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The post Why Tom Doak’s new Sand Valley design could be resort’s toughest test appeared first on Golf.

Construction is well underway on the third 18-hole course at Sand Valley Golf Resort. Sedge Valley, the latest project at Dream Golf’s sandy oasis in Central Wisconsin, is expected to have more than half of its holes grassed by the end of September.

The Tom Doak heathland design, inspired by such English gems as Rye, West Sussex, and Swinley Forest, contrasts in style to the two 18s already at the resort: Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes, both of which are among GOLF 2020-21 Top 100 Courses in the U.S.

While both of Sand Valley’s existing courses measure nearly 7,000 yards, with expansive bunker complexes and even wider fairways, Sedge Valley is expected to tip out at about 6,000 yards and play to a par of 68. Despite its modest length, the course won’t lack for defenses. Michael Keiser, who operates the resort with his brother, Chris, believes Sedge Valley could be the most difficult course on property in relation to par. 

“If you’re out of position at that course, it’s not like you have a better angle versus a slightly good angle,” Keiser said. “You might be in the fairway with a wedge, and if you’re in the wrong position you should seriously think about laying up to the right position.”

Michael and Chris are the sons of Bandon Dunes developer, Mike Keiser. They have worked closely with Tom Doak and his team at Renaissance Golf Design as Sedge Valley comes to life.

Chris explained that Sedge Valley’s routing has evolved since its inception. Among other changes, what was originally the 5th hole has become the 6th since GOLF.com reported on the course earlier this year.

“Even if you know where a hole is going to go, what will Doak and his team come up with for that green, for that bunker?” Chris said. “It’s super-cool to see through those various stages.”

The goal at Sedge Valley is for 12 holes to be seeded by the end of the month, giving the grass some time to establish itself before winter. The other six holes still need shaping on tees, fairways, bunkers and greens.

Sedge Valley is slated for a 2024 opening, with seven to 12 holes open for preview play next year. For an exclusive look at all the progress that’s been made at Sedge Valley, and an in-depth explainer from the Keiser brothers on how the course is built, check out the video above.

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The post How to Build a Golf Course appeared first on Golf.

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Ever wonder how undeveloped land transforms into a beautiful new course? It isn’t magic, it just takes lots of time, effort, and planning. Sand Valley Resort’s Michael and Chris Keiser explain each step of the process in building their latest track, Sedge Valley.

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C.B. Macdonald’s long-lost masterpiece was demolished during World War II. But thanks to in-depth historical records, Dream Golf is bringing back The Lido, and it’s almost ready for a grand reopening.

Opened in 1914, the original Lido was one of Long Island’s many marvels of golf architecture’s Golden Age, until the land it sat on was purchased by the U.S. Navy. With an assist from renowned architect Tom Doak, the new Lido will recreate all aspects of this classic design, but this time in Central Wisconsin near Sand Valley.

Michael and Chris Keiser, the sons of pioneering course developer Mike Keiser, are leading the charge to bring back The Lido. The brothers take us through all 18 holes.

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The post Best summer job ever? Here are 8 lessons I learned interning at a golf resort appeared first on Golf.

There is no better feeling than a true aha moment, when the proverbial lightbulb flicks on and the cloud of uncertainty lifts. At just 21 years old, I’m fortunate to have had such an epiphany that led me to pursue a career as a golf professional. I couldn’t tell you the date or time of that exact moment, but I do know that the three months I spent at Sand Valley, in Nekoosa, Wisc., forever changed the trajectory of my life.

Upon my arrival at the resort for my golf operations internship last summer, I was immediately entrusted to deliver a top-shelf experience to guests. My expectation was to put my head down, go to work and, when I was off the clock, play golf. I did a lot of that, but I also picked up so much more along the way.

Below are my eight essential takeaways from working at a golf resort; please know that this experience and others like it are not exclusive to myself or my peers, but available to anyone who has the desire and ambition to seek them out.

1. The diamonds are in the details

There’s a certain baseline knowledge you’ll need to work at a golf resort — being able to direct guests around the property, to a first tee, the practice facility or restaurant, etc. — but don’t stop there! Getting the most out of your work experience means being as knowledgeable as possible about the resort, its courses and history.

When interacting with guests, you should be able to talk about the holes, course architecture and upcoming developments at the resort. At Sand Valley, for example, that level of details includes knowing that the only way sand deposits got to Central Wisconsin was by way of a glacial dam bursting 10,000 years ago.

Knowing why Sand Valley’s short course, the Sandbox, has 17 holes is another great example. When resort owner Michael Keiser Jr. gave designers Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw the land for the project, he told them to build as many or as few memorable holes as they could find, as long as that number wasn’t 18. The design duo felt that after 17 holes they had accomplished their mission.

Resort visitors typically want to know what few others do: They want to be in on the secret, so the more educated the staff, the better they can cater to questions.

2. Perfect practice makes perfect

Nobody arrives at a golf resort for the first time as a natural employee. I initially thought I would be, because I had studied the courses and had a deep knowledge of golf architecture. But there is no amount of preparation or intellect that could replace guest interaction. You get better by doing, by trying, by making mistakes and by figuring out how to remedy those mistakes.

