borggolf

[borggolf]

Walworth County golf courses, ranked

Unlike Rock County, which only has one or two courses I would consider 'great,' Walworth County (thanks to Illinois tourism) is not only blessed with many good/great courses, four of them are listed in the top 40 in Wisconsin.

[Hawk statue (R.I.P.), hole 2, Hawk's View]

This ranking is my own subjective view of the courses I've played and how much I would like to replay them. It has little to do with architecture or course design and more to do with how much fun I had playing them as a mid-handicap golfer. I also factor in accessibility (how difficult it is to get a tee time there) and price.

[Hole 13, Geneva National - Gary Player Course]

Although I’ve only played it once back in 2020, my favorite golf course in Walworth County is the Gary Player course at Geneva National. I’m not a big fan of the other two courses at GN, but the starter that day was apparently in a good mood just before our late November tee time and moved us from our booked Trevino course to the much sought after Player. Maybe it was the fact that I had good fortune that day, but that round ended up being one of the highlights of the year for me. The course was in fantastic shape considering it was 40 degrees when we teed off.

[Hole 8, Grand Geneva - The Highlands]

The Highlands course at Grand Geneva is a great course with many elevation changes and beautiful views. I don’t consider it a difficult course (which is why I prefer it over The Brute), as long as you play the proper tee box. I was once coerced into playing the back tees and I ended up with a horrible score. Grand Geneva is generally very pricey, but every once in a while they will have a special where you can play for under $100.

[Hole 17, Hawk's View - Como Crossing, in early March]

Hawk’s View has easily the best public non-resort golf course in the county. I have not played the Barn Hollow course, which is a highly rated 18-hole par 3 course, but I play the championship course (Como Crossings) several times a year. Great views and elevation changes, true greens, and well manicured fairways. Not to mention the food in the clubhouse is fantastic. A round can run very pricey in the summer (over $100), but it’s a must-play for me in the spring and fall.

[Hole 17, Abbey Springs, overlooking Geneva Lake]

The first time I played Abbey Springs back in 2017, it ate me up and spit me out. At the time it was the most difficult course I’d ever played. I’ve only played there two times since then and didn’t fare much better. But it’s a great woodsy course and I’d love to go back, especially since they've spent $2.5M renovating all of the green complexes recently. Unfortunately, since they did that, their greens fees have more than doubled.

[Hole 16, Grand Geneva - The Brute, in December]

The only reason I didn’t rank The Brute higher is because it’s well known to be unfairly difficult. The course is actually ranked the highest in Walworth County according to some golf publications, but I rarely have a good round there and that is a bitter taste I remember every time I book it. On more than one occasion an employee asked me how it went - when my response was a defeated one, they respond, “yeah, The Brute can do that.”

[Hole 16, Geneva National - Lee Trevino Course]

Speaking of difficult courses, let’s talk about Geneva National. I didn’t find the Player course hard at all, but the Palmer and Trevino courses will have you pulling your hair out. Most holes are very strategic with many, many large bunkers. Add on top of that the very high price for the round and I'd often be sitting in the parking lot wishing I’d played almost anywhere else. Don’t get me wrong, the courses are possibly in the best shape of any course in the county, but they’re just too difficult for me to fully enjoy them.

[Hole 13, Nippersink Golf Resort]

Nippersink is a hidden gem resort course located between Pell Lake and Twin Lakes. Technically the entire course layout is in Kenosha County, but the clubhouse is just on the Walworth County side of the line. It’s a well manicured fun course with quick & true greens, but the weekenders ruin it. I highly suggest playing it on a weekday because it will be a 5 hour round on a Saturday.

[18th green, Big Foot Country Club]

I played in a drunken scramble once in 2019 at Big Foot Country Club. I was ecstatic to be playing at a private club for the first time, but the course wasn’t very memorable. It was pretty nice, but I’d honestly rather play Hawk’s View, Glen Erin, or even Oak Grove in Illinois. I would play there again, if invited, only for the fact that the opportunities to play it are rare.

[Hole 18 (from the clubhouse), Geneva National - Arnold Palmer Course]

I mentioned the difficulty of the Trevino and Palmer courses at Geneva National. What I didn’t mention is that the Palmer course is the more difficult of the two. Still, the course is beautiful and you finish holes 16 & 17 along the shoreline of Lake Como. Does it deserve to be higher on the list? Not after I factor in difficulty and price.

