Some places in golf seem more myth than reality – spoken about in hushed tones, rarely photographed and almost impossible to find without knowing someone who knows someone. The Dunes Club in New Buffalo, Michigan is one of those places.

Tucked just inland from Lake Michigan’s southern shore, this nine-hole treasure is as elusive as it is revered. There’s no gatehouse, no signage to speak of and not a hint that one of the country’s most influential layouts is hidden beyond a chain link fence and gravel driveway that winds through trees.

This is where Mike Keiser, the developer behind Bandon Dunes and the USGA’s 2025 Bob Jones Award recipient (recognizing character, sportsmanship and respect for the game), took what he loved about Pine Valley – long considered one of the world’s finest courses – and distilled it into 60 acres of pure, unadulterated golf.

This is where “Dream Golf” began.

The Dunes Club Experience

The drive in tells you everything: blink and you’ll miss the understated gravel entrance, guarded by trees and a “No Trespassing” sign.

On arrival, I joined General Manager Todd Molitor in the clubhouse to wait out a storm. We talked golf and baseball, watched the RBC Canadian Open playoff (where Ryan Fox outlasted Sam Burns with a remarkable shot on the umpteenth playoff hole) and talked all things Dunes Club.

After the skies cleared, I walked out back and did my best to capture everything I could of what turned out to be an interesting sunset – the descending sun over Lake Michigan lit the course beautifully at times, perhaps best captured in this shot of the sixth:

By 5:15 the next morning, I was unlocking the gate, drone in hand, as the first light crept over the horizon. The morning began with heavy Canadian wildfire haze – there was just a small speck of pink sun barely visible on the horizon. But, as it lifted, I was treated to a remarkable sunrise.

I flew through six batteries with my DJI Mavic 2 Pro and didn’t want to stop. Streaks of golden light dashed across fairways mowed into perfect checkerboards and shadows from the treelines illuminated the course’s numerous tees and greens beautifully.

Later that morning, WiscoGolfAddict.com Contributing Writer Brian Murphy, our new friend Kevin and I teed off with caddies Gideon, Josh and Joe. Joe, our 90-year-old caddie, walked every step with Brian’s bag on his shoulder, just like he has for decades. He is known to be the oldest carrying professional caddie in the world, and spending time with him would have been special anywhere – but for it to be here was even more so. His German accent, contagiously positive attitude and joyful personality (traits shared across the staff) made him an instant favorite.

And the hospitality didn’t stop there. Paul, who was changing pins behind us throughout our first loop, covertly slipped a hand-painted, wooden WiscoGolfAddict bag tag onto my Vessel VLS. I found it before my approach shot on seven – and couldn’t stop smiling.

The Dunes Club doesn’t try to impress you. It doesn’t have to – it’s attained something few clubs could ever dream of with its tremendous golf experience and unexcelled level of prestige. That might lead first-time visitors to expect an uncomfortable visit, but that never even came close to happening. There was no pretentiousness, no frills, nothing uptight – just great golf in its rawest form and folks who love it.

Their motto says it all: “No tee boxes.” There are no tee markers on the course – only wide corridors of grass and the understanding that match play rules. Winners of the previous hole are encouraged to choose where the next hole will be teed, and the routing and litany of tee boxes offer countless options. That freedom makes every loop feel different, keeps the course from getting repetitive and embraces a spirit of creativity that defines the most elite golf experiences.

Though only nine holes, The Dunes Club plays like much more. Between alternate tee boxes and rotating pins, each nine feels fresh. Tees aren’t just longer or shorter – they shift entirely. On the par three sixth hole, for example, we went from 162 yards while teeing off from the left side to 92 on the right, requiring totally different approaches to the same greens complex.

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Similarly, the second hole’s teeing locations are 45 degrees apart from one another and separated by forest, both playing over a chasm of sand to the same, enlarged putting surface.

Probably my two favorite par fours on the course, the fifth and seventh have loads of flexibility built in, as well.

The seventh, with its elevated tees and greens complex that flows low and right, might be the best of them all.

In match play, the winner of the previous hole can force their opponent(s) to exact a draw from the left side or a straight-to-faded shot shape from the right and back tees – it’s smart and strategic, words that perfectly define this incredible golf property.

