Some Things Wisconsin Golf

[geochitown]

If you are willing to step it down a bit, I really enjoyed quit Qui Oc in Elkhart Lake

 

i didn’t play the old 18 course, but the more modern glacier 9 which was built on more severe land.

 

might be a fun change of pace on your trip

 

[Madhoshi]

Thanks guys! 

[eboettne]

Looking for some feedback for those in the Whistling Straits or Erin Hills area. Wondering what conditions will look like in Early May this year. Have a trip booked to play both the 1st wkd in May. Is all the snow gone and how do you think the courses are shaping up for early season?

[klebs01]

11 minutes ago, eboettne said:

Looking for some feedback for those in the Whistling Straits or Erin Hills area. Wondering what conditions will look like in Early May this year. Have a trip booked to play both the 1st wkd in May. Is all the snow gone and how do you think the courses are shaping up for early season?

late cold spring. All the snow is gone. Grass is starting to green up. Supposed to be 70 next weekend which should help things along a lot. Courses will not be in prime condition at that point so set reasonable expectations. 

[eboettne]

36 minutes ago, klebs01 said:

late cold spring. All the snow is gone. Grass is starting to green up. Supposed to be 70 next weekend which should help things along a lot. Courses will not be in prime condition at that point so set reasonable expectations. 

For sure not expecting prime conditions but hopefully not a wet sopping mess. Thanks for the info!

[Phreddy]

A picture of my Wisconsin backyard this morning.A

And the first fairway today in Arizona.

 

Do I really need to come back next week for our daughter's graduation?  I mean it is grad school.  I was there for all the other ones.

[BG5]

Stay in AZ....snow here in SW Michigan as well 🙂

[klebs01]

24 minutes ago, Phreddy said:

A picture of my Wisconsin backyard this morning.A

And the first fairway today in Arizona.

 

Do I really need to come back next week for our daughter's graduation?  I mean it is grad school.  I was there for all the other ones.

ha. I figured I jinxed us when I said the snow was all melted. Oh well. The forecast is up to 77 for Saturday. 

[Madhoshi]

Looks like EH opened today! I'll be there next week! Any condition insights?? For any of the courses?!

 

edit: the lineup

SV and MD

Erin Hills

the Bull

both whistling courses

blackwolf run, river

Edited May 4, 2022 by Madhoshi
Courses

[Phreddy]

I played 18 yesterday without hand warmers in my pockets.  A first for my 2022 Wisconsin season.  Whoo Hoo!

 

Give me a couple three days of 60's with sun and maybe the trees will pop and the greens will speed up.

[klebs01]

On 5/4/2022 at 5:59 PM, Madhoshi said:

Looks like EH opened today! I'll be there next week! Any condition insights?? For any of the courses?!

 

edit: the lineup

SV and MD

Erin Hills

the Bull

both whistling courses

blackwolf run, river

looks like you’ll get our one week of summer this year. 

[eboettne]

On 5/4/2022 at 5:59 PM, Madhoshi said:

Looks like EH opened today! I'll be there next week! Any condition insights?? For any of the courses?!

 

edit: the lineup

SV and MD

Erin Hills

the Bull

both whistling courses

blackwolf run, river

 

Erin Hills is pretty good, greens are a little slow and sandy

BWR-River greens were beautiful, the best we played on our trip but still rolled slower than they looked

Straits course were a bit sandy and on the slower side but didn't deter from the round and Irish course were similar to Straits just with less sand. 

[Madhoshi]

11 hours ago, eboettne said:

 

Erin Hills is pretty good, greens are a little slow and sandy

BWR-River greens were beautiful, the best we played on our trip but still rolled slower than they looked

Straits course were a bit sandy and on the slower side but didn't deter from the round and Irish course were similar to Straits just with less sand. 

awesome! Played Cog Dubs today, greens were pretty perfect. Looking forward to Wisconsin! 

