On Milwaukee’s north side, tucked just off Good Hope Road, sits The Wisconsin Country Club – North Milwaukee’s best kept secret. This private golf club has quietly become one of my favorites, and over the past year it’s been the course I’ve played most. Each round leaves me more impressed. It’s the kind of layout that grows on you – fun and fair, and a near-perfect walk outside of a couple late uphill climbs

The first two holes demand some local knowledge with their blind tee shots – especially the second, where choosing the right line is key – but from there everything is right in front of you. Nothing about the design feels gimmicky or unfair. It’s straightforward golf that challenges you at the right times, especially around its greens complexes where thoughtful surrounds and sharp contouring can quickly turn a decent shot into a scramble.

Superintendent Adam Suelflow and his team keep the course in outstanding condition, and the membership enjoys some of the best pace of play anywhere. I haven’t played a single round here in over three and a half hours, in fact.

Off the course, the club delivers just as strongly: an impressive social scene, a younger-leaning membership and food and beverage that’s genuinely top-notch. Even my buddy Chef Adam Pawlak, one of Milwaukee’s best-known culinary talents, called their burger “a great f’ing burger.” I’d also put their homemade chips, cheese curds and club sandwich up there with my favorite lunches anywhere in town.

My own history with the club goes back to 2007, when I played it for the first time as part of my friend, Nick’s, wedding weekend. It was one of the first private clubs I’d ever set foot on, and I remembered it as heavily treed with tough greens, but not much else stuck with me. Fast forward to 2025, though, and I’ve rediscovered it in a big way. Playing it regularly has given me a far greater appreciation for the way the course flows, the variety in its par threes and fives and strength of its finishing stretch.

In a city with as deep and competitive a private club scene as Milwaukee, The Wisconsin Country Club sometimes gets overshadowed. Milwaukee Country Club and Blue Mound Golf & Country Club obviously sit atop most rankings and rightfully so, but TWCC offers a different kind of appeal – a welcoming and active membership, terrific food and beverage and a golf course that’s much more strategically interesting and fun than it sometimes gets credit for.

And when you dig into its history, the story only gets more compelling. The Wisconsin Country Club opened as Brynwood Country Club in the 1920s – founded as a social hub for Milwaukee’s Jewish community and built by an underappreciated architect whose work, in my opinion, deserves far more recognition.

That cultural and architectural foundation is still felt today, and it helps explain why this club has remained such a vital part of the city’s golf landscape.

The Origins of The Wisconsin Country Club

The roots of The Wisconsin Country Club stretch back nearly a century, to the summer of 1926. That year, a group of Milwaukee’s Jewish leaders led by Club President Morris Stern gathered at Dr. Louis Koppel’s home to organize a new golf club. At a time when many private clubs were highly restrictive, their vision was to create a space where their community could gather, celebrate and play.

The club became Brynwood Country Club, and within months plans were underway for an 18-hole golf course and tennis facilities. The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle reported that the course contract was awarded to Harry B. Smead, President of the Smead Turf Nurseries Company of Chicago and a man described then as a “golf course architect of international reputation” who had “designed some of the finest championship courses in the nation.”

Ever since first playing – and falling in love with – Pine Hills in Sheboygan about 15 years ago I’ve always considered it unfortunate he didn’t design more golf courses. Recently I’ve started discovering that might not be the case.

Smead certainly had significant experience in turf and course construction, and though little-known today, he would go on to design Midwest courses including Pine Hills, Monroe Golf Club, Stoughton Country Club (with William Watson) and Big Run outside Chicago.

From the 1929 articles (below, thanks to Golf Club Atlas), it appears there must be [or were] more. Please, if you know others, chime in at the bottom of this article in the Comments section!

Brynwood’s chosen site was the Neilson farm, 160 acres of rolling land thickly wooded with oaks and maples. It was a dramatic canvas for golf, though construction required the removal of more than 3,000 trees to carve out fairways and doglegs. The Chronicle praised the property’s topography, foliage and turf as ideal for a world-class championship course.

