Yep! You? Me and 3 buddies are all coming to play. So excited.
I will see you there!
Canāt wait!
Hi All,
Iām visiting from TN next week to play Whistling (predictable, I know). Anyways, Weāre driving from Milwuakee to Kohler on Thursday with most of the day free.
Any course suggestions to hit up on the way? Flexible on timing so open to veering off-course a bit if thereās something worth the while.
You said youāre flexible soā¦ Erin Hills would be my suggestion.
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Erin Hills or Lawsonia are the answer.
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Hi there,
First time playing in Wisconsin/Michigan area. Trip is solo and I live in SF Bay Area. Hope to get wisdom from those in the know about my planned itinerary.
A few notes: I donāt want to have too many 36 hole days, but the occasional one is fine. Non-negotiable is 36 at Lawsonia. Thatās tops on the list. Second is Arcadia Bluffs South (based on the Fried Egg review). The rest could be substituted, although I think a 2-3 day stay in Grand Rapids is strongly preferred.
Biggest itinerary regrets: not managing to play The Loop. Not visiting the Mackenzie course at UMich (love Pasatiempo). I donāt think Iām regretting the omission of Erin Hills or Kohler properties, but I could be convinced otherwise.
Thurs: arrive ORD, stay the evening in Milwaukee
Fri: to Lawsonia. Play Links.
Sat: Lawsonia Links again. Drive to Wisconsin Dells.
Sun: play Wild Rock. Drive to Madison
Mon-Fri: Madison (work)
Fri: depart late afternoon to Sand Valley.
Sat: play both Sand Valley and Mammoth (36 holes).
Sun: play Sandbox; depart @ 11 am to Manitowoc ferry (2.5 hrs). Ferry departs @ 2 pm.
Mon: Arcadia Bluffs. Play South Course. Preferably 36 if possible. Drive down to Grand Rapids.
Tues: Pilgrimās Run
Wed: Diamonds Springs. Add Mines if feeling spry.
Thurs: drive to Stoatin Brae, play 18, then head to Chicago
Fri: w/ friends in Chicago
Sat: depart
Thanks in advance for any suggestions on the golf! Food venue suggestions are also greatly welcome.
I canāt speak to the Michigan side of things. Only general āissueā I have with your schedule would be that Iād recommend University Ridge over Wild Rock since youāre coming down to Madison.
What type of work is bringing you to Madison?
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Why not Erin Hills over Wild Rock? If youāre coming from Lawsonia to Madison. EH is not totally out of the way.
I may be biased, but Erin Hills is a canāt miss course in my mind. Whistling is a different story and that can be skipped in my opinion
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Thanks for the replies! Iāll be attending a conference. University Ridge looks interesting. Iāll try to sneak out during the work week for a late afternoon round, so I now get a bonus round in.
Is Wild Rock a poor choice? Hurdzan/Fry, just like Erin Hills. It looks a bit more understated but somewhat sporty.
My impression of EH is that itās pretty hard if youāre not an excellent golfer. Hopefully I can play to a 9 or 10 by then (typical summer handicap), so I was thinking it would be too hard to be fun for me. Do you think Iāve got it wrong? I could fit it in by going to EH first, then pushing the two Lawsonia rounds back, and skipping Wild Rock.
Are the courses at Sand Valley a must play?
Maybe Iāll cross-post to the Michigan board for their take on the latter part of my trip.
Yes.
Iām a 9 and EH isnāt too hard. Donāt get me wrong it is fucking hard but if you play well youāll break 90. Lawsonia Links and Sand Valley are also hard. Different kinds of hard but if the wind is tame and youāre golfing it you can make lots of pars at EH!
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Thurs: Arrived at ORD, stay the evening in Milwaukee. Eat Real Chili.
Fri: play Erin Hills. Drive to Green Lake, get the fish fry at Tuscumbia Country Club.
Sat: All- day pass at Lawsonia, play links twice for $125. Drive to Madison.
Sun: Play URidge and explore Madison.
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Agreed with those above. EH is a must play if you can. I also really enjoyed Wild Rock so Iād keep it in but if you had to choose between the two, go to EH. So on Friday, Iād say try and play EH and then do the 36 hole deal at Lawsonia on Saturday.
Yes, please keep SV, just an awesome time! You wonāt regret going.
As far as Michigan goes, you can also play American Dunes, if you like Nicklausā courses. Itās about 45 mins west of GR.
If youāre dead set on Stoatin Brae, keep it but I can also recommend The Warren Course at Notre Dame (yes, Iām biased but itās still a Coore/Crenshaw) and shouldnt be a huge detour when driving from GR to Chi.
Otherwise, thatās a sick itinerary man! Hope you have a blast!
No, not a poor choice at all, I just prefer URidge, and I think most here feel the same way.
I work about three miles from URidge, depending on the day of the week you get your bonus round in, I may be available to sherpa.
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OK, Erin Hills is in, Wild Rock is out. I appreciate everybody talking me off of (or onto?) the ledge.
Iām not dead set on Stoatin Brae, though it looks like fun ā am I mistaken there? But The Warren Course wasnāt anywhere on my radar and looks pretty interesting too. My next door neighbor is a ND alum so it would be kinda fun to go check out the campus and surrounding town as well. It might be move-in week, though, so it may not be the easiest time to be there. Iāll have to take a closer look at their calendar.
@chrisisoutrunning Thatās very generous of you. Once I have a better idea of the conference schedule I can probably take a stab at which afternoon will be good to skip out. Iāll hit you up to see if you might be free.
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Iām an 18 and Erin Hills is my favorite course. Youāll be challenged for sure but it shouldnāt ruin your day.
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Some of my favorite memories at EH:
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First year I played it in May. Snowed our first day. I shot 107 as like a 13 or something. Dejected. Had a BIG night on property. Absolute blast. Woke up the morning a bit foggy, had a bloody mary, fired an 85. 22 stroke swing on the same course ā golf is the best!
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My first few trips were all in May. Cold, windy. I played 10 into the wind. It was like a par 6 for me. Played it in June and a different wind, didnāt realize thereās a massive speed slot in the right side of the fairway. easy par.
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I certainly wouldnāt argue against trying to fit in Erin Hills.
But, to say itās not out of way going from Lawsonia to Madison is kind of crazy.
Itās a much better fit on the way to Lawsonia at the beginning of the trip.
I canāt speak to the Michigan side of things (yet), but Iām going over to do a light version of the tourist sauce trip in mid-July.
If you play the right set of tees at Erin Hills itās a totally manageable course. Iāve played both wild rock and Erin hills and If you gave me 5 rounds Iād play 4 at EH and 1 at wild rock. There are some unforgettable shots at EH, and it outclasses WR without a doubt.
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Well, mine include @chrisisoutrunning proving meeting refugees isnāt as crazy as my wife thought and nuking a 3 wood onto 18.
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