Some Things Wisconsin Golf

[chinaski]

Yeah, I wanted to try everything, but was aiming for the Ping 410 and Mizuno. I don't think the Cobra looks too bad, not any worse than the turbulators. I don't like the looks of the Callaway drivers most of the time. Mizuno looks the best, hands down.

 

My 2016 M2 is still a monster though. It's going to hard to knock it out of the bag.

[rtraudt]

My Epic SZ and I just never got along fully. I love the look at address, but it was always quite hit or miss for me (but was great when it was on...I'm not thinking that my "best" numbers with a new setup will beat my Epic SZ at their absolute peak, but I'm hoping for more consistency, hence the PING. The 3 wood that they fit me for last season has been the best club in my bag recently, hoping for a similar success with a new driver setup!

[rtraudt]

Interesting about the Mizuno though! That certainly was piquing my interest, as well as the TEE heads. Very price competitive, which isn't bad especially if you aren't worried about resale value!

[GeorgeHWB]

That's great to hear.

[ode1]

?

[rtraudt]

Has anyone been out to Lac La Belle yet since they opened up?

[collje26]

Anyone going to be up in the Minocqua area this weekend?

[GeorgeHWB]

I might play there this weekend.

[dearth12]

With the spike in Coronavirus cases, are any of you hearing of any restrictions being mentioned for golf in Wisconsin?

 

We are now 2 weeks from our trip starting and with the uptick in cases and media coverage, we are concerned that courses might be closed again!!

 

thanks for the help

[Phreddy]

I am not aware of any restrictions. Course policy varies by course on the number of riders per cart and how they handle making the cup less of a virus issue, but that's it to date.

[GeorgeHWB]

They are not going to close courses here.

[games]

I'll be up there this weekend. Where did you play last weekend? We usually play either St. Germain or Timber Ridge.

[collje26]

Just beat balls at trout lake. One of the best practice facilities in my opinion. Timber ridge was is solid shape the last time I played it.

[games]

@collje26 I agree that Trout Lake's practice area is easily one of the best. The only thing missing is basic 150 yard and 200 yard flags.
But, how did you deal with the deer flies? It seemed like a few followed me from the range to the practice greens. Got bit once, but just a nuisance...

[Timbo Slice]

I'll be on vacation with family next week in Lake Geneva so I booked a round at the Brute. The only other course I considered was the Player course at Geneva National. Did I make the right choice? I only want a Grand Geneva or Geneva National course.

[collje26]

Usually go super early around 6:30/7:00am!

[GeorgeHWB]

I would say the Brute is the right pick among your choices.

[rtraudt]

Played Lac La Belle yesterday, so figured I would share my thoughts. Overall impression is that, especially if it keeps its greens fees similar to what it is now, it will be a gem. It most certainly is still in the “grow in” phase, with greens a little shaggy and many different spots around the course on the struggling side of conditioning, but the green complexes are outstanding. Think Sand Valley lite, with lots of multi tiered greens and big rolling slopes in them, some that will funnel your ball to pins and allow for creative shots and some that will punish you for missing perhaps just short of a ridge. It’s probably the feature that I enjoy most about playing courses like Sand Valley, and it’s the only one that I can think of within an hour of Milwaukee that has it.

As a walker, without a yardage book I was quite lost at several points, and “discovered” and few hazards, plus at this point there are no yardage numbers on sprinkler heads to help guide you, but hoping that will change as they continue to put finishing touches on the course. Perhaps the carts had some sort of GPS, but I’m not a cart rider. Other than that, it was a good walking course, with only the 4 green to 5 tee requiring a little bit of a walk between (as you cross the road dividing the first four holes with the rest). The variety of hole lengths made for really fun golf, with some short par 4s with lots of hazards to keep driver in the bag, long par 4s including a dogleg 480 yard par 4 to close on 18, varied par 5s, and par 3s that played from a multitude of lengths.