The first nine holes opened on July 15, 1929, with Stern striking the inaugural tee shot. A farmhouse was remodeled as a temporary clubhouse and plans were made for a permanent facility to be developed. The full 18 was dedicated on Labor Day, September 2, 1929, as members lauded its beauty and challenge. At 6,408 yards – expandable to over 7,000 for championship play – it was immediately considered one of Milwaukee’s premier golf experiences.

Membership filled quickly. Initiation was set at $400 in the early days, then raised to $495 (including taxes) with annual dues of $100. Brynwood became not just a golf club but a social hub – a place for weddings, bar mitzvahs and family gatherings, and an anchor for Milwaukee’s Jewish community throughout the late 1920s and ’30s.

This story, preserved in the pages of the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle and shared through Golf Club Atlas, reveals a deeper dimension to The Wisconsin Country Club. From the very beginning, it was more than just a golf course. It was a statement of belonging, a community investment and a showcase for an architect whose work still resonates a century later.

The Golf Course at The Wisconsin Country Club

Almost 100 years after Harry Smead first laid out Brynwood, The Wisconsin Country Club remains one of Milwaukee’s most enjoyable and strategically engaging courses. It has evolved over the decades, sometimes for the better and sometimes not, but what stands today is a really solid layout that blends classic roots with modern refinements.

Architectural Evolution

While Smead provided the original blueprint in 1928, the club’s official history also credits William Diddel with work on the course in 1954. The extent of his redesign remains unclear, though he certainly introduced changes to the layout (see 1937 aerial versus modern-day imagery, below) and bunkering, as was typical of mid-century projects in the 1900s.

The most evident change from the above aerials is the routing as the land for the former 18th hole was repurposed for their [well above average] practice facilities, and additional land was added on the western border for the new 13th and 14th holes – one of the most challenging sections of the modern day course.

By the late 20th century, Bob Lohmann also left his mark, part of a wave of “modernizations” across the Midwest that often erased a lot of Golden Age character. Like many of those projects, The Wisconsin Country Club’s design lost some of its strategic nuance and identity in the process.

TWCC’s major architectural turning point came in 2014, when Bruce Hepner (at the time with Renaissance Golf Design) led a $3.5 million renovation. Hepner added tees, reintroduced run-offs, reshaped surrounds, reimagined and rebuilt all of its bunkers while restoring much of the course’s original intent and interest. His work not only made the course more fun to play but also made it feel more authentic, a closer reflection of what most would assume Smead envisioned nearly 100 years ago.

Architect Spotlight: Harry Smead

Smead isn’t a household name in golf architecture, but he should be better known. His courses share a common thread in their greens, especially: bold, varied and always interesting. At Pine Hills they’re dramatic and severe, while at The Wisconsin Country Club they’re a bit more subtle but still capable of turning a routine two-putt into an adventure.

In addition to his masterful greens design, I think part of what makes Smead intriguing to me is how little we know about him.

Many believe he worked with Langford & Moreau at some point, given his expertise with heavy earth-moving equipment and the stylistic similarities in their greens. According to Pine Hills past Board President Keith Robel (who led the club’s renovation with Drew Rogers), “There is no connection to Langford other than the general study of their courses with the Chicago connection… Smead did work for William Watson in some scale (eg: Stoughton Country Club), but I think most of his practice was in the turf business and he moved towards golf construction with the massive growth in opportunities at that time.”

Regardless, his best work has certainly stood the test of time – courses that become more fun the more you play them. The Wisconsin Country Club fits that description perfectly.

Playing the Course Today

On the ground, The Wisconsin Country Club is the definition of fair-but-testing private golf. Outside of the first two blind tee shots, everything is in front of you. The strategy lies not in shrouded hazards but in how you position yourself for approaches and how well you handle the greens.

The par threes stand out as some of the best in the area. The eight/11 combo is a ton of fun to play (both with shorter shots to tumultuous greens sites) across the channel, the stunning 16th with its perched, multi-tiered green is an incredible finishing one-shotter and the long fourth, with its massive, ribboned putting surface may be the most architecturally sound.

