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GOLFERS FIND TOP-FLIGHT COURSES IN WISCONSIN
MADISON, Wis (March 8, 2005) - Casual viewers of the 2004 PGA Championship may have been surprised when they found that the breathtaking links of Whistling Straits were in Wisconsin, not the British Isles. However, golf insiders know that the Badger State has some of the best natural terrain for golf in the nation. In recent years, Wisconsin’s rolling, wooded landscape has attracted the world’s biggest names in course design and the state now boasts dozens of PGA-caliber courses. Following are highlights of some of Wisconsin’s top golf facilities.
Northeastern Wisconsin
Destination Kohler, the Kohler Co. resort located in the village of Kohler, is home to four of the Midwest's most heralded courses. The Straits Course at Whistling Straits and the River Course at Blackwolf Run have been named two of America's best courses by Golfweek. Site of the 86th PGA Championship in August, the Straits Course, like all Kohler Co. courses, was designed by world-renowned golf architect Pete Dye. Wrapped along two miles of picturesque Lake Michigan shoreline near Sheboygan, Whistling Straits is one of the few American courses to use special fescue grasses instead of the more typical bents or Bermudas. Featuring a layout that bears similarities to the great Scottish and Irish seaside courses, it has been one of the most talked-about golf facilities in the country since its opening in 1998.
Interspersed by four meandering streams, the grassland, marsh and dunes of Whistling Straits' Irish Course provide golfers with an equally formidable challenge. Located just inland from the Straits Course, the Irish Course gives golfers views of Lake Michigan on five different holes. The course's most memorable may be No. 13, a par three that reveals only 10 to 25 percent of its putting surface to players on the tee box.
Destination Kohler is also home to Blackwolf Run, a 36-hole, classically styled venue carved skillfully out of the natural surroundings. Site of the 1998 U.S. Women's Open, the River Course and the Meadow Valleys Course at Blackwolf Run are ranked among Golf Magazine's "Top 100 Courses in America."
Among Wisconsin's newest "destination" courses, the Bull at Pinehurst Farms opened in June 2003. Wisconsin's only Jack Nicklaus Signature Course, the Bull is the only course in the Midwest to be named to Golf Magazine's "Top 10 You Can Play" list for 2004. It was also named the second-best new upscale public course in the country by Golf Digest. Located in Sheboygan Falls on a 418-acre parcel that was once a world-renowned dairy farm, the Bull winds its way through meadows and hardwoods, around lakes, wetlands and the Onion River. Measuring 7,332 yards with a course rating of 76.4 and a slope of 146, the Bull provides a stiff challenge for even the best golfers. The facility's addition further strengthens Sheboygan County's growing reputation as a top-flight golf destination. Golf Digest previously named the area the No. 3 golf destination in the United States and No. 7 in the world.
Golfers looking for the challenge of a Scottish-links-style course can head to Fox Hills Resort in Mishicot. Fox Hills Resort offers guest 45 golf holes, with the main attraction being the 18-hole Fox Hills National. Designed by Bob Lohmann, this 6,900-yard track hosted a Hooters Tour event in 2003 and 2004.
Long known as a summer getaway destination, Door County features a number of excellent golf courses, including Peninsula State Park Golf Course and The Orchards at Egg Harbor. The only golf course located in a Wisconsin state park, Peninsula offers 18 holes in the bluffs overlooking scenic Eagle Harbor and the village of Ephraim. Opened in 2000, The Orchards at Egg Harbor plays at 7100 yards from the back tees, but offers four sets of tees to accommodate players of all skill levels.