 

Overall, if they don’t jack the rates up significantly and intend to keep things on the firmer and dryer side once it’s grown in, it is a course that I would play frequently (assuming I can get my hands on a yardage book ?), and one that I think will make its way into some top WI course lists.

[ode1]

Are all 18 open?

[rtraudt]

Yep, all 18! Still doing a decent amount of construction and work over by the first 4 holes (which from what I understand are completely new), but the conditioning that I mentioned applies to all holes really, with some variance in terms of severity. I'm assuming they were a little bit behind thanks to COVID.

[BirdieRoll]

Spooner golf club is in fantastic shape. Greens receptive if a bit slow.

Walked it in 3:30 on a holiday weekend. Beverage cart gal swung by a half dozen times. A classic north woods gem.

[ode1]

Interesting, a Tommy Vardon design.....did not know Harry had a brother who also happened to be an accomplished golfer and course designer. Wikipedia notes a connection with Donald Ross...cool!

[Chanceman]

Unfortunately we have had to cancel our October trip to Wisconsin because Covid-19 is rampant here in Aus and we cant travel.

But we have kept all our reservations for next year and the plan is still to come your way.

The rota will still be Brown Deer - Erin Hills - Lawsonia - Sand Valley/Mammoth Dunes - Blackwolf Run/Whistling Straits plus one somewhere else like The Bull.

Its an expensive group of courses but hey you only live once.

As we will probably arrive through O'Hare I might also try to squeeze in a few Illinois courses like Cog Hill and Thunderhawk.

This blog has been a superb way to keep track of what is happening there so thanks to all for your input.

[jwhite86]

Don't know if anybody has heard this info yet... but The Bull is set to re-open tomorrow.

Rates:

Monday - Wednesday: $79 until 3pm, $59 after

Thursday - Sunday: $99 AM, $79 afternoon, $59 after 3pm

[Olde Maroon]

Good morning, gents. Can any of you speak to the course conditions at Lawsonia right now? I know they have been removing a lot of bunkers on the Woodlands course, which will be interesting. How are the remaining bunkers on both courses (this is the one area that I find inconsistent at Lawsonia)? How about the greens? Thanks for any info you can share.

[dearth12]

We were at Lawsonia on the 13th and played 54 holes (36 on the Links and 18 on Woodlands). The only negative about the Links course was the bunkers. With them being such an integral part of the design, it was disheartening to feel like they were almost as bad as a little league infield. Everything else about the course was perfect. Fairways were spotless and the greens ran so true. The bunkers are not enough to ever consider skipping such a great layout, but if the bunkers were fixed, I could easily see the Links being even more highly rated.

 

 

The Woodlands on the other hand........ They have taken out a bunch of traps and right now that is all GUR. What is there, in the GUR, is baked out and nearly all dirt. The fairways were just OK and the greens, while smooth enough, did not have the speed or the character of the Links. If we had only been on property for 36 holes there would be no question that we would have just played Links twice. The Woodlands course is a large step down from the Links.

[Olde Maroon]

Thanks for the update. I'll be up there next weekend for the whole weekend (each course twice, currently) and I was wondering how it played. I enjoy both courses, with an obvious preference for the Links. I had heard about the renovation of the Woodlands and was worried it would be a mess. Disappointed to hear the bunkers are in bad shape... It is a problem that has haunted Lawsonia for a while. I guess I'll just have to avoid them... ?

[ode1]

I would have thought that they used the sand from the woodlands bunkers to supplement the bunkers on the Links.

[Olde Maroon]

It may be a matter of the quality of sand is not very good everywhere. Putting clay/rock sand from one course into the other won't fix the quality issue.

[kizdoc]

Looking for some advice. We're flying into Milwaukee next month and planning on playing Erin Hills and then driving to Sand Valley for another 3 days. We want to play a round the day before Erin Hills and looking for recommendations around the Milwaukee area. I was thinking Brown Deer. One of the other guys suggested The Bog. Any other courses in between the airport and Erin Hills you guys would recommend? Thanks.