[2nd green (from 3rd tee box), Evergreen - North Course]

While there may be a noticeable dip in quality when going from the Lake Geneva courses to Evergreen, that's not to say it’s a bad course at all. In fact, if it were in Rock County, I’d easily rank it the 2nd best course behind Glen Erin. For several years I’ve participated in two 27-hole scrambles there per season. There are quite a number of risk/reward holes, making it fun for all levels of golfer (I scored 2 of my 3 lifetime eagles on the East course). 

[3rd green, Majestic Oaks at Lake Lawn Resort, overlooking Delavan Lake]

As my “home course,” I’ve played literally hundreds of rounds at Majestic Oaks. For many years I had a membership there and played weekly leagues. From 2018-2019 alone I shot 100 rounds there playing 3-4 days a week, so it’s safe to say I know this course well. With the par 5 hole #3 right on the shoreline of Delavan Lake, you’ll see plenty of wildlife on the course including Canada geese, ducks, deer, and bald eagles nesting on the 18th fairway. The course itself can get a little tight with its namesake’s trees often coming into play (as well as an abundance of bunkers), but it’s relatively short even from the back tees, making it not too difficult. It’s overpriced on the weekend, but during the week it might be the best value in the county. Also membership rates are very reasonable.

[2nd tee, Delbrook - North Course]

Formerly a municipal course, Delbrook has seen a lot of improvement over the years. They added an additional nine holes in 1999, totaling 27. More recently, $1.668M was bequeathed to the course, which was spent on improving drainage, better sand in the bunkers, cart path improvements, and a large net to prevent slices on the driving range from going into the parking lot. While all three 9’s are par 35, the South and Middle courses both play long; especially the South which has two par 4s that are over 450 yards from the white tees. Despite it being relatively low on my ranking list, I love playing Delbrook and I’ve carded my best ever scores there.

[9th green (from 8th tee), Country Club Estates]

One of the nicest 9-hole tracks I’ve ever played is in Fontana sitting just outside of Abbey Springs and Big Foot Country Club. Having played league at Country Club Estates, I got a real feel for the course. Definitely some risk/reward, plenty of blind shots, and all kinds of trouble for errant shots. This was the course that inspired me to (ask my wife to) buy my first new golf club set, and I scored my first eagle on hole #5.

Willow Brook is a quaint 9-hole course, formerly the Whitewater Country Club. It’s a decent budget course, probably more well-known for the fish fry in the clubhouse. The last two holes are deceptive, forcing the golfer to think twice before pulling out the driver.

[Holes 15 & 16 (from 14th tee), Alpine Valley - The Meadows Course]

When people think of Alpine Valley, they usually think of the concert venue or the ski hill, not the fact that it’s a 27-hole golf resort. Being in the valley, a few of the holes have impressive elevation changes. It’s surprisingly cheap to play there, but some parts of the course have serious drainage issues. The last time I golfed it, only 16 of 27 holes were playable and they told us to “play two holes twice” to make 18. They also sent people off on both nines, which caused a huge delay at the turn. While I can’t recommend the course, it is one of the cheapest in the county.

[Lake Geneva Country Club (from a Geneva Lake tour boat)]

I haven't played the ultra-exclusive private courses in Lake Geneva (Golden Eye [formerly Lakewood] and Lake Geneva Country Club), but LGCC is on my bucket-list. I’ve also never played rounds at Lake Beulah or Lauderdale Lakes (both 9-hole courses).

Many have asked if I ever played Hillmoor in Lake Geneva. Unfortunately I wasn't able to play it before it closed in 2009. Since then the property has changed hands a few times, but there are still no plans for development.

A golfer living in Walworth County is spoiled with many excellent choices, but most carry a high price tag (especially since the COVID golf-boom). I don't typically play the Lake Geneva resort courses more than once or twice a year, as I'm comfortable saving money playing the mid-level courses like Evergreen, Majestic Oaks, and Delbrook. I also often venture to some nice courses just outside of the county such as Prairie Woods, Broadlands, and Brighton Dale. When I eventually move from here to greener pastures, I will most likely not see the density of great courses this close to my new home.

