Last week, Governor Evers extended his “Safer at Home” order for the state of Wisconsin through May 26.
While frustration was nearly audible throughout closed down communities, there was at least one piece of positive news that came with it: Golf courses are permitted to open, with serious restrictions, on Friday, April 24.
The 24th is tomorrow, and while it won’t be golf as usual, at least it’s golf. Besides, players aren’t complaining as tee sheets across the Milwaukee area are filling up quickly.
Most courses are just about booked solid for tomorrow, and many through the weekend. Some courses, like Lawsonia, are spreading out tee times as much as 20 minutes, although the average is closer to 12-15. Long intervals between tee times should help with social distancing, and should also help keep play moving.
So what will be different about golf in the time of Coronavirus?
Alcohol and food / beverage sales will not be allowed, in general, and on-course amenities like scorecards and tees, ball washers, bottled water and in many cases even garbage cans will be noticeably gone.
There will be a foam insert in the cups that rises an inch over the hole or rests an inch below it and will not allow the flags to be removed. As many common touch points as possible will be eliminated.
Foam pool noodle cut off ~ 1″ below rim of cup
Most courses have included their adapted rules in pushed emails this week, but Oshkosh Country Club’s message about updated rules and regulations seemed to be the most succinct and universal:
Covid-19 Rules and Regulations:
The use of golf carts is prohibited.
Social Distancing Requirements must be observed at all times, unless the players reside in the same living unit or household.
All tee times and payments must be made in advance online or by phone.
Clubhouses and pro shops must remain closed.
Tee times must be spaced to avoid multiple foursomes from clustering or gathering at any stage of the course.
Driving ranges and miniature golf must remain closed.
Sales of beer, liquor and food are prohibited.
Water is NOT available on the course
Flag sticks and Cups will be placed 1” above the ground.
A list of known rates for Milwaukee area courses that will be open tomorrow:
Blackstone Creek (Germantown): 18 holes-$40, 9 holes-$25 Broadlands (North Prairie): 18 holes-$38.50, 9 holes-$20 Edgewood (Big Bend): 18 holes-$24, 9 holes-$16 Fairways of Woodside (Sussex): 18 holes-$40, 9 holes-$25 Fire Ridge (Grafton): 18 holes-$45, 9 holes-$25 Ironwood (Lisbon): 18 holes-$36, 9 holes-$21 Kettle Hills (Richfield): 18 holes-$29 The Golf Courses at Lawsonia (Green Lake): 18 holes-$40, 9 holes-$25 MorningStar (Waukesha): 18 holes-$59, 9 holes-$34 The Oaks (Cottage Grove): 18 holes-$39, 9 holes-$25 Oshkosh Country Club (now semi-private): 18 holes-$45, 9 holes-$25 Pewaukee GC (Pewaukee): 18 holes-$40, 9 holes-$25 Scenic View (Slinger): 18 holes-$40, 9 holes-$25 Silver Spring (Menomonee Falls): 18 holes-$40, 9 holes-$25 Songbird Hills (Hartland): 18 holes: $19.50, 9 holes-$11.50 The Bog (Saukville): 18 holes-$65, 9 holes-$40 Western Lakes (Pewaukee): 18 holes-$23, 9 holes-$15 Wild Rock (Wisconsin Dells): 18 holes-$40, 9 holes-$25 Wild Rock, Woods Course (Wisconsin Dells): 9 holes-$15
Milwaukee county courses: Brown Deer (Milwaukee): 18 holes-$32, 9 holes-$20 Dretzka, Whitnall, Oakwood (Milwauee): 18 holes-$20, 9 holes-$11 Currie, Grant, Greenfield (Milwaukee): 18 holes-$18, 9 holes-$11 Lincoln (Milwaukee): 9 holes-$11
At the risk of sounding preachy…
As we embark on this new world of restricted golf, I want you all to understand that there are people in the community who think it’s unfair we’re allowed to play our favorite hobby while the rest of the state is quarantined in their homes.
I get it.
I’ve been at home with my wife and kids for a month and a half straight and we’re all getting stir crazy as we do our part to flatten the curve and change the narrative on COVID-19.
While I’m not the kind of person who’d report others for slipping up, I know there are people just waiting for it to happen so they can jump all over them.
That said, I implore you all to use common sense on the course. Practice social distancing and please do your part to avoid shining a negative light on the entire golfing community. There are a whole lot of people with a whole lot of nothing to do, and it can truly take one or two idiots to screw up everything for all of us.
Consider what happened in Illinois: The morning after courses were allowed to open, ~ 300 players showed up at the same Chicago course, at the same time, and practiced zero social distancing. As you’d guess, their golfing privileges are gone.
While it may not seem like it, getting to golf during a national quarantine is a privilege that just might help save some of our sanity and potentially course owners’ businesses. So, for both avid golfers’ sanity and for the great people whose livelihood rely on golf being able to be played, let’s not be like Illinois.
We’re going to get through this Coronavirus pandemic and, like you, I can’t wait to return to playing our great game again soon. More than anything, though, I can’t wait to get back to a somewhat normal life [and golf] sometime in 2020.
Wishing all of you and your families good health and safety during these scary times. Again, don’t be like Illinois 🙂
The recently announced end to the ban on golfing breathed much needed hope in to Wisconsin golfers, who have otherwise been dealing with a generally cold, wet Spring and Governor Evers’ “Safer-at-Home” order while we all do our part to flatten the curve of the Coronavirus pandemic.
To say there hasn’t been much to look forward to would be an understatement. One thing I’ve been really looking forward to, though, is my new golf bag: The Vessel Player 2.0 stand bag.
My new Vessel Player 2.0 golf bag
While not yet a household name, regular watchers of the PGA and LPGA Tour have seen Vessel’s products… a lot.
The top luxury bag brand on Tour, customized Vessel bags are used by the likes of Jordan Spieth, Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, Bryson DeChambeau, Steve Stricker, Patrick Reed and about 30 others, not to mention Michelle Wie and 38 other LPGA players and another 100 male and female Tour pros who use Vessel’s stock models. Steph Curry, Michael Phelps and other celebs who value sleek looks combined with unmatched quality and customization also tote Vessel bags.
Vessel’s custom US & International team bags for the 2019 President’s Cup
I was first introduced to Vessel at the 2018 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, where I spent at least 30 minutes gawking at their staff, cart and stand options.
From premium-quality microsuede-backed synthetic leather, to durable weatherproof zippers, premium leather handles and purpose-built functionality that’s “Filled with purpose,” Vessel bags have all the look and feel of a true premium brand.
It’s that purpose-built functionality that I love most about my new bag: Convenience, comfort, security and good looks all come together seamlessly.
The straps rest comfortably across my neck and shoulders. A magnetic tees / rangefinder pocket keeps on-course tools quickly accessible while not requiring constant zipping and unzipping, and a pocket-inside-pocket lockable valuables pouch makes almost too much sense.
“Filled with purpose” goes beyond golf bags, too. For every Vessel bag purchased, the company donates a school backpack to a child in need. My bag, labeled 56479, represents a whole lot of good deeds on the company’s behalf.
Vessel’s mission, likewise, is sewn in to each bag and is a breath of fresh air for the soul:
Inspired by love Intentionally designed Handcrafted to perfection Made for a unique mission One that only you can fulfill
Life is an adventure Experience it to the utmost Carry what you treasure Reach out eagerly and without fear Become who you were created to be
You are a Vessel Filled with Purpose
Sign me up. I’m bought in and already have luggage and a duffel on order.
Vessel’s mission statement, stitched in to each bag
Because of the “Safer-at-Home” order and its coinciding ban on golf, I haven’t had a chance to put my new bag to the test on the course yet. So rather than fully reviewing it from experience, I’ll touch on my perceptions as they pertain to four key features of golf bags: Storage and features, durability, weight and carriage, and options and customization.
Storage and Features The Player 2.0 has some really smart features that I’ve never seen on other bags. Two of these that I really like are the hidden lockable valuables pouch and the magnetic range finder / tees pocket.
Located above the central belly panel, the magnetic pouch holds strong while opening and closing with ease and is sizable enough for a range finder and other odds and ends. This is a really cool feature.
The valuables pocket is a waterproof pouch located inside the garment pocket, providing a secure space for wallets, rings and so on, and includes a hanging lock.
The Player 2.0 is available in a 6-way or 14-way configuration. I chose 6-way as when I’m practicing I like to bring an extra club or two (usually both woods and a 1-iron, for example, or sometimes an extra wedge).
The cooler pouch is another nice feature. Most bags these days have a cooler pocket, but Vessel’s feels more substantial and is perfect for holding a water bottle.
There is a nice video on the Player 2.0’s product page, linked here:
Link to product overview video for Vessel Player 2.0 stand bag
Durability One of the problem areas with every golf bag I’ve used (other than my Seamus Fescue Project Sunday bag, which I use only during ideal weather conditions) is the zippers. Inevitably, standard zippers rust, snag and even crack.
While my Player 2.0 bag has not been exposed to any elements yet, there is a noticeable difference in the quality of the YKK waterproof zippers they use compared to anything else I’ve used, and I expect them to hold up well.
The Player 2.0 utilizes microsuede-backed synthetic leather (a very high-quality microfiber), which is an ideal material for long-lasting golf bags. Even colored white [and meant to be used outdoors], the fabric is known for its abrasion, fade and heat resistance, toughness and cleanability.
The Player 2.0 also now features carbon fiber legs. I’m guessing they probably won’t withstand my golf cart’s wheels (like my old Sun Mountain bag’s didn’t when I backed over it in the garage – not the bag’s fault, obviously!), but they should be as or more durable than anything else on the market.
Weight and Carriage At 5.7 pounds, the Player 2.0 is about a pound and a half heavier than Vessel’s Lite Stand model, and within the acceptable range for a light-weight carry bag.
The two-way, interchangeable straps are soft and feature an eight-point pivot to provide an extraordinarily comfortable carry.
The Player 2.0’s 8-way pivot point for carrying straps
Options and Customization If you don’t find exactly what you like in their stock bags, Vessel has a comprehensive custom bag process that I recommend playing around with online:
Basically everything aesthetic is customizable (including 22 colors and 7 material types for 3 different sections of the Player 2.0, for example; logos and embroidery can also be added).
Located just 45 miles west of Chicago, outside of Aurora, is a little slice of Heaven developed by attorney and real estate developer, Vince Solano, Jr.
One of four men’s only clubs in the state of Illinois (which makes up about a fifth to sixth of the total in the US), Solano developed Black Sheep to provide its membership a true home-away-from-home, with a comfortable but well-appointed, functional open clubhouse with a locker room, pro shop and a great room / bar area. It has everything it needs, and little it doesn’t.
There is no pool. No tennis courts. No dining room. No dress code.
There are no menus and no kitchen. The dining options are burger or chicken sandwich from the grill out back, or their famous peanut butter and jalapeno sandwich (there may have been a few pre-made options in the refrigerator that I missed).
There is no waitstaff. In fact, there are very few employees, in general, although those who are there including PGA Head Golf Professional Kevin Healy are tremendously helpful and accommodating, and will help throughout the clubhouse.
Black Sheep: One of the best logos in golf
All of this adds up to an intimate experience with low overhead. That means members get an elite, top-100 club with the lowest dues of any private course in the Chicago area (just over $7k/year, although initiation is ~ $35k), no food and beverage minimums, and no reliance on outside cash flow. With no need to host outside events on Mondays, for example, the course is open to membership seven days a week.
Black Sheep has 27 holes of fantastic David Esler designed golf that ebbs and inhales across a vast 285 acres of Illinois prairie land.
The holes Esler laid out will test every club in the bag, and will reward players who can pull off drawn and cut shot shapes while allowing for straight and steady play down its forgiving fairways.
The golf course at Black Sheep is one of the best competition courses I’ve ever played.
In fact, it played host this day to our 2019 Illinois vs. Wisconsin Writer’s Cup match.
An early morning view of the remote Black Sheep Golf Club from high above the clubhouseAerial view of the par four tenth at Black Sheep Golf Club
The first and tenth holes tee off adjacent to the clubhouse, but while the first hole heads west, the tenth leads players downhill and to the north.
A look back at the clubhouse from beyond the tenth hole green site
One of my favorite holes on the course is the lightning bolt shaped par five 11th. The fairway runs out from the tee, and helped turbo-charge my 275-ish yard drive well over 300.
Tee shot on the long, three-shot par five 11th at Black Sheep
Any 200-yard shot at the green in two, though, will need to carry a ton of greenside bunkers and would be ill-advised, at best. There is a ton of room short and left of the green for laying up and leaves a great angle in.
A look at the fairway transition on the par five 11th, from around 260 yards out
The course uses elevation well, especially on the par threes. My favorite is the short 25th, measuring just 135 yards to a postage stamp sized green that slopes hard from back to front.
Rich in history, Blue Mound Golf and Country Club in Wauwatosa is one of the most prestigious and well-respected private clubs in the state of Wisconsin.
Designed by one of the world’s all-time greatest golf course architects, Seth Raynor, Blue Mound originally opened for play in 1926 and is one of only four courses in the state to have hosted a major golf tournament.
Bronze bust of Seth Raynor near the 1st tee at Blue Mound Golf & Country Club
They probably have the most legendary winner, too: Gene Serazen at the inaugural 1933 PGA Championship:
Gene Sarazen winning the 1st PGA Championship in 1933 at Blue Mound
History aside (I added a full list of Wisconsin major tournament sites, years and winners toward the bottom of this post), the team and membership at Blue Mound should be proud of the way they’ve shepherded it in recent years. Anyone even adjacent to the golf industry has noticed the tremendous challenges Golden Age courses have faced, including but not limited to:
Endlessly fighting the results of excessive post-war tree planting (and now the Emerald ash borer)
Resisted some, and allowed then peeled back other 1990’s-era updates
Surviving and recovering from the ensuing financial collapse
Refocused on their rich heritage and invested in a future that includes strategic restorations and property enhancements
Continually doing all of this and more have brought Blue Mound full circle to where things began in 1926, with a…
Perfectly maintained golf course with superior design elements and the state’s best greens.
Anyone could live with that.
Even the first time I played it this year, following a few days that stockpiled over three inches of rain (you can see some still standing in bunkers), Blue Mound’s course conditions were better and faster than expected.
That said, the conditions the second time I played it were off-the-charts good. The fairways were spry and ran out, and the greens were just perfect.
No area course has better, more interesting green complexes than Blue Mound, and only Milwaukee CC can stand toe-to-toe with its decorated history and the mystique that coexists at upper-echelon private clubs.
Where does that come from? In the case of Blue Mound, it started and still lives with Raynor.
One of my coworkers who joined us for my first round there enjoys playing golf, but told me afterwards he didn’t follow our conversations about template holes. He especially didn’t understand why the club would want to raise a perfectly good fairway like on the Alps fourth when the hole is fine as is.
I had to admit it’s a geeky golf guy thing that goes against [real] common sense, but I love everything about Golden Age golf and especially when it’s related to Macdonald/Raynor and their template holes. These guys were masters, and that’s proven out over time, course and tournament history. The onus to keep the course within their parameters has long been passed, and Blue Mound has been running in full stride.
Raynor built some beautiful golf holes at Blue Mound, highlighted as I mentioned by incredible green sites. I’ll touch on a few of the most memorable to me here, and will also give a couple general opinions.
The first really remarkable green at Blue Mound is their Double Plateau second. At over 10,300 square feet, this is the largest and most pinnable surface on the entire course with three distinct levels.
Part of the green on the par four Double Plateau 2nd at Blue Mound
While I haven’t had a chance to fly my drone at Blue Mound, @putt4dough24 on Instagram does on a regular basis. I highly recommend following him for great images of Blue Mound and other top national private clubs, including this pic of Blue Mound’s Double Plateau.
Link to @putt4dough24 on Instagram (Blue Mound member, golf/drone photographer)
The first of Blue Mound’s par threes, the third is a terrific Raynor Biarritz. I thought it was interesting at first that they do not mow the first/high shelf section of the green. After doing more research, though, I’ve come to understand that this is how Raynor and Macdonald actually intended it.
The long Biarritz par three 3rd at Blue MoundView from the back section of the Biarritz 3rd, showing the swale and unmowed front
Most Biarritz-style greens I’ve played were not actually designed by Raynor or Macdonald. The Sandbox at Sand Valley, Old Macdonald, Streamsong Red, Bandon Trails and Sweetgrass all have Biarritz-style greens, for example, but all were designed/implemented by modern day architects.
Shoreacres (Lake Bluff, IL) is the only other true Raynor course I’ve played and, according to Golf Club Atlas and The Fried Egg, is the exception to the rule that the front section of Biarritz greens should be mowed to fairway length. In fact, GCA mentions that the front section of Shoreacres’ Biarritz sixth lacks the cinder subsurface that serves as a base for the rest of the putting surface.
That said, I’d prefer the front section be mowed. There are few shots in golf more fun to watch than when your tee shot hits the front section of a Biarritz green, disappears in to the swale and reemerges rolling toward a back hole location.
My buddy, Greg’s tee shot on the 8th at Old Macdonald, for example (click for video) – a solid 12 seconds of watching the ball fly, run out, climb and curl in.
Greg’s tee shot on the Biarritz-style 8th at Old Macdonald
Some other Biarritz-style greens I’ve played and took pictures of:
Old Macdonald no. 8
Sweetgrass no. 12
Shoreacres no. 6
The Sandbox no. 8
Streamsong, Red no. 16
Bandon Trails no. 5
The Alps fourth hole is one that may garner interest in the near future because of potential renovation plans. The club is looking at raising the fairway surface near the green to make the approach shot completely blind, like it is on the original Alps hole at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland.
The par four Alps 4th hole
The seventh at Blue Mound is the course’s Short hole and features one of the property’s prettiest backdrops: Mt. Mary University.
Blue Mound’s downhill Short par three 7th
The eighth is probably the course’s signature hole, featuring a well-elevated Punch Bowl green.
Tee area on Blue Mound’s Punch Bowl 8thA closer look at the Punch Bowl on 8 at Blue Mound
I love the view from the tee on nine. With the clubhouse as the backdrop, the tee shot needs to carry the deep Ravine the hole is named for. The three fairway bunkers on the right side look gnarly but are not in play for most golfers. The biggest miss to avoid here is anything snappy and left.
The par four Ravine 9th, with a forced carry off the tee
With a back pin location, the green on nine is one of the toughest on the course to get to, but it pales in comparison to the seemingly straight-forward opening hole on the back nine.
Ten, appropriately nicknamed Prize, is a shining example of how an ingenious green complex can make an otherwise innocuous golf hole great.
There is nothing for the golfer to worry about off the tee. Given the size of the green, though, chances are there are at least a few clubs that can provide enough distance but just one that will leave a good chance for a two-putt par.
Tee box on the par four Prize 10th, one of the course’s best competition holes
Featuring one of the most scenic teeing areas on the course, the par four twelfth is the course’s Hog’s Back template.
The tee boxes set up alongside a pond and play to a crested fairway that cants from right to left. Even if just for the views alone, this is a really memorable par four.
Joe’s tee shot on the par four 12th, Hog’s BackThe long par four Hog’s Back 12th from the forward tees
There are actually two standard right-to-left Redan greens at Blue Mound. The first is on the course’s par four opening hole, and the second is this gem that I’d imagine took incredible physical labor to manufacture:
The beautiful Redan par three 13th at Blue Mound
The fun in any of Raynor or Macdonald’s Redan complexes is in the way the right side can be used to influence approach shots toward the middle or back of the putting surface.
The thirteenth has a long, narrow green with an expansive approach area above and short-right of the putting surface to funnel balls greenward.
I can’t imagine the amount of land that was moved to elevate the playing surface here. To illustrate my point, here’s a view of the outside border toward the back-right (from the tees):
The Redan green complex’s dramatic edge on 13
Every great golf course needs a solid finishing hole, and the 18th at Blue Mound is perfect. Measuring 560 yards from the tips, the 18th is by far the longest hole on a par 70 course with just two par fives, and offers ample width off the tee and on subsequent long shots.
The par five Long finishing hole at Blue Mound
Both times playing here I was able to smack a 3-wood as far as I could on the second shot. Neither made the green, but being able to haul off on a long club without worrying too much about tree lines, water or other hazards is good fun and brings strategy in to play. Both times I put myself in no man’s land too close to the green and would have been better off laying up to a more comfortable distance with a full wedge, but that’s not quite as satisfying.
As with the rest of the course, Blue Mound is all about the second shot and putting. And the true genius in CB Macdonald and Seth Raynor’s work can be found in the give and take. While there is always a best-case, sporty shot to hit, there’s also one for the smart, consistent player (not me) to count on for a great look at par.
Any ultra-exclusive club is going to have outside naysayers. It’s how the world and people who want to feel important work. Over the past five to ten years, I’ve heard two common negatives about Blue Mound:
Tree removal made the course too easy
The membership is old and stuffy
Having not played Blue Mound previously, I pictured in my mind a landscape as barren as Washington County, or the Links course at Lawsonia… Scorched earth.
I was actually surprised by how many trees do come in to play, and I think if anything they could probably take out more. Their team certainly did not overdo it, though, and any challenge taken away was never intended to be there (by their ingenious course designer) in the first place.
From what I’ve seen, the second generalization is also unfounded. I half-expected to be having lunch and tea in a rollback leather chair with old bronze casters while old men read newspapers in their pajamas all around me, maybe slipping silverware in their pockets when nobody was looking.
In actuality, I’ve played with some really fun younger guys and have met a dozen or so others pre- and post-round by the range, men’s locker room bar and fire pits. I’d be excited to golf with any of them.
From what I’ve seen and heard, the club is getting younger and flourishing, and a bright future is comforting to see at a course so rich with history and charm.
In case you’re wondering about all Wisconsin courses to have hosted major golf tournaments/events (with year(s) and champion(s)), here is the full list:
US Open
Erin Hills
2017: Brooks Koepka
PGA Championship
Blue Mound
1933: Gene Sarazen
Whisting Straits
2004: Vijay Singh
2010: Martin Kaymer
2015: Jason Day
US Senior Open
Whistling Straits
2007: Brad Bryant
US Amateur
Erin Hills and Blue Mound (alternate site for stroke play)
As we wind down the 2019 Wisconsin golf season it’s safe to say the most anticipated new course for 2020 is also one of the state’s oldest: The Club at Lac La Belle in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.
With 123 years of championship tradition, new ownership including Matt and Tyler Morse of the Prestwick Golf Group is well in to the back nine of a massive renovation project that will be unveiled to the public via 9-hole preview play starting this Monday, September 9, 2019.
Aerial view of the Club at Lac La Belle’s clubhouse and “Carriage House”
The original course, as Carnoustie historian David Mackesey presented at a recent night hosted at the property, was dreamed up in the late 1880’s to early 1890’s by Washington Park Club leaders and grain industry moguls Charles Schwartz and John Dupee, Jr.
Carnoustie Historian and Diablo GC President David Mackesey presenting
Schwartz and Dupee, of Chicago, were part of a large magnate of wealthy Chicagoans who frequented the Oconomowoc area of Wisconsin, especially in Lac La Belle.
The wealth in the area at that time was staggering. From listening to stories from my aunt who grew up house- and baby-sitting in the area, leaders of industry like Frederick Miller (Miller Brewing), John Rockwell (the town’s founder and original leader), Gustav Pabst (Pabst Beer), Philip Armour (meatpacking, banking), Montgomery Ward (department stores) and many others made the lakes of Oconomowoc their homes away from home.
These folks built palatial estates on one of the Midwest’s nicest lakes, drove the best cars and boats, had the most money and the greatest opportunities and amenities for unmatched leisure.
One of these estates, for example, was this 15,000-plus square foot mansion that once belonged to Montgomery Ward and was recently purchased by Pittsburgh Steelers and former University of Wisconsin football star TJ Watt.
It was in that vein of having all the finest things that the original Country Club of Oconomowoc was borne, and its championship pedigree began with its first PGA Professional, Alex Smith.
