Wisconsin is a great state for golfing, and there are plenty of golf courses to choose from. Whether you want a modern course or something more traditional, one of these 11 golf courses in Wisconsin should be sure to catch your eye. These courses offer wonderful scenery, well-kept greens, and unique play styles to ensure you never forget your time in the state.
1. Irish Course at Whistling Straits
Access: Open to the public
Site: destinationkohler.com
Green Fee: $80-$130
Stay and Play Package: Stay and play packages available from Destination Kohler
The Irish Course at Whistling Straits is sure to keep you entertained. The course is just inland from the lake. Several of the holes feature dunes, thick grassland, and streams. While the scenery may look peaceful, the course hazards and design offer a challenge even for professionals.
Every hole is a little different, allowing you to play a variety of styles and methods on one course. The Irish Course is considered one of the best modern courses. While it doesn’t feel as traditional and classic as some of the courses on this list, it’s a great modern twist to try out.
2. Mammoth Dunes at Sand Valley
Access: Open to the public
Site: sandvalley.com
Green Fee: $105-$275
Stay and Play Package: Stay and play packages are available
The Mammoth Dunes Course was created by David McLay Kidd. It’s a new course, finished in 2018. The course name came about because of the unique sand hills alongside the entire course. The course also features enormous fairways and fully accessible greens.
Not only does Sand Valley have some amazing courses, but it offers one of the best packages in all of Wisconsin. If you want to check for more, here’s our list of the best stay and play packages in Wisconsin.
3. Erin Hills
Access: Open to the public
Site: erinhills.com
Green Fee: $170-$385
Stay and Play Package: Stay and play packages are available and offer discounts on golf rounds
Erin Hills has a unique design. Dr. Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry, and Ron Whitten all came together to create this course. They were further inspired by the classic Scottish and Irish courses to stay environmentally friendly and follow the natural contours of the land.
The course is rather new, built in 2006, but has already been home to several championships including the US Amateur Championship and the US Open. There have been a few changes to the course, especially the front line to follow the recommendations of the USGA and make it more playable and challenging.
4. Milwaukee Country Club
Access: Private
Site: milwaukeecountryclub.org/
Green Fee: No green fees listed, but membership is between $7,000 and $12,000
Stay and Play Package: No stay and play packages.
The Milwaukee Country Club is rather private and understated. Even those who live nearby in the state often don’t know about it. Despite the secrecy, the course has been around since 1910. The club is actually older, first founded in 1894, but it was moved to its current location in 1910.
The Country Club grows popular every few years, usually when it hosts a major tournament, such as the 2008 Mid-Amateur Championship. However, because the club stays rather quiet on its activities and golf course, it tends to fade out of the limelight rather quickly. That doesn’t mean that this isn’t a great golf course full of traditional course features.
5. The Links at Lawsonia
Access: Open to the public
Site: lawsonia.com
Green Fee: $55-$125
Stay and Play Package: Stay and play packages are available with several lodging options
The Links at Lawsonia have constantly ranked in the Top 100 Golf Courses and Top 100 Golf Courses in the last several years. It’s one of the best classic golf courses in the country. Despite being a classic, the course undergoes constant renovations to stay challenging and keep it in great condition.
One of the reasons this course stands out so much is because of its links style of golfing. The links style of golfing allows for unique and creative shotmaking opportunities. There are several ways to take a shot and beat the course, which many newer courses are missing.
6. Sand Valley at Sand Valley
Access: Open to the public
Site: sandvalley.com
Green Fee: $105-$275
Stay and Play Package: Stay and play packages are available
Sand Valley Golf Course was already on this list once. However, the Sand Valley Course itself is so good that it’s worth putting on this list as its own separate course. The course was created by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw in 2017. It was the resort’s first golf course.
It’s a course that offers excitement for all types of players. It can easily be a challenge for experienced players while also having simple enough tees that even a beginner will enjoy. It’s often listed in the top 20 for Best Golf Courses.
7. The River at Blackwolf Run
Access: Open to the public
Site: destinationkohler.com
Green Fee: $180
Stay and Play Package: Stay and play packages are available with caddies and carts included
Named after Chief Blackwolf and his Winnebago tribe that lived on the land around 1800, this land features three popular golf courses. These courses are known as The River, Meadow Valleys, and the Baths. Out of these, The River is known to be the best course.