The par fives offer excellent variety, too: the reachable fifth, the marathon 15th (one of the longest holes in the Milwaukee area) and the 18th, a bruising uphill finisher. The two closing holes on each side – nine and 18 – are both memorable climbs back toward the clubhouse and its patio, capped off by the sight of the club’s massive umbrella that provides shelter from the sun for the bar area.

More than anything, it’s a course that rewards repeat play. Subtle contours, challenging surrounds and just the right amount of bite to keep you coming back. It’s not meant to overwhelm with length or spectacle – instead, it offers a fun, complete and highly playable test that represents Milwaukee golf at a high level.

Hole 1: Par 4 (Hcp. 15, 348/338/338/331)

The opener at The Wisconsin Country Club sets the tone right away with a blind tee shot that asks you to trust your line. From the box, the fairway looks like a wall of trees, and first-time players often aim too far left, bringing those woods into play. The right target is toward the trees on the far-right horizon, where the fairway bends and opens.

At just 348 yards from the tips, this is not a long hole, but it’s one that introduces you to the course’s personality, including its elevated greens complexes with sharp run-offs that demand precision. Find the fairway and you’ll have a short-iron or wedge in, but miss the target on your approach and you’re likely chipping back up from tight surrounds, sand or a false front.

The club describes the first as a chance to “ease into your round without too much difficulty,” but I think it’s sneakier than that. It’s a short par four, yes, but if you’re sloppy with your line off the tee or careless into the green, bogey is very much in play. For me, it’s a clever way to begin – not overly punishing, but immediately introducing the themes that will define your round.

Hole 2: Par 4 (Hcp. 7, 413/384/329/329)

If the first hole introduces you to blind tee shots, the second doubles down. This is one of the tougher drives on the course, a dogleg left that demands both trust and shape. From the tee you see very little fairway – just a hillside that tempts you to aim right, where rough and overhanging trees quickly make life miserable.

The correct line is over the stack of bunkers on the left with a draw. Stronger players can carry them, setting up a much shorter approach. For most, though, the play is to favor the right edge of the bunkers, leaving a downhill look into the green.

The approach is no bargain, either. The putting surface runs from front to back and is perched in a way that makes holding it a challenge, especially if you’re coming in from the rough or blocked out on the right.

This hole is a perfect example of what makes The Wisconsin Country Club so enjoyable: it looks simple enough on the card at 385 yards, but it demands thought, accuracy and commitment to your line. Play it tentatively and you’re likely grinding for bogey. Hit the right shot shapes, though, and you can walk away with par or better.

Hole 3: Par 5 (Hcp. 3, 506/490/428/428)

The third hole runs along Good Hope Road and is the first of The Wisconsin Country Club’s three par fives. At 506 yards from the black tees, it reads as a scoring chance on the card, but in practice it’s a demanding three-shot hole for almost all players.

The tee shot plays to a fairway guarded by bunkers down the left side. Out of bounds lurks even further left, while trees pinch from the right, so placement is critical. From there, the hole climbs uphill toward a green that’s heavily defended by three bunkers short-right and one short-left.

Even if you’ve got length, the approach is treacherous. The putting surface is bisected laterally, with the right half appearing deceptively shallow. The green plays tricks on your eyes, too, looking smaller and closer than it is… and shots that come up just short almost always tumble back.

I managed to sneak in a birdie the last time I played it, but that felt like stealing. More often than not, this is a hole where par is a solid score. It’s a strong, classic par five that balances opportunity with plenty of risk, and it gives you a taste of how Hepner’s refinements around the greens have sharpened the overall challenge at TWCC.

Hole 4: Par 3 (Hcp. 17, 198/177/162/145)

The first par three at The Wisconsin Country Club is a big, bold one-shotter that shows off the scale of the property. Playing from one of the higher points on the front nine, the hole stretches from 160-200 yards and typically plays longer when the wind whips across the nearby ridge.

