Golf Destination: Wisconsin

The most recent WiscoGolfAddict.com articles about Wisconsin golf:

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 Lido: America’s Next Great Golf Course, Again

The most highly anticipated course development of our time just might be The Lido, a private club adjacent to Sand Valley Golf Resort that’s being built as a carbon copy of the world’s greatest ever NLE golf course.

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.

Ozaukee Country Club

One of the Milwaukee area’s top private golf clubs, the Langford/Moreau designed Ozaukee CC in Mequon enters its 100th year with its best days still to come.

Oneida Golf and Country Club

An old-school course in a beautiful setting with fantastic greens complexes, Oneida is one of the top private courses in the state.

Pioneer Pointe: Madison’s New Par 3 Experience

The newest golf course in the Madison area, Pioneer Pointe in Verona is an awesome 13-hole par three track designed by Lohmann Quitno that features great Golden Age designs. This is not your average executive course!

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.

The Baths at Blackwolf Run: Kohler’s Newest Golf Experience

The newest golf amenity at Destination Kohler, The Baths at Blackwolf Run is the perfect way to spend an hour or four before, between or following rounds on their championship courses. Designed in partnership between former Pete Dye protege Chris Lutzke and Herb Kohler, Jr., The Baths is an incredibly fun golf experience featuring Golden…

Blackwolf Run, Meadow Valleys: Wisconsin’s Best Back 9

As I wrote in my recent stream-of-consciousness entry “The State of the Game of Golf in Wisconsin,” destination golf in the Badger State began in earnest at Blackwolf Run. Development of its Original Championship course marked the start of a long and successful partnership between Herb Kohler and Pete Dye, and proved to be the…

Sand Valley: The Course that Put Rome on the Map

The original Sand Valley Course is my favorite at this world-class Wisconsin golf resort that in just 5 short years has made a significant impact on golf in the state of Wisconsin. And this is just the beginning.

North Shore Golf Club (Menasha)

I had the privilege of being invited up to North Shore Golf Club in Menasha, Wisconsin, last month, and was not disappointed! This 1930 Leonard Macomber track is one of the state’s true hidden gems, featuring great golf and conditions, beautiful scenery alongside Lake Winnebago and a wonderful Golden Age course design.

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…

Nakoma Golf Club: Madison’s Bendelow Gem

Nakoma Golf Club in Madison, Wisconsin is a great classic parkland course originally designed by Tom Bendelow and opened in 1925. We took great advantage of this perfect Fall day, got some nice photos and played excellent golf including some of the best greens I’ve played in Wisconsin. Two thumbs up, Nakoma.

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…

Bullseye Golf Club: A Fun Add-On to Your Sand Valley Vacation

Bullseye Golf Club is a terrific course to add to the itinerary of a trip to Sand Valley Golf Resort, but as a “Pro tip” I highly recommend playing it before playing Mammoth Dunes. It would be hard to find two more diametrically opposed golf courses… If you’re a fan of classic parkland courses, Bullseye…

Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes: McLay Kidd’s Midwest Masterpiece

David McLay Kidd has designed some of the most vast, fun-filled golf courses of the 21st Century. Beginning with the break-through of all break-throughs, Bandon Dunes in 1999, Kidd has led developments at Nanea Golf Club in Hawaii (2003), the Castle Course at St Andrews (2008), Tetherow in his now home town of Bend, Oregon…

Pine Hills Country Club: Big Things on the Horizon

Several miles down the road from Blackwolf Run, Sheboygan’s Pine Hills CC is one of the top 3 private golf courses in the state. But they’re not stopping there. Upcoming renovation work by Drew Rogers should turn its weakest hole in to one of its best, and other improvements plus fresh eyes on the 92-year-old…

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: A 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 green…

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…

Grand Geneva, The Brute

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.

The Sandbox at Sand Valley Golf Resort: 17 Holes of Coore/Crenshaw Fun

The perfect complement to the championship golf experience at Sand Valley Golf Resort in Rome, Wisconsin, the Sandbox is a beautiful 17-hole par 3 course designed by golf design legends Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. I briefly discuss the Sandbox here, documenting and photographing it during its opening day on May 1, 2018.

AmFam Championship Countdown: Less than 3 Weeks!