[borggolf]

My Golf 2022-23 Catch-Up

[Skunk on the 1st tee box - an omen? Glen Erin]

I received zeros and zeros of messages asking why I didn’t write up a golf blog last year. In lieu of answering that question, I’m just going to combine last year’s golf season with this year’s. The catch will be remembering all that happened just by looking at the scores, but here goes nothing.

[A disturbing number of geese on the 13th tee box, Majestic Oaks]

My golf game in 2021 featured my best calculated handicap, but the index began creeping up toward the end of the year. That trend continued into 2022 despite starting out with a few decent rounds at Hawk’s View and Grand Geneva; I had six terrible scores in a row in the spring (including a couple triple digit scores), spiking my handicap from 11 to 19. It took me until August to bring it back down to 13. 

[Sandhill Cranes and assorted waterfowl, 6th hole Hawk's View]

My worst round of the year came in mid-September when we decided to take advantage of a coupon for The Bull at Pinehurst Farms. Located near Sheboygan Falls, this course is notorious for being possibly the toughest in the state. If you don’t come with your A game, you’re going to walk away hurting…and I definitely did not have my A game that day. I managed 13 penalties and didn’t card a single par for a score of 113. 

[Oscar's approach shot on hole 17, The Bull at Pinehurst Farms]

My best round of 2022 was just 3 weeks later at Glen Erin in Janesville. It was the first time I’d ever finished 9 holes under par (two birdies, six pars, one bogey), then I scored a 44 on the back nine (which is still pretty good for me as I’ve never scored better than 41 on the back nine at Glen Erin). Shooting a 78 anywhere is impressive but Glen Erin isn’t exactly an easy course.

[Hole 15, Lake Arrowhead - The Lakes Course]

Another first for me was going on not one but two multi-day out of town golf trips. In late June my golf buddies and I stayed in Wisconsin Rapids and played all 36 holes at Lake Arrowhead on Saturday, then Sunday we drove to the Dells to play Wild Rock. The Lake Arrowhead courses were pretty nice (maybe a little overpriced due to their proximity to the Sand Valley resort), but Wild Rock was instantly my favorite course I’ve ever played. The views, valleys, and challenge made it worth the $100 price.

[Hole 6, Wild Rock]

In August we went up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for our 2nd golf trip. Along the way we stopped outside of Green Bay to play a round at Royal St. Patrick’s, where I lost at least 4 balls in the drink. Then we played the two flagship courses at the Island Resort Casino; Sage Run and Sweetgrass. I’d been wanting to play these courses since hearing about them during commercial breaks of Brewers games. Sage Run was the tougher of the two courses, but I loved it almost as much as Wild Rock. Before heading home, we played a round at Timberstone in Iron Mountain. This was another gorgeous course with big elevation changes but more of a northwoods feel. My scores weren’t very good that weekend, but it was a great time at some great courses.

[Hole 18, Timberstone at Pine Mountain Resort]

I was able to try out 15 courses I hadn’t played before 2022. Aside from the 7 played during those two trips, I played Hayward Golf Club (very nice, but not quite Big Fish), Oshkosh Country Club (nice, but maybe not worth the long drive), Washington County (a very impressive links course; definitely want to go back), Currie Park in Milwaukee (while I was waiting for the dealership to fix my car), The Bull (hopefully never again), and three Illinois courses: Renwood (a fun course I’d play again), Bittersweet (very nice but tougher), and a Thanksgiving weekend round on the north course at Eagle Ridge in Gurnee. 

[Hole 8, the north course at Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa]

For the first time in seven years, I joined a simulator league in the offseason. I was playing twice a week; at Brighton Dale in Kenosha County and the Wisconsin Indoor Golf Center in Waukesha. While it can be rightfully argued that it’s not very realistic, I felt like I was able to tweak a few things in my drives, fairway woods, and even my short game after playing 29 simulated 18 hole rounds over the winter. When March 2023 arrived, I wasn’t rusty at all.

