Help me with My Wisconsin Itinerary!

Hey WRX - would appreciate the collective expertise in helping me finish my Wisconsin itinerary for a trip coming up.

Thurs: Flying in this evening

Fri: Erin Hills or Lawsonia Links

Sat & Sun: Sand Valley/Mammoth Dunes/the Sandbox

Mon: This is the question. Could get the second twilight rate at Whistling Straits, nothing earlier. Feels weird to pay over $400 knowing I probably won't finish.

Tues: Lawsonia Links or Erin Hills, Fly home that night

Questions are:

1) Whether Whistling Straits is that good - worth a trip up to Kohler that otherwise wouldnt happen, to pay more than the other courses, to play likely 15-16 holes.

2) Any courses I should include in that itinerary that I left out for that Monday spot? Or maybe even another day at Sand Valley?

Great trip. You will play a wide variety of golf, and all of it pretty top shelf stuff. Save your money on a second round at Whistling, unless you truly love your round, and play The Bull or Washington County in place of a second round. Washington County is within a wedge of Erin Hills and The Bull is a short iron from The Straits. Then take the green fees you save and treat yourself to a great meal. The take the money left over after that and upgrade your flight home to first class. Your legs will thank you.

Phred

Sorry, I miss read the earlier post. Whistling is good. Very good. And you will see it on TV with the Ryder Cup and I am sure future majors. But, to pay full freight and walk off before you finished 18? Particularly with 18 being the best hole on the course, that would hurt.

It needs to be Lawsonia and Erin Hills. Don’t sleep on Lawsonia.

Looks weird to leave Sand Valley, drive all the way over to Whistling Straits, then go back and possibly play Lawsonia, then back to Milwaukee? A lot of driving for no reason. You can play these courses in groups...Group A (Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes, Lawsonia and possible Sentry World). Group B (Whistling Straits, Blackwolf Run, The Irish, Meadow Valley, The Bull at Pinehurst Farm). Then in a Group by itself is Erin Hills. Erin can honestly be grouped into Group B, but would be a nice first or last round coming to/leaving Milwaukee. Also, the last 2 years, I've had the 2nd twilight spot (late June) and finished both times.

Did an 8-day, 10-round Wisconsin trip last September that stands as the best golf trip I have ever taken; diversity and quality of golf in that area is unbelievable.

This means that you have lots of options for your trip. Personally, I would have a hard time not finishing 18 holes at Whistling. You should expect a 5-hour round **minimum** out there, meaning you will likely be leaving at least 3-4 holes on the table. My first choice would be to check out the nearby Blackwolf Run River course. It has hosted a few US Women's Opens and is every bit the test of golf that the Straits is. The Bull is a similar course at a much cheaper price, but I would pony up the extra $$ and play Blackwolf.

Staying an extra day in the Sand Valley area and playing Sentry World would also be an option, and that course features some of the most impressive conditioning and greens in the state (at least when I was there).

Where are you flying in/out from?

To echo what was said above. Play both Erin Hills and Lawsonia. Out of all the courses you listed (haven't played SV yet) I like Lawsonia the best. It's a cool style of architecture. Take the cheap twilight and play Whistling. You will get the feel of the course. It's very peaceful. If you miss a couple holes don't sweat it.

Friday: Erin Hills while you're fresh

Saturday and SUnday; Sand Valley courses

Monday: Sentryworld and then drive to Green Lake and you can catch the twilight at Lawsonia or Mascoutin if you want

Tuesday: Play all day option at Lawsonia. Play both courses or just play the Links over and over again

5 hour minimum at the Straits? I doubt it, but it depends on the day of the week.

Why not play the Irish or River course on Monday morning, and get the 45% off replay rate at Straits in the early/mid afternoon?

Here's how i would do this itinerary:

Thurs: Fly in evening, drive to Fon du Lac (1.5 hrs) stay at Holiday Inn off Military Rd.

Fri: Lawsonia (could do both courses for $130) - Drive to Sand Valley in evening

Sat/Sun: Sand Valley/Mammoth/Sandbox

Mon: Erin Hills - stay in lodging there. Or Washington County - stay in Hartford

Tues: Washington County or Erin Hills

Come another time for Whistling, Irish, River, Meadows and The Bull. Typing this makes me realize how lucky us Wisconsinites have it, yeesh.

Agreed with Arg. If you really want to go to Kohler just go play the Irish course. It's arguably a better golf course than the Straits, but costs half the price cause there's no lake view.