The green here is one of the largest on the course, but size doesn’t make it easy. There’s plenty of internal contouring – ridges, rolls and subtle shelves – that can turn a two-putt into an adventure. Miss in the wrong section and you’ll be in double-breaker-city with long, long odds at making par.

Three bunkers surround the target, and with the elevation and exposure, finding the green in regulation is an accomplishment in itself. Once you’re on the surface, the real challenge begins.

This is one of my favorite par threes at TWCC, and it’s a hole that gets more interesting the more you play it. Depending on pin location and wind, it can be anything from a smooth mid-iron to a nervy hybrid, and it captures the spirit of the course perfectly: straightforward on paper, deceptively tricky in execution.

Hole 5: Par 5 (Hcp. 1, 519/497/467/426)

From elevated tees, the fifth hole features one of the more intimidating visuals on the course. The fairway bends left to right and drops downhill, with out-of-bounds tight to the left and a thick treeline guarding the right. Long hitters may be tempted to cut the corner over the trees on the right, but it’s a gamble that can just as easily lead to a punch-out as to a short approach.

Two staggered fairway bunkers frame the landing zone and keep you honest off the tee. Find the short grass and you’re rewarded with one of the more interesting risk-reward second shots on the course: a long carry over water to a green that sits across the pond.

The green itself has all the hallmarks of TWCC’s best – perched, tilted and protected by elevation and a strong back-to-front slope. Even if you lay up short of the pond, you’re left with a delicate approach into a surface that punishes anything timid.

It’s a hole where strategy matters as much as execution. Aggressive players can chase birdie with two bold swings, but the pond swallows up plenty of overconfident second shots. More conservative play still leaves a challenging wedge in, and bogey lurks for anyone out of position.

For me, it’s one of the most memorable par fives at The Wisconsin Country Club – equal parts scenic, strategic and nerve-testing.

Hole 6: Par 4 (Hcp. 5, 442/414/337/337)

The sixth is a stout par four that climbs steadily uphill, playing every bit of its listed yardage and then some.

Off the tee, the fairway looks narrow between tree lines, and there’s no real bailout if you miss – rough and overhanging branches make recovery a challenge.

The approach is the real test. The green sits high on the hillside, elevated and heavily protected by three bunkers stacked along the right. Anything short tends to roll back, leaving a tricky pitch up the slope. Anything long leaves you putting or chipping downhill on one of the more severely tilted greens on the course.

Club selection here is key. It’s one of those holes where you simply have to trust an extra club on the approach – coming up short almost guarantees trouble. Once you’re on, the green runs sharply from back to front, so the smart play is to stay below the hole.

The sixth may not be flashy, but it is one of the grind-it-out moments at The Wisconsin Country Club. Leave with a par here and you’ll feel like you’ve stolen a stroke (or two).

Hole 7: Par 4 (Hcp. 11, 439/400/374/297)

The seventh is a long par four that plays downhill from raised tees to a fairway that looks generous at first but pinches quickly on the right. The pond short of the green immediately draws the eye, but the real decision comes earlier – with the drive.

On the card it’s a mid-to-long par four, but the tee shot is no pushover. A cluster of bunkers guards the right side, and a miss there either leaves you blocked or forces a long carry over water from a poor angle (and sand). The safer line is down the left, but that leaves a longer approach into a perched green.

That green is what makes the hole truly memorable to me. One of the few at TWCC without bunkers, it doesn’t need them. A steep false front spits back anything under-hit, and the surface itself is wildly contoured. Land in the wrong section and you’re facing a sidewinding putt you’ll just be hoping to cozy near the hole.

The seventh captures exactly what Bruce Hepner’s refinements restored at The Wisconsin Country Club – no gimmicks, just smart use of elevation, water and contouring that demand execution. Find the fairway and commit on the approach, and you’ll have a chance to score. Miss either shot and bogey or worse is in play.