A recap of the AmFam Championship media day at University Ridge in Madison, WI with Steve Stricker, Kirk Triplett and Andy North – the June 19-25 event will feature this year’s celebrity foursome with Brett Favre, Andy North, Derek Jeter and Darius Rucker

Sand Valley Golf Course

A full 18-hole review of the brand new Sand Valley Golf Resort in Rome, Wisconsin – site of the 2016 Illinois vs. Wisconsin Writer’s Cup and set to open in Spring, 2017 to coincide with the US Open at Erin Hills

2016 Wisconsin vs. Illinois Writers Cup at Sand Valley Golf Resort

Following a tour of the front nine at last year’s Sand Valley media day, a reference to the Wisconsin vs. Illinois Writers Cup was made to which Mike Keiser, Jr. immediately replied: “Can we host next year’s event here!?” The Writers Cup alternates between Wisconsin and Illinois courses each year, with last year’s event played at…

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…

Sand Valley: Preview Play Now Open!

Interest in the Sand Valley project in Rome, Wisconsin is palpable. The article I wrote on America’s next great golf destination following their August, 2015 media day has now become the most popular course review I have ever written, and I literally get asked several times a week about the resort’s progress. That progress has been rolling along smoothly, and…

Sand Valley Golf Resort: In Case You’ve Been Living in a Cave

By this time, I’m pretty certain the majority of golf enthusiasts in and around the state of Wisconsin have heard a few things about Mike Keiser’s ongoing project in Rome, Wisconsin, named Sand Valley. The first course, being designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, is scheduled to open to founding members in 2016 and…

Painting by Kris Halsrud: The 17th at Whistling Straits, Straits Course

Kris Halsrud is a talented writer, golfer and IT professional. Like me, he has blogged about golf for years, and over the past five or so years we’ve built a friendship through our golf writing and love of the game. While most of my writing revolves around the Wisconsin golf scene, Kris’s is more focused…

Lawsonia’s Links Course: The Langford Shield and William Langford’s Contributions to Golf Course Design

The Langford Shield Golf Tournament: The Langford Shield golf tournament on the Links course at Lawsonia in Green Lake, Wisconsin, was created last year to honor the significant contributions made to golf course architecture by the legendary golf course design team of William Langford and Theodore Moreau. The Links course at Lawsonia is perhaps the…

Great Golf Holes: Lawsonia, Links #7

One of my favorite golf holes in all of Wisconsin is the par three seventh on the Links course at The Golf Courses of Lawsonia. Lawsonia has earned high acclaim from the media for decades, and in the past year has held steady as one of Wisconsin’s very best, including: Golf Digest # 12 in…

Sand Valley: The Next Big Thing is [Almost] Here

In 2013, Oliphant Vice President of Golf Management and Project Development, Craig Haltom, contacted Mike Keiser about a piece of land in remote Central Wisconsin that he just had to check out. Keiser, the prolific developer behind Bandon Dunes, Cabot Cliffs and other ongoing international golf resort projects, works closely with the Wisconsin-based Haltom and trusted his…

PGA Championship Volunteering Experience at Whistling Straits

With the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits for the third time in 2015, I lept at the opportunity this year to take part in it. North Hills Country Club, where I have been a member for the past three years, teamed up this year with Tuckaway Country Club to marshal the fourteenth hole. I have never volunteered…

PGA Championship Week at Whistling Straits

It’s here – today is day one of the PGA Championship week at Whistling Straits! The weather in Kohler, Wisconsin has been waffling between overcast and rainy, and sunny and perfect, but practice rounds are being played today and tomorrow until 7:30 pm CST. I will be making the trip up to the Straits tomorrow after…

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…

Golf Course Photography: Whistling Straits, Irish Course

As a marshal for the upcoming PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, I have had access at times to discounted tee times at the Kohler courses, including the Irish course at Whistling Straits, the Straits (last season), the River course (last season) and the Meadow Valleys course at Blackwolf Run. Seven friends of mine and I…

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 always…

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…

Golf Course Review: SentryWorld… Reimagined (Now vs. Then)

