A stroke of genius in Michigan: Tom Doaks' reversible "The Loop"

With the opening of “The Loop” in 2016, the Forest Dunes Golf Club Resort in the U.S. state of Michigan created one of the most fascinating innovations in modern course architecture. Designed by renowned U.S. architect Tom Doak, the course draws on a historic concept—one that was already in use in the early days of Scottish links golf, such as on the Old Course in St. Andrews—and transforms it into a fully realized contemporary masterpiece: a completely reversible golf course.

Spanning the same area and utilizing the same 18 greens, there are two completely different 18-hole courses that are played in opposite directions on alternating days.

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Red Course & Black Course: Entirely New Perspectives and Strategies

While the Red Course runs counterclockwise and spans distances between 5,006 and 6,805 yards, the Black Course is played clockwise with a total length ranging from 4,982 to 6,704 yards.

What seems like a simple change of direction on paper creates an astonishing dynamic on the course: A hole that was played as a long downhill par-4 the day before transforms into a tricky uphill par-3 the next day. Bunker systems that lie hidden behind the green in one direction become prominent obstacles directly from the Tee when approached from the opposite direction. Since the greens were specifically contoured to accommodate shots from two completely opposite directions, each orientation demands entirely new flight paths and strategies.

Inland Links Style and Pure Ground Game

In terms of character, The Loop presents itself as an outstanding inland links or heathland course. The sandy soil is home to firm, fast-running fescue grass, which demands and encourages the classic“ground game.” Artificial water hazards and dense tree cover are deliberately absent; instead, the wind, natural sand blowouts, and gently sloping green complexes test players’ tactical skills.

The course also breaks with convention at the tees: There are no traditional tee boxes; instead, flags in black, white, and red, stuck into the ground, mark the three tee-off areas— Back, Middle, and Front.

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Back to the Roots of Match Play

This freedom pushes rigid rules into the background and brings back the pure, original feel of the game. In the best Bobby Jones tradition, “Old Man Par” takes a back seat here: the course offers the best experience in match play against fellow golfers, where exact distance measurements become secondary and your own intuition in assessing the course layout and shot distance is what counts. A round on The Loop is like a fascinating journey back in time to the Scottish roots of golf—to fully appreciate the architectural magic of the design, you should definitely play both directions.