One of last year’s interns told me that when he first started, he was nervous to be the first one to attend to a car at the front circle. After a few weeks of practice, though, the intern was not only eager to take the call to action but also began leading and directing other members of the outside team. He said he has taken those learned leadership and personal-interaction skills to his next job. 

3. Free unlimited golf will do wonders for your game

At Sand Valley we were not only allowed but also highly encouraged to play as much golf as we could. If you’re not familiar with the resort, the property boasts two of GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in U.S. in Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes, in addition to one of the most renowned short courses in the Sandbox. Employees at the resort are allowed to play the Sandbox in the mornings, championship-length courses in the afternoons and are given access to a private section of the driving range any time the practice facility is open.

I came to the resort in May a 14-handicap with a debilitating slice and left three months later a 10-handicap with a straighter, longer shot. By the beginning of the 2022 season, the practice routine I had established in Wisconsin had me down to an 8-handicap, and I don’t plan on letting the progress stop.

It was the first time in my life that I practiced golf with intention, rather than simply going out and playing. On property, I played just shy of $6,000’s worth of golf for free (but who’s counting, right?!), not including the thousands of range balls flushed in the process. What I can’t quantify is the value of people I met, worked and played with; they made my rounds priceless.

4. Golf professionals are an intern’s biggest asset

For those in the golf industry, leaving the game in better shape than you found it means more than just raking bunkers and repairing ball marks. It implies equipping the next generation with the skills and resources to succeed.

Phrases like for the good of the game and grow the game get thrown around a lot, but for professionals they are creeds to live by. Director of Golf Jonathan Stuart and Head Professional Derek Guzman put these mantras into action by developing the Sand Valley Professional Development Academy (SVPDA). The administration would regularly bring in outside industry professionals, such as local club brand representatives, teaching professionals or Wisconsin PGA reps, to educate the staff on skills they may not pick up through their responsibilities in the daily operation.

Stuart and Guzman wanted incoming interns to know they’re getting more from their superiors than just a job when they sign on to work at Sand Valley. They want the resort to be the professional development hub of the Midwest for those interested in golf careers, and they’re putting down the infrastructure to make that goal a reality.

As a result, since the start of SVPDA, every intern who was looking for winter employment was able to find work. While few resorts have their professional development as thoroughly planned as Sand Valley does, most golf professionals are more than willing to lend a helping hand. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for advice — frequently, you’ll get it.

5. Who you know and where you’ve been are vital to the next job

Another major factor in SVPDA’s purpose was to establish what having Sand Valley on a resume truly means. Future employers will see Sand Valley on my resume and know that my experience went beyond that of a daily resort operation. For that reason, you can find Sand Valley alumni at several of the most recognizable golf clubs in the country, including but not limited to Augusta National, Ohoopee Match Club, Troubadour Golf & Field Club, The Olympic Club and Streamsong Resort.

Travel

Before my time in Wisconsin came to an end, I had a position lined up at storied Merion Golf Club, in Ardmore, Pa., to accompany my senior year of college, and I’ve parlayed those experiences into a dual internship at two of Long Island’s golden age gems for this season. Be sure to hold on to your connections beyond your time working at a club. I still use my supervisors from Sand Valley as a sounding board when it comes to career questions, and there’s no telling how many of my fellow interns will go on to become excellent head professionals at elite courses in the future.

6. Surrounding yourself with happy people makes for an enjoyable work experience

One of my first jobs out of high school was a little league baseball umpire. I did my best to call the games impartially, but I learned quickly that no matter what I said or did somebody would be mad. It was no fault of my own, strictly the nature of the position.

Working at a golf resort you are surrounded by people who are genuinely happy to be there. A trip to a golf resort like Sand Valley can require significant preparation time leading to months of anticipation before that first tee ball takes flight. Being a part of fostering that experience for guests was the most rewarding part of my golf resort working experience.

This led inside operations intern, Michael Wronkiewicz, to believe that everyone should work in hospitality or service industries at some point in their lives. “It teaches you so much about dialect, how to talk with anyone” he said. “Those skills will be applicable in anywhere else we go.”

No matter what our guests shot or how they played, they usually walked off the final green with a smile on their faces, because the buildup was worth the wait. The job of preserving that feeling is easy when all you have to do is lean into their active emotion. The joy the guests experience on property was infectious and added to an incredible working dynamic.

7. PGA membership is attainable for anyone who is willing to put in the work

The most significant factor that swayed me away from working in golf for the first 20 years of my life was the idea that I would be letting my career hinge on my ability to play golf at an elite level. Through lessons and practice, I learned that I was not as far away from passing the PGA’s Playing Ability Test (PAT) as I once thought.

Travel

The PAT is typically held at a simple golf course playing between 6,300-6,500 yards with pins placed in, or close to, the center of the greens. The PGA wants applicants to pass, and sets up their courses to reflect this, but still requires a player to shoot a solid number to do so. Depending on the slope and rating of the course, a 36-hole passing score usually falls between 155-159, or an average round in the high 70’s.

