Looks like the guys are playing at Sand Valley this week! I wonder what other courses they will hit. Would not be surprised if they made a stop at Lac La Belle, since DJ was just at Lawsonia
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Just got back from my second trip to Sand Valley last week and the resort has made a bunch of minor tweaks and is just getting better and better. Mostly noticed tweaks to food options and the fact that we arenāt in a COVID lockdown this year. Had an amazing lodge room overlooking 18 at SV instead of Sandbox like last year. Pro Shop said the Doak course will start after Lido and it wonāt be called Sedge Valley. Last year I got 0 sleep at the resort and shot a 105 or something at SV course, this year I broke 90 twice in heavy winds. Highlights of the trip included almost eagling 6 at MD for the second straight year (lip out from 100 yards) and birdying 9 and 10 back to back at SV with great putts. 14 at MD remains a black eye for me as Iāve never hit a good drive there. Almost always in the right waste area or further right than that even.
In other news I just put together a budget trip for the end of June. Never been to any of these courses.
18 Washington County $31 walking
36 Lawsonia Links $125 carts
18 Broadlands $39 walking
9 Eagle Springs $18 walking
Airbnb $110 each for 2 nights
$325 total
Is walking any of these courses a bad idea?
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I went on a little tour of Wisconsin golf last week. Spent Sunday-Friday outside of Hayward so got out to Big Fish 2x (walked 18 with my wife in 3 hours, delightful although the back is fairly hilly, walked 9/rode 9 solo) and Hayward GC (walked 18 solo in 2 hrs). Big Fish is so good, especially for $35 walking on Mondays/Tuesdays. I loved out different the 9s are, with the front being completely treeless and pretty much flat while the back is a stunner cut out of the forest. 10/11 are exceptional strategy holes and the two par 5s on the back are beautiful. Sneaky Pete did what he does best in making you feel really uncomfy off the tee while in reality there is a ton of room. Shot three straight 78s, must be something in the water up there.
Saturday got out to Bishops Bay with my parents. They have poured a ton of $$$ into it and it shows, I love what they have done to the course and the clubhouse. Shot a very ugly 83 that featured a cold shank on 14 OB and balls in the water on 15 & 17. Still loved every minute of it (well, like 99% of the minutes).
Sunday we all went up to play the Links at Lawsonia. Iāve said elsewhere here I didnāt think much of the first 6 holes, but they grew on me this time around. I still donāt think they are nearly as good as 7-18 but they are still pretty good (1 excepting, pretty meh starter but maybe thatās what starting holes should be). Started +3 thru 4 but battled back to finish E.
Overall a great trip. Headed back up to the northwoods in August and plan on hitting Cumberland GC, Spooner GC, and Troy Burne. Wisconsin is spoiled for good golf, even outside of the resorts.
If anyone has played BBCC, they took out all the trees behind the first tee box and added a cool clock tower. Opens up the view back to the clubhouse and lake. Really nice touch.
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All courses are walkable in that list. Looks like a good budget trip. I would consider replacing broadlands with spring valley but thatās a bit out of the way, or Morningstar which is a bit pricier but thatās just me. Broadlands is decent, interesting variety and a lot of land, just very slow and can be rough around the edges in my opinion. Definitely the least notable of the list, but still solid.
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Spring valley is right by my house so trying to something a bit harder to get to. (Others are coming from closer to chicago). I also like that broadlands is next to eagle springs.
Gotcha. Well like I said, thatās not a bad course. Itās just the most ānormalā and non-woke on the list.
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I was looking at Morningstar. Looks like a decent option so may do that. Also wondering if a $59 1pm rate at hawks view is worth doing instead. Iāve played there once and it was decent.
Morningstar is built on on an old quarry. The front plays along the ridges and down to the bottom, while the back plays primarily on the land outside of the quarry. Itās pretty cool and well conditioned. Nothing to write home about, but a lot of land movement. Itās a decently large walk, but still manageable. Only the gaps between 9-10, 13-14, and 18 to the clubhouse are the killers. Hawks view is probably the most scenic out of the 3. Feels more like a course in upper Michigan with some of the downhill par 3s and dramatic drops, in my opinion. You really canāt go wrong with any of the 3. I would say that Morningstar is probably the most āoverpricedā of the bunch, but theyāre solid options. Broadlands is decent value, but itās not really a āgolf trip-worthyā course. I still play it a decent amount, donāt get me wrong.
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Hawks view is probably the least walkable of the 3. Some major hills on that course. Itās more intimate, little to no housing. Again, take all this with a grain of salt, Iām a 24 year old golf sicko who has shared his fair share of bad takes.
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Hawks View doesnāt allow walkers. Hate that.
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For good reason the course is not walkable at all
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Eagle Springs rules and thatās all I have to say on the matter
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At least on Barn Hollow you can walk without any discount.
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The food and beverage has consistently been awful, not the food itself but the clear lack of systems/management in the pub is shocking.
I think the course is awesome and will probably require this year and maybe one more before itās truly grown in. The pricing model is questionable. Itās almost like theyāre charging what they are in order to make the members feel like theyāre getting their moneyās worth. Or, like otherās have said, positioning themselves as an additional stop along a Wisconsin golf trip. Even then I think itās tough to swallow $150.
If it was $75-$80 for a round, Iād probably play 3-4 times a year. At $150 Iāll maybe play once.
Edit: I realize Iām just echoing everyoneās sentiments
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The conversation was this past weekend, not just the service. They all agree with you assessment of the cause. Iām new to the area and donāt want to throw anyone under the bus, so Iāll end there. I wish they would fit in where they should price wise so I could play it a couple times a year as itās only a few minutes from my house, but itās not going to happen at the current price.
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Only a few minutes for me as well, maybe Iāll see you around!
This sounds a lot like itās time for me to come to the west burbs for a round.
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Youāll have to catch me in July. My wife and I are expecting our first child any day now!
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I can be a fourth!
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Itās starting to sound like a Milwaukee + West Burb meet-up is neededā¦ Iām about 10min from LLB
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