No golf resort, and no owner/operator of golf properties, has done more to nudge the boundaries of golf course design and architecture over the past 15 years than the Keiser family, Sand Valley Golf Resort and Dream Golf. With new courses and golf experiences debuting regularly, media days at Sand Valley have become an almost annual celebration for me – one I look forward to all year long. Since the opening of The Sandbox in 2018, Dream Golf has continually pushed the envelope for golf norms to provide guests with unique, memorable experiences that will have them leaving with countless reasons to return. This year’s new excuse: The Commons.
Nothing Common About it
A 12-hole, par-45 golf course developed over the resort’s former practice facility, The Commons is architect Jimmy Craig’s first solo design. He’s not new around Sand Valley, though.
Having constructed The Sandbox during his 25-plus year career as a master shaper with Coore & Crenshaw, Craig has built a solid, longstanding relationship with the good folks at Dream Golf, and that partnership’s paying off handsomely as he was awarded the design work at The Commons as well as on Dream Golf’s upcoming second championship course at Rodeo Dunes – 45 minutes outside of Denver, Colorado and just one of Dream Golf’s destinations currently under development.
Design Philosophy
The Commons is anything but common, though its conceptual heritage has been well-accepted in Scotland and Ireland for centuries. Said Craig about the initial concept:
“The Old Course at St. Andrews and a lot of the older courses were ‘common grounds’ – they don’t belong to anybody. And so on Sundays folks can go out and play soccer if they want. Considering where this property is, I think [Michael Keiser] made the connection to the same thing where people staying [at the resort] can play a round and then walk across the golf course to have dinner; kids can mingle around, and then late in the day when there’s nobody out they can go out and kick a ball around or walk their dog… anything. It’s common ground, and I think it fits.”
– Jimmy Craig, Architect of The Commons
Situated across the entrance from The Gallery Restaurant adjacent to Sedge Valley’s clubhouse and incredible 18th hole, The Commons has a vibe similar to The Sandbox, but with longer holes. It was built for fun, and to be a perfect complement timing-wise for any of the resort’s 18-hole courses or as a way to play when arriving or departing later in the day.
Our round on The Commons took us two and a half hours to walk, and like for all golf at Sand Valley carts are not allowed without medical necessity.
2-1/2 hours is significantly less than on other of the resort’s courses (other than The Sandbox) and means several things:
- The Commons is an easier/shorter walk
- The Commons can be combined with an endless number of golf options to help create your perfect day at Sand Valley
- You can likely save money on caddies if you’re willing to carry your own bag, although the caddied experience at Sand Valley is top-notch
As an aside, if you’re new to playing with caddies then check out this article by Kiawah Island Ocean Course looper Hank Gannon: “So, You’re Taking a Caddie: What You Need to Know“ - While fewer in holes, the memorable moments on The Commons come early and often
What really struck me about playing The Commons are its memorability and strategic factors – especially in the last four holes that occupy the land near and on the peninsula. Said Jimmy Craig about its water features, a terrain not typically used at Dream Golf properties:
I’ve been blessed to work with some really talented folks and sometimes we sway away from those water features but I think it was great to have and actually the whole peninsula for this budget was a blessing. It was slated for real estate and turned into golf, and I love it.
– Jimmy Craig, Architect of The Commons
Originally slated for expansion of housing – Sand Valley will never have enough places to stay – the peninsula was approved late for the development of The Commons. The course was originally scheduled to be a six- to nine-hole layout, but when Michael Keiser gave it to Craig everything fell into place.
“I think once we found the peninsula area that’s when we found 12 holes that made sense. We were okay with nine or seven, or however many holes we could find and it worked out good. I think 12’s a good number, and it’s what Prestwick had.”
– Jimmy Craig, Architect of The Commons
Said Dream Golf Vice President of Media & Communications Tom Ferrell during a sit-down with Midwest Golfing Magazine’s Executive Editor Glen Turk and me at Monday’s media day for The Commons:
“I think Jimmy, having spent 25 years working for Coore & Crenshaw, has an innate feel for interest. And if you talk with Bill Coore and you talk with Jimmy Craig, you will hear the term ‘interest’ over and over. Not strategy. Not challenge. Not memorability… Interest. If you have a shot that you see before you, whether it’s a bump-and-run off the green or a driver over water, or a 130-yard wedge, if you’re interested in it then guess what? It’s gonna be memorable. It’s gonna be strategic. It’s gonna be a challenge. They serve interest and let the rest fall where it may.”