The PGA is ensuring applicants can demonstrate control and consistency. It’s easy to believe that to become a PGA professional one would need to be a scratch golfer, but that is simply not the case. Honing your game will garner you respect among your peer professionals, but it is not always necessary to get a foot in the door.

8. You gotta love it!

If you decide to take a job at Sand Valley or any golf resort, you have to truly love the game — not just playing or watching but everything it encompasses. You will work long hours in every sort of weather condition imaginable. You will be tasked with remedial projects like picking balls off the range before maintenance day, or ensuring water coolers are full during a heat wave.

You’ll pour half-full beers in the garbage as you clean out golf carts, and carry plenty of leaky trash bags on long walks to the dumpster. While other tasks might be more fun everything you do will be necessary to curate an unforgettable experience. That is the part you have to love.

If you’re reading this, chances are you love the game — that’s the easy part. You’ll also need to love being a part of the show. If you can learn to do that, as I did, I can promise you the job won’t feel like work.

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At Sand Valley, the third is shaping up to be a charm.

Operators of the acclaimed Wisconsin resort have announced plans to break ground on the property’s third 18-hole course, a Tom Doak design called Sedge Valley.

Construction is scheduled to begin this spring.

When the project is completed, in 2024, it will add to a resort portfolio that currently includes two GOLF Top 100 Courses — the eponymous Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes — and a 17-hole par-3 course known as the Sandbox.

The new course will also represent an aesthetic departure from the resort’s existing offerings, providing what Sand Valley co-owner Michael Keiser described as a “golf experience different from anything else on property.”

Where both Mammoth Dunes and Sand Valley (designed, respectively, by David McLay Kidd and the duo of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw) are expansive layouts with exceptionally wide playing corridors, Sedge Valley will occupy an intimate site and stretch just more than 6,000 yards. Par has yet to be finalized, but it is likely to be 68.

In written remarks that accompanied the announcement, Doak said he drew inspiration for the design from some of his favorite heathland courses outside London, including Rye and Swinley Forest, both by Harry Colt, as well as from other artful layouts around the world “that never expanded much beyond their original scope.”

Doak said that working on a smaller scale affords a kind of artistic freedom, unbound by the conventions of the modern power game.

“When you don’t have to think about stretching a course to 7,300 yards, you can start thinking about finding cool green sites, without worrying about how close together they are,” he said.

Compact sites also often result in inventive routings, with targets defended by compelling slopes and shapes that might be considered “unfair” on a longer layout.

As examples, Doak pointed to holes 5 through 7 at Sedge Valley, a stretch that will kick off with a 290-yard par-4 with a skinny shelf of a green, followed by back-to-back par-3s of 150 and 220 yards, respectively.

With its intimate dimensions, Doak said he expected Sedge Valley to promote the sort of “simple social interactions” that are often lost on courses that prioritize length.

“I don’t think you have to build a course that separates players by thousands of yards on the scorecard,” Doak said. “A truly great course invites different styles of play but also encourages a shared experience.”

Sedge Valley is not the only job Doak has underway for Michael and Chris Keiser, the sibling co-owners of Sand Valley whose father, Michael Keiser Sr., founded Bandon Dunes. The architect is also currently working on the Lido, a faithful recreation of a fabled, long-defunct C.B. Macdonald design of the same name, on Long Island.

One of the most hotly anticipated courses in the country, the new Lido will be a private club, on land adjacent to Sand Valley, with limited tee times set aside for resort guests.

It is scheduled to open in 2023.

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“You gotta try this coffee.”

On this late July morning, the bearded, early 30-something cook was particularly proud of his iced coffee, which was simply the hot coffee from a nearby pot poured over ice. A morning caffeine pop always charges up the soul, so it would be hard to say no here anyways, but the recommendation was coming from the man behind the counter, so we grabbed a cup.

“That is good,” my friend said. 

And that was our first minute at Sand Valley.

The theme would continue at the celebrated three-course, multi-room, multi-restaurant resort in Nekoosa, Wis. They wanted you to be there. The course attendants. The restaurant staff. The bartender. The woman who worked in one of the restaurants, but was off one afternoon and sitting with us with her dog. The bearded, early-30 something cook at the food truck yards away from a 17-hole short course, where a canoe sits on a tee box about midway through. I admit that I’m a sucker for good hospitality, but this was more than a smile and a mint on your pillow. It was a fistbump and a beer. 

Oh, and we played great golf, too.     

This author, a very average golfer, and two of his longtime friends, also very average golfers (sorry, guys) drove the two-and-a-half hours from Milwaukee for a two-day, one-night buddies trip (to the resort ranked fourth on GOLFs’ list of the best golf resorts for buddies). Ahead of the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits next month, or anytime after, you may consider making a similar hike. Here’s how it went for us:

The golf 

“You can take one of these bags,” said the attendant at the Sand Box, the aforementioned short course, which is among our list of the 25 best par-3 courses in the world. 

“Go ahead.”

