Midwestern skiers don't disappear in the summer, they just change uniforms and head back to the same resorts. Boyne USA's resorts-Boyne Mountain and Boyne Highlands-are the ultimate summer retreats for heartland golfers. Between the two resorts (approximately 40 minutes apart) and the Bay Harbor Golf Club (another Boyne USA property, situated between the two), there are nine 18-hole championship courses. One favorite is the Monument Course, where you can soak in some golf history between strokes. (Each hole is dedicated to a famous golfer and has a plaque with information about that player.) Can't get enough time on the greens in? Consider booking in a cottage at the Deer Lake Villas, which overlook Deer Lake and the driving range. If you seek exercise of a more adrenaline-producing variety, get your legs in motion by hiking or mountain biking across the Highland's 4, 000 wooded acres or the 2,000 acres at Boyne Mountain. Or forget that blown two-foot putt while sailing on Lake Charlevoix (8 miles from Boyne Mountain) or on Little Traverse Bay in Harbor Springs (7 miles southwest of Boyne Highlands).
Come evening, explore the nearby villages of Harbor Springs, Petosky, Boyne City and Bay Harbor, all of which host festivals and events throughout the summer months. These quaint harbor towns also are home to enough great shopping, dining and nightly entertainment to even keep the hungry Midwestern skiers satiated until the snow flies again in November. -M.A.