With an approach shot played over the property’s lone water feature, the tees chosen on five will – more than anything – determine the length of players’ required carries on approach. Played forward, chances are a high-iron will do the trick, but if played back then players may need to hit as long as a 5- or 6-iron to get across safely in two.

This brings me to an interesting point: There are no men’s or women’s tees at The Dunes Club. Instead, all teeing areas are available for use at any time by anyone. In match play, this can lead to playing a drivable par four or a long par five, a par four-and-a-half or short three that requires pinpoint precision.

Though I haven’t played Augusta National, the approach into five evoked what I imagine the drama of 15 feels like – all carry, all pressure.

Two Unforgettable Par Fives

The eighth, a long par five that rolls through dunes, features a greens complex and approach that conjured up memories for me of the 15th at Tobacco Road.

From elevated tees beside the [left-side] sixth tees and fifth green, players hit to a straightaway fairway that continually narrows before being bisected by a wonderful nod to golden age architecture and Pine Valley: a great hazard.

The great hazard on eight dictates distance from the tee while setting up an uncomfortably long approach shot in – a discomfort that’s compounded by an elevated green shifted slightly left, and hidden from view by bunkers and mounding.

This hole is beautifully designed and even better executed.

The ninth, with its lion’s mouth bunker, subtle bend and the clubhouse beside it, is a fitting finish to a course so full of intention.

Keep your tee shot straight or on the right side of the fairway for a good look at getting home in regulation, and be sure to take enough club to avoid the central sand trap that fronts it.

The Property at The Dunes Club

The turf at The Dunes Club is flawless. The greens are fast and well-contoured. The sand is natural and heavy – the kind that demands your whole body, not just your hands, to escape. This is similar to other Dream Golf properties where caddies tell you “You can’t just use your arms, you’ve got to get your whole body through the ball.”

Although I understand that conceptually, it’s never translated well for my sand game… I’ll figure it out someday!

The course’s natural areas are also used to great effect. Massive sand blowouts and exposed waste areas act as visual and strategic ‘great hazards’ throughout the routing, especially on the second, third, sixth and eighth holes. These features not only frame the landscape artfully but directly influence decision-making off the tee and into greens.

The third hole, for instance, features a 40- to 50-yard-long zone of humps and chocolate drops that cut through the fairway.

Previously grown out as fescue, this ‘great hazard’ now presents an opportunity – if you catch a flyer lie, getting home in two becomes a tempting possibility. It’s classic risk-reward, disguised by naturalism.

And the vibe? Serious golf, seriously fun people.

There’s an honor-system cooler in the clubhouse. Locally sourced brats and burgers on the grill. A closet-sized pro shop stocked with Peter Millar, Imperial and other high-end gear. It’s unpretentious, and it’s all the better for it.

It would’ve been easy to build something flashier. Keiser had the means. But The Dunes Club reflects what he loves about the game – nuance, charm and soul. From what I’ve heard, it’s Pine Valley vibes with Midwestern sensibility. And that’s a powerful combination.

A Rare Honor

I was originally invited to play this storied layout – a rare and special opportunity on its own – this past winter. Working with Dream Golf, I was also able to coordinate drone photography – an even more rare experience that only several others have had in the more than 30 years since the club opened. I was told I’m the third person ever approved to shoot drone photos here, in fact, following in the footsteps of The Fried Egg and my friend and colleague, Patrick Koenig.

This is a course that regularly lands on national lists – from being named the top nine-hole course in the country by Golf Digest’s Ron Whitten and number four in the world, to ranking 56th on GolfWeek’s Top 100 Modern Courses. It only makes sense for the club to have visuals that match its reputation, and I hope some of mine will find their way into major publications including Golf Digest and GolfWeek soon.

Closing Thoughts

With another impending storm rushing in, we only played 18 holes. It was more than enough to leave a mark, though. From the course architecture to the people, and from the perfectly simple clubhouse lunch to all the personal touches, The Dunes Club is a place that lingers.

There’s no signage, no tee boxes, no rush – just golf the way it was meant to be played. You walk, you talk and, when it’s over, all you want to do is play it again.

Places like The Dunes Club don’t exist everywhere, and they sure aren’t easy to get on. You’ll get to play it once, if you’re lucky. I left grateful. Inspired. And already hoping there will be a next visit.

Have you ever played somewhere so special you were already hoping to return before you walked off the last green?