> @Sfarrenkopf said:

> Here's how i would do this itinerary:

> Thurs: Fly in evening, drive to Fon du Lac (1.5 hrs) stay at Holiday Inn off Military Rd.

> Fri: Lawsonia (could do both courses for $130) - Drive to Sand Valley in evening

> Sat/Sun: Sand Valley/Mammoth/Sandbox

> Mon: Erin Hills - stay in lodging there. Or Washington County - stay in Hartford

> Tues: Washington County or Erin Hills

>

> Come another time for Whistling, Irish, River, Meadows and The Bull. Typing this makes me realize how lucky us Wisconsinites have it, yeesh.

I dunno. The Woodlands course at Lawsonia is decent, but I'd rather play an afternoon round at Sentry World on the way to SV.

> @Argonne69 said:

> > @Sfarrenkopf said:

> > Here's how i would do this itinerary:

> > Thurs: Fly in evening, drive to Fon du Lac (1.5 hrs) stay at Holiday Inn off Military Rd.

> > Fri: Lawsonia (could do both courses for $130) - Drive to Sand Valley in evening

> > Sat/Sun: Sand Valley/Mammoth/Sandbox

> > Mon: Erin Hills - stay in lodging there. Or Washington County - stay in Hartford

> > Tues: Washington County or Erin Hills

> >

> > Come another time for Whistling, Irish, River, Meadows and The Bull. Typing this makes me realize how lucky us Wisconsinites have it, yeesh.

>

> I dunno. The Woodlands course at Lawsonia is decent, but I'd rather play an afternoon round at Sentry World on the way to SV.

>

Totally agree with this.

> @Argonne69 said:

> > @Sfarrenkopf said:

> > Here's how i would do this itinerary:

> > Thurs: Fly in evening, drive to Fon du Lac (1.5 hrs) stay at Holiday Inn off Military Rd.

> > Fri: Lawsonia (could do both courses for $130) - Drive to Sand Valley in evening

> > Sat/Sun: Sand Valley/Mammoth/Sandbox

> > Mon: Erin Hills - stay in lodging there. Or Washington County - stay in Hartford

> > Tues: Washington County or Erin Hills

> >

> > Come another time for Whistling, Irish, River, Meadows and The Bull. Typing this makes me realize how lucky us Wisconsinites have it, yeesh.

>

> I dunno. The Woodlands course at Lawsonia is decent, but I'd rather play an afternoon round at Sentry World on the way to SV.

>

Agree, but the play all day rate of $130 at Lawsonia is pretty sweet. Playing Lawsonia and then SW in the same day would run you about $225. If budget and/or time is an issue, can't go wrong with all day at Lawsonia. If not an issue then you could definitely swing Lawsonia and SW in the same day. On 9/6 I've got a 8:00 tee time at SW and we are going to combine that with 27 hole scramble at Mascoutin on the way to Green Lake. So SW and Lawsonia would definitely work if you have the money and the time. It's about 1.5 hours from SW to Lawsonia I believe.

> @zer0 said:

> > @Argonne69 said:

> > > @Sfarrenkopf said:

> > > Here's how i would do this itinerary:

> > > Thurs: Fly in evening, drive to Fon du Lac (1.5 hrs) stay at Holiday Inn off Military Rd.

> > > Fri: Lawsonia (could do both courses for $130) - Drive to Sand Valley in evening

> > > Sat/Sun: Sand Valley/Mammoth/Sandbox

> > > Mon: Erin Hills - stay in lodging there. Or Washington County - stay in Hartford

> > > Tues: Washington County or Erin Hills

> > >

> > > Come another time for Whistling, Irish, River, Meadows and The Bull. Typing this makes me realize how lucky us Wisconsinites have it, yeesh.

> >

> > I dunno. The Woodlands course at Lawsonia is decent, but I'd rather play an afternoon round at Sentry World on the way to SV.

> >

>

> Agree, but the play all day rate of $130 at Lawsonia is pretty sweet. Playing Lawsonia and then SW in the same day would run you about $225. If budget and/or time is an issue, can't go wrong with all day at Lawsonia. If not an issue then you could definitely swing Lawsonia and SW in the same day. On 9/6 I've got a 8:00 tee time at SW and we are going to combine that with 27 hole scramble at Mascoutin on the way to Green Lake. So SW and Lawsonia would definitely work if you have the money and the time. It's about 1.5 hours from SW to Lawsonia I believe.