Hole 8: Par 3 (Hcp. 13, 173/151/137/114)

The eighth is a short-to-mid length par three that packs plenty of punch into its modest yardage. From the tee, players are staring at a full carry over water to a broad green framed by bunkers. On a calm day it looks straightforward enough, but add a little breeze or a tucked pin and suddenly this hole has teeth.

The green itself is oversized, and it doesn’t play easy. It slopes primarily from back-right toward the middle, which means anything landing too far back can release downhill quickly. Worse yet, the trio of bunkers on the right – especially the front one – create some of the most awkward recoveries on the course. Miss there and you’ll find very little margin for error. Trust me.

The smart miss is slightly left of center, where the slope helps funnel shots toward the heart of the green. But that’s easier said than done when you’re trying to block out the water in front of you.

This is one of those holes where commitment is everything. It’s not long, but it’s a classic example of how par threes at TWCC keep you honest – challenging your precision more than your power.

Hole 9: Par 4 (Hcp. 9, 368/347/347/289)

The ninth is a terrific way to close the opening side – a climbing par four that plays much longer than the yardage on the scorecard. From the tee, the hole bends gently right-to-left toward a fairway that rises to meet the plateau in front of the clubhouse.

A set of bunkers guards the left side and encourages you to favor the right, but the real challenge is the approach. From the fairway, the green looks tiny – hidden by the slope – and it’s easy to under-club, leaving shots short on the bank or rolling back down the hill. In reality, the putting surface is plenty deep, but the combination of elevation and perspective makes it one of the more visually deceptive shots at TWCC.

Once you’re on, the green is no pushover, either. It tilts significantly and can produce some of the tougher putts on the front nine. The backdrop of the clubhouse patio, often filled with members and guests, adds a little extra pressure, too – I think we all know that feeling of not wanting to chunk one in front of an audience!

For me, the ninth is one of the great holes at The Wisconsin Country Club. It captures so much of what makes the course fun: elevation change, a demanding approach and a setting that ties the golf experience back to the heart of the club.

Hole 10: Par 4 (Hcp. 12, 389/354/316/316)

The back nine begins in front of the clubhouse with one of the most deceptive par fours on the property. From the tee, the hole looks fairly wide open and inviting – no bunkers in sight, just a fairway dropping downhill between tree lines. But don’t let the view fool you.

The landing area is tighter than it looks, and positioning matters. A channel crosses the hole about 20 yards short of the green, but it’s far enough down that even most long hitters can comfortably swing away with driver. The real defense here is the green.

Raised above the fairway, the 10th green has a massive false front that rejects anything short and a tightly mowed run-up that sends shots rolling back down toward the river. Even when you do reach the surface, the green itself is sectioned into quadrants that can make lag putting a serious challenge.

It’s a hole that punishes overconfidence. Too often players see “360 yards, no bunkers” on the card and expect an easy par. Instead, it delivers one of the most exacting wedge or short-iron approaches you’ll face all day. For me, it’s a brilliant restart to the round – short on paper, but anything but simple.

Hole 11: Par 3 (Hcp. 18, 146/137/131/110)

The 11th is a short par three that plays across the pond in the opposite direction of the eighth. On the card it looks similar – a carry over water to a sizable green – but in reality it has a completely different personality.

The green here might be the trickiest surface on the entire course. Its front-right section is especially devious, shaped almost like a bowl with a low spot that gathers anything less than precise. Add in a closely mown run-off that sends balls sliding away from the pin, and you’ve got a spot where bogey can feel like an accomplishment.

Compared to the eighth, where you can often rely on slope to funnel shots toward safety, the 11th demands total precision. Slight misses tend to carom away rather than feed back to the hole, and once you’re putting, the internal contours make every read puzzling.

What I love about this hole is that it never feels redundant with the eighth. Together, they make a terrific pair of mid-length par threes that test your nerves and your short-iron game in different ways. Both are fun, both are fair and both leave you shaking your head if you miss in the wrong spot.