Now, it’s not as if we pulled up holding our 14 clubs in one hand and a box of X-outs in the other. We had our own bags. But Sand Valley offered quiver bags, which held just the three or four clubs you needed and made for a lighter lug. Again, the small things. 

From there, we teed off on No. 1. Though we could have easily putted, both from designated tee boxes for just the flatstick, and from the regulation tees, as several holes were less than 100 yards. The defense, though, was not from the tees, but from on and around the greens. Hit them, and you could score — I made seven pars and a birdie. Miss them, and, well, be prepared to keep hitting — I also made a 7 and an 8. Designers Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw went wild with their green shapes, and the Sand Box, believe it or not, had sand. Deep, deep sand. 

Courses

On day two, we played Sand Valley, ranked 91st on GOLF’s list of the Top 100 Courses in the U.S., and also designed by Coore and Crenshaw With six sets of tees, ranging in total distance from 6,938 yards from the back, black set, to 3,883 yards from the front, royal blue set, it’s playable, but certainly no pushover. With, yes, sand from tee to green on most holes, it’s difficult, but not diabolical. My handicap is floating in the teens at the moment, and I shot a 90 on the par-72.

Which included a lovely eight on the 8th. Which is a par-3. And only 97 yards from the middle tees. I hit a perfect wedge — on the screws, center of the face, as perfect as the brat I had for lunch the day before (more on that later) — and my ball went maybe 93 yards, then trickled off and into a trap so deep I couldn’t see my laughing friends on the green. Still, this hole sums up Sand Valley well for me. Ninety-seven yards ain’t really nothing. But the 10 yards all around the green really were something. Despite the 8 on 8, the hole went down as my second favorite on the course, right behind the par-5 12th, which offers you the option off the tee to hit to a fairway left, to a fairway right, or straight to the fairway right as it doglegs, but requires a carry over a tree. It had me thinking, no doubt. 

The atmosphere 

“How did ya like it,” asked the 60-something driver of the shuttle bus after our 18 at Sand Valley. 

“Tough,” we all repeated. “But fun.”

“It’s a lot,” he said. “The Mammoth is a little easier to me, if you get the chance.”

A pretty simple conversation. Twenty-four words. But they’re doing a lot of work. 

First, the shuttle itself. You can get to most places at the resort by foot — the three courses (Sand Valley, Sand Box and Mammoth), the range, the lodging and the restaurants. Or by the air-conditioned vans. Second, the driver. You wouldn’t blink twice if our man either didn’t say a word, or said empty ones. Instead, he was himself, and that says a lot. And he wasn’t alone. 

There was the bartender who took the time to tell us a little about Sand Valley’s history. The aforementioned woman who worked in the restaurant but had the day off and sat with us with her dog on adirondack chairs near the food truck. (Her mini pinscher was named — Penny Pinscher!) She told us that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers held the course record at the Sand Box for a while. There was the woman in the food truck whose husband had played the Sand Box the day we did. Earlier that day, it had hosted the state par-3 tournament, and she said she was told that the pins that day were “by far the hardest he has ever seen.” 

My 7 and 8 felt a little better then. 

For a late July Wednesday and Thursday, Sand Valley was buzzing. But never was there trouble to find a spot to stretch our legs out. Could we take a pint down to the chairs overlooking Mammoth’s 18? Yep. Could we take a few cans from the bar to have a drink on the chairs outside our rooms? Yep. 

Oh, and wait till we talk about the price of those beers. 

The food, the rooms — and lip balm?

Four bucks. And that was for a healthy 22-ounce glass. A 16-ouncer was three bucks. (On tap, too, were New Glarus Brewery, for Wisconsin craft beer fans, and Cigar City, for Florida fans.) Cans were three and two. Sorry, I couldn’t wait any longer. When you come in expecting to pay golf-resort prices and instead get charged like you’re at the corner bar, you get a little buzzed. 

There are four restaurants on the property — Aldo’s Farm & Table, Mammoth Bar, Craig’s Porch and the food truck — and we ate or drank at each. I’m a burger-brat-and-beer guy and that’s what I had at the latter three, while at Aldo’s, we had the breakfast buffet. While there’s never truly a bad burger, brat or beer, know that: a) I’m son of a meat butcher who also grew up a couple miles from Miller brewery; b) I take my meat and suds as seriously as Tiger would a 10-foot putt at Augusta; and c) each was great at Sand Valley.   

Also on property are four options for lodging, and we opted for two lodge rooms. “Rooms are utilitarian and functional, and that is OK,” one of my friends texted when I asked (begged) for their review. I agree. You’re there to sleep, and then you won’t be back in the room until you sleep again. But still even here, there are nuances with you in mind, including lip balm in the shape of a golf ball, a packet of bug spray and sunscreen, and a bag of chips.

They wanted you to be there. 

All the way down to a cup of iced coffee in your first minute. 

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Golf can be seriously private, but GOLF’s list of Top 100 Courses You Can Play is not. This year, our expert group of course raters sat down with a simple goal: to build a list of the greatest courses you (yes, you) can tee it up at in a moment’s notice. The end result is list as varied as the courses it encompasses, from Bandon Dunes to Bethpage Black.