[TBone0576]

Took a call from a supplier at work and said he would be in town May 23 and 24 with his clubs.   I suggested a couple of places including Lac La Belle and he went for it.   I played out there probably 15 years ago and back then it was a pretty forgettable layout and experience. One of the things I remember was that it was VERY wet and some holes were either re-routed or closed altogether.  Pretty sure that was addressed during the redesign.   I know there has been quite a bit of buzz about the new facility and layout so keeping fingers crossed for some decent weather and a fun round out there.   Of the folks that have played it, is it pretty walkable if we go that route?   Just did the virtual tour online and looks like a pretty fun little layout with some challenges on and around the green as well as some demanding tee shots.  

Edited May 10, 2022 by TBone0576

[Phreddy]

Lac La Belle is very walkable.  No dramatic elevation changes and it was designed back in a day when greens and tees were placed with walking in mind.  The update is thoughtful and well done, and it has had time to grow in nicely.  The club house and practice range are great.  I think you will enjoy your day.

[Madhoshi]

Just got back from my Wisconsin trip! Thank you all for the recs as far as other courses to play! We lucked out incredibly with regards to the weather (09-16May), not a drop of rain, and fairly warm temps (even for me coming from Louisiana). This was my first time up there, and I was truly blown away by the quality of golf in the area, and accessibility. Conditions were incredible given how early in the season it is. Here are my thoughts in order of courses played:

 

1. Cog Hill: Played dubs the day I flew in, in high winds (25mph). Conditioning was immaculate, and greens were running true and fairly quick (probably due to the winds drying them out somewhat). A friend was up there probably 2.5 weeks ago, when the greens had been sanded/punched; needless to say they healed very well. All in all, a fun course to play as we were able to cart around in around 3 hours. 

 

From there we drove to stay at a friend's house in Portage, prior to the Sand Valley portion

 

2. Sand Valley: Truly an immense property, the scale is hard to describe. A fun track, I can certainly see how people say its harder than its counterpart Mammoth. Greens were true, and medium pace I'd say. Played 36 holes in one day, followed by a loop around the Sandbox (a great treat, In and of itself). I enjoyed Sand valley much more than the next course.

 

3. Mammoth Dunes: If I had thought SV was large, I'm out of words for Mammoth. Fairways everywhere you look. Lots of undulations etc that funnel your ball to places you wouldn't think on the course. I wasn't the hugest fan of the course, as I felt that good shots were kind of punished as they hit the wrong undulation or berm, and ricocheted to weird portion around the green, or on the green in general. The only way I can describe it is, for those who have played it, I feel like it's like Gamble Sands (in Brewster, WA), but ON STEROIDS. We were supposed to play an afternoon round after the morning 18, but then tried to audible back to SV. That was thwarted by being placed behind a group of 12, already very inebriated guys on a bachelor party. Thus we pivoted to a controversial course.....and drove an hour and fifteen to 

 

4. Lawsonia (Links): I know this course is very divisive. We got on around 4:45, and zipped around in 2 and a half hours. Honestly, it was some of the most fun golf I'd ever played in my life. The back 9 was particularly fun, and I'd say, unique in terms of the greens, shapes etc. Value, in my opinion was unmatched ($40). All I can say is, I'm a fan; 10/10 would definitely go back and play again. This brings us to...

 

5. Erin Hills: Located really in the middle of nowhere, you pull up to an unassuming guard house, and that drive in is nuts. Wow, what a location, building, and practice area. Course was immaculate as well. Greens were slower than what they are typically (from what the caddies told us), but they rolled absolutely true. We all had an absolute BLAST. Had so much fun, we scrambled into another round on one of the days we were supposed to be in Kohler. Speaking of Kohler, we had a morning to fill so we went to...

 

6. The Bull, at Pinehurst Farms: We had a morning to fill prior to starting our Kohler rounds, so we picked the Bull, as it is right around the corner from Blackworld run (our afternoon course). They are/were re-doing some of their bunkers, and so they had reduced rates ($70) for a first off tee time. What a tough course, its deceivingly tough, especially for our first time there. Can definitely see the Jack Nicklaus design cues. Greens were again, immaculate. Would definitely return to play again. Grabbed a quick lunch, and headed to

 

7. Blackwolf, River: By the afternoon the winds were up, and the blue tees were playing VERY LONG. Tough tough tough course. Hard to hold the greens, and not a lot of places to 'miss' or bail. Lost more balls there than I had in quite some time (all dumb shots, that I knew I shouldn't have attempted, especially in those conditions). Can't complain or blame conditioning of the course though (I feel like that's a recurring theme). Leads us to....