Hole 12: Par 4 (Hcp. 10, 400/391/378/333)

After the drama of back-to-back carries over water on 10 and 11, the 12th shifts gears with a dogleg right par four that rewards placement over brute strength. Off the tee, a pair of stacked bunkers on the inside corner guard the preferred line. Hug the right side and you’ll have the best angle in, but miss in the sand and reaching the green in regulation becomes a tall order.

The left side of the fairway looks wide and inviting, but it comes at a price – a longer, uphill approach into an elevated green. Trees along the bend also make it tricky if you push too far left, so it’s one of those holes where your commitment to the line really matters.

The approach plays uphill into a green that’s heavily contoured. Two bunkers protect the sides, and even when you find the surface, there’s no guarantee of an easy two-putt. Depending on pin location, you might be dealing with ridges, tiers or sweeping breaks that can quickly turn a solid shot into a grind.

I love this hole because it asks you to make decisions all the way through. Do you take on the bunkers off the tee for a shorter approach, or play safely left and accept a longer iron uphill? Either way, the green keeps you honest. The 12th is a perfect transition hole – not visually dramatic like 11, but every bit as demanding in its own way.

Hole 13: Par 4 (Hcp. 4, 378/369/357/299)

The 13th is one of the toughest driving holes at The Wisconsin Country Club and a terrific example of how water can shape your decision-making. From the tee, the right side dominates your view – the pond runs most of the length of the fairway and begs you to bail out left. But what you can’t see is just as important: an inlet of water juts in on the left side of the driving zone, ready to catch anything that runs too far.

The result is a tee shot that feels claustrophobic no matter which line you choose. Long hitters might try to thread the needle with a controlled fade, but for most players the smart move is a fairway wood or hybrid that finds the short grass short of trouble.

The approach doesn’t get any easier. The green is well-risen and runs from back to front, making it difficult to hold. Miss short-left and you’re dealing with a steep bunker and a pitch back up the slope. Take too much club and you’ll be chipping significantly downhill and flirting with the false front and sand trap.

There’s no easy bailout on 13, and no safe side to play to – it simply requires two precise shots in a row. This is one of the most demanding tests of execution you’ll face all day.

Hole 14: Par 4 (Hcp. 2, 406/373/325/325)

If 13 squeezes you with water on both sides, the 14th – running parallel but in the opposite direction – might be even more nerve-wracking off the tee. The driving zone here is incredibly demanding, pinched by trees on the left and the pond lingering long and right. It’s one of those holes where pulling driver feels like asking for trouble. For most, the smart play is less club – something that keeps you short of the trouble and sets up a manageable albeit lengthy second shot.

The approach is no breather, either. The green sits wildly elevated above the fairway, placed on a plateau and protected on nearly every side by deep, penal bunkers. Anything that comes up short is likely rolling back down the hill, and anything long or offline is headed for sand or deep, gnarly rough.

Once you reach the surface, the green itself tilts significantly and can make putting just as tricky as getting there. Staying below the hole is crucial, because downhill putts here can get away from you in a hurry.

The 14th is a brute of a par four, not because of its length but because it demands two solid strokes. Survive the tee shot, take enough club on the uphill approach and par feels like a small victory. Back-to-back with 13, it’s part of a relentless stretch that defines the heart of the back nine at The Wisconsin Country Club.

Hole 15: Par 5 (Hcp. 6, 607/596/511/458)

The 15th is an absolute beast of a par five and one of the longest golf holes in the Milwaukee area. From the back tees it stretches over 600 yards, playing straight ahead with very little relief. It’s the kind of hole that tests your discipline as much as your swing.

The drive is straightforward enough, but accuracy matters – miss the fairway and you’re fighting just to get back in position. The second shot is all about advancing the ball smartly, ideally cresting the hill about 230 yards short of the green to give yourself a clean look for a short- or mid-iron in.

Reaching this green in two is virtually out of the question, even for the longest hitters. Instead, the challenge lies in stringing together three solid shots. The green is protected by bunkers on the left and a sharp fall-off on the right, making precision on the third swing critical.