[Hole 10, Foothills Golf Club]

My golf buddy Oscar talked me into taking a trip to Arizona in March. There we played four rounds: Foothills, Ocotillo, Devil’s Claw at Whirlwind Resort, and Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon (see more pictures of these courses near the end of the blog).  Foothills was nothing to write home about and was overpriced, as Ocotillo was much nicer and cheaper…but it didn’t really feel like Arizona as there were many lakes surrounding the course. Devil’s Claw was very expensive but I enjoyed the course a lot and shot very well. Dinosaur Mountain was also very expensive and I shot like complete trash, but it was the most picturesque course I’d ever played (being that it was on the side of a mountain). I really enjoyed the experience of golfing great courses in early March when there was still snow on the ground in Wisconsin, but the greens fees for the 4 rounds alone totaled nearly $800.

[Hole 9 & clubhouse, blue course, Ocotillo]

After a few more simulator rounds back home, I hit the ground running with very good scores on Wisconsin courses in April. Late in the month I had a work trip to Las Vegas, where I made time to get in one round at Siena Golf Club (see pictures near the end of the blog). I took advantage of other for-work travel by playing White Deer Run and Pine Meadow in Mundelein IL, Wild Ridge in Eau Claire and Trapper’s Turn in the Dells when I had to make road trips to Minneapolis, and I was invited to play in a company scramble at Irish Waters outside of Green Bay. I also played a Cincinnati municipal course, Glenview, when I was there on vacation meeting up with co-workers.

[Hole 1, Wild Ridge]

My golf buddies and I once again made trips to Lake Arrowhead and the U.P.  This time after we played 36 at Lake Arrowhead, we played Christmas Mountain in the Dells. It was a pretty fun course at a good price, but we all agreed that it was no Wild Rock. On our way up to Michigan we stopped at Thornberry Creek, the official golf course of the Green Bay Packers. I thought it was great and I’d love to play it again. I carded a terrible round at Sweetgrass the next day, but played Timberstone much better than I did the previous year.

[Hole 17, Timberstone at Pine Mountain Resort]

Other first-time courses for me this year that I haven’t mentioned: Lakewoods Forest Ridges near Namakagen Lake was very picturesque with big elevation changes. Autumn Ridge near Manitowoc had some good elevation changes as well, and I was very close to an ace on the last par 3 (hit the flag stick on a bounce). I finally played Evansville and Kettle Moraine, neither of which were bad but I really wasn’t impressed. I played the par 3 course Creekview (seen along I-90 north of Edgerton) and it was a typical par 3 nine; great for beginners but I didn’t care for it. Finally, I played a November round at Steeple Chase in Mundelein with Oscar, and that course impressed me. Very well maintained course despite it being very late in the year.

[Hole 13, Forest Ridges at Lakewoods Resort]

Unlike most years, I kept my handicap fairly level throughout 2023. I was able to get it just under 12 at one point, but it never went much higher than 14. I only had two triple-digit rounds all year, and two rounds under 80. I played fewer 18-hole rounds in 2022 (90) than I did this year (98), and I spent WAY more money on golf rounds this year ($5360) than in 2022 ($3650). That doesn’t include the $850 I spent on the simulators, or the $800+ I spent on club upgrades (Callaway Rouge ST Max driver, 5w, 5h). Not to mention I burn through over 120 balls a year, which likely costs me another $300-400. 

[Jeff lining up his approach shot on hole 18, Sweetgrass]

It was a very expensive year for me, but I may have enjoyed the game more than ever. Consistency is getting better, and I'm no longer afraid to shell out more money for nicer courses. I don't think I will be making another early spring golf trip in 2024, but we are planning another Lake Arrowhead trip as well as a stay at the Gull Lake View Golf Resort near Kalamazoo, MI.

[Eric, getting tired of waiting for slow golfers. Hole 6, Sweetgrass]

[Sunrise at Ocotillo]

[Hole 2, The Devil's Claw at Whirlwind Golf Club]

[Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Golf Resort & Spa]

[Hole 1, Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Golf Resort & Spa]

[Hole 2, Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Golf Resort & Spa]

[Hole 4, Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Golf Resort & Spa]

[Hole 7, Siena Golf Club]

[Hole 12, Siena Golf Club]

[Hole 17, Siena Golf Club]

[Hole 18, Siena Golf Club]

[Hole 14, Naga-Waukee War Memorial Golf Course]

[3rd green, Hawk's View]

[Lake Como, seen from hole 17 tee box, Hawk's View]

[Final round of 2023, hole 2, Majestic Oaks at Lake Lawn Resort, Christmas Eve]

[borggolf]

Rock County golf courses, ranked

Since I've finally played every public golf course in Rock County, I decided to rank them. Let me know if you disagree.

