Golf Destination: Southeast Wisconsin

The Trevino Course at Geneva National: Lake Geneva’s Dark Horse

Geneva National Resort & Club is well-known across the Midwest as a great summertime destination with fun programming for the entire family and fantastic golf. While the Gary Player and Arnold Palmer designed courses tend to garner the majority of attention in that last regard, it’s the Lee Trevino design that I’d consider its sleeper.…

West Bend Country Club: The Best Front Nine in Wisconsin

Langford & Moreau’s front nine masterpiece at @westbendcc is an awe-inspiring trek across stunning post-glacial land with some of the best, most wonderfully constructed greens south of @lawsoniagolf, and is one of the #Milwaukee area’s finest golf experiences.

Strawberry Creek: Kenosha’s Modern Private Club Experience

Along with SentryWorld, Green Bay and Horseshoe Bay, Strawberry Creek provides one of the state’s premier modern golf experiences with an excellent new-age track and incredible amenities. The course is chocked full of challenge and intrigue, has superb conditioning and would be a delight to play on a regular basis.

The Wisconsin Dream 18: The State’s Best Golf Holes

While the idea behind this post is not original, it’s a fun practice and one I’ve tried a dozen or so times in the past but got too frustrated to finish. I decided to give it a go again, especially as I reflect on what was a great season of golf in Wisconsin and look…

The Pond Might Be Good for You

Written by Gregg Thompson Ever dreamt of building your own backyard par 3 golf course? That’s exactly what Gregg Thompson is doing at his home in Kenosha.

Glen Erin Golf Club: Wisconsin’s Best Hidden Gem?

One of what I consider to be the state’s top hidden gems, the Greg Martin designed Glen Erin Golf Club in Janesville is a fantastic daily fee course with incredibly upscale design elements at an affordable price tag, and one of my top 25 public courses in Wisconsin.

North Hills Country Club: My Home Close to Home

My home course, North Hills is a wonderful Golden Age parkland gem with some of the best greens and conditions in the state.

Home of the country’s longest-running 2-day charity golf tournament, The Vince Lombardi Golf Classic, it’s a private club with a fun, golf-obsessed membership, great pace of play and perfect walkability.

Erin Hills Golf Course: A Legend at 15

When on-site, it’s almost impossible to comprehend that it’s just 15 years old. It’s got all the looks and feels of a historic property that’s been played and refined for centuries. Certainly, no course in America has changed and accomplished more in as short a period of time as Erin Hills, going under the knife…

Tuckaway Country Club

Last month I had the opportunity to revisit a course I haven’t played in a really long time: Tuckaway Country Club. Following my first round there in 2013, I remember liking the course but not being wowed. It was a long time ago, though, and a lot has changed since then. . Tuckaway’s done an…

The Club at Lac La Belle: An August Morning Photo Shoot

Last month I had a 9 am tee time with my cousin, Frank, at The Club at Lac La Belle. I’d been there earlier in the season, and several other times for preview play and had a good idea of the shots – especially drone shots – I most wanted to get….

Here are some…

From 1 to 100: The State Open Returns to Blue Mound

This year’s 100th Wisconsin State Open is writhe with intrigue: Will Dan Woltman be the 1st to 3-peat? Will Harrison Ott stay hot after his impressive performance at Bandon? Will Longbella back up his State Am title? Will one of the streaky guys a way back, maybe Charlie Delsman, get hot and fire off something…

Kenosha Country Club: Wisconsin’s Top Ross

One of two Donald Ross designed golf courses in the state of Wisconsin, Kenosha Country Club boasts an almost 100-year-old private course with a rather unique variety of hole layouts, thoughtful use of elevation and fun, tiny [but expanding] green complexes that my host, Gregg, described perfectly as “playful.”

The Club at Lac La Belle: A Preview of What’s to Come

A top 3-rated golf course design project in the world in 2020, June 20, 2020’s grand opening of The Club at Lac La Belle is sure to be a momentous occasion for the Oconomowoc course with roots to the 1890’s and some of the game’s greatest competitive players. Course architect Craig Haltom’s work is sure…

The University Club: A Bright Future for the old Tripoli

Located on the north side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, The University Club is a challenging private course originally designed by Tom Bendelow and recently renovated by Andy Staples.