What makes the 15th memorable isn’t just its length but its relentlessness. It asks you to execute three times in a row without a lapse in focus. Played well, it’s a birdie opportunity. Played carelessly, it can unravel a good round in a hurry.

Hole 16: Par 3 (Hcp. 16, 192/173/160/141)

The 16th is, in my opinion, the “signature hole” at The Wisconsin Country Club and one of the best par threes anywhere in Milwaukee. From the elevated tees, you’re staring across a low valley toward a green perched high on the opposite hillside, fronted by a pond and ringed by bold shaping that still feels straight out of the Golden Age.

The putting surface here is unlike anything else on the course. It’s dramatically mounded with multiple plateaus, steep run-offs and edges that seem to push shots in every direction. The front-right and back-left are especially severe – miss in those spots and you’ll be fighting just to stay near the flag. Three bunkers guard the target, but it’s the internal contouring of the green itself that delivers the punches.

Visually, it’s stunning. Architecturally, it’s punishing but fair. And emotionally, it’s the kind of hole you look forward to all round long. Whether you make three or five, it’s certainly a hole you’ll talk about afterwards.

For me, 16 embodies everything that makes TWCC so underrated: bold design, strategic interest and pure fun. It’s a hole that would stand out at any course in the state, and it’s the first image that pops into my head when I picture The Wisconsin Country Club.

Hole 17: Par 4 (Hcp. 14, 374/338/273/225)

After the demanding stretch of 13 through 16, the 17th feels like a welcomed change of pace. From an elevated tee, the hole trundles downhill toward a fairway that runs softly right-to-left. It’s not long by any measure, but it’s also not automatic.

The green is fronted by a large, deep bunker that obscures much of the surface from the fairway. Miss short and you’re playing out of sand to a narrow target that runs wayward. Miss long and you’ll be chipping from tightly mown surrounds to a green that slopes back-to-front.

The smart play is with positioning off the tee – a fairway wood or hybrid that finds the short grass leaves you with a comfortable wedge in. From there, it’s all about distance control. The green itself has plenty of slope, and you want to leave yourself an uphill putt, if possible.

The 17th rewards discipline over power. Play it with a steady hand and it’s your best birdie look coming in. Get greedy off the tee or careless into the green, and it can quickly have you writing down a high number you never expected.

Hole 18: Par 5 (Hcp. 8, 504/492/447/363)

The 18th at The Wisconsin Country Club is a true finishing test, one of the most demanding holes on the property and a worthy closer to a course that thrives on subtle challenge.

From the tee, the drive plays between tree lines to a fairway that runs slightly left-to-right. It’s a generous landing zone, but positioning matters – you’ll want to give yourself a clean angle into the climb that awaits. The second shot asks for conviction, because unless you have massive length you’re never getting home in two. Swing away here confidently because leaving yourself too far back makes the approach even more brutal.

The green is what makes 18 such a beast. It sits significantly elevated, fronted by a cavernous bunker that swallows up anything under-hit. More sand guards the back and right sides, leaving little margin for error. To make matters tougher, the putting surface is narrow from front to back and crowned through the middle, sending less-than-perfect shots skidding off toward the edges.

The approach on 18 requires distance, trajectory and spin – and even then, a two-putt isn’t guaranteed. The front pin is especially treacherous, as shots that don’t climb all the way up risk rolling back toward your feet or, worse yet, fall short in the deep sand trap.

Even at under 500 yards, a birdie here would be hard-earned. The 18th embodies the toughness and nuance of The Wisconsin Country Club – straightforward on the card, deceptively complex in execution – and it always leaves me walking off the green with a deep respect for this course as a whole.

… And They’re Still Not Done

The story of The Wisconsin Country Club doesn’t end with Hepner’s 2014 renovation. He returned in 2021 to help the club create an in-house project road map, giving Suelflow and his team a framework for continual improvement. From that plan, the club has expanded multiple tees, advanced a thoughtful tree-management program and chipped away at small but meaningful refinements. Hepner himself summed it up best:

“The golf course hasn’t looked or played better in my many years as your consultant. The tee and tree work done by Adam and his staff were done with great craftsmanship and will serve the membership well… I couldn’t be happier with what I saw. Continue to chip away at the green expansions and various small projects.”