(1) Glen Erin. Opened in 2003, it's easily the best public course in the county, no debate. I love the Irish links-style front nine, but the back can get very narrow in places. The greens and fairways are always in great shape.

(2) Prairie Woods. Very fun short course. Don't let the low slope/rating on the scorecard fool you, because this is a strategy course. Many players don't even pull out their driver until the 4th hole as accuracy is far more important here than distance.

(3) Bass Creek. I don't often play 9-hole courses, but this one is my favorite. It's relatively short but has many tee box options to offer challenge. The scorecard includes an option to play 18 where you use different tee boxes on the 2nd nine.

(4) Krueger-Haskell. Opened in 1927, this municipal course is a fun challenge. More water hazards were added in 2010 which radically changed holes 1, 3, & 18. The biggest drawback is the fact that it's in a very noisy neighborhood in Beloit.

(5) Riverside. Formerly a municipal course, it is often the first one people think of to golf in Janesville. It's home to several local tournaments including the Ray Fischer Amateur Championship. That said, I believe it's highly overrated. The back nine can be interesting with several large elevation changes.

(6) Blackhawk. Located on the east side of Janesville, this is a great 9-hole course for beginners. With only one par 5 hole and three par 3 holes, one can gain confidence with a lower score playing here (par 34).

(7) Towne Country Club. The front nine, built in 1920, is very tight. The back nine opens up a little but that's not saying it's easier. Honestly it's not a bad course; I only ranked it this low because the greens are often in bad shape, however in 2023 they finally acknowledged this by clearing a lot of trees from some of the green complexes. I will say that it's the best value course in the county as the greens fees are surprisingly cheap.

(8) Evansville. I've only played it once and I wasn't very impressed. Maybe it doesn't deserve to be this low on the list but I expected better for the high price.

(9) Cecilia's. Not bad for a budget 9 hole course. A membership here is ridiculously cheap, but because of that you will often see 3 hour rounds on weekends.

(10) Oak Ridge. Easily the worst 18 hole course in the county. The fairways are shaggy with dandelions and the greens are bad. It's a shame because it could be a very good course if they invested some money into it.

(11) Turtle Greens. Cow pasture 9 hole course. This is where you bring your kids to play for the first time. I haven't played there in over 20 years, but I remember some of the fairways were just hard dirt.

[borggolf]

Golfing in 2021

[11th green, Majestic Oaks at Lake Lawn]

I love to golf because it is great outdoor exercise, it’s good fun with friends (and sometimes making new friends), and it’s always a competition against yourself. Actually that last part is one of the most frustrating parts of golf, as even when you’ve shot your best round ever you can’t help but think about mistakes you made that prevented the score from being even better.

[eagle perched over the 12th tee box overlooking Delavan Lake - Majestic Oaks]

My 2021 golf season epitomizes that sentiment. I shot some of my best rounds and brought down my handicap to an all-time low, yet I was never really satisfied with my inconsistencies and was very unsatisfied with how I played in tournaments. I had four rounds in the 70’s which is something I haven’t even done once since 2018, but I also had four rounds over 100 (which is actually an improvement from years past). 

[Snapping turtle just off the 8th fairway - Country Club Estates]

This year I played more 18 hole rounds than any other year (99). Because of the pandemic my wife and I haven’t gone on any vacations so I was often using my PTO to play golf. In the past my dad usually only wanted to play 9 holes, but for some reason he opted for more 18 hole rounds this year despite slowing down with age. Using the handicap flag, which allows me to pull the cart up closer to the green, helps him significantly (as does ibuprofen).

[My Dad and a painted turtle off the 1st fairway - Forest Point]

The biggest change for me this year was the fact that I played much less often at Majestic Oaks at Lake Lawn (only 22 rounds vs more than 50 or 60 in years past) for several reasons: first, they eliminated their twilight rate effectively raising our league rounds from $20 to $35, forcing us to move our league to another course. Second, the place was far busier than it used to be. In the past I would stop by after work and play 18 in 2 hours. That wasn’t quite as possible this year with more people on the course. And third, the staff was rude to me on several occasions. Once I was kicked off the course 30 minutes before sunset just because the attendant wanted to go home early (I was on hole 16). It’s clear they treat the weekenders from Illinois better than they treat members. All of that said, I’m still tempted to renew my membership next year. The course is a stone’s throw from my house and the membership prices are the best in the county.