The less windshield time and more golf time the better in a 4 day golf trip!

Awesome feedback. So as not to flood the topic with individual replies: Group is flying into MKE from Newark and DC. The only thing we cannot change is Sand Valley on the Sat/Sun of the trip.

- @Sfarrenkopf, @exgolfpro Whistling has been voted out between the logistics, availability, etc... I think we'll consider a a post-Ryder Cup trip to play a few of their courses. @Argonne69 - I feel like you're right that we could probably finish or come really close, but collectively the group does not want to risk not finishing what would be significantly more expensive of a round than any others. And we were told by the resort to expect 15-16 holes of playable daylight for the tee time; the rest of the tee sheet is 100% booked so I am inclined to believe that pace.

- @SCalGolfer Lawsonia is my definite want to play. I was thinking Lawsonia first to set up Erin Hills as a grand finale to the trip

- For the "missing" Monday round, we are 50/50 between another round at Sand Valley or Mammoth Dunes vs. driving for another course. I hadn't seriously considered Sentry World but with @Argonne69 and crew's strong Seems like SV has some space so we could pick which course we liked better to play a second time.

- Was not aware of the play all day at Lawsonia. Thanks for that, @zer0

Wild Rock in the Wisconsin Dells would be another option vs. Sentry World. If you like elevated teeboxs, it's pretty darn good. It's roughly the same distance as Sentry World (~45 miles) from Sand Valley.

> @zer0 said:

> Agreed with Arg. If you really want to go to Kohler just go play the Irish course. It's arguably a better golf course than the Straits, but costs half the price cause there's no lake view.

Is anyone other than you making this argument?

> @mci711 said:

> > @zer0 said:

> > Agreed with Arg. If you really want to go to Kohler just go play the Irish course. It's arguably a better golf course than the Straits, but costs half the price cause there's no lake view.

>

> Is anyone other than you making this argument?

Pretty sure all my burner accounts would support my position.

Seriously though, I've read posts on here over the years with that exact sentiment. I've played both courses, don't see any difference between Straits and Irish other than the view and the price tag.

if you have't played the straits, might as well; When in wisconsin.

but i rather be at sand valley longer; better pace of play. my issue with lawsonia is lack of ammenities i.e. nice restaurants, nice lodging;

> @jerebear21 said:

> if you have't played the straits, might as well; When in wisconsin.

> but i rather be at sand valley longer; better pace of play. my issue with lawsonia is lack of ammenities i.e. nice restaurants, nice lodging;

Food at the Langford Pub at Lawsonia is very good. IMO the best restaurant in Green Lake. Great sandwiches, great breakfast. Always grab a boxcar with bacon on my way to the putting green before I play. They only serve dinner on Friday and Saturday, but both are great. Friday is the fish fry, considered the best in Green Lake. Saturday is Prime Rib and baby back ribs night. I was just there Saturday, ribs were great. Lunch you can't go wrong with the parmesan crusted grilled cheese, the chicken salad wrap, the haddock sandwich or the 1/2 pound burger with 7 year old cheddar cheese and bacon and grilled onions and mushrooms.

It's not fancy, but it's a nice bar/restaurant atmosphere. Grab one of the high top tables with old scorecards from Lawsonia and all over the world under the glass.

haha; you got me there bud; I just prefer a better view at SV to hang out all weekend. don't get me wrong. I enjoy lawsonia very much. I just don't want to spend a weekend there. Total value/views/amenities steer me to SV.

yea I hear ya. Total amenities, Lawsonia doesn't stack up to SV, EH or Kohler. Those are golf resorts. Lawsonia is golf course. But, that said, Lawsonia is in Green Lake which is a beautiful quaint lake resort town. Filled with bed and breakfast places, you could definitely spend an entire weekend at Green Lake and have just as nice an experience as you would at those other places. There is also lodging on site at Lawsonia, but I don't know what they look like on the inside. Green lake is the deepest lake in Wisconis, 7 miles long and 2 miles wide. Great fishing if you are into that. Lots of water sports on the lake and even a massive sand bar where boats gather to party all day.

> @umassgolfer said:

> Awesome feedback. So as not to flood the topic with individual replies: Group is flying into MKE from Newark and DC. The only thing we cannot change is Sand Valley on the Sat/Sun of the trip.