SentryWorld Course Rankings: Golf Digest: #5 Wisconsin GolfWeek: #4 Wisconsin public Golf.com: #10 Wisconsin public Designer: Robert Trent Jones, Jr. (1982, 2013) On October 15, I had the honor of being part of SentryWorld’s pre-reopening media day. Once the top track in all of Wisconsin, and the original destination course in the state, SentryWorld has…

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.…

Golf Course Review: Blackwolf Run, Meadow Valleys

Blackwolf Run, Meadow Valleys Course Rankings: Golf Digest: #72 US public, #10 WisconsinGolfWeek: #10 Wisconsin public Designer: Pete Dye (1998) . The Blackwolf Run, Meadow Valleys course has been reviewed more recently (September 2021), and the updated course review be found here:Golf Course Review: Blackwolf Run, Meadow Valleys The Meadow Valleys golf course at Blackwolf…

Golf Course Review: Whistling Straits, Straits Course

Whistling Straits, Straits Course Rankings: Golf Digest: #4 US public, #22 US top 100, #48 world top 100, #6 US toughest, #1 Wisconsin GolfWeek: #6 US modern, #4 US resort, #1 Wisconsin public Golf.com: #28 US top 100, #6 US public, #49 world top 100 Designer: Pete Dye (1997) Currently rated the number two public golf…

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…

JSOnline: Coore and Crenshaw Selected for Sand Valley Project

According to today’s article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel online edition by Gary D’Amato, the Sand Valley golf resort’s course architect team for the initial course has been selected, and will be Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. Coore and Crenshaw have worked with Mike Keiser (developer of Sand Valley, and previously at Bandon Dunes and…

Golf Course Review: Milwaukee Country 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 Review: Pine Hills Country Club

Ranked by Golf Digest as the number eight overall course in the state of Wisconsin, and third among private clubs, Pine Hills Country Club is a hidden gem located just miles from Kohler’s Blackwolf Run property. The similarities between the Blackwolf Run’s River course and Pine Hills are striking, but the two also differ in…

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…

WildRidge Golf Club

For many years,  Wild Ridge was perennially rated in the top ten courses in Wisconsin. On our way back from Brainerd, Minnesota, playing Madden’s Classic Course, my friend Dan and I stopped in Eau Claire to play this wonderful golf course that has elevation unseen in any parts of the Milwaukee area. We felt like…

Golf Course Review: Big Fish

Located in the heart of Northern Wisconsin, Big Fish is one of five golf courses in the state designed by the legendary Pete Dye (Blackwolf Run Meadow Valleys and River, Whistling Straits Irish and Straits).   Named for the world record 58-inch muskellunge caught in the same city, Big Fish has a bit of everything:…

Golf Course Review: The River Course at Blackwolf Run

Blackwolf Run, River Course Rankings: Golf Digest: #16 US public, #32 US toughest, #4 Wisconsin GolfWeek: #56 US modern, #17 US resort, #3 Wisconsin public Golf.com: #89 US top 100, #14 US public Designer: Pete Dye (1988) A true Pete Dye masterpiece, the River at Blackwolf Run is unanimously the second rated course in Wisconsin, Golf…

Golf Course Review: SentryWorld

Ask any avid Wisconsin golfer who has yet to play SentryWorld about the course, and chances are they will say something about the “Flower Hole.” But the course is a perennial top fifteen track in Wisconsin, so there has to be more going on than just one great par three, right? After finally playing it, I can say with certainty…

Golf Course Review: The National at Par 5 Resort (fka Fox Hills)

The weekend we played the National was my Uncle Paul’s 60th birthday party in Two Rivers – the town my mother’s family grew up in. Relatives from around the country flew in for the event, and we stayed at the Fox Hills Resort just outside of town, in Mishicot. Saturday morning was a designated day for…

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 natural…

Golf Course Review: The Oaks

This weekend was one of my best friend’s bachelor party in Wisconsin Dells. We had 11:00 tee times at Coldwater Canyon at Chula Vista to get things started. It was bound to be a long weekend, and my friend Dan and I figured we wouldn’t mind making it a little bit longer. Getting up at 4:30…

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…

Golf Course Review: Baraboo Country Club

A week and a half ago, one of my buddies called to see if I have any connections for finding four tee times for his bachelor party yesterday in Wisconsin Dells. With it being “Automotive Week,” every course in the city seemed to already be swamped, or at best with full-season rates up to $95…