[Does a near-ace count if it was a mulligan? Hole 13 - Majestic Oaks]

We moved our company golf league to Oak Grove in Illinois and lost quite a few players in doing so. I really enjoy that course, or at least the front nine (I scored sub-40 rounds there 3 times this year). The back nine is more wooded and has a more difficult design (hole 11 in particular, although I did birdie it once) including swamps and other water features. Since it was farther away for most people (including myself), I ended up only playing 12 rounds there (normally the league is supposed to be 17 weeks).

[Sandhill cranes on the 13th tee box - Oak Grove]

I started out my 2021 golf season with a few mid-march driving range sessions before playing a respectable round at Hawk’s View. The next day I played Evergreen, starting the round with back-to-back birdies and finishing the East course even par after nine. Sure, I blew it on the South course but I was shocked because I normally start the year very rusty. Unfortunately my handicap went from 13 to 16 by the end of May, but by mid-June into July I started playing a lot more consistently and dropped it down to around 11 by August, where it stayed until late October.

[View from the 17th tee box - Hawk’s View]

Last year I played a ton of November golf. The weather was nice enough (in the 40’s) and I was playing really well then. I even managed 3 rounds in December. This year I only played 3 rounds in November. The weather was similar, but I wasn’t playing my best anymore so I put my clubs away early. I did get them back out on December 15th for one last round when it got up to the 60’s. I even had a birdie on 18; “that’ll keep ya comin’ back!!”

[13th fairway - Prairie Woods]

A friend of mine started getting more into golf in the last year and bought a membership at Delbrook, so I ended up playing there more often. Although Delbrook isn’t really that tough, it can play long (especially the South course). I managed to shoot 76 (+6) twice; once on South/Middle and once on North/Middle. This shattered my previous best round of 78 at Majestic Oaks. Delbrook has made some significant improvements in the last two years, including better drainage on the North course, newly blacktopped cart paths, better sand traps, and tall netting to finally protect the parking lot from the driving range. It’s still nowhere near the nicest course in Walworth County, but it’s definitely worth it when they have discounts available on websites like GolfMoose, GroupGolfer, and Golf4LessOnline.com.

[Enjoying a beer on the North course 2nd tee box - Delbrook]

I have found that I’m running out of nearby courses I haven’t yet played, so my commute to new-to-me courses is growing to over an hour's drive away. Even so, I was able to play at 11 new courses this year.  I tried a few Milwaukee County courses; Oakwood Park is tough but fun, however I didn’t like Whitnall (partly because of my score, partly because the round went well over 5 hours). I finally got to play University Ridge and really liked it, but it’s far too expensive to play often. The front nine at Big Fish in Hayward was great but the back nine killed my score and ate my golf balls. Ives Grove is a fun little course outside of Racine, and I carded a lousy tournament round (interrupted by a thunderstorm) at Meadowbrook Country Club in Racine proper. I also had to endure a thunderstorm delay at Yahara Hills in Madison, a course I liked but it was also a 5+ hour round. One of my worst rounds of the year was at Fire Ridge just north of Grafton where I was in bunkers all day and took 5 penalties. The winner for longest commute to a golf course (not including my Hayward vacation) was Old Hickory in Beaver Dam. Over an 80 minute drive one way just to get beat up on a wet, tough course. That drive will be outdone next year as I already have plans to play Lake Arrowhead just north of Adams/Friendship.

[Hole 17 - University Ridge]

Closer to home, I played 15 rounds at Delbrook but only 3 at Evergreen (2 of which were 27-hole scrambles). I once again played both Grand Geneva courses and Hawk’s View three times. I regret only playing Nippersink once this year, as that course is a true hidden gem.