The Rivers offers some sort of water or gorges on all but 14 of the 18 holes. The holes offer breathtaking scenery and a challenging course to keep anyone focused on the game. Some shots are difficult but incredibly fun to try out. They will keep you improving your skills with every hole.
8. The Woodlands at Lawsonia
Access: Open to the public
Site: lawsonia.com
Green Fee: $55-$125
Stay and Play Package: Stay and play packages are available with several lodging options
While the traditional Links Course at Lawsonia is a reason to go to Wisconsin all on its own, you don’t want to pass up The Woodlands Course while you are there. The scenery is amazing and if you go at the right time, you may be able to catch sight of some wildlife such as badgers, deer, turkeys, and eagles.
You may be inclined to think that a course labeled “The Woodlands” would be full of narrow holes surrounded by trees. While the course is lined by thick trees, there’s quite a bit of width with each hole to allow for some creativity with every playthrough. The course undergoes constant repairs and renovations to keep it at the top of its class.
9. SentryWorld Golf Club
Access: Open to the public
Site: sentryworld.com
Green Fee: $300
Stay and Play Package: Stay and play packages are available
SentryWorld is made to be an all-inclusive golfing experience. There’s no rush when playing. The course and staff ask you to take as long as you want or need with every hold to provide maximum enjoyment. There’s also plenty of food and drink available whenever you need a break that’s included in the green fee.
As for the course itself, SentryWorld’s golf course has been consistently in the Top 100 Golf Courses in the country. The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and was designed to be Wisconsin’s first destination golf course. It hosted the 2023 U.S. Senior Open after massively renovating its business model and course.
10. The Bull at Pinehurst Farms
Access: Open to the public
Site: golfthebull.com
Green Fee: $69-$149
Stay and Play Package: Stay and play deals are available with some of the local lodging options
The Bull at Pinehurst Farms is the only signature golf course by Jack Nicklaus in Wisconsin. There’s a wide range of risk and reward holes. The courses are also designed to blend in naturally with the land and wrap around unique features in the area, rather than just taking over the land.
Get an idea of other people’s play styles and observe the course before you play while eating at Jack’s Grill. This restaurant overlooks the 9th and 10th holes. Each hole is designed with championships in mind. It is the tournament venue for both the Wisconsin State Golf Association and the Wisconsin PGA Section.
11. The Bog
Access: Open to the public
Site: golfthebog.com
Green Fee: $68-$116
Stay and Play Package: Some stay and play packages are available
The Bog is a public, 18-hole course designed by Arnold Palmer. Depending on how you play, the course is between 5,110 yards and 7,221 yards with a par 72. The course flows through a total of 297 acres of natural areas including wildlife habitats, rolling hills, and wetlands.
The course is often rated in the top 5 of all Arnold Palmer courses to play in the United States. The course was first made in 1995 and offers enough of a challenge to interest even professional players. The course doesn’t give you much time to warm up, throwing you straight into the sport with a straight uphill hole with plenty of bunkers to mess you up.
Wisconsin is one of the top golf destinations in the Midwest, but there are other great golf states as well. Here is our list of the best golf courses in the Midwest. Check it out!
FAQS
How to Keep Your Golf Equipment Safe While Flying?
If you’re traveling to golf, you want to make sure all of your equipment is safe. Some people decide it’s better to mail their equipment than fly with it just to keep it a little more padded and protected.
Thankfully, you don’t have to do that. There are bags known as golf travel bags that help provide all of your equipment. These bags go over your regular golf bag and equipment. They’re usually easy to carry or wheel around and are made of durable and padded materials for extra security.
How Many Total Golf Courses Does Wisconsin Have?
There are around 547 golf courses in Wisconsin. This includes all of the nine-hole and 18-hole courses that fall under regulation. Many of these courses aren’t well known and rely only on word of mouth to get noticed.
Most official reports put the total number of courses that Wisconsin has a little above 400. 246 of these courses are daily-fee. The rest are a mix of municipal, resort, or private courses.
Which State Park in Wisconsin Features an 18-hole Golf Course?
Peninsula State Park in Wisconsin is a state park that also offers golfing. It has a standard 18-hole course for all golfing enthusiasts. The course is rather challenging. Some holes have 50-foot cliffs where your ball sails straight down the side.
To get you warmed up and ready for these challenging holes, the course offers a six-hole practice and learning course to try out first. In addition to the golf course, there’s a clubhouse that serves food. The courses are open from April to October.
