The Loop delivers a golf experience unlike anything else in North America. Tom Doak’s fully reversible routing rewards thinking golfers, tests your control and angles, and leaves you wanting more—making it a must for any bucket-list trip.
If your schedule allows, play it on consecutive days — the same fairways and greens reverse direction, turning the Red routing into the Black and making you solve a completely different course the next morning.
The Loop is a milestone in golf architecture—a minimalist, reversible 18-hole design that plays in two entirely different directions on alternating days. Tom Doak blends wide, fast-running fairways and greens seeded for firm play, demanding you think in angles rather than aerial heroics. Inspired by the earliest Scottish links in both philosophy and challenge, The Loop rewards creative shotmaking, ground game savants, and strategic thinkers alike. Its shared green sites and dynamic reversibility are unlike any modern championship course, providing a novel experience with every loop around.
Tom Doak’s love of classic Scottish links shines in every contour and angle—no one else has dared, or pulled off, a truly championship-caliber reversible design.
A reachable par 5 that embodies the reversible design spirit, this hole demands you position your layup with the next angle in mind. Wide off the tee, the true test comes on your second: favor precision, not brute force.
Hit a drive to the correct quadrant, then play a layup that leaves a receptive angle into the green for your third.
Miscalculate your layup and you’ll approach from a tight or blind position, with challenging contours feeding shots away from the target.
Firm turf, slick and creative greens, minimalist bunkering, and consistent top-tier conditioning across the property.
Generally strong but can slow at peak times; twilight and early morning yield the best rhythm.
Laid-back, golf-centric destination atmosphere with friendly staff; energy is trip-focused, never stuffy.
Resort casual—collared shirts and golf attire expected.
Check the calendar for Black or Red; book accordingly to experience both directions on your trip.
Forest Dunes Resort lodging gets you early tee times, practice facility use, and an easy walk to the first tee.
While there’s little water, firm turf and native roughs catch misfires; bring a few spares.
Work on bump-and-run and low-trajectory shots—the course rewards imagination and creativity.
The Loop, designed by Tom Doak, opens to national attention
Forest Dunes begins alternating daily Black and Red routings
The Dual event debuts, becoming a unique annual trip draw
Both routings consistently ranked in Michigan’s top 15 courses
Black #63 and Red #68 on Golf Digest America’s 100 Greatest Public
Once a month, adventurous golfers take on The Dual—36 holes on The Loop, playing both routings in a single day. It’s a true test of endurance and mindset, where you recognize a familiar green but approach it from a totally new angle by afternoon.
Inspired by primitive Scottish layouts, Tom Doak’s vision brought the nearly lost art of true reversible routing to modern golf. The result is a completely different strategic puzzle each day—no matter how well you think you know the holes.
Play The Loop back-to-back in both directions and you’ll swear it’s two different courses—one day a tee shot feels daunting, the next you’re attacking from the opposite side. It's a living masterclass in architectural creativity.
Golfers quickly learn that at The Loop, distance is less important than picking the smart line. Find the strategic side of the fairway or risk blocked approaches and tough up-and-downs on Tom Doak’s cunning greens.
America’s only truly reversible championship-length golf course
The Loop uses just 18 greens for 36 unique holes—different every day
Inspired by Scotland’s earliest reversible links concepts
The Dual tournament offers a once-a-month double routing in the same day
You’ll rarely play the same approach twice—the direction is everything
Doak’s Loop sister—classic Tom Weiskopf design, elite reputation
Michigan must-play with storied, picturesque holes
Stunning lakefront holes on Lake Michigan
Varied tests and true northern Michigan golf culture
Forest Dunes Resort in Roscommon
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: If Forest Dunes – the Loop is your kind of course, Capital City Club, Brookhaven Course is worth a look because it a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character.
Why it matches: If Forest Dunes – the Loop is your kind of course, Holston Hills Country Club is worth a look because it a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character.
Why it matches: Tamarack Country Club is a natural next stop after Forest Dunes – the Loop: it makes the greens a central strategic puzzle.
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