But why keep the memories to just one of our 100 greatest tracks? Whether it’s by way of a classic point-A-to-B-to-C road trip, a stay at an iconic resort (with or without side trips) or a stopover in the concrete jungle, knocking three or more Top 100 Courses You Can Play off your wish list is doable in one fell swing. Start packing.

CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE 2021-22 TOP 100 COURSES YOU CAN PLAY RANKING

5 incredible Midwest golf road trips

Road Trip to Northern Michigan

Top 100 Courses: Forest Dunes (Loop-Red/Black, #34; Weiskopf, #73; Roscommon, MI), Arcadia Bluffs (Bluffs, #46; South, #56; Arcadia, MI)

Drive: It’s about a two-hour shot between Forest Dunes and Arcadia Bluffs.

Dine: “Soil to spirit distilling” is the main draw at Iron Fish Distillery, Michigan’s first working farm dedicated exclusively to making small-batch craft spirits, but the excellent wood-fired pizzas can help absorb some of the punch from the array of innovative cocktails like the Mocha Russian and salted-maple old-fashioned.

Diversion: Between the Platte River, Manistee River and Au Sable River, the area sports some of the country’s best fly-fishing; Orvis in Traverse City and the Gates Au Sable Lodge are among the highest-regarded outfitters.

Detour: About 90 minutes from Forest Dunes, in Charlevoix, you’ll find Rules Guy’s favorite 18 in America, Belvedere. This gem hosted the 2019 U.S. Hickory Open—and it’s pure joy with modern clubs too.

Road Trip the Midwest

Top 100 Courses: The Warren Course at Notre Dame (#70; Notre Dame, IN), Cog Hill (No. 4, #92; Lemont, IL), Stoatin Brae (#96; Augusta, MI)

Drive: The Warren Course is two hours due east of Cog Hill; Stoatin Brae is a stone’s throw from Kalamazoo, Mich., some 90 minutes east of Notre Dame.

Dine: Is it an exaggeration to say that Chicago deep-dish wouldn’t exist without the Malnati family? Not really, so find a Lou Malnati’s Pizza parlor, pronto.

Diversion: A stroll around the Notre Dame campus — with a stop to see Touchdown Jesus, naturally — promises inspiration, divine or merely aesthetic.

Detour: An hour south of Notre Dame, the Langford & Moreau course at Culver Academies is considered by many cognoscenti to be the best nine-holer in the country.

Destination Kohler: Road trip to Kohler resorts

Top 100 Courses: Whistling Straits (Straits, #11), Blackwolf Run (River, #38), Marquette Golf Club (Greywalls, #65; Marquette, MI)

Drive: From your luxe digs at Kohler’s American Club to Marquette GC, it would be a four-hour trek due north, up stunningly beautiful Lake Michigan. Take the Kohler plunge, then go play MGC.

Dine: Restaurateur Stefano Viglietti’s resort-based threesome of Il Ritrovo, Trattoria Stefano and Duke of Devon offer different styles (Neapoli- tan pizza, classic Italian, English gastropub) and vibes but a shared excellence in terms of quality and experience.

Diversion: Next door to Kohler, in Sheboygan, there’s proof that the coasts don’t have a monopoly on beaches or surfing: Deland Park’s long, wide beach is a marvel, and a walk on the side- walk above it affords wonderful Lake Michigan views without the sand in the shoes.

Detour: Come June, Destination Kohler will join the trend toward top resorts with par-3 courses, with the debut of The Baths of Blackwolf Run, 10 holes of one-shotter fun featuring four water features; a two-acre putting course will also be introduced.

Road Trip to the Great Plains

Top 100 Courses: Prairie Club (Dunes, #22; Valentine, NE), Wild Horse (#49; Gothenburg, NE), Hawktree (#100; Bismarck, ND)

Drive: The Prairie Club is 2:45 north of Wild Horse; Hawktree’s six hours farther north, but with minimal traffic. These are gloriously wide-open spaces!

Dine: Prairie Club boasts of being in “God’s Own Cow Country” and a steak in its Canyon Room backs it up.

Diversion: Your thoughts, especially those regarding how vast America is. Also, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center — Hawktree is on the Lewis and Clark Trail.

Detour: Get a taste of the Badlands while swinging good (er, well) at Dr. Michael Hurdzan’s spectacular Bully Pulpit in Medora, two hours west of Hawktree.

Road Trip to Wisconsin

Top 100 Courses: Sand Valley (#25; Nekoosa, WI), Mammoth Dunes (#29; Nekoosa, WI), Lawsonia (Links, #23; Green Lake, WI), Erin Hills (#31; Hartford, WI)

Drive: It’s about 90 minutes from Erin Hills to Lawsonia, and about the same from there to Sand Valley.

Dine: Puebla’s Kitchen in Hartford, six miles north of Erin Hills, is a family- owned-and-operated Mexican restaurant with warm hospitality and excellent chorizo tacos. Goeman’s Rapidmart at the BP station in Erin is a great place to stock up on the famous Spotted Cow from New Glarus, the acclaimed beer found only in Wisconsin. Lastly, anything on the menu at the semi- fast-food chain Culver’s, but especially the cheese curds, the frozen custard and, yes, the cod.