Southeastern Wisconsin
Brown Deer Golf Club in Milwaukee is home to the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee (formerly known as Greater Milwaukee Open) PGA Tour event. Site of Tiger Woods' professional debut, this 6,700-yard municipal course is known for its tight, lush fairways and fast greens. Just north of Milwaukee, in Saukville, The Bog is built on 300 acres of wetlands, woods and rolling hills. Designed by Arnold Palmer, it challenges golfers with tight dogleg fairways and an unforgiving marshy rough. Milwaukee's western suburbs offer excellent courses, including Morningstar in Waukesha; Western Lakes and Nagawaukee in Pewaukee; Ironwood and Silver Spring in Sussex and Washington County Golf Course in Hartford.
In the Lake Geneva area, the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa features two PGA-caliber facilities. The Highlands, originally designed by Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus, recently underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation by Robert Cupp. At more than 7,200 yards, The Brute is one of the longest courses in the Midwest. Among its challenges are 68 dramatic bunkers and more than 8,000 square feet of rolling greens. Golf for Women recently named Grand Geneva to its list of "Top 100 Women-Friendly Fairways" and Golf Magazine to its "Silver Medalist Award." Grand Geneva was the only course in Wisconsin to be named to this coveted award. Geneva National's spectacular golf club includes three, 18-hole courses designed by Gary Player, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer, respectively. The 18-hole Player Course spreads out along Lake Como on a combination of low, wooded hills and open lakefront property.
Hawk's View Golf Club in Lake Geneva features two, 18-hole courses designed by Craig Schreiner, one of the nation's premier golf architects. Como Crossings offers spectacular views and a layout that challenges even the best shotmakers while Barn Hollow is designed for families and beginning golfers. Other favorites in the Lake Geneva area include Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan and Abbey Springs in Fontana.
Northern Wisconsin
Siren Glen Golf Club, set in the pristine woodlands of northwestern Wisconsin, incorporates the natural splendor of mature trees, water, and varied topography, offering golfers a memorable and enjoyable challenge. Golfers will enjoy a peaceful stroll through the wilderness, not a tour of a residential subdivision. Designed by T.L. Haugen, the course offers 18 unique and secluded holes with bentgrass fairways, four sets of tees and breathtaking scenery.
Carefully sculpted out of 420 acres of rolling St. Croix River Valley hills, Troy Burne Golf Club in Hudson is the first course designed by PGA Tour professional Tom Lehman. The challenging par-71 course measures 7,003 yards from the back tees. It features more than 100 bunkers protecting generous bentgrass fairways and stadium greens as well as a bubbling burne and several lakes that come into play. Troy Burne is also home to the Nationwide Tour, “The Scholarship America Showdown,” July 11-17, 2005. PGA TOUR cards will be on the line as the stars of tomorrow prove they have what it takes to be a part of the PGA. In Somerset, nature and golf come together at St. Croix National. This 18-hole course winds through majestic oaks and pines, around ponds and across fertile valleys. Elevation changes throughout the course allow golfers to get a great view of the St. Croix River Valley while playing. Two other beautiful Northwoods courses can be found in the Cable/Hayward area. Designed by Joel Goldstrand, Lakewood’s Forest Ridges Golf Course in Cable features 11 carries over ravines and three over water, onto fairways cut into the lush Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Blending traditional links land and north woods beauty, Big Fish Golf Course offers a fun, challenging, and memorable golf experience on a course crafted by world renowned golf architect Pete Dye.
Other notable courses in Wisconsin's North Woods include Apostle Highlands in Bayfield; Robert Trent Jones' Madeline Island Golf Club on Madeline Island; and Timber Ridge Golf Club in Minocqua. One of the most scenic courses in the state, Apostle Islands offers players views of Lake Superior, the Apostle Islands and Northern Michigan. Nearby Madeline Island Golf Club is one of only two Wisconsin courses built on an island. Designed by the late Robert Trent Jones, Sr. this 9-hole course (accessible by ferry only) features deep bunkers and double greens patterned after St. Andrews Old Course in Scotland. Opened as a private club in 1979, Minocqua's Timber Ridge became public in 1997. Designed by Roger Packard, this woodsy 6,600-yard track has become one of the most popular courses in the area.