18 holes of challenging, country club golf highlight a terrific private club experience including its downtown sister location.

Blue Mound Golf and Country Club: Wisconsin’s Raynor Classic

One of the top private club experiences in the state of Wisconsin, Blue Mound Golf & Country Club boasts a top 200 golf course designed by one of the industry’s true legends, Seth Raynor.

Blue Mound’s 93-year-old course is highlighted by some fantastic Raynor/Macdonald template holes and especially by the area’s biggest and best…

Updated Golf Course Review: The Bog (linked)

It had been since March 2012 since I last played The Bog in Saukville, Wisconsin, and every year at the Milwaukee Golf Expo I’d see Andy and the guys and tell them I’ll find my way back to re-photograph and play the course in more ideal conditions. It’s been one of those reviews that bothered…

The Brute at Grand Geneva: Resort Golf on a Grand Scale

My updated review of the Brute course at Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. A classic Midwest golf course with tons of history, Brute-ishly large design features and a new transportation option unique in Wisconsin: GolfBoarding.

Milwaukee Country Club Takes Back #1 Spot

Even though I was very impressed with the course the first time I played Milwaukee Country Club, I then played Pine Hills a handful of times since then and in my mind moved Pine Hills ahead of Milwaukee. It had been a few years since the last time I played Wisconsin’s most prestigious private golf…

Racine Country Club

Let’s start out by saying that I (and my fellow buddies from North Hills Country Club) loved the Racine Country Club experience. The course is classic with small, lightning-fast greens, and the clubhouse and facilities are beautiful. I don’t think I’ve seen a club in Wisconsin with better amenities, in fact. The food was fantastic. I got…

Golf Course Photography: Westmoor Country Club

With the Men’s Invitational being played at my home course of North Hills Country Club, I reached out to my friend, Joey, to play some golf at his home course, Westmoor Country Club, in Brookfield yesterday. We teed off at 10:27 and it was hot, but there was a nice breeze that kept things comfortable. The…

US Open Media Day: Erin Hills Golf Course

With the 2015 US Open at Chambers Bay in the books, Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania is now on deck, and then Wisconsin’s very own Erin Hills is in the hole as upcoming sites of our nation’s greatest golf championship. Each year leading up to the 2017 US Open, Erin Hills Golf Course hosts the media day…

Golf Course Review: West Bend Country Club

Publisher’s Note: West Bend Country Club has been more recently reviewed as of 1/14/2023. The updated article can be found here: I’ve been wanting to play the course at West Bend Country Club for a lot of years, and finally got my opportunity this past weekend with a couple of buddies from North Hills. What…

Golf Course Review: Westmoor Country Club

Ever since I was a kid growing up in Hartland, I always wanted to play Westmoor Country Club. I passed by it every time I went to Brookfield Square or Milwaukee, and the view up the par three fifth and down the fairway of the adjacent fourth always whet my appetite to see what this…

Geneva National: The Perfect In-State Getaway

Yesterday, my friend, Ross, and I had the opportunity to head to Lake Geneva for an amazing day of golf and dining. Last year, Geneva National closed down their main on-site restaurant for major renovations, updating it to become the area’s premier steakhouse and a culinary destination for foodies from the Chicago and Milwaukee areas.…

Erin Hills Media Day: Counting Down the Years to the 2017 US Open

With almost exactly three years until the weekend of the 2017 US Open, Erin Hills Golf Course has come a long way! Following Martin Kaymer’s runaway victory at Pinehurst No. 2 this past weekend, you can be sure Mike Davis is readying Chambers Bay for a much tougher challenge – hopefully one that will not…

Milwaukee Country Club: Wisconsin’s Best Private Club?