Diversion: Near Erin Hills, you’ll find the Ice Age Trail, a 1,200-mile hiking path throughout the state that showcases the variety of terrain left behind more than 10,000 years ago by receding glaciers. Tennis buffs can get their taste of Wimbledon on Sand Valley’s grass tennis courts.

Detour: Washington County, a 1997 Arthur Hills design, is a well-respected muni just seven miles from Erin Hills.

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The post The 50 best golf courses in the Midwest: Ranking the Heartland’s best designs appeared first on Golf.

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GOLF Magazine recently unveiled its 2020/2021 Top 100 Courses in the United States, and to showcase the country’s geographic diversity, GOLF has, for the first time, broken the country into four regions and ranked the top 50 in each. Each region is shockingly diverse — and overflowing with exquisite golf. To introduce each region, we called upon a star architect to help.

The Appeal of Golf in the Heartland | By Kye Goalby

The American Heartland inspires images of open spaces and farmland filled with hardworking, blue-collar folks — an abstract ideal of what America is, and can be. But when you get past the beer-commercial version of the Heartland, what you find is a place much more varied and diverse. 

The Heartland’s golf courses exemplify this. While there are many small-town courses laid out on flat, forgettable land, the best courses of this region defy stereotype. Take Sand Hills, in Nebraska. No great design is more rural or feels more American than Sand Hills, and it literally started a new era in golf design. 

There are also plenty of great Golden Age courses in the region that showcase the diversity of the land and styles of golf. Chicago Golf Club somehow imbues a flat piece of prairie land with an unforgettable golf experience, while Crystal Downs, in Michigan, provides an artistic, roller-coaster ride of MacKenzie and Maxwell’s genius. The public-access Lawsonia, in Wisconsin, with its bold design and ingenious greens, created by a long forgotten Midwesterner William Langford, may be the perfect example of Heartland golf. 

Boring? These courses, and all the others on the list below, illustrate that golf in the middle of the country is anything but.

  The 50 best golf courses in the Midwest

1. Sand Hills — Mullen, Neb. (Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 1994)

2. Chicago — Wheaton, Ill. (C.B. Macdonald, 1895/Seth Raynor, 1923)

3. Crystal Downs — Frankfort, Mich (Alister Mackenzie/Perry Maxwell, 1932)

4. Prairie Dunes — Hutchinson, Kan. (Perry Maxwell, 1937/Press Maxwell, 1957)

5. Shoreacres — Lake Bluff, Ill. (Seth Raynor, 1921)

6. Camargo — Cincinnati, Ohio (Seth Raynor, 1926)

7. Southern Hills — Tulsa, Okla. (Perry Maxwell, 1936)

8. Inverness — Toledo, Ohio (Donald Ross, 1919/Andrew Green, 2017)

9. Oakland Hills (South) — Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (Donald Ross, 1917/Robert Trent Jones Sr., 1950)

10. The Golf Club — New Albany, Ohio (Pete Dye, 1967)

11. Whistling Straits (Straits) — Haven, Wis. (Pete Dye, 1998)

12. Muirfield Village — Dublin, Ohio (Jack Nicklaus/Desmond Muirhead, 1974)

13. Moraine — Kettering, Ohio (Alex Campbell, 1930)

14. Milwaukee — River Hills, Wis. (H.S. Colt/C.H. Alison, 1929)

15. White Bear Yacht Club — White Bear Lake, Minn. (William Watson, 1915)

16 St. Louis — St. Louis, Mo. (C.B. Macdonald, 1914)

17. Kingsley — Kingsley, Mi. (Mike Devries, 2001)

18. Prairie Club (Dunes) — Valentine, Neb. (Tom Lehman/Chris Brands, 2010)

19. Lawsonia (Links) — Green Lake, Wis. (Bill Langford/Ted Moreau, 1930)

20. Wolf Point — La Hood, Texas (Mike Nuzzo, 2008)

21. Sand Valley (Sand Valley)  — Nekoosa, Wis. (Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2017)

22. Sand Valley (Mammoth Dunes)  — Nekoosa, WI (David McLay Kidd, 2018)

23. Interlachen — Minneapolis, Minn.

24. Scioto — Columbus, Ohio

25. Dismal River (Red) — Mullen, Neb.

26. Cedar Rapids — Cedar Rapids, Iowa

27. Davenport — Pleasant Valley, Iowa

28. Erin Hills — Erin, Wis.

29. Beverly — Chicago, Ill.

30. Kirtland — Willoughby, Ohio

31. Olympia Fields (North) — Olympia Fields, IIl.

32. Forest Dunes (Loop-Red/Black) — Roscommon, Mich.

33. Whispering Pines — Trinity, Texas

34. Omaha — Omaha, Neb.

35. Crooked Stick — Carmel, Ind.

36. Medinah (No. 3) — Medinah, Ill.

37. Blackwolf Run (River) — Kohler, Wis.

38. Old Elm — Highland Park, Ill.

39. Colonial — Ft. Worth, Texas

40. Meadowbrook — Northville, Mich.

41. Trinity Forest — Dallas, Texas

42. Harvester — Rhodes, Iowa

43. Northland — Duluth, Minn.

44. Canterbury — Beachwood, Ohio

45. Orchard Lake — Orchard Lake, Mich.

46. The Country Club — Pepper Pike, Ohio

47. Victoria National — Newburgh, Ind.

48. Brookside — Canton, Ohio

49. Sutton Bay — Agar, S.D.

50.  Hazeltine National — Chaska, Minn.

The post The 50 best golf courses in the Midwest: Ranking the Heartland’s best designs appeared first on Golf.

The post How (and why) golf course architects use visual deception to fool you appeared first on Golf.

The post How (and why) golf course architects use visual deception to fool you appeared first on Golf.

Part of a golf architect’s job is to physically test you, but just as important is the mental test. A bunker or hazard is always something to be avoided, but in the hands of a great architect, well-placed bunkers, greens, mounding or just simple angles can be visually deceiving to your eye.

There are all sorts of different strategies for deceiving the golfer, but they often boil down to two categories: There is an illusion that makes the hole look more difficult than it is, and there is deception that makes the hole look easier than it is.

In the first instance, from the tee or on an approach shot, layered bunkering or different size hazards can make the landing area seem tiny or nonexistent. Only after hitting the shot and walking to the landing zone will you find your eyes were playing tricks on you and you had all the space in the world. In the second, a tee shot could seem wide open with a massive fairway, but only when you approach your second shot do you realize the awful position you put yourself in after noticing a well-placed bunker near the green that seemed irrelevant from the tee. You have been deceived; things are not as they appeared.

David McLay-Kidd, the architect of Bandon Dunes and Mammoth Dunes, among others, said H.S. Colt was an architect who made holes look easier than they actually were, specifically with his bunkering during the first half of the 1900s.

“I think as a kid, when I was playing courses in and around London that Colt had done, that seemed to be a common thread,” McLay-Kidd said. “I think that he then influenced [Alister] MacKenzie to a large extent.”

When considering how architects should use visual deception in their design, McLay-Kidd said, “If you’re guarding the line of play that a player is trying to score or make better than par on, then the architect can use any and all weapons in the defense of his golf course against the aggressor.”

That quote sounds a bit militaristic, which in the context of MacKenzie actually makes a lot of sense. MacKenzie served in the English army during the Boer War and World War I, where he was involved in and helped develop camouflage and bunkering techniques which ended up becoming helpful for deceptiveness in his future golf courses.

Jim Urbina has restored several MacKenzie courses and has developed a great appreciation for his skills.

“[MacKenzie] was like the master of deception,” Urbina said. “What he did is used the bunkers in the foreground that would affect the distant bunkers and how you related the distance between them. He would put a bunker in the foreground, just off the horizon in front of you to lead you to believe that the bunker was right next to the green. And he did that jigsaw layering over and over and over on different golf courses.”

MacKenzie would adjust the top lip of the bunker, the size of the bunker in the foreground and the distance from that to the green behind it, amongst other variables to achieve this visual deceptiveness.

These strategies were not used just by MacKenzie and Colt, though architects tend to have their own unique style.

“MacKenzie did it with bunkers,” Urbina said. “Some architects did it with trees. Sometimes they use greens with what they call an infinity green so you couldn’t judge distances because you couldn’t see the back of it. [A.W.] Tillinghast did that. Donald Ross did that. They all did that. And modern designers are just re-using that theme.

“We’re no different today, modern-wise than they were back in the ’20s and ’30s.”

Architect Brian Curley said elements like deception are easier to get away with at a resort or daily fee course as opposed to a private club. He explained that often times, especially at equity clubs, members want to manipulate their course to their liking over time. In the U.S., that often means making things more straightforward with less funk.

“I’ve always said that, as good as the courses are at Bandon, if they ever made those courses private and they had an active private membership, you’d be amazed, you probably wouldn’t recognize half the holes,” Curley said.

But why then, is funk not accepted in U.S. courses like it is in other parts of the world? Curley believes it stems from the American obsession with score and stroke play, as opposed to match play in other parts of the world.

“Pete [Dye] always told me, ‘You know, in the U.S., when you walk into the clubhouse, they ask you what you shot. In the UK and Ireland and Scotland, those places they ask, ‘How’d you play?'” Curley said.

For architecture, this distinction is important because one bad hole can ruin your score, where one bad hole can only hurt you so much in a match.

Though Curley points out that courses like those at Bandon are starting to change how people think about quirkiness.

“I think the two big influences would be Sand Hills and Bandon Dunes,” he said. “People started saying, ‘Hey, I like the funk and I like strange.’ I think that it’s beyond an acceptance. It’s almost like this is what we want. It’s not that we’ll accept a weird little thing here and there, it’s like, ‘Yeah, we like that, it’s preferred.'”