>

> - @Sfarrenkopf, @exgolfpro Whistling has been voted out between the logistics, availability, etc... I think we'll consider a a post-Ryder Cup trip to play a few of their courses. @Argonne69 - I feel like you're right that we could probably finish or come really close, but collectively the group does not want to risk not finishing what would be significantly more expensive of a round than any others. And we were told by the resort to expect 15-16 holes of playable daylight for the tee time; the rest of the tee sheet is 100% booked so I am inclined to believe that pace.

> - @SCalGolfer Lawsonia is my definite want to play. I was thinking Lawsonia first to set up Erin Hills as a grand finale to the trip

> - For the "missing" Monday round, we are 50/50 between another round at Sand Valley or Mammoth Dunes vs. driving for another course. I hadn't seriously considered Sentry World but with @Argonne69 and crew's strong Seems like SV has some space so we could pick which course we liked better to play a second time.

> - Was not aware of the play all day at Lawsonia. Thanks for that, @zer0

You're going to have an awesome trip. I miss living in Wisconsin for the public golf, it's really good. Here's some information on Lawsonia:

https://golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/the-golf-courses-at-lawsonia-links-course-wi-usa/

Langford and Moreau are unknown architects and this is their best IMO. I love the long views. They took out unnecessary trees. The course plays firm and fast. It's old school. It's the National Golf Links of America of Wisconsin. I would play the links twice before the Woodland, but that's just me. You're going to enjoy all those courses; lots of variety. Let us know how it goes. And from what I hear about SV bring lots of DEET.

I am going to guess your group is going to want a 2nd crack at either SV or Mammouth Dunes. MD is just an incredibly fun round of golf. Very scorable and many ways to crack the egg.

To answer your question, yes, Whistling is that good. It's a tough pill to swallow to play it at the rack rate, but isn't the twilight rate right around $200? Still a hefty price tag, but absolutely worth it, especially right before next years Ryder Cup. If you take out Kohler altogether, I think your itinerary looks solid. My 2 cents:

Friday - Lawsonia

Saturday - Sand Valley/Sandbox

Sunday - Mammoth/Sandbox

Monday - Sentryworld

Tuesday - Erin Hills

I think Sentryworld would be a nice palate cleanse after a few days at SV. Also a day with carts will be clutch at that point. That being said, another day at SV would be a blast, or even heading south to do two days at Erin Hills would be incredible. Erin Hills is maybe my favorite course anywhere and if you stay there you get access to the caddie barn, which is supposed to be a riot. As someone said earlier, we're very fortunate for the amount of high quality public golf in Wisconsin!

The twilight rate at the Straits is 30% off the rack rate. You can save a little more if you don't use a caddie. Caddies are required before twilight. The replay rate is 45% off, so it makes sense to play the Irish course, and then replay on the Straits.

So we are all booked the trip. Ended up cutting a day off the trip - playing Lawsonia Friday, Mammoth Dunes /Sandbox Sat, Sandbox/Sand Valley Sun, Erin Hills Monday.

Group decided the Whistling/Blackwolf Run Courses all look pretty sweet, and we'll likely try to book a separate trip up there sometime to play them all + the Bog.

Decision was driven in part by the fact we're mostly 3-4x per month golfers, and 4 straight days of 18 holes will probably be enough.

Will report back on how the trip goes - really looking forward to it. Appreciate all the responses on this thread.

> @Argonne69 said:

> The twilight rate at the Straits is 30% off the rack rate. You can save a little more if you don't use a caddie. Caddies are required before twilight. The replay rate is 45% off, so it makes sense to play the Irish course, and then replay on the Straits.

Course quoted me at $325 for twilight rate + $65 caddie fee + gratuity, recommended $50-$60/bag and told me to expect to play 15-16 holes. All-in price of $440-$450. I'm sure there's a chance we may have snuck them all in. Not taking a caddie was not presented as an option. I didn't push too hard on it since I didn't know if the group would be interested in the tee time. Ended up deciding against Whistling for this trip as noted above. Just gives me a reason to come back to the area again sometime soon I guess.

Think you made the right call. The courses in Kohler are definitely deserving of their own separate trip.

Interesting that is what you were quoted for twilight times at Whistling, maybe they have different rates for resort guests. We paid that for a non-twilight time but we stayed a night at Woodlake.

Great itinerary you have planned, all of those courses are world class and will leave you wanting to play them over and over again.