Golfing in Wisconsin (A Smorgasboard Discussion)

[homer]

Probably the toughest course in the state is The Bull - located near Sheboygan.

 

Another really nice course is The Bog - just up the road from FireRidge.

[lcbj68c]

I hate only getting to play 9 holes. However, if I can only squeeze in 9 after work, I would rather golf 9 holes than 0 holes.

 

As far as using carts, I think more people take carts than you think. I dont mind walking, and I used to walk 95% of the time, but I usually take a cart now-a-days because we are usually pressed for time. I guess don't feel bad taking a cart, as long as you dont mind waiting a bit on every hole and as long as you aren't hitting intot he group in front of you. If there is a group out ther ein the fairway, and if you every think to yourself "should i hit? are they far enough away?" - just wait. even if it would take a 1-in-a-million shot to get it there, it makes more sense to wait and let them get out there. That only means less waiting on the next shot.

 

Its hard to really answer how the courses play because there is such a wide range of courses in southeastern wisconsin. but if you are talking about good, challenging courses, they should play a bit faster in the middle of the summer. and most greens around here are bent-grass. as far as elevation changes, you will find that it is best to play for 5-15 yards more or less for uphill/downhill shots, depending on the severity of the slope. for a moderate elevation change, it's usually 1 more or 1 less club. if i'm in between clubs, play the longer club on an uphill shot.

 

whitsling straits will cost you over $400 with a caddie ($330 + a minimum of $60 for a caddy). the only way to play that course is to play it during twilight. you may barely get your round in, but the cost is significantly less and you may not have to take a caddy. either way, it will still cost more than $200.

 

Before I start listing/recommending courses, I will address the wife thing. If you are worried AT ALL about possible frustrations and squabbles, do not teach her. i have literally seen couples fight and lead to break ups because of a husband/boyfriend teaching wife/girlfriend situations (even though the swore they wouldn't fight about it). personally, i bought my girlfriend a set of clubs last year and have been slowly teaching her how to golf. i was warned by dozens of people, but i am patient when it comes to teaching people things, so i wasn't worried. i purchased a full set (bag included) of pink golf clubs (Adams brand, very nice clubs) for around $300. sets like that will run you from $150 to $800. In my opinion, a $200 complete set is just fine for her if she is serious about taking up golf. As far as the teaching thing, get her a few lessons at a golf store, driving range, or local course. Let a pro teach her a few times. If it should a relatively natural transition, then you can finish the teaching while most of the early struggles were handled by someone else. If she isn't getting it at all, i would get her a few more lessons and be glad you avoided the likely frustrations. Luckily, my g/f is a really good athlete and was somewhat of a natural. she has sort of a softball swing, but within 3 driving range sessions and a few rounds of 9 holes at a par 3 course, she was ready to go to a real course.

 

i will get some course recommendations out in another post. my fingers hurt

Thanks for that long post. It was very helpful. I can't believe Whistling Straits is $330. I played TPC @ Sawgrass (yes, the famous island hole course) for $210.

[Patrick425]

Probably the toughest course in the state is The Bull - located near Sheboygan.

Yeah I have heard that. That's the one course I have not played yet, that I would love to play. I think someone mentioned that they have some ridiculous carries on some of the holes...one of them being 200+ yards and that's not from the back tees from what I understand.

 

I'm wondering how it compares to Erin Hills. I golfed there a couple of weeks ago. We used a fore caddy who was very good. I swear, without him, there would have been at least another 10 strokes added to my score. There are so many blind shots and the greens are just crazy as far as undulations go.

[Menotti80]

true, but I have seen both courses and I think Whistling Straits is a better course hands-down; and it already has hosted 1 major and has 2 more majors and 1 ryder cup scheduled in the next 12 years. i guess that's why i can justify the price.

 

plus, the american club is arguably the best golf resort in the US

[lcbj68c]

patrick, i totally agree. i made sure not to even bring my g/f to hansen (where 95% of the people are old or hacks - no offense to anyone) until she had 3 range sessions in and she could hit the ball pretty well on a contistant basis.

I also concur Patrick. I don't think the speed of the game will be a challenge, I can just see the frustration once 5 strokes are made and the ball still isn't on the green. That's where you just sit there and have 3 equally horrible options. 1) Pretend it's all good, bite your lip and offer encouragement, though anybody could question the sincerity. She watches plenty of golf, has rode with me enough to know the relation to par and how many strokes it should take you to reach the green considerably. 2) If the group behind you is waiting, you could pick up your ball and go the green, though that probably doesnt foster encouragment. 3) You could continue to let them hack it around and piss off the group behind you.

