the best ever and your lessons help to take your game to the next level. Come see our pros March 5, 6 and 7 at the Michigan Golf Show in Novi for a preview of the excitement. Book your package, take a lesson and get your gear for the season as we bring the BOYNE show to town!

The 2010 season will open on May 1st, so we have a little ways to go and still have plenty of great snow for spring skiing and riding. Also, stay tuned for information on the re-birth of the Hemlock Open sometime in April. A unique golf and ski competition this spring!

-Jeff Eccleston

Hard Headed

jjohns — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:25:00 -0500

Have you noticed all the helmets on the slopes lately? Visit the hills or peruse the rest of the BOYNE website and you’ll see them everywhere. Boyne Country Sports listed their Facebook topic of the week as “Helmet or No Helmet?”. The responses were plenty and all but one (who was going for a laugh) were HELMET!

Not too long ago, even hats were considered too constricting. People went sans hats, or wore little headbands so they could let their mullets and feathered do's fly free.

Helmets were out of the question. They were heavy, limited your field of vision, made it tough to hear. Plus, they looked really dorky. Not exactly a winning combination- unless you were getting shot out of a cannon.

So what changed? Are we a new generation of sissies and dweebs with no hair pride?

Try one of these new lids on for yourself and it will quickly be clear that a lot has changed. Helmets are the way to go.

Like Wearing Nothing
The first thing you’ll notice is that there isn’t much to notice. Snow helmets are lightweight and have well-designed fitting systems that make it is easy to forget you’re wearing anything. Field of vision is completely unobstructed and you can hear clear as a bell.

Warm But Not Stuffy
Wind-tunnel design and improved venting systems give you a range of climate control options other than just “put it on/take it off”. Modern snow helmets cycle air through the helmet, keeping everything comfy and fresh. Open some vents and it’s cool as a bike helmet. Close them and everything is toasty warm.

Accessory Containment
Clips for goggle straps help keep the “most lost snow accessory” from disappearing as easily. Some models come equipped with audio hookups built directly into the ear pads. Just plug in your MP3 and go. For the seriously digital, blue tooth models eliminate wires.

Statement Maker
Now, looking in the mirror you’ll notice the palette of styles and colors makes helmets the newest fashion statement. Black, white, pink, nuclear lime, patterned, brimmed, brimless, take your pick. It’s also the ultimate billboard for expressing individuality and personal freedom. Where better to put your favorite stickers?

A Growing Trend
The move to helmets is only going to grow. Some resorts are beginning to mandate helmets for all children in ski school programs. (BOYNE doesn’t require them, but strongly encourages helmet use and rents them for $10/Day.) Lawmakers are increasingly proposing ski helmet bills. Fortunately, no ski helmet laws exist in the U.S. and for good reason.

Laws and policies may soon turn out to be moot points. Word is getting out that helmets are the most comfortable and sensible headwear option on the slopes. Bigger still, helmets have assumed cool status.

Ready for one of your own? Visit any Boyne Country Sports location or hit SkiGolf.com today. If not, consider this a good stock tip from your friend at the shop.

-JJ

Above the Clouds at BOYNE

cadgate — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 10:02:00 -0500

Start with a crisp, clear, calm, and cold northern Michigan morning. Add a manmade snowstorm from dozens of snowmaking Low E guns on the southern ridges of the resort. Finish off with a remarkable temperature inversion.

What you get is a scene right out of the Alps or the Sierras: skiing and riding above clouds which fill the valley below like soup in a tureen.

It all happened on Tuesday morning, December 22, 2009, and it provided the very real illusion that we measure our vertical in the thousands and not the hundreds – and it certainly showed that humans can control the weather, at least on a local scale. The pictures tell the story – scroll down to see them all. A magical holiday season it will be . . .

Cary Adgate, BOYNE Ambassador of Skiing

snowstorm + snowstorm = SNOWSTORM

cadgate — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:56:00 -0500

Big flakes pouring from the sky. Low-E Fan guns pouring it right back. Man and nature teamed up today – and for the last week – to create a virtual snow factory. Everywhere you look…white. I cannot remember ever seeing snow pile up this fast in Michigan.