 

8. Whistling (Irish): If you lifted this course, and dropped it anywhere else, it would be the marquee course. Great fun, I think it gave us a peek into what we were going to expect with the Straits. I will stay I was disappointed with the conditioning of some of the fairway bunkers (definitely almost broke my wrist in one after the "sand" gave way to packed hard earth), but that's about the only critique I had. 

 

9. Whistling (Straits): The "big dog" in Kohler. An experience to be sure, lots of Pete Dye visual intimidation. Played the first day with caddies (really they just gave us lines/yardages, I wasn't impressed and thought the EH caddies were superior). Winds were down for our first round, so the course felt "getable" if that makes sense. Lots of fun with different lines, and how the ball ends up with some of the misses. We played the second day on our own, with the full game on the line, and winds were around 20 mph, and what a DIFFERENT course it was. Shots were 2-3 clubs different than what we used the previous day. Greens ran much quicker. The quick turnaround was fun to try and think through. It reminds me of the Ocean course, in that, you can't "let your guard down," and have to stay engaged throughout the round. Which leads me to their 5 hour pace of play. As somebody who likes to play fast, waiting 5-10 mins prior to teeing off, was BRUTAL. We said something to the ranger, who said we were well within our time, and that we should slow down. I'm just not used to a 5+ hour round. Really that's my only negative thing to say. It was VERY FUN, and I would definitely return to play.

 

Non golf: Cheese curds. WOW. Garlic curds, BBQ curds, normal curds. What an invention. I also had the opportunity to try a Wisconsin Old Fashioned, ended up being my drink of choice for the week. 

 

All in all, a phenomenal spring classic for my group. All of us enjoyed it to the fullest, and Wisconsin will be forever in our rotation. I think the least liked courses, believe it or not, were the Sand Valley courses. They just didn't have any soul like the rest I think. I think my personal favorite was Erin Hills, followed closely by the Straits. I think Lawsonia was my gem find, with the Bull being close runner up to that. Sorry for the long story, but wanted to give my insights as somebody who had never been or played in the area previously! We will be back! As a "shoulder season" trip for Wisconsin, this could easily be a yearly thing for us. 

[StudentGolfer4]

@Madhoshi sounds like a fantastic trip! I always enjoy hearing opinions on different golf courses. 
 

I have to ask, what’s a Wisconsin Old Fashioned? Despite family having a vacation home up there I’ve never heard of this. Please don’t tell me it involves a cheese curd lol. 

[Madhoshi]

9 hours ago, StudentGolfer4 said:

@Madhoshi sounds like a fantastic trip! I always enjoy hearing opinions on different golf courses. 
 

I have to ask, what’s a Wisconsin Old Fashioned? Despite family having a vacation home up there I’ve never heard of this. Please don’t tell me it involves a cheese curd lol. 

Everybody I talked to couldn't explain what made it "Wisconsin," but that I had to try it! They just said nobody makes it like we do lol. I had several up there, both with Brandy (sour and sweet) and Bourbon. Honestly some of the best drinks I've had, so that was great. No cheese curds in the drink lol. That was a separate delight. 

[Phreddy]

12 minutes ago, Madhoshi said:

Everybody I talked to couldn't explain what made it "Wisconsin," but that I had to try it! They just said nobody makes it like we do lol. I had several up there, both with Brandy (sour and sweet) and Bourbon. Honestly some of the best drinks I've had, so that was great. No cheese curds in the drink lol. That was a separate delight. 

Every bar in Wisconsin has their own twist on the Bloody Mary, but that is another institution.  Generally a meal in a glass, with cheese, a sausage stick, some veggies and ALWAYS served with a beer chaser.  There is a reason all of our bathroom scales start at 200 lbs.

[Madhoshi]

3 minutes ago, Phreddy said:

Every bar in Wisconsin has their own twist on the Bloody Mary, but that is another institution.  Generally a meal in a glass, with cheese, a sausage stick, some veggies and ALWAYS served with a beer chaser.  There is a reason all of our bathroom scales start at 200 lbs.