 

I think I like your option of just buying her some range time, some instruction time without me. Let her foster her skills (she plays softball pretty well) and then take her out to that par 3 in Wauwautosa (name fails me). Then it'll likely be a case where she will "surprise me" with what she has learned and both of us can feel good about it.

[lcbj68c]

true, but I have seen both courses and I think Whistling Straits is a better course hands-down; and it already has hosted 1 major and has 2 more majors and 1 ryder cup scheduled in the next 12 years. i guess that's why i can justify the price.

 

plus, the american club is arguably the best golf resort in the US

Were you comparing the bull or responding about TPC @ Sawgrass?

[dabrew141]

I played the bull this year, it is a gorgeous course. Definetly not the hardest course I've played in WI. That might have to go to Old Hickory from the tips, so narrow. And i have played mostly all the top courses in WI excluding the straits due to price. But i have played both black wolf run courses and the irish course at whistling, which is absolutely awesome. I live in milwaukee now and had to change my golfing because I use to live in Madison. In Madison, Hawks Landing, University Ridge, Oaks, Bergamont are probably the prime courses. I will be golfing Sentry world, Lawsonia, and Erin Hills soon.

 

For Milwaukee, I am apart of the Dretzka mens club and golf every weekend at a County Course. Dretzka is best for the price then Brown Deer. Whitnall and Currie can get pretty run down. For nicer ones in Milwaukee go north a little to Fire Ridge or the Bog. But good golf in milwaukee is hard to come by unfortunately.

[Menotti80]

lcbj: i was comparing the straits course to sawgrass. i've never played the bull, but have heard its spectacular

 

lcbj: the par 3 course in Tosa is Hansen (the place i took my gf). another good option is doyne on 53rd and wells (even shorter than hansen, lol.

 

dabrew: Dretzka is similar to oakwood now in quality. if you get a local discount card and play brown deer for like $40, it's worth it. which course at lawsonia are you playing? the links is imfamous and awesome, but i still love to woodlands (maybe cause the only course i've ever shot under par at). have fun either way. and im glad you also mentioned old hickory: underrated and surprisingly tough.

[Patrick425]

Dretzka is best for the price then Brown Deer.

I would not agree with this at all ifyou have a county card. Brown Deer is definitly best for price if you have a county card (if you don't that's a different story). I use to belong to Whitnall men's club (didn't golf there much, just joined the closest club because you had to in order to participate in the County Championship in late August). I have not joined for the past couple of years because I have not been able to get out as much. Prior to two years ago I spent a considerable amount of time on the county golf courses. Dretzka and Oakwood are very similar as far as how well they are kept up. If it's a hot dry summer, they both can get in brutal shape with lot's of dirt patches and burnt out areas and it can be a very dissapointing golfing experience.

 

Dretzka is hillier than Oakwood and maybe slightly more challanging. For whatever reason, I have always enjoyed Oakwood better and have found it to sometimes be in better shape than Dretzka.

If anyone is ever looking for a course to take a young child to or even a spouse who is not really serious about golf, a nice little par 3 is Valley Green in Muskego (Basically take Forest Home (becomes Cape Rd) out past Hwy 100 about 3 miles (?) on the left. It's basically a little bar with a make shift 9 hole course and very small greens. This was the perfect place to take my son when he was about 6,7, 8 years old. It's just a bunch of hackers and it's kind of mini golf mentality in regards to pace of play, but it's usually not very crowded.

 

 

[DHonks]

best public courses in the Milwaukee area:

 

-Western Lakes, Nagawaukee, Oakwood, Dretzka (front nine is awesome), Kenosha Brightondale, The BOG, Kettle Hills, Washington County Golf Course, Scenic View, New Berlin Hills, Ironwood.

 

I'm also a huge fan of the Lawsonia courses in Green Lake (Ripon, west of Fon du Lac)

 

I can't stand the terrible greens at Fire Ridge. Okay layout and fairway conditions, but the greens are a joke.

 

REally, the best courses in the area are Nag (Nagawaukee), Washington County, The Broadlands, Morningstar Golfers Club, and Oakwood

[craigharmann]

true, but I have seen both courses and I think Whistling Straits is a better course hands-down; and it already has hosted 1 major and has 2 more majors and 1 ryder cup scheduled in the next 12 years. i guess that's why i can justify the price.

 

plus, the american club is arguably the best golf resort in the US

About the only good things about Sheboygan county.

 

[T B0NE 10]

Maple Hills in Wittenberg, Wisconsin is a very nice course. Wittenberg is about 30 miles East of Wausau on 29.

 

Its only a 9 hole course but its nice.