— Bruce Hepner, Golf Course Architect (July 2021)

One of the most underrated projects the club has taken on isn’t strictly golf-related but environmental. In 2024, Suelflow and his team oversaw the replacement of three failing dams that flow through the back nine. The project, fully funded by Concert Golf Partners, restored water stability, improved stormwater filtration and revived on-course habitats. Water testing now shows nitrate levels dropping from 0.76 ppm at entry to less than 0.1 ppm at exit, and phosphates cut by two-thirds – measurable benefits that extend well beyond the club’s borders.

It’s the kind of quiet, forward-thinking work that reflects TWCC’s ethos today: continually improving the course while also serving as a responsible environmental steward.

Interested in learning more about this project? Check out pages 12-14 of the Fall 2025 issue of Grass Roots Magazine – and yes, that is one of my photos of Sedge Valley on the cover! (also check out my feature article on Sam Weber, pages 18-24)

A Hidden Gem in Plain Sight

The Wisconsin Country Club has come a long way since its founding as Brynwood in 1926.

From its beginnings as a social hub for Milwaukee’s Jewish community, to Harry Smead’s original design, to the tweaks and detours of mid-century renovations, the course has lived through nearly a century of change. The real turning point, though, came over the past decade. With Hepner’s thoughtful work restoring the greens complexes and surrounds, and Superintendent Adam Suelflow and his team elevating conditioning to a consistently elite level, the course now plays closer to its original intent – fun off the tee, exacting near the greens, strategic and full of character.

What makes TWCC so compelling is that it’s not trying to be something it’s not. It doesn’t rely on gimmicks or manufactured drama. Instead, it leans into the strengths of its land and architecture – a great set of par threes, strong mix of fives and a closing stretch that leaves a lasting impression. Combine that with a membership that’s skewing younger and more active, a terrific food and beverage experience and a welcoming vibe and you’ve got a great, conveniently-located club that delivers the full package.

And yet, despite all of that, The Wisconsin Country Club flies under the radar in Milwaukee’s crowded private club scene. Milwaukee Country Club and Blue Mound certainly earn their spots at the top, but TWCC deserves far more recognition than it gets. In many ways, that makes it even more special – it’s a club that continues to surprise golf enthusiasts who play it for the first time – or first time in a while – and one that rewards those who play it often.

The past 10-12 years have seen incredible work done to elevate every part of the experience here, from the golf course to the amenities and overall culture of the membership.

To me, The Wisconsin Country Club has become one of the most enjoyable and complete private club experiences in the area. It blows my mind the word hasn’t fully gotten out yet.

TLDR: What Makes The Wisconsin Country Club a Great Home Club?

• Location: Conveniently located off Good Hope Road, minutes from Milwaukee’s northern suburbs, downtown and the western corridor.
• Golf Course: A Harry Smead original, restored by Bruce Hepner of Renaissance Golf in 2014, featuring bold greens complexes, excellent par threes, a great closing stretch and walkable routing.
• Pace of Play: Maybe the best in the Milwaukee area – I still haven’t played a round in over 3-1/2 hours
• Conditioning,: Superintendent Adam Suelflow, one of the most well-respected Supers in Wisconsin, and his team keep the course in top shape with fast, consistent greens and pure fairways.
• Amenities: Junior-Olympic pool (with slide), tennis and pickleball courts, fitness center and an active year-round social calendar.
• Food & Beverage: A standout program whether for great sit-down meals or quick favorites like the club sandwich, Wisconsin cheese curds, homemade chips and one of the best burgers around.
• Membership Vibe: Quickly skewing younger, active and welcoming from my experiences
• Concert Golf Partners: Since 2023, part of a national network of private golf clubs that ensures continued investment, stability and no assessments.

Interested in The Wisconsin Country Club? Visit their website, linked here.