 

Oh man! I forgot all about the bloody Mary's, I went to Hoozel's at the lake for the bloody's at the recommendation of some of the local kids at SV. Also among some of the best I've had in my life!

[games]

13 hours ago, StudentGolfer4 said:

@Madhoshi sounds like a fantastic trip! I always enjoy hearing opinions on different golf courses. 
 

I have to ask, what’s a Wisconsin Old Fashioned? Despite family having a vacation home up there I’ve never heard of this. Please don’t tell me it involves a cheese curd lol. 

 

The Wisconsin Old Fashioned is a little cane sugar, bitters, and either sour or white soda muddled at bottom of glass with a maraschino cherry and an orange slice.  Add ice, then two shots (minimum) of brandy (NEVER whiskey) then white soda (sweet) or seltzer. Garnish with orange slice and cherry.

 

 

Edited May 18, 2022 by games

[jcook10]

Good afternoon cheeseheads! Making our yearly family fishing trip up to Beaver Dam from Chicago next weekend for Memorial Day. Leaving a day early for 36 at Lac LaBelle on Wednesday. Does anyone have any current condition updates? I know these last couple days of fake summer hopefully really helped some things grow in.  Thanks in advance!

[cmatthews77]

Just got back from my first Wisconsin golf trip. Great trip that in the future I’d either add 2 days to or break into 2 golf trips. 
 

We did:

1. Blackwolf Run River

I loved the course. Others in our group it was their least fave. Probably because it ate our lunch from the back or near back tees (7000 yards). Lost 4 golf balls and shot 87 as a 2 handicap. Wind was up. But it was a course I’d definitely play again. Great shape. We needed a fore-caddie. GREAT set of par 3s
 

2. Whistling Straits

PHENOMENAL. Met all my expectations. Visually intimidating but fair. We played it at 6700 yards so we could score. I had my best round of week. Can’t say enough good things. We had ideal perfect weather 
 

3. Irish Course. 
Echo above poster that if this were not adjacent to Straits it would be the bell. Was my 2nd fave on the trip. Great track. Good shape. Fun. 
 

4. Mammoth Dunes

Visually stunning and very playable while not appearing easy. Would play again as i feel like I left 5 shots out there even from the tips. Only thing I’d say is that coming from Straits and Irish probably didn’t appreciate as much but great track. 
 

5. Sand Valley

I can see why some might prefer to Mammoth but I didn’t. 30mph winds probably didn’t help and I played very poorly. We played tips at 7000. It’s definitely 3-4 shots harder than Mammoth. Again, maybe not coming directly from my first Kohler experience that was perfect I’d like these better. Great fun but I personally preferred the Kohler area. 
 

6. Sandbox (par 3)

Not a stand alone par 3 course but great fun after playing either MD or SV as an after round loop with a few beers. 
 

7. Cog Hill #4 Dubs(day we flew home)

I’d read a lot of mixed and negative reviews but really enjoyed this course especially considering the contrast from Sand Valley. Excellent shot value both off the tee and approach. Fairways are premium to score. 
 

I think I’d rate…

Straits, Irish, Cog, Blackwolf, Mammoth, Sand Valley

Edited May 18, 2022 by cmatthews77

[tboh]

On 5/17/2022 at 10:31 PM, Madhoshi said:

Just got back from my Wisconsin trip! Thank you all for the recs as far as other courses to play! We lucked out incredibly with regards to the weather (09-16May), not a drop of rain, and fairly warm temps (even for me coming from Louisiana). This was my first time up there, and I was truly blown away by the quality of golf in the area, and accessibility. Conditions were incredible given how early in the season it is. Here are my thoughts in order of courses played:

 

1. Cog Hill: Played dubs the day I flew in, in high winds (25mph). Conditioning was immaculate, and greens were running true and fairly quick (probably due to the winds drying them out somewhat). A friend was up there probably 2.5 weeks ago, when the greens had been sanded/punched; needless to say they healed very well. All in all, a fun course to play as we were able to cart around in around 3 hours. 

