Wisconsin has 9 of top 100 public golf courses

[homer]

The list:

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/top-100-golf-courses-best-you-can-play/

 

JSOnline story about the list

https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/golf/2021/05/11/wisconsin-has-9-top-100-public-golf-courses-2021-golfweek-says/5040086001/

 

California has 10. Florida has 8.

[CheezWizHed]

I've not golfed in years, but when I did, I loved the public course down near Bong Recreational area. Two 18 hole and one 9 hole courses. Cost a buck a hole back in the day. All or most of holes 1 and 10 started at the club house, so if you only wanted to do 9 holes, you could have your pick of starting spots. Reduced the waiting greatly that way, too. Nothing overly fancy, but not an easy course either (mostly tree lined fairways).

[Zad Fnark]

My friend used to work the one near Bong. Lately I've gone to the ones at Poplar and Lake Nebagamon. Both are pretty fun.

 

You could almost say the fairways at Poplar are like the rough at any other course.

[CheezWizHed]

Northwoods by Nebagamon? That is where I learned to golf!

 

Poplar is getting pretty close to the south shore of superior. Not much soil up there...

[AKCheesehead]

Zad, if that's your area you might enjoy Hidden Greens down by Solon.

[CheezWizHed]

Where is that? I graduated from Solon Springs and I don't recall one there (at least then).

[AKCheesehead]

It's out on A.

 

ETA it's east of town like you were taking A over towards Barnes.

[CheezWizHed]

Odd how you can spend 18 years somewhere and still not seen some parts of it. Granted, as a kid, I probably wasn't paying attention half the time.

[logan82]

Of the two at Lawsonia they pick the Links? Boring and flat.

[DHonks]

I think you guys are talking about Kenosha Brightondale.

Having played the Kohler courses and Sand Valley, I would not compare them at all. SV courses are a joy and extremely fun to play any day. The Kohler courses are unnecessarily brutal and an example of why Pete Dye, jr doesn’t get most golfers. When friends ask me about Wisconsin golf, I tell them to be sure to take in the 36 hole deal at Lawsonia and make their way to Sand Valley. Besides the scenery, the only Kohler golf course I enjoyed was the Irish course. I can’t comment on Erin Hills because it didn’t exist when I grew up there or came back frequently in the years after college. Always loved Nagawaukee, Washington County, the Bog, etc.

[Zad Fnark]

I used to live up there for about 9 years, but I've been down in Neenah for the last 25 years.

 

Still make it up there now and then. The hoarder mother in law has been trying to clean out her house in Sup for the last 20 years so she can finally sell it. Another story...

 

After going to school at UW-S for several years, I timed my graduation just right and had Arnold Schwarzenegger at my commencement. He was a UW-S grad.

[CheezWizHed]

I think you guys are talking about Kenosha Brightondale.

 

Yes, that is the one! Nothing fancy about it, but had nice rolling hills, a few water hazards, tree-lined fairways, low cost, variety of courses. Just a nice course that was rarely busy.

 

I used to live up there for about 9 years, but I've been down in Neenah for the last 25 years.

 

Still make it up there now and then. The hoarder mother in law has been trying to clean out her house in Sup for the last 20 years so she can finally sell it. Another story...

 

After going to school at UW-S for several years, I timed my graduation just right and had Arnold Schwarzenegger at my commencement. He was a UW-S grad.

 

Most of my family is still up there, but as an engineer there was nothing up there for me (heading back this weekend for my dad's birthday). Most of my HS class went to UW-S, but I "escaped" to MSOE.

[Zad Fnark]

A lot of my friends in Milwaukee went to UW-S, so I guess it goes both way.

 

Hoping to make it up this summer. Miss the lake.

[Samurai Bucky]

One summer I worked at Kohler and helped build Blackwolf Run. Got to meet Pete Dye. Mr. Kohler is a great guy -- especially to his workers. When there was an argument between Mr. Dye and Mr. Kohler about some trees at the hole known as Cathedral Spires, Mr. Kohler won. It was hard work.

 

One cool thing is that as workers at the course, we got to golf Blackwolf as often as we wanted -- for FREE!!! Of course, there were only 27 holes back then (River, Valley, and Meadows). We were building the other 9 on the southeast side of the course. I think I only got 5 rounds in that summer because we were so busy.