GRAND HAVEN TWP. — A proposed bed-and-breakfast in Grand Haven Township will offer a unique addition to property near American Dunes Golf Club.

The Grand Haven Township Planning Commission approved a proposal in March for a bed-and-breakfast to be named "Folds of Honor Bed and Breakfast,” that would be built adjacent to the golf course, said Cassandra Chaphalkar, the township’s senior planner.

Once the building permit is approved, the 10-room residential home will be built on a 0.53-acre parcel at 16966 Lincoln St.

It will be the first bed-and-breakfast ever built in the township, Chaphalkar said.

The now-vacant site, situated within an area zoned for master-planned development, already includes existing access to city water and sewer lines as well as a paved road.

American Dunes General Manager Doug Bell said the building would sleep 12 and would be open to the public.

Working through the process

A building permit application to proceed with construction has not yet been received by the planning commission, Chaphalkar said. But once submitted and approved, they will have the green light to begin construction.

The planning commission had originally shot down proposed plans for a hotel-type facility as they didn’t feel it fit the location and neighborhood.

Bell said they went back to the drawing board and came up with a more suitable building for that area — a residential home to operate as a bed-and-breakfast. He added that it will likely operate seasonally.

Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to the families of fallen and disabled American military veterans and first responders, will back the building of the structure, Bell said.

American Dunes Golf Course will manage it, he said.

The story behind Folds of Honor

In 2018, the former Grand Haven Golf Club closed its doors. The location holds historical significance as the site of a small 2006 golf tournament that served as the inspiration for the founding of Folds of Honor, according to the American Dunes Golf Club website.

Following the closure, a group of individuals collaborated with golf legend Jack Nicklaus to establish American Dunes Golf Club at the same location. The mission of American Dunes is to continue the legacy of supporting military families by raising awareness and funds for Folds of Honor.

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Jack Nicklaus spearheaded the course redesign and donated his $3 million design fee to the project. Further financial backing came from 18 individuals who sponsored holes and five private investors who joined to preserve the site's historical connection to Folds of Honor.

American Dunes Golf Club now operates to support the charitable work of Folds of Honor.

— Heather VanDyke covers northern Ottawa County for the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at newsroom@ottawanewsnetwork.org.