 

From there we drove to stay at a friend's house in Portage, prior to the Sand Valley portion

 

2. Sand Valley: Truly an immense property, the scale is hard to describe. A fun track, I can certainly see how people say its harder than its counterpart Mammoth. Greens were true, and medium pace I'd say. Played 36 holes in one day, followed by a loop around the Sandbox (a great treat, In and of itself). I enjoyed Sand valley much more than the next course.

 

3. Mammoth Dunes: If I had thought SV was large, I'm out of words for Mammoth. Fairways everywhere you look. Lots of undulations etc that funnel your ball to places you wouldn't think on the course. I wasn't the hugest fan of the course, as I felt that good shots were kind of punished as they hit the wrong undulation or berm, and ricocheted to weird portion around the green, or on the green in general. The only way I can describe it is, for those who have played it, I feel like it's like Gamble Sands (in Brewster, WA), but ON STEROIDS. We were supposed to play an afternoon round after the morning 18, but then tried to audible back to SV. That was thwarted by being placed behind a group of 12, already very inebriated guys on a bachelor party. Thus we pivoted to a controversial course.....and drove an hour and fifteen to 

 

4. Lawsonia (Links): I know this course is very divisive. We got on around 4:45, and zipped around in 2 and a half hours. Honestly, it was some of the most fun golf I'd ever played in my life. The back 9 was particularly fun, and I'd say, unique in terms of the greens, shapes etc. Value, in my opinion was unmatched ($40). All I can say is, I'm a fan; 10/10 would definitely go back and play again. This brings us to...

 

5. Erin Hills: Located really in the middle of nowhere, you pull up to an unassuming guard house, and that drive in is nuts. Wow, what a location, building, and practice area. Course was immaculate as well. Greens were slower than what they are typically (from what the caddies told us), but they rolled absolutely true. We all had an absolute BLAST. Had so much fun, we scrambled into another round on one of the days we were supposed to be in Kohler. Speaking of Kohler, we had a morning to fill so we went to...

 

6. The Bull, at Pinehurst Farms: We had a morning to fill prior to starting our Kohler rounds, so we picked the Bull, as it is right around the corner from Blackworld run (our afternoon course). They are/were re-doing some of their bunkers, and so they had reduced rates ($70) for a first off tee time. What a tough course, its deceivingly tough, especially for our first time there. Can definitely see the Jack Nicklaus design cues. Greens were again, immaculate. Would definitely return to play again. Grabbed a quick lunch, and headed to

 

7. Blackwolf, River: By the afternoon the winds were up, and the blue tees were playing VERY LONG. Tough tough tough course. Hard to hold the greens, and not a lot of places to 'miss' or bail. Lost more balls there than I had in quite some time (all dumb shots, that I knew I shouldn't have attempted, especially in those conditions). Can't complain or blame conditioning of the course though (I feel like that's a recurring theme). Leads us to....

 

8. Whistling (Irish): If you lifted this course, and dropped it anywhere else, it would be the marquee course. Great fun, I think it gave us a peek into what we were going to expect with the Straits. I will stay I was disappointed with the conditioning of some of the fairway bunkers (definitely almost broke my wrist in one after the "sand" gave way to packed hard earth), but that's about the only critique I had. 

 

9. Whistling (Straits): The "big dog" in Kohler. An experience to be sure, lots of Pete Dye visual intimidation. Played the first day with caddies (really they just gave us lines/yardages, I wasn't impressed and thought the EH caddies were superior). Winds were down for our first round, so the course felt "getable" if that makes sense. Lots of fun with different lines, and how the ball ends up with some of the misses. We played the second day on our own, with the full game on the line, and winds were around 20 mph, and what a DIFFERENT course it was. Shots were 2-3 clubs different than what we used the previous day. Greens ran much quicker. The quick turnaround was fun to try and think through. It reminds me of the Ocean course, in that, you can't "let your guard down," and have to stay engaged throughout the round. Which leads me to their 5 hour pace of play. As somebody who likes to play fast, waiting 5-10 mins prior to teeing off, was BRUTAL. We said something to the ranger, who said we were well within our time, and that we should slow down. I'm just not used to a 5+ hour round. Really that's my only negative thing to say. It was VERY FUN, and I would definitely return to play.

 

Non golf: Cheese curds. WOW. Garlic curds, BBQ curds, normal curds. What an invention. I also had the opportunity to try a Wisconsin Old Fashioned, ended up being my drink of choice for the week. 

 

All in all, a phenomenal spring classic for my group. All of us enjoyed it to the fullest, and Wisconsin will be forever in our rotation. I think the least liked courses, believe it or not, were the Sand Valley courses. They just didn't have any soul like the rest I think. I think my personal favorite was Erin Hills, followed closely by the Straits. I think Lawsonia was my gem find, with the Bull being close runner up to that. Sorry for the long story, but wanted to give my insights as somebody who had never been or played in the area previously! We will be back! As a "shoulder season" trip for Wisconsin, this could easily be a yearly thing for us. 

Bravo ... nicely done!

[tboh]

18 hours ago, cmatthews77 said:

Just got back from my first Wisconsin golf trip. Great trip that in the future I’d either add 2 days to or break into 2 golf trips. 
 

We did:

1. Blackwolf Run River

I loved the course. Others in our group it was their least fave. Probably because it ate our lunch from the back or near back tees (7000 yards). Lost 4 golf balls and shot 87 as a 2 handicap. Wind was up. But it was a course I’d definitely play again. Great shape. We needed a fore-caddie. GREAT set of par 3s
 

2. Whistling Straits

PHENOMENAL. Met all my expectations. Visually intimidating but fair. We played it at 6700 yards so we could score. I had my best round of week. Can’t say enough good things. We had ideal perfect weather 
 

3. Irish Course. 
Echo above poster that if this were not adjacent to Straits it would be the bell. Was my 2nd fave on the trip. Great track. Good shape. Fun. 
 

4. Mammoth Dunes

Visually stunning and very playable while not appearing easy. Would play again as i feel like I left 5 shots out there even from the tips. Only thing I’d say is that coming from Straits and Irish probably didn’t appreciate as much but great track. 
 

5. Sand Valley

I can see why some might prefer to Mammoth but I didn’t. 30mph winds probably didn’t help and I played very poorly. We played tips at 7000. It’s definitely 3-4 shots harder than Mammoth. Again, maybe not coming directly from my first Kohler experience that was perfect I’d like these better. Great fun but I personally preferred the Kohler area. 
 

6. Sandbox (par 3)

Not a stand alone par 3 course but great fun after playing either MD or SV as an after round loop with a few beers. 
 

7. Cog Hill #4 Dubs(day we flew home)

I’d read a lot of mixed and negative reviews but really enjoyed this course especially considering the contrast from Sand Valley. Excellent shot value both off the tee and approach. Fairways are premium to score. 
 

I think I’d rate…

Straits, Irish, Cog, Blackwolf, Mammoth, Sand Valley

Bravo ... nicely done! (x2)

[collje26]

Playing Stevens Point Country Club tomorrow afternoon. Really excited to finally check this one off the list. Absolutely loved craig's design of Lac La Belle and his alterations to Lawsonia.

[TBone0576]

On 5/10/2022 at 4:25 PM, Phreddy said:

Lac La Belle is very walkable.  No dramatic elevation changes and it was designed back in a day when greens and tees were placed with walking in mind.  The update is thoughtful and well done, and it has had time to grow in nicely.  The club house and practice range are great.  I think you will enjoy your day.

The round got postponed until June 23rd now.    

[Phreddy]

4 hours ago, TBone0576 said:

The round got postponed until June 23rd now.    

It will just get better.  What a slow spring!

[FuzzyKnuckles]

2 hours ago, Phreddy said:

It will just get better.  What a slow spring!

Hopefully a slow spring leads to a warm fall? Coming up Sep 29-Oct 2 and hoping it’s not too cool (we’re Texans lol). 

[TBone0576]

On 5/27/2022 at 3:37 PM, FuzzyKnuckles said:

Hopefully a slow spring leads to a warm fall? Coming up Sep 29-Oct 2 and hoping it’s not too cool (we’re Texans lol). 

That should be a really nice time to be golfing in Wisconsin.  Depends on what you consider cool I guess.  Possibly 40s or 50s in the morning but generally perfect later on.