A Leader in Four Season Resort Adventures
Petoskey Michigan is simply one of the most spectacular places in America. As the summer home of Earnest Hemingway for decades, the region inspired his first book, The Torrents of Spring, and many other notable titles. Petoskey is the essence of small-town America, along the Northwestern Shores of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. In the early 1900’s this historic town became a favorite summer vacation spot for families from Detroit and Chicago. It is also home since 1948, to Boyne Resorts, the largest independent owned four-season ski and golf resort company in America. Visionary and avid outdoorsman Everett Kircher moved to Petoskey in 1947 and founded the resort company when he opened his first resort, Boyne Mountain Resort, in 1948 as a skiing area.
Everett Kircher emphasized service and loyalty in everything he created, he knew customer experiences were the key to success in the resort business, and he valued his employees so much that he wanted to find a way to keep all his employees and staff year-round. This led Kircher into the world of golf. He used his dad’s Fordson farm tractor and built a nine-hole golf course at the foot of Boyne Mountain Lodge, to transform Boyne Mountain into a four-season resort business as he continued to expand offerings for vacationers.
After purchasing the former Harbor Highlands ski area in Harbor Springs and developing Boyne Highland’s, Kircher became serious about golf. Noted architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr., was hired to design an 18-hole championship course, The Heather, that opened in 1966. By 1967, The Heather was ranked among the “Top 100 Courses in the U.S.” by Golf Digest. It was the spark that ignited the golf boom in northwest Michigan, now referred to as America’s Summer Golf Capital. Five more world-class golf courses were built at The Highlands and Boyne Mountain, along with golf shops, driving ranges and practice greens. They include Arthur Hills, Donald Ross Memorial and The Moor at The Highlands and The Alpine and The Monument at Boyne Mountain.
At Bay Harbor, Kircher’s son Stephen Kircher collaborated in the late 90’s with famed golf designer Arthur Hills on a project to build three unique nine-hole courses which became part of Northern Michigan’s landscape on the shores of Lake Michigan near Petoskey. Bay Harbor Golf Club showcases the longest freshwater shoreline in the country and is a perennial top pick among numerous national golf rankings. In 1998, Bay Harbor Golf Club hosted the Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf match between Tom Lehman and Phil Mickelson. Accolades include top rankings such as #8 among the “Top 100 Courses You Can Play” by Golf Magazine and one of the “Top 100 Golf Courses for Women” by Golf for Women Magazine.
Near Bay Harbor Golf Club and on the shoreline of Little Traverse Bay, is the Inn at Bay Harbor, a Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel. The hotel is reminiscent of turn of the century Victorian charm and modern-day elegance and opened in 1999. In 2002, Golf Digest recognized the Inn at Bay Harbor as one of the “Top Ten Coastal Resorts” in the country–ranked at #5 and alongside the nation’s best seaside resorts, including Pebble Beach and Bandon Dunes. Also in 2002, the magazine named The Highlands, Boyne Mountain and Inn at Bay Harbor in the “Top 75 Resorts in America”.
The Quest to Family Resort Greatness
The philosophy and leadership of the Kircher family grew Boyne Resorts into North America’s largest privately owned four-season resort company through acquisitions and natural growth initiatives. Along the way the founding formula of customer service and over the top friendliness of all staff and employees became a formidable building block for the company and is what stands out the most with the Boyne Resort brand even today. Everyone is so amazing helpful, informative and dedicated to being part of what makes this company so great!
Boyne Resorts Today
Boyne Resorts portfolio currently includes Michigan’s two premier mountain and golf resorts, The Highlands, Boyne Mountain, and the Inn at Bay Harbor in Michigan; Big Sky Resort in Montana — founded by the late Chet Huntley in 1970; Brighton Ski Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake City, Utah; The Summit at Snoqualmie in Washington; Loon Mountain in New Hampshire; Sugarloaf, Sunday River, and Pleasant Mountain in Maine; Cypress Mountain near Vancouver, British Columbia — official freestyle skiing and snowboard venue for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games; Gatlinburg SkyPark near the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Boyne Resort had many firsts including the installation of the world’s first triple chairlift in 1964 at The Highlands Resort, and the world’s first four-person chairlift, installed in 1964 at Boyne Mountain. In 1990 Kircher installed Michigan’s first high-speed detachable quad chairlift at The Highlands Resort. Boyne Mountain unveiled America’s first six-seat high-speed chairlift in 1992, and in 2022 opened the first eight-place high-speed chair in the Midwest.
In addition to four-season resort properties, Boyne Resorts also operates a highly successful scenic chairlift (SkyLift) and Skybridge at Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Overlooking the Smoky Mountains National Park, the SkyLift and SkyBridge are two of the region’s most iconic attractions. Due to the success the Gatlinburg SkyBridge, Boyne Mountain opened SkyBridge Michigan in 2022. The expansions and improvements are numerous and constant for Boyne Resorts. The family- owned company continues to build and improve four-season destinations to fit “a way of life” for active families and friends who gather there. Offering the very best in golf, ski, tennis, biking, hiking and cross-country skiing together with luxurious accommodations, fine dining, cozy restaurants and lounges and exquisite spa facilities, Boyne Resorts remains a leader in the industry spanning North America from British Columbia to Maine that offer outdoor experiences for every season and everyone. Today Boynes Magnificent 11 Resort Golf Courses, highlight the very best in Michigan Golf and are some of the most spectacular courses in America. Recently USA Today 10Best ranked BOYNE Golf #1 as the Best Golf Destination in the United Stated and The Highlands as the #2 Golf Resort in the United States.
About BOYNE Golf
Boyne Golf has been named one of North America’s “Premier Resorts” (Gold) by GOLF Magazine. THE INN AT BAY HARBOR and BAY HARBOR GOLF CLUB, Boyne’s flagship properties, feature 45-holes including three golf course combinations designed by Arthur Hills (Links/Quarry, Quarry/Preserve, and Preserve/Links), and the scenic Crooked Tree Golf Club, with one of the most beautiful and iconic hotels in America, all set along a scenic five-mile stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline.
The Highlands at Harbor Springs, rated the No. 1 Golf Resort for Value by Golf.com, features 72 holes of premier golf design. The Heather, the 2019 NGCOA Course of the Year, was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., while the Hills Course was crafted by Arthur Hills. In addition, the resort features The Donald Ross Memorial, which is a rendition of the legendary architect’s great holes from around the country, and the always-fun Moor course. The Highlands is the perfect buddy trip destination for golfers who like to play as many holes as they can during the long summer daylight hours northern Michigan features.
BOYNE MOUNTAIN not only features two fun 18-hole courses (The Monument and Alpine), along with the charming Mountain Grand Lodge & Spa, but it is also the leading family-friendly golf destination in the region with the Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark, junior golf camps, and various kid golf programs. Golf Digest named Boyne Mountain one of its “Top 10 Destinations for Family Golf Trips.”
https://www.BoyneGolf.com https://www.BoyneResorts.com
