A Traveler’s Scorecard Through the Pines, the Coast, and the Wind

Forest Dunes - The Links and The Quarry - Osprey Point - Turtle Point - The Ocean Course - Cougar Point - Seaside Course

The Story

This wasn’t just a golf trip—it was a cross-country journey. Michigan to South Carolina to Georgia. Each stop had its own tempo. The weather changed. The landscapes shifted. But one thing stayed consistent: I showed up, teed it up, and let the game unfold—scorecards, soul-searching, and all.

Over the span of three weeks, I played seven rounds at seven very different courses. Some with strangers-turned-buddies, some solo, all memorable in their own way. I didn’t go low. I didn’t go viral. But I went—and sometimes, that’s the best kind of golf story.

Forest Dunes Golf Club

📍 Roscommon, MI | ⛳️ June 19, 2025

Score: 94 (+22) | Tee II – 72.5 / 143

Forest Dunes is Michigan golf in its purest form—carved through pines with that Northern stillness. It’s a course that doesn’t hand you anything. You earn it—or you chase it into the woods.

The front nine worked me. No greens in regulation. The back nine gave me a few breaks. I parred 16, and then limped home with a double on 18. But the rhythm of the place? Beautiful. Meditative. A place to recalibrate.

→ Fairways: 8/14 | Putts: 31 | GIR: 2/18

→ Vibe: Beautiful brutality wrapped in pine and silence.

Bay Harbor Golf Club – Links/Quarry

📍 Bay Harbor, MI | ⛳️ June 20, 2025

Score: 94 (+22) | Orange – 70.9 / 142

This round was… spirited. I got paired with three guys on a 9-man outing. Let’s just say Fireball was breakfast and the “hippie lettuce” made a mid-round cameo. The Links nine flirted with Lake Michigan views while the Quarry nine felt like something out of Jurassic Park.

I shot the same number as the day before, but the round felt looser. Less mechanical. More fun.

→ Fairways: 10/14 | Putts: 35 | GIR: 2/18

→ Vibe: Scenic, social, and slightly sideways.

Kiawah Island – Osprey Point

📍 Kiawah Island, SC | ⛳️ June 27, 2025

Score: 94 (+22) | Gold – 71.5 / 133

Tom Fazio’s intro to Kiawah golf. Tree-lined, well-framed, and sneakily tricky. The round had balance—decent drives, decent misses, and a par-par finish that felt like a win. First taste of Low-country golf with a little bite.

→ Fairways: 6/14 | Putts: 38 | GIR: 2/18

→ Vibe: Smooth but sharp. Southern golf with polish.

Kiawah Island – Turtle Point

📍 Kiawah Island, SC | ⛳️ June 28, 2025

Score: 95 (+23) | Silver – 70.1 / 127

Jack Nicklaus isn’t here to be your buddy. This course played tighter, tougher, and required more thought than I gave it on a few swings. One par, a few great drives, and a whole lot of grinding. The kind of course that makes you better—after it humbles you.

→ Fairways: 7/14 | Putts: 40 | GIR: 3/18

→ Vibe: Mental chess on zoysia grass.

Kiawah Island – The Ocean Course

📍 Kiawah Island, SC | ⛳️ June 29, 2025

Score: 98 (+26) | Blue – 70.5 / 131

This one’s a beast. Wind, trouble, and Tour-level tension on every tee box. Walked the whole thing. Felt the ghost of Rory and Phil over my shoulder. Hit one green all day. Still left smiling. Sometimes golf isn’t about the number—it’s about where you are.

→ Fairways: 7/13 | Putts: 37 | GIR: 1/18

→ Vibe: Brutal, beautiful, bucket list.

Kiawah Island – Cougar Point

📍 Kiawah Island, SC | ⛳️ July 2, 2025

Score: 94 (+22) | Silver – 69.0 / 127

Played with a father-son duo—chill, respectful, and just out there to enjoy the game. It rubbed off. I had my best putting day of the trip and kept the ball in play. One birdie. Lots of smiles. Not the hardest course on the island, but maybe the most peaceful.

→ Fairways: 9/14 | Putts: 30 | GIR: 1/18

→ Vibe: Walk in the park with real golf swings.

Sea Island – Seaside Course

📍 St. Simons Island, GA | ⛳️ July 4, 2025

Score: 95 (+25) | White – 70.9 / 135

Started strong. Made a birdie. Felt dialed. Then the wind picked up, and the back nine became a slow unravel. Greens were tough. Wedges felt heavy. But the setting? Unreal. Salt air. Ocean glimmers. One of the best-looking rounds I’ve played—even if the score says otherwise.

→ Fairways: 9/14 | Putts: 43 | GIR: 2/18

→ Vibe: Coastal calm meets quiet chaos.

Final Word

No trophies. No eagles. No regrets.

Just me, the ball, the road, and a stretch of unforgettable tee boxes from Michigan to the Georgia coast.