The Highlands - Donald Ross Memorial

The Donald Ross Memorial at Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs, Michigan, is a composite tribute course, 18 holes that re-create classic Donald Ross designs from across the early 20th century at courses like Oakland Hills, Pinehurst No. 2, Seminole, and others. Opened in 1989 and designed by Bill Newcomb, E. Kircher, Jim Flick, and S. Kircher as a collaborative tribute, the par-72 6,814-yard layout was named "Best New Resort Course in the US" by Golf Digest in 1990. The 438-yard par-4 finishing hole is a replica of the 16th at Oakland Hills Country Club South Course in Birmingham, Michigan. The course rates 73.9 at a 143 slope, genuinely stiff from the back tees, and widely regarded as the hardest of Boyne Highlands' four championship courses. A 2020 renovation led by Michigan-based designer Ray Hearn refreshed conditions and modernized key greens. For Michigan golf history buffs, the Donald Ross Memorial offers a played-the-greatest-hits tour of Ross architecture in a single round, unique among American public golf experiences.