Something incredible is happening in Wisconsin. What was once simply "America's Dairyland" has now become one of the United States' premier golfing destinations.
It all started back in 1982 when Sentry Insurance of Stevens Point decided to build a top notch golf course as part of their "SentryWorld" recreation center. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the golf course quickly became the first "destination" golf course in the state. 6 short years later, in 1988 Herb Kohler expanded the American Club to include a Pete Dye golf course named Blackwolf Run. 10 years later would bring about a second 36 hole complex, Whistling Straits which would eventually host the 2004, 2010 and 2015 PGA championships along with a Ryder Cup in 2020.
About an hour to the west now has Erin Hills which will host the 2017 US Open. Built in 2006 it was designed and redesigned with a US Open in mind.
Wisconsin's newest entry in world class golf is Sand Valley, a resort built by Mike Keiser of Bandon Dunes fame.
Sand Valley is built in the middle of nowhere, literally. It's about 20 minutes off the interstate (I39) a little less than 100 miles north of Madison. The site of the resort used to be a large piece of Timberland. Originally the bottom of a large glacial lake, the property is covered in sand which we all know makes the perfect foundation for a golf course. Plans so far include two golf courses; a Coore & Crenshaw design which is essentially complete and now open for limited preview play opening next spring and a second course being built currently by David mclay Kidd which is slated to open in 2018. Cottages and clubhouse are currently in the works.
I was able to get out to the property last Sunday and was able to preview the Coore and Crenshaw course. Pulling off the highway, I decided to take the most direct route to the course and found what a former timber property is really like.
The current road is very hilly and really only sand. Clearly this was built for large trucks. Driving about 2 miles down this road and almost getting stuck twice, I pulled into the entrance to the property. I was greeted by a junior high school aged kid in a golf cart with a clipboard. My tee time was on there so he let me pass. Apparently they have been having trouble with locals trespassing (mainly people on atvs who used to have free reign on the property).
They cut down a lot of trees on the property so I wasn't surprised to see on the access road huge stacks of timber.
I had no clue the world I was about to drive into once I got down this gravel road. It was just incredible.
After pulling into the parking lot, checking in and meeting up with my caddie we walked up to the 1st tee. Everything up to this point is temporary and their are huge pieces of construction equipment everywhere. The "golf shop" is a large cargo container. I'm pretty sure they had a second one for the caddies.
Upon getting to the first tee you are greeted with this view:
While appearing intimidating, it's only 370 from the black tees and good placement off the tee will result in about a 40 yard 2nd shot. I managed to get a par both times.
View from the second fairway up to the green on the 449 yard par 4:
Hole #3 is a 225 yard par 3. This is where "playing the course" comes into play. The ideal shot was about 180 to the middle right side mound and the ball would trickle up to the hole. I listened to my caddie the second time through and was rewarded with a short 6 foot putt.
The 4th hole is a 635 yard par 5. It's actually not that bad.
Hole #5 is a par 3, 175 from the black tees but played about 120 the day I was out there due to wind and elevation drop. You don't want to go long on this one.
The 5th tee box is the highest point on the front 9 and has some incredible views. My favorite was over towards the south and the 6th hole:
The 6th highlights how the course basically works. Rolling fairways that just fall off into waste bunkers. Having a caddy along is nice when you can't see hazards lurking over the horizon (there's actually a bigger hazard just off to the left ):
Btw, the 6th green is huge. I thought I had gotten close from about 120 out but when I got to the green I found a huge valley between my ball and the hole.
This is a pretty common sight out on the course:
Probably my favorite hole on the front was #7 622 yard Par 5. Off the tee box you have a huge bunker off to the right, so left of center is a must. A good tee shot to the top of the hill will result in a second shot looking like this:
Climbing up the hill after the 7th green gets you to the 137 yard Par 3. While looking intimidating off the tee it wasn't too bad. On the second 9 the wind was howling from the left and I had to start it well left of the green to get it to land close to the hole.
Birdie and Par on this one made my day.
To finish out the front 9 you're greeted with a relatively short 306 yard Par 4. Going with the 3 wood is definitely the play here.
As you walk up the fairway on 9 to the right is a large man made lake. It's the only water on the property. Eventually the cottages will be located in this area.
Walking away from the 9th green your back up at the 1st tee. Eventually you'll cross over to the back 9 which is just to the north of the front 9.
Having walked the front 9 twice that day I got an immense appreciation for the effort the course designers and Mike Kaiser have put into this project. It's hard to describe in words how beautiful the scenery is other than how natural it all feels. Nothing seems forced. The course was not overly difficult but wasn't a pushover either. The back 9 had significant wind coming from the north which made quite a few holes play different than the first time through.
The front 9 is open for preview play until September 1st. At that point limited preview play should begin to be available on all 18 holes with full opening next spring. If course #2 is half as good as the Coore and Crenshaw course this will be a solid golf resort that will only add to the solid offering of world class golf here in Wisconsin.
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It all started back in 1982 when Sentry Insurance of Stevens Point decided to build a top notch golf course as part of their "SentryWorld" recreation center. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the golf course quickly became the first "destination" golf course in the state. 6 short years later, in 1988 Herb Kohler expanded the American Club to include a Pete Dye golf course named Blackwolf Run. 10 years later would bring about a second 36 hole complex, Whistling Straits which would eventually host the 2004, 2010 and 2015 PGA championships along with a Ryder Cup in 2020.
About an hour to the west now has Erin Hills which will host the 2017 US Open. Built in 2006 it was designed and redesigned with a US Open in mind.
Wisconsin's newest entry in world class golf is Sand Valley, a resort built by Mike Keiser of Bandon Dunes fame.
Sand Valley is built in the middle of nowhere, literally. It's about 20 minutes off the interstate (I39) a little less than 100 miles north of Madison. The site of the resort used to be a large piece of Timberland. Originally the bottom of a large glacial lake, the property is covered in sand which we all know makes the perfect foundation for a golf course. Plans so far include two golf courses; a Coore & Crenshaw design which is essentially complete and now open for limited preview play opening next spring and a second course being built currently by David mclay Kidd which is slated to open in 2018. Cottages and clubhouse are currently in the works.
I was able to get out to the property last Sunday and was able to preview the Coore and Crenshaw course. Pulling off the highway, I decided to take the most direct route to the course and found what a former timber property is really like.
The current road is very hilly and really only sand. Clearly this was built for large trucks. Driving about 2 miles down this road and almost getting stuck twice, I pulled into the entrance to the property. I was greeted by a junior high school aged kid in a golf cart with a clipboard. My tee time was on there so he let me pass. Apparently they have been having trouble with locals trespassing (mainly people on atvs who used to have free reign on the property).
They cut down a lot of trees on the property so I wasn't surprised to see on the access road huge stacks of timber.
I had no clue the world I was about to drive into once I got down this gravel road. It was just incredible.
After pulling into the parking lot, checking in and meeting up with my caddie we walked up to the 1st tee. Everything up to this point is temporary and their are huge pieces of construction equipment everywhere. The "golf shop" is a large cargo container. I'm pretty sure they had a second one for the caddies.
Upon getting to the first tee you are greeted with this view:
View from the second fairway up to the green on the 449 yard par 4:
Hole #3 is a 225 yard par 3. This is where "playing the course" comes into play. The ideal shot was about 180 to the middle right side mound and the ball would trickle up to the hole. I listened to my caddie the second time through and was rewarded with a short 6 foot putt.
The 4th hole is a 635 yard par 5. It's actually not that bad.
Hole #5 is a par 3, 175 from the black tees but played about 120 the day I was out there due to wind and elevation drop. You don't want to go long on this one.
The 5th tee box is the highest point on the front 9 and has some incredible views. My favorite was over towards the south and the 6th hole:
The 6th highlights how the course basically works. Rolling fairways that just fall off into waste bunkers. Having a caddy along is nice when you can't see hazards lurking over the horizon (there's actually a bigger hazard just off to the left ):
Btw, the 6th green is huge. I thought I had gotten close from about 120 out but when I got to the green I found a huge valley between my ball and the hole.
This is a pretty common sight out on the course:
Probably my favorite hole on the front was #7 622 yard Par 5. Off the tee box you have a huge bunker off to the right, so left of center is a must. A good tee shot to the top of the hill will result in a second shot looking like this:
Climbing up the hill after the 7th green gets you to the 137 yard Par 3. While looking intimidating off the tee it wasn't too bad. On the second 9 the wind was howling from the left and I had to start it well left of the green to get it to land close to the hole.
Birdie and Par on this one made my day.
To finish out the front 9 you're greeted with a relatively short 306 yard Par 4. Going with the 3 wood is definitely the play here.
As you walk up the fairway on 9 to the right is a large man made lake. It's the only water on the property. Eventually the cottages will be located in this area.
Walking away from the 9th green your back up at the 1st tee. Eventually you'll cross over to the back 9 which is just to the north of the front 9.
Having walked the front 9 twice that day I got an immense appreciation for the effort the course designers and Mike Kaiser have put into this project. It's hard to describe in words how beautiful the scenery is other than how natural it all feels. Nothing seems forced. The course was not overly difficult but wasn't a pushover either. The back 9 had significant wind coming from the north which made quite a few holes play different than the first time through.
The front 9 is open for preview play until September 1st. At that point limited preview play should begin to be available on all 18 holes with full opening next spring. If course #2 is half as good as the Coore and Crenshaw course this will be a solid golf resort that will only add to the solid offering of world class golf here in Wisconsin.
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