Southern and Central Wisconsin
Verona, near Wisconsin's capital city of Madison, is home to University Ridge Golf Course. This 18-hole course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., is home to the UW-Madison golf team and is named for the glacial ridge upon which it is built. Designers used the natural contours of the landscape to sculpt this picturesque course. Rolling hills, deep-set woods and sprawling meadows make University Ridge one of southern Wisconsin's golf gems. Also in Madison is Hawks Landing, which features an exciting 18th hole carved into the hillside amphitheater-style. A par-72 course, it provides enjoyment and challenge for all skill levels. Located 10 miles east of Madison in Cottage Grove, the Oaks GC has been cited by Golf Digest magazine as one of the top five "best new affordable courses" in the country. Playing at 6732 yards from the tips, the 18th hole of this two-year old course was named the area's best hole by Wisconsin State Journal.
About an hour north of Madison are the Golf Courses of Lawsonia in Green Lake, featuring two, 18-hole courses. The Woodlands course offers great views of the lakeshore, and the Links Course is an authentic Scottish-style layout with unusually elevated greens, steep-faced bunkers and the legendary boxcar-burial green. The Links Course has been named one of "America's Top 100 Classical Courses" by Golfweek.
To the northeast is SentryWorld Golf Course in Stevens Point, also designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Native pines and white birch trees, spring-fed lakes, white sand bunkers and sprawling flowerbeds create a landscape that makes the course as beautiful as it is challenging. SentryWorld's 177-yard 16th hole features a manicured green surrounded by sand traps and flowerbeds played like a drop. Nekoosa's Lake Arrowhead Golf Course consists of two 18-hole layouts, the Pines and the Lakes. Eight lakes, including a waterfall on No. 3, give the Lakes course its name. The addition of tight, tree-lined fairways and a multitude of bunkers make it a challenge for golfers of any skill level. The par-72 Pines course features bentgrass tees and fairways, manicured greens and strategically placed bunkers, all carved into a majestic oak and pine forest.
Though known more for its scenic river bluffs and expansive indoor waterparks, the Wisconsin Dells area is quickly gaining a reputation among golfers. The area's leading course is Trapper's Turn, a 27-hole Roger Packard-Andy North design that has hosted numerous Wisconsin State Opens. At the Wilderness Resort, visiting golfers will find a vintage 1920s course transformed into a state-of-the-art 6,600-yard track capable of challenging even scratch players. The course's signature hole is 172-yard par-3 that starts on a cliff above Lake Delton and then drops onto an island green.
North of the Dells is Northern Bay Golf & Country Club. The 18-hole, 7,000-yard championship course offers nine replica holes from some of the game's most storied courses including Sawgrass' gut-wrenching 17th island hole; Pebble Beach's picturesque first; the infamous bunkers of Oakmont Country Club's third; and Augusta National's 16th hole, site of Tiger Woods' lip-hanging chip in the 2005 Masters.
Janesville, in extreme southern Wisconsin, offers one of the state's top municipal courses - Riverside Golf Club. First opened in 1924, Riverside features huge elms and oaks, undulating fairways and quick greens. The courses signature hole is No. 10, a 491-yard, dogleg left, uphill par-5 that is as difficult as it is memorable.
In 2005, the Wisconsin Department of Tourism will continue to celebrate the state's love affair with golf through the "Golf Wisconsin" program. This multi-faceted program gives golfers the chance to win free rounds of golf at top state courses, as well as participate in free family clinics and the special Golf Wisconsin Day - when kids golf free at participating courses.
For more information about golf in Wisconsin, the public can visit travelwisconsin.com/golf or call the Wisconsin Department of Tourism's 24-hour, live-operated toll-free number, 1-800-432-TRIP/8747, to request a free copy of the Wisconsin Golf Guide. Travelers can also obtain guides and information at the Wisconsin Travel Information Centers, located in select state-border cities.
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