It was the first day of skiing for Boyne Mountain today, and together with Boyne Highlands, it's now open for the season.

Today was a neck gaiter day – pretty brisk out – but I was cozy in my new DNA outer gear. I quit only because I had to get home to plow out my captive family – not because I was cold.

OK, skiing was fun in the 60's, I remember that. But it's the stuff today, like snowmaking, modern fabrics and insulation, skis, goggles, you name it – it's the stuff that makes it so much easier to have fun.

I do love this sport.

Cary Adgate, BOYNE Ambassador of Skiing

Goodbye feet, see you in the spring.

cadgate — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:49:00 -0500

I don't often type while wearing ski boots. But after checking out this aerial photo my friend snapped with her cell phone a few hours ago - and looking at the forecast from Accuweather.com - I figured I'd better start getting my feet used to the dark.

Yeah, I'm one of those who might be caught in flip-flops when it's 35° out. In my book, they're three-season footwear. But, no longer – it's WINTER, and baby, it's cold outside!

Notice that beautiful little cloud of a snowstorm hanging over the Mountain?

I live five miles from Boyne Mountain and I've heard the guns roaring around the clock for a couple days. Looking at the forecast, I'd say the snowmaking crew will be piling up some serious overtime between now and the holidays. Low to mid twenties in the day and mid-teens at night for a far as the eye can see (or the meteorologist's eye, to be sure). Our patience with Mother Nature in November seems to be paying off . . .

This will be one of those Decembers not to miss.

Cary Adgate, BOYNE Ambassador of Skiing

photo credit: Deanne Jackson pilot: Eric Jarema

Now Booking . . .

cadgate — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:10:00 -0500

In case you've been thinking that it's too early to start thinking about skiing, take a look at what those of us who live near BOYNE are thinking. First, what we're going to do with all the stuff when it comes. And then about how we're going to play in it.

And if you need more reasons to start thinking snow, check out what's going on this weekend in the Boyne Mountain Village. The first-ever Skitoberfest is going to be the party of the season - and there are dozens of reasons why you, your family, and your friends shouldn't miss it. For the whole scoop check it out HERE - but here are the top four things that interest me:

1) Fall food and drink. Brats, cider, and, for the adults in the crowd - beer! Some of Michigan's top micro brewers will be showing off their handiwork.

2) Snowsports Summit. Two presentations by recently retired U.S. Ski Team coach Greg Needell. Greg is 'the man' behind 'THE MAN', Olympic Gold medalist Ted Ligety, and Ted's rise to become one of the best technical ski racers in the world - find out how he did it, and what's the next trend in technique at the highest levels. Oh, and then there's this Simon Dumont guy who will be there. I'm told that the kid gets air like Tiger Woods plays a little golf. Find out how he does it. Find out WHY he does it!

3) New gear. This is a rare chance for consumers to be able to meet and talk with the manufacturers reps for the top snow sports equipment companies. Bend the skis, see what's new, and get the straight story on what it can do for you.

4) All the other stuff. OK this is a favorite because it means I don't have to cajole the rest of my family to come and spend the weekend with me. This time, it's the other way around. Artists, dancers, kids, and kids who are artists and dancers. A parade with golf carts that includes secret surprises? Makes me wonder what could be more surprising than a golf cart parade. MSU/UM on the big screen. Four (4), did I say FOUR, bands. Uh, well, so much other stuff that I won't even try to list it.

So pack up the car and come settle in for a fabulous weekend in the Village. Oh, and plan to sign up for your BOYNE Pass now - because a lot of the Skitoberfest offerings are free to passholders! Again, read all about it HERE.

Cary Adgate, BOYNE Ambassador of Skiing

This is GOLF!

jeccleston@boyne.com — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:08:00 -0500

After a cooler summer, we sure are reaping the rewards with recent warm weather and incredible course conditions. The BOYNE courses on a whole are as good as they have been in a very long time and are just gearing up for a fireworks display in the trees with the upcoming color tour season. Plus, Room and Round packages this fall are an even par $72 for the rest of the season! Check out the best of Fall Golf at BOYNE! See ya on the turf!
Jeff