[Hole 16 - Big Fish]

Aside from 12 rounds at Oak Grove, I didn’t play many rounds in Illinois this year. Two were new-to-me courses; Midland Country Club in Wadsworth (not a bad design at all) and Beaver Creek (a dump of a 9-hole course in the middle of nowhere but unlimited golf w/cart for $10 on Wednesdays is hard to beat). I got in one round at one of my favorites in the flatlands, Timber Pointe in Poplar Grove, as well as a late October round at Atwood-Homestead in Rockton.

[Thunderhead from a storm that delayed our round, hole 15 - Timber Pointe]

As is often the case Waukesha County raked in a lot of my money this year, having played multiple rounds at Morningstar, Broadlands, Wanaki, and Western Lakes, as well as rounds at Fairways of Woodside and Naga-Waukee. I can’t leave out Kenosha County, having played four rounds at Brighton Dale and two at Spring Valley, a course I’m slowly hating less and less. In Rock County I enjoyed four rounds at Prairie Woods, two at Glen Erin, two at Towne Country Club, three 18-hole rounds at the hidden gem of a 9-hole Bass Creek in Footville, three 18-hole rounds at the 9-hole Blackhawk, and one terrible round (despite two birdies) at Riverside.

[Jeff is precariously close to that hawk! Hole 15 on Blue Spruce - Brighton Dale]

In total I golfed at 42 different courses this year, up from 38 last year. I tied or beat my personal best scores at 18 of them (not including the 11 new courses I played). While last year I drove over 3700 miles for golfing, this year I drove nearly 4700! Spending was up modestly as well, having spent over $3600 on playing vs under $3000 last year. I kept equipment costs down after stocking up on gloves and balls in 2020, but concession spending was up a few hundred dollars, mostly due to having meals at courses since I was often further from home. 

[The White River on Highlands hole 4 - Grand Geneva]

This year my golf balls of choice were Callaway Superhot, Bridgestone e12 Soft (discontinued), Bridgestone Tour B RX, Callaway Chrome-Soft, Taylormade TP5, and Srixon Q-Star Tour. Pretty much all of my favorites from last year. I’ve noticed that due to increased demand over the last two years, availability of discounts on golf balls and greens fees has decreased drastically. I’m not sure I can afford all this once the wife and I start traveling again. 

[Hole 6 - Edgerton Towne Country Club]

Sadly for me, even though I had a few rough rounds in November, my expectations are going to be quite high for 2022. Unless I break more personal bests and lower my handicap to single digits, it’ll be a disappointing season. While last off-season I worked on adjusting my swing, this winter I should really work on stifling my complaining. 

[Hole 7 - Old Hickory]

Some shout-outs this season: Eric for having me try out new courses and steering me away from bad ones, Jeff for always buying me a beer when I’m thirsty, Oscar for intentionally tanking a few rounds…I mean, I probably wouldn’t have beaten your score otherwise, right? Cooper for letting me use some of your guest credits, Kelly for sticking with me despite almost everyone else in the league quitting, my Dad for sticking it out and playing 18 when I know it’s a struggle for you, the threesome on hole 7th at Broadlands that up and drove off the course after hitting 6 straight balls into the water, and finally Doug for always making me laugh (no, I’m not talking about your putting). I can’t forget my wonderful wife who is willing to pick me up from even an hour away if I accidentally have too many beers!

[Last round of the year. 6th green - Prairie Woods]

(go back to the 13th fairway at Prairie Woods picture - if you zoom in you might see a hawk perched on a tree branch clutching a squirrel. Now go back to the picture of the 11th green at Majestic Oaks - if you zoom in you can see two Canada geese peeking their heads above the hill)

[borggolf]

My 2020 Golf Year

In the past several years around late February into March I would watch the weather forecast every day, hoping for a high near 50 degrees with no snow on the ground. Many people believe I’m crazy for wanting to golf so early in the season. Once a worker in the clubhouse told me on a 50 degree day in February that he wouldn’t be out there playing “even if a $100 bill was on the first hole’s flag.” But I just can’t wait to hit the links after the long offseason, at least most years. 2020 was much different.

Still recovering from a sore shoulder and with the COVID shutdowns beginning around mid-march, I had little desire to golf. Even when the courses opened up for walking-only, there were a few days that were quite warm but I just couldn’t get myself to put the clubs in the car. Not so much that I was worried about the virus, but more in that my shoulder still hurt and I was afraid that swinