Forest Dunes has selected the name for its new short course, and the mafia plays a role. Built on land once owned by a group of mafiosi who smuggled booze during prohibition, the new par-3 course will be the Bootlegger.
The course in Roscommon, Michigan, has been open for months for limited preview play, and the official grand opening is May 6. The 10-hole, 1,135-yarder was designed by Keith Rhebb and Riley Johns, well-respected course shapers and the architects of the popular Winter Park Golf Course near Orlando.
The Bootlegger is situated between Forest Dunes’ original course designed by Tom Weiskopf, which ranks No. 3 in Michigan on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list, and the Loop, a reversible Tom Doak design that ranks No. 4 in the state. The holes measure between 65 and 150 yards.
The property at one time was owned by William Durant, the founder of General Motors. In a press release announcing the grand opening, Forest Dunes said a significant portion was sold in the 1930s to a group called the Detroit Partnership, which played a central role in Martin Scorsese’s film The Irishman. The group was also known as the Purple Gang, and among its crimes was smuggling alcohol from Canada.
While the mob was anything but playful, the focus these days is on clean fun. The Bootlegger includes greens designed to funnel balls toward the holes, music will be piped around the course, eightsomes will be allowed and players can go barefoot if they choose.
Adding short courses is a growing trend for operators of premium golf destinations, with the 13-hole, par-3 Preserve at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon and the nine-hole, par-3 Cradle at Pinehurst in North Carolina serving as prime examples. The shorter courses can attract families and novices as well as serve as a fun break from larger, traditional courses.
Check out the photos of the Bootlegger below: