Forest Dunes Review: The Michigan Trip Anchor That Makes 36 Feel Like the Whole Point

Some courses are worth the drive.

Some properties are worth building the whole damn trip around.

Forest Dunes in Roscommon, Michigan is in the second group.

And the reason is not just the main course.

This is not a fake firsthand review where I pretend I rolled into Roscommon at sunrise, striped it for 36, and achieved spiritual union with every pine needle on property. This is a practical review built from Forest Dunes’ current official 2026 greens fees, current lodging rates, current guest policies, and the course’s own current description of what makes the place work.

The real question is simple:

Is Forest Dunes actually worth building a Michigan golf trip around in 2026?

Yes.

Very much yes.

Quick Verdict

Forest Dunes is worth it if you want:

• a public-golf destination where 36 holes actually makes sense instead of feeling forced
• one strong headliner course plus real replay options
• Michigan golf that feels remote in a good way instead of inconvenient in a dumb way
• a trip base that gives your group multiple good answers instead of one hero round and a bunch of filler

It is not the move if you only care about the most dramatic single postcard round in the state.

That is where Arcadia Bluffs review starts making a louder argument.

What Forest Dunes Actually Is

Forest Dunes’ current course page describes the original Tom Weiskopf layout as a course with two very distinct nines.

The front side is framed by red and jack pines and plays more like corridor golf. The back side shifts into something rougher and sandier, with exposed native areas and a more Pine Valley-style feel.

That matters because it tells you this place is not one-note golf.

It also tells you why so many serious trip planners like it: the course sounds like it gives you multiple looks without losing a coherent identity.

The site also leans into the finishing stretch, especially:

• the long par-3 16th
• the short risk-reward 17th
• a close that sounds built to create either stories or emotional damage depending on your decision-making

That is a healthy sign.

A lot of destination courses are memorable because of one giant view. Forest Dunes sounds memorable because the golf itself stays interesting.

Why Forest Dunes Works So Well as a Trip Base

The replay math is actually compelling

Forest Dunes’ current 2026 greens-fee page has the main-season rates from May 28 through September 28 at:

• $185 Monday through Wednesday
• $215 Thursday through Sunday

That is already a meaningful destination-golf number.

But the same page also shows:

• prebooked replay at $160/$185
• availability replay at $100/$115

That is where the property gets really interesting.

If the first round is the headline, the second round is where Forest Dunes starts becoming a smarter overall trip value than some one-course bucket-list stops that ask for huge money and then leave you figuring out the rest.

You are not booking one course and praying the rest of the trip works itself out

This is the big point.

Forest Dunes is not just the original course. The property also gives you The Loop and Bootlegger, which changes the whole trip equation.

The official rates page notes:

• The Loop shares the same main-rate structure as Forest Dunes
• Bootlegger is $55
• Bootlegger is a 10-hole short course with holes from 50 to 140 yards
• Bootlegger allows extra play based on availability and is walking only

That is real depth.

It means a group can do:

• a serious morning round
• a replay that still feels worthwhile
• a short-course session that does not feel like consolation golf

That is exactly what a destination property should offer.

The place sounds remote, but not empty

Forest Dunes sits in a part of Michigan that feels quiet and pine-heavy, which is a big part of its appeal.

This is the opposite of a house-lined suburban resort experience.

If best golf courses in Michigan is the broad planning guide, Forest Dunes is one of the clearest examples of why the state works so well for golf trips: space, variety, and enough on-property golf to keep the group from wasting time driving between mediocre backups.

What the Cost Looks Like Right Now

Here is the important practical math from the official site.

Greens fees

Forest Dunes’ official page says:

• April 30 to May 27 and September 29 to October 12: $145 midweek and $165 Thursday through Sunday
• May 28 to September 28: $185 midweek and $215 Thursday through Sunday
• Electric cart fee: $30 per player per round

That last part matters.

This is not one of those places where the posted number quietly hides the actual number.

If you are riding, and a lot of groups will, your real cost is:

• $215 becomes $245
• $185 becomes $215

Still reasonable by destination-golf standards, but worth saying out loud.

Lodging

Forest Dunes’ current 2026 lodging rates page shows in-season lodging from May 28 through September 27 at:

• $150 per person midweek / $170 weekend for a standard double queen lodge room
• $165 per person midweek / $185 weekend for a course-view king
• $210 to $230 per person for a 2-bedroom villa
• $235 to $300 per person for larger cottages depending on unit and day pattern

That is lodging-only pricing, not golf included.

Which means Forest Dunes is not “cheap,” but it is at least honest. The site separates the lodging and golf math cleanly so you can build the trip without guessing.

The Practical Stuff That Matters

Tee-time cancellation policy

Forest Dunes’ guest policies currently say seven days’ advance notice is required to cancel a round without penalty.

That is not outrageous, but it is also not casual.

This is not a “we’ll decide on Thursday night” trip if you are trying to protect your money.

Pace expectations

The same guest-policies page says Forest Dunes should not take longer than 4 hours 30 minutes and groups can be moved if they repeatedly fall out of position.

Good.

A destination round loses a lot of charm when it turns into six hours of waiting behind somebody’s bucket-list ego collapse.

Dress code and basic trip reality

The site also makes clear:

• proper golf attire is required
• denim is not allowed on Forest Dunes or The Loop
• collared or sleeved golf shirts are required

That is not exactly shocking, but it is useful if one guy in your group keeps trying to turn every golf trip into a soft-launch for his brewery-lawn-chair lifestyle.

Who Should Play It

Play it if your group likes doing more than one meaningful round

This is the biggest argument for Forest Dunes.

Some places are great because they give you one elite memory.

Forest Dunes looks great because it gives you a full trip shape:

• a main-course round that matters
• replay value that is priced sensibly enough to consider
• extra golf that is not filler

That makes it one of the best group-trip anchors in the Midwest.

Play it if you want a Michigan trip that feels golf-first

If you want a property where the golf is clearly the point and the rest of the day organizes itself around that, Forest Dunes is a strong fit.

It belongs in the same broader conversation as best public golf courses in the U.S., but with a stronger multi-round argument than a lot of single-course trophy stops.

Pass if your group only wants scenery over substance

If the group only cares about lake-cliff visuals and signature-hole photography, then Arcadia Bluffs may scratch that itch faster.

If the group wants meaningful golf variety over one huge visual sugar rush, Forest Dunes makes the smarter case.

Is It Worth the Money?

For the right trip, yes.

Not because $215 plus cart is secretly affordable.

It is worth it because the property gives you multiple ways to justify the spend:

• the main course has its own identity
• replay pricing is more reasonable than the first-round headline
• the supporting golf actually sounds useful
• the lodging menu gives groups different budget lanes

That is a much stronger value proposition than a destination that only has one expensive answer.

Bottom Line

Forest Dunes is one of the smartest golf-trip anchors in Michigan.

The current 2026 pricing is real but not absurd by destination standards, the replay structure makes second rounds easier to justify, and the broader property setup gives it more depth than a lot of one-course bucket-list stops.

If you are building a Michigan trip and want one stop that can carry real weight across multiple rounds, Forest Dunes absolutely belongs on the short list.

For broader state planning, start with best golf courses in Michigan. If you want the prettier lakefront flex, read Arcadia Bluffs review. If you want a more mission-driven west-side stop, American Dunes review is the cleaner contrast.

Image: Birdie Report