The one problem with this visual deception is all the ways modern golfers have of avoiding this trickery, the biggest being the rangefinder. As McLay-Kidd pointed out, “Not things one would have found in Scotland, you know, probably 30 years ago, much less 300 years ago.” He believes all these tools have made it much more difficult for architects to deceive the golfer.

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Despite our advances in technology, both McLay-Kidd and Urbina think this type of deception is still a worthwhile endeavor for architects.

“Those tricks, they’re still very valid and you can still play games against the golfer who can’t believe that his yardage is, you know, 130, because it only looks like it’s 90 yards away,” McLay-Kidd said.

Urbina told a similar story: “You’re standing on the tee and just for a fraction of a second, you look up one more time before you tee off, or one more time before you pull that blade back in the fairway to hit to the green. If I can catch you with this, that glimpse of a bunker that you just feel, it makes you feel uneasy, then I’ve done what I wanted to do.”

Here are a few examples of visual deception from several different architects.

Mammoth Dunes, 2nd hole

When thinking about how modern architects use this strategy, McLay-Kidd thought of how often they are now using very wide fairways with centerline bunkers. Visually it looks like there is all the space in the world for your tee shot, but to be in a great position for your approach shot, the target is much smaller and usually as close to the bunker as possible without being in it. He quickly thought of his 2nd hole at Mammoth Dunes, with one pot bunker in the fairway that defines the hole.

Indian Creek, 6th hole

Another example comes at Indian Creek Country Club designed by William Flynn, who also designed the Merion East course and Shinnecock Hills. The 6th hole is a par-4 that uses bunkers to obscure the landing area by layering bunkers to deceive your view from the tee. Wayne Morrison and Thomas Paul describe the hole in their book, The Nature Faker, by saying, “Flynn designed the bunker plan so that the four fairway bunkers seemed to meld with the three diagonal bunkers near the green end so as to completely obscure the landing area.” When you arrive in the fairway, you see that there was all the space in the world to land your ball, not a large clumping of bunkers as it appeared from the tee. This type of visual deception is great because on a second go around, you have to force yourself to forget what your eyes are seeing and trust your experience.

The Valley Club of Montecito, 5th hole

Urbina restored The Valley Club of Montecito, originally done by MacKenzie. He walked me through several of the holes on Google Earth, starting with the 5th. “You’re going to freak out when I tell you this, but this is the unbelievable artistry of Alister MacKenzie,” he said. “When you put yourself in that fairway, just short of that little center fairway bunker, the horizon of that bunker lines up perfectly with the left and the right edge of the green-side bunker on 5.” (He’s right, I did kind of freak out. The bunker is 30 yards away from the green! How could it all line up so perfectly?)

“Each one of those capes makes the long line on the left side of the green and the long line on the right side of the green look like it’s a part of this bunker,” he continued. “It’s incredible.”

People are aware of the amazing artistry of MacKenzie’s bunkers, but the look of each individual bunker is only part of the story. Urbina added, “When people talk about MacKenzie bunkering, they always think about capes and bays, but it was way more than that.”

The Valley Club of Montecito, 18th hole

The 18th hole at Montecito might be even cooler than the 5th. There are three groups of bunkers down the left side of the fairway, and from ground level, each group lines up perfectly with the next one in line. Urbina said, “Each one of these bunkers layers on top of each other, and you can’t tell the distance between those.”

And if that wasn’t hard enough, the approach to the green messes with your eyes, too.

“The right green-side bunker on 18 lines up perfectly with the left fairway bunker,” Urbina said. “You’re thinking, ‘God, where do I hit it? That green’s right on top of it.'”

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The post Field guide: Sand Valley is golf bliss, and it’s only getting better appeared first on Golf.

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Ed. note: As GOLF’s chief photographer and visual editor, Christian Hafer visits some of the most gorgeous and exclusive golf courses and properties in the world. Here, in his Field Guide, he’ll take you along for the ride. Lucky for us, Christian never leaves home without his camera. Follow Christian Hafer on Instagram here.

After three trips to the same spot, you’re bound to get bored. Right? I mean, 36 holes a day over and over might get old. But Sand Valley is different. From The Sandbox to the six-hole Sand Valley loop or maybe even a sunset match on Mammoth Dunes — there is no shortage of rollicking golf.

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Better yet, the more I play these courses the more I find that brings me back: new lines and adventurous quirks and challenges are everywhere. There’s always a new speed slot or a new way to play a hole closer to the ground.

Located just three hours from Chicago in Nekoosa, Wis., Sand Valley is easily accessible. I drove from Central Pennsylvania and in 14 hours I was pegging a tee and looping Mammoth Dunes (on the way are plenty of cool tracks to check out, but we’ll have more on that soon).

There are two amazing 18-hole courses already in play, and Tom Doak has been tapped for a third. But the most fun you’ll have on the property is the sub-2,000-yard par-3 course aptly named The Sandbox.

A lot of folks, especially now, are looking for safe golf trips they can drive to. For anyone in the Midwest or parts of the East Coast, I’d put Sand Valley at the top of that list.

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