Wisconsin Golf Roundup

BY ALICE & DANNY SCOTT

ATTENTION as a golf destination since Erin Hills hosted the 2017 U.S. Open Championship and Whistling Straits hosted the 2021 Ryder Cup. The state is full of beautiful golf courses with dreamy landscapes and has many lakes (or lacs) for water fun before or after golf.

Wisconsinites are the friendliest to travelers outside of Ireland, perhaps due to all the beer and cheese? Here are a few prime spots to meet them and play exceptional golf.

SentryWorld is centrally located in Stephens Point and ready to host the 2023 U.S. Senior Open. Built in 1982, RTJ II returned in 2021 with modifications while the course closed for pandemic precautions. The drainage system was improved, and the fairways were narrowed in preparation for the pro competition. The course is pristine and refreshing stations are positioned with the widest selection of beverages, snacks, and hot food for the all-inclusive green fee. Tee times are set 29 minutes apart for an unpressured round. It is not about the number of rounds, rather the high-end private feel.

SentryWorld’s boutique Inn is only a year young. The Frank Lloyd Wright architecture combines iron and wood with cozy comforts in a peaceful wilderness setting. Spacious bedrooms include a balcony with rockers to observe golfers on the 18th fairway and at the complex 16th bunkered green, encircled by 35,000 brilliant flowers. Registration keys are accompanied with a choice of Spotted Cow ale, wine, or water in a commemorative refillable bottle, a detail noted by every visitor riding the elevator. www.sentryworld.com

Destination Kohler spans a vast area surrounding the Village of Kohler, 60 miles from Milwaukee. The charming Inn at Woodlake has its own beach, and a sports court in walking distance. Downtown, visionary Herb Kohler converted the original immigrant dormitory into The American Club, a five star, five diamond hotel dripping with historical, elegant furnishings so that guests could experience Kohler’s quality manufacturing across the street and The Kohler Design Center with the latest fixtures as well as a history museum. Herb passed away last fall, but the legacy is carried forward by family members and dedicated staff.

Two distinct areas deliver fabulous Kohler golf. At Whistling Straits, a Champions Room chronicles the 2021 Ryder Cup. The breathtaking Straits course along the coast of Lake Michigan and the Irish course behind it were built to mimic Irish sea links.170-210 caddies are employed but not mandatory.

The Black Wolf Run complex features two Pete Dye Courses - Rivers and Meadow Valleys plus a bonus par 3 course with music called The Baths. Along the way a complimentary brat will boost driving distance on hole ten. Restrooms are housed beside antique cow stanchions in an old barn and salmon are seen spawning in the rivers. www.destinationkohler.com

Sand Valley in Nekoosa is Mike Keiser’s third Dream Golf destination after Bandon Dunes and Cabot Links. Three courses were modeled after the Heathland Golf Courses of London in 2017. David McLay Kidd designed Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes while Coore & Crenshaw created a unique 17-hole par 3 course called the Sandbox. The new Lido course opened with nine holes last year with another nine completing this year. Sledge Valley course will open in 2024. Accommodations in the elegant lodge or cottages have access to Lake Leopold for swimming and fishing. www.sandvalley.com

Erin Hills is 50 minutes from Milwaukee, with four cottages named after Irish courses, all without kitchens. The clubhouse serves all meals. Another 15 rooms in the lodge equate to only 37 beds on property which fill up fast for an exclusive experience. The Hurdzan/ Fry/Whitten team designed the extraordinary championship course for the 2017 U.S. Open. The 12-hole Drumlin Putting course delivers undulation elation as the mounds appear like an elephant herd burial plot carpeted in green velvet. Caddies in white stand out against the horizon on the course above as the wispy grass waves in the wind. www.erinhills.com

Wisconsin Dells

Wisconsin Dells is “The Waterpark Capital of the World” with 8,000 hotel rooms. The downtown atmosphere is like an offspring from a Myrtle Beach and Branson union. Situated on the Wisconsin River, tall sandstone canyon cruises are stunning. So is Wild Rock Golf Course at nearly dusk, with herds of deer and hilly holes. www.GolfInTheDells.com

Lake Geneva www.visitlakegeneva.com/golf

Lake Geneva has nine courses within a 15-mile radius. Enjoy the ultimate lake life on beaches or boats. Standout properties are Grand Geneva Resort, the former Lake Geneva Playboy Club and Geneva National Resort and Golf Club.

Golf Courses of Lawsonia

Golf Courses of Lawsonia in Green Lake has 36 holes on the Woodlands and the Links courses that are somewhat under noticed yet make the top 100 rankings. Three houses are available onsite for rental and Langford’s Pub serves all three meals. www.lawsonia.com

The Club at Lac La Belle www.clubatlaclabelle.com

The Club at Lac La Belle in Oconomowoc is 45 minutes from the Milwaukee Airport. Built in 1896, golfers enjoy the trees and breeze over hilly, former farmland. Harsh Marshes with fescue and impossible side hill pin placements make a challenging round. This is a great stop when flying in or out of the Best Airport Award winner for 2021, Milwaukee Airport (MKE).