Milwaukee Country Club Course Rankings: Golf Digest: #62 US top 100, #3 WisconsinGolfWeek: #54 US classic Designer: Charles H. Alison (1929) This past Wednesday, I had the wonderful privilege of being invited out to a course that very few get the opportunity to play: Milwaukee Country Club. MCC is the top-rated private course in the…

Golf Course Photo Gallery: Geneva National, Trevino Course

A few weekends ago, five friends of mine and I made the trip to Lake Geneva for a wonderful golf trip spent at Geneva National Golf Club. Nick, Mike, Kevin, me, Dan and Jeff at Geneva National GC That morning was my first time ever on the Trevino course at Geneva National. I had played…

Golf Course Photo Gallery: Tuckaway Country Club

This year, my friends Jeff and Mike both joined Tuckaway Country Club in Franklin, Wisconsin. I have always heard good things about Tuckaway, and seeing as it was the course that the Greater Milwaukee Open moved to after my home club of North Hills Country Club (before moving to Brown Deer, and then becoming the…

Golf Course Review: Hawks View Como Crossings

The night before Labor Day, my friend Eric and I decided we wanted to get a round in early on Monday morning. The problem was that most clubhouses were already closed, and those that weren’t either had minimal availability or else higher rates for the holiday weekend.   So, as I do often, I went…

Golf Course Review: Morningstar Golfers Club

Morningstar is quite simply one of the best golf courses in southeast Wisconsin, and is one of my favorite places to enjoy a weekend round.   The topography at Morningstar is beautiful, and elevation plays a big part in it. The highest area of the course’s property is the clubhouse, which is at one of…

Naga-Waukee War Memorial Golf Course

Naga-Waukee Golf Course, located in Pewaukee, has long been one of the top county golf courses in the state of Wisconsin. Growing up in Hartland, it was one of my two home courses, along with Wanaki, and I played it frequently for their cheap county rates and great course conditions.   The rates have gone…

Golf Course Review: Erin Hills

Erin Hills has been reviewed more recently (2021), and the updated course review can be found at this link: Erin Hills: A Legend in the Making   . In rural Southeast Wisconsin is one of the state’s true golfing gems: Erin Hills.   The rugged terrain of Erin Hills looks and feels like the most…

Golf Course Review: Fire Ridge

Fire Ridge is one of my favorite golf courses in the Milwaukee area, and is a must-play for anyone who is looking for a decent rate at a high-quality place without traveling more than 30 minutes from the city. The first thing you will notice about Fire Ridge is that it is obviously much closer…

Geneva National, Arnold Palmer Course

Golf season has come early this year, and that brings a lot of happiness to golf enthusiasts like myself. It also means an extended period of time for early-season rates, and one of the best early-season rates in the state can be found at Geneva National Golf Club, in Lake Geneva. Located an hour south…

Golf Course Review: The Bog

Please note that while this article is dated March 2012 (date of the original post), it was updated July 21, 2019 An Arnold Palmer Signature Course, The Bog is the Milwaukee area’s top rated public track, rolling through the Cedarburg Bog amid a hilly and stunningly beautiful landscape. Regularly playing host to some of the state’s…

Geneva National, Gary Player Course

Geneva National is a lot of things. First and foremost, it is a fantastic facility with three championship golf courses designed by three of golf’s all-time legends: Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, and Lee Trevino. Geneva National is also the most friendly golf course I have ever been to. Without provocation, I was bombarded with friendly conversation…

Washington County Golf Course

Washington County Golf Course has received huge acclaim since opening in 1997, and there is good reason why. Its world-famous course architect, Arthur Hills, is well known for creating tracks that reward the smart golfer, including Oakmont, Inverness, Chaska Town Course, and more locally, Nagawaukee and [interestingly enough] Wanaki. Washington County is a thinking man’s course,…

Brown Deer Park Golf Course

Born in 1934, this historic golf course was the site of the Greater Milwaukee Open, and later the US Bank Championship, and was the site of Tiger Woods’ first PGA Tour event. With much pageantry, Brown Deer is the Cadillac of Milwaukee’s county courses, and the primary reason any golf enthusiast in the Milwaukee area should own a county…

Broadlands Golf Club

When asked about the Broadlands and my thoughts on it, I can say that it is one of the most fun courses I have played. It is links style, and does not over-penalize for missing fairways, but makes up for it in length: 6,884 from the tips (6,272 from the white tees). It plays much…