– Tom Ferrell, VP Media & Communications for Dream Golf Resorts
Outside of the peninsula, interest lies everywhere on this 12-hole golf course, from the shared green for holes two and four to the 445-yard par five opener with the massive sand pile* framing its raised green.
From the turniquet-like approach zone on the drivable par four seventh to the short par three fifth with its wildly undulating greens complex and biarritz-style putting surface on six… Craig’s design is really interesting.
As Tom alluded to, that makes it memorable, endlessly strategic, challenging and fun.
* Curious what that “massive pile” is behind the first green? It’s the sand dredged while creating Luna Lake. Personally, I love it and hope it stays there forever – it’s a unique land form that suits Sand Valley beautifully.
Our Day on The Commons
Our day on The Commons started at 8 am, arriving to The Gallery & Tennis Center at Sedge Valley. We had a terrific breakfast (The Gallery always has excellent food), heard from Tom Ferrell and Sand Valley Marketing Director Brandon Carter, caught up with golf media friends from across the country and headed out to be the new course’s first ever group to play 11-1/2 holes.
Our group for the morning consisted of fellow WiscoGolfAddict.com Contributor and WISN-12 Sports Director Dario Melendez, my friend and colleague Cody Retlich of Midwest Aerial Productions, Brandon Carter and our forecaddie for the excursion, Quinn.
Starting the shotgun event on the par three fifth hole, the walk out to five tee was eye-opening on its own as beautifully rolling terrain, deep, challenging sand traps and heavily undulating, oversized greens opened up all around us – this layout is steeped in drama.
We met up at several points with Head Golf Professional Ryan Glodowski, who lauded our occasional good swings and even called Cody’s skipped tee shot over Luna Lake on ten – that didn’t exactly make things easier for him from the beach, but hey he didn’t lose the ball!
Just a few of my favorite ah-ha moments were seeing the Biarritz-like sixth green for the first time (fantastic work!), melting a drive down the narrow target driving zone on seven, my first glimpses of the lake – it was in the 80s that day and a swim would also have been welcomed, a tee shot on 11 that looked and felt perfect and my first view of the incredible dual greens complex that serves the second and fourth holes. What a site!
The Commons – Hole-by-Hole
This wouldn’t be a WiscoGolfAddict course review if it didn’t include a hole-by-hole look at the course. Besides, I know you’re all clamoring for it, so here we go!
Hole 1: Par 5
The Commons starts out with one of the shortest par fives I’ve encountered: a 445-yard par four and a half that plays right of a tree line to one of the most unique greens sites at the resort before an enormous sand pile.
The mountain of sand, which is the result of Luna Lake’s dredging, frames the elevated green beautifully while appearing as another planet rising over the horizon. At a property called Sand Valley, it’s perfect and I hope it stays forever.
Hole 2: Par 3
The second hole features one of the wildest greens at The Commons, which is saying a lot considering the quality and scale of several of them.
From the tee, players see a sliver of green and a whole lot of sand. The green’s entrance, played to ~ 160 yards, is mostly hidden beyond a burm, but trust me it’s a huge greens complex as it is combined with the putting surface of the fourth hole.
Hole 3: Par 4
Most of the trouble on three is hidden from the tees, outside of the vast wasteland to the left. There’s more drama to the right of the fairway, though, so don’t think right is a safe miss unless you’re well right.
The green on three is extremely long from front to back, and the edges of it run out in all directions.
Hole 4: Par 4
Coming back toward the large shared green on two, the biggest hazard on four is the deep bunker short-right of the putting surface. I nailed that one on my way in, but managed to somehow get up-and-down for par.
As they say at all Dream Golf courses, the sand here is natural – you can’t swing at sand shots with just your arms, you have to use your whole body.
That’s great in theory, but the only way I know how to hit sand shots is with mostly my arms and so it usually doesn’t give me the best results when at Sand Valley, Bandon Dunes, Streamsong and other properties with heavy, natural sand.
Hole 5: Par 3
The fifth is a short par three played to another massive green with collection areas all around it. A cadre of deep bunkers flank the right side while the left is mostly depressed run-off that will force you to get crafty with your wedge (or putter) game.
Hole 6: Par 4
The defining feature of the sixth hole is its incredible Biarritz-like putting surface. The swale in the middle widens as the green stretches from left to right, so aim toward the left side to help filter incoming shots toward the right.
I’ve seen a number of excellent Biarritz-style greens lately, and this one is really, really well designed.
Hole 7: Par 4
The seventh is short for a par four – under 300 yards and straightaway.
There is trouble everywhere, though, especially as the fairway lengthens and shots get nearer the putting surface. It’s like a turniquet in that way, or a finger trap – long hitters can certainly go for glory, but the farther you hit it the more likely you’ll be in one of those deep bunkers that narrow the target area.
I striped one right down the middle on seven, leaving just 40 yards in and what I figured was an easy birdie or par result. Having seen Dario’s approach shot, though, I knew it would run hard left to right. I thought I clipped my wedge perfectly, but walking uphill to the green found myself in a bunker with a tumultuous downhill recovery shot. Lesson learned!
Either way, this is a tremendous risk/reward hole – The Commons is full of them.
Hole 8: Par 3
The par three eighth is another short par three with an elevated green and bunkers flanking three sides.
The putting surface is crowned, so precision on this one-shotter is key to finding and staying on the putting surface.
Hole 9: Par 4
The ninth is a beautiful golf hole, but it perplexed me a bit from the tees. While you can see part of the green from the box, the right side short of the putting surface is covered in water (which cannot be seen).
Setting up for my typical Paul fade, I over-cut my driver and upon walking up there was no chance I wasn’t in the water. The green is extremely contoured, as well, making this short four anything but easy.
Hole 10: Par 4
Walk off nine and approach “The Peninsula,” the three-hole section of the course mentioned earlier as the portion of the property that extended The Commons’ golf experience from six to nine holes to a full 12.
The risk/reward theme of Craig’s design continues on 10 as players are urged to bomb driver over the corner of Lake Luna to a green set into a peninsula of its own. Having watched Brandon, Dario and Cody all carry the water already, I had to give it a shot. I thought I bombed my driver but came up short. Taking a mulligan, I hit a six-iron safely to the right side and subsequently tossed an easy wedge onto the green.
I know that’s how you’re supposed to play a lot of these holes, but dangle a carrot in front of me at a place like Sand Valley and chances are I’m gonna go for it.
Hole 11: Par 3
The 11th is an instant classic.
Designed against the shoreline of Lake Luna, this mid-to-long par three has it all including an Alps-like mound short-right of the green that hides the Redan kicker slope and, of course, spectacular views along the lake.
As with any Redan template hole, players should aim their tee shots toward the right side of the putting surface – in this case, over the mound short of the green.
Pick the right club and the kicker slope should propel your ball left toward the center of the green.
I thought my shot was perfect – straight over the mound and well-struck. It was a little too well-struck, though, as we walked up and I found it 15 yards past the green and requiring a touchy 60-degree wedge from a tight lie to recover.
Hole 12: Par 4
As mentioned earlier, the green on 12 is still under construction so we only hit tee shots on it.
The finishing hole on The Commons is a par four that plays uphill, though, and has a smattering of bunkers (shaped by friend of WiscoGolfAddict Zane Ellis) leading up to the greens complex.
The green is beautifully framed by tall jack pines – the entire Sand Valley property was mired in these during its early days – the fairway is bordered to the left by a corner inlet of Luna Lake and on the right by a deep ravine of sand that players will want to avoid at all costs.
Why the Commons Matters
The Commons is exactly what Sand Valley needed. As the fastest-growing golf resort in the world, it thrives on variety, and this new 12-hole course adds something different.
Twelve holes is unusual. So are the bold Jimmy Craig greens. And water hazards on a Dream Golf course? Anything but common.
What makes The Commons even more compelling is its old-world spirit. Like the historic courses of Scotland and Ireland, it embraces the idea of “common ground” and dares to think unconventionally. Golf in the US could use more of that, and Dream Golf championing it here in Wisconsin makes me proud and excited for what’s coming next.
This layout is the perfect complement to Sand Valley’s championship courses. It’s a quick walk full of fun risk/reward decisions, and it delivers memorable moments in half the time of a full round. More than that, Jimmy Craig’s debut project is interesting, challenging and above all, fun.
For me, The Commons is another reason I’ll look forward to my annual “media day” pilgrimages to a place I consider Heaven on Earth in Nekoosa, Wisconsin.
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