[germanking]

I think I might be the first to say for a set of beginner clubs for the lady. Cheap. Sports Authority by me in Delafield has sets of clubs for women under $200, heck that is all mine cost b/c I'm not that good of a golfer yet. Until I get a lot better at the game, I see no reason to spend a ton of money on mid-priced or top shelf golf equipment.

As for the courses, I would recommend Camelot out of Lomira. It is a very well maintained course and some of the holes are actually challenging. For instance, I believe it is the 12th or 13th where you are driving off of a bluff with a very large area of swampland to the right of the fairway. As I said, I'm not that good, but that course should give you a bit of a challenge hopefully.

[Baldkin]

I really enjoy The Oaks, just east of Madison. Its about $50 with a gps cart, and you can get a second round (same day) for $25. I've played 36 there a couple times as a result (though my back didn't appreciate it the next day)

[RU Rah Rah]

I really enjoy The Oaks, just east of Madison. Its about $50 with a gps cart, and you can get a second round (same day) for $25. I've played 36 there a couple times as a result (though my back didn't appreciate it the next day)

I like the Oaks pretty well, too, but the holes along the interstate don't really appeal to me. Otherwise, though, it's nice.

 

 

[homer]

I forgot about Washington County. For the price that course is awesome.

[burniebrewer]

The Oaks up by the Madison area is pretty nice, along with University Ridge, and Hawk's Landing (Private Course, but they do have some Public times during the week.)

 

I live about 2 miles from University Ridge and Hawks Landing--they are basically next to each other. Played Hawks last year and it's a very nice course with some nice houses along the fairways. I haven't played University in a while and I'd like to get back there soon.

[burniebrewer]

Also wanted to pass a website along to those of you not in the Madison area. I don't know if they do this in other parts of the state, but every Tuesday morning a new course is featured. The offer is 2-18 hole rounds for $25, but only 100 offers are available each week.

 

Tomorrow morning the featured course is Lawsonia which will probably sell out rather quick.

 

http://mad3-cc.savebigongolf.com/details.php?pid=40869

[Patrick425]

The offer is 2-18 hole rounds for $25, but only 100 offers are available each week.

Took a look and was surprised to see that the offer was not overly restrictive. So many of those golf "deals" have terms like "Valid after 2pm Mon-Thurs. Not Valid Friday-Sunday". There was some sort of Wisconsin golf club several years ago (not sure if it still is around today), that cost an annual fee to join ($100 or something like that) and advertised "Free Golf!" at dozens of Wisconsin courses. However, if you delved into the small print a little more, there were so many restrictions and "free" actually meant 2 for 1.

[Menotti80]

thanks for the heads up burnie

[Badger OKC]

One course that has not been mentioned yet is Hawk's View in Lake Geneva. It as good as any other course in that area. Just south of Kenosha in Ill. is Shepard's Crook and Thunderhawk. I really enjoyed playing both a couple of years ago. One course that is not in the Milwaukee area that I would highly recommend is Timberstone in Iron Mountain Michigan. It was ranked 5 stars by Golf Digest a few years ago.

[RU Rah Rah]

The Oaks up by the Madison area is pretty nice, along with University Ridge, and Hawk's Landing (Private Course, but they do have some Public times during the week.)

 

I live about 2 miles from University Ridge and Hawks Landing--they are basically next to each other. Played Hawks last year and it's a very nice course with some nice houses along the fairways. I haven't played University in a while and I'd like to get back there soon.

Hey, I am not much further away from those two. (I live near Memorial H.S.) They've recently redone U Ridge -- I think they had to lengthen it in order to host Big 10 championship events, etc. I haven't been there since the makeover, though, so I can't report on how it turned out.

My favorite somewhat-under-the-radar-course around here is the Evansville Country Club. It's a good little course -- cheap, generally in good shape, not too crowded.

 

 

 

 

[burniebrewer]

I see Lawsonia is sold out. I'm sure that one sold out in the first hour this morning.

 

RU-I thought I heard that University Ridge was being lengthened, but I haven't been there in some time. I think Hawk's Ridge was expanding/altering as well. When I played there last year there was a fair amount of construction activity taking place behind one of the greens.

[zurch1818]

I highly recommend golfing Bergamont in Oregon (Wisconsin obviously). It was designed by Andy North. Better hurry up and golf it though becuase the course is probably going to only be open to the public for maybe another 1 or 2 years because it is turning into a country club. There are castles all around it. It is a 7300 yard links style course. The walking twighlight rate (which i think starts at 3pm) is $25. Also, when I go at that time there is nobody on the course.

[Menotti80]

thanks zurch. ive never heard of that course but after reading up on it, it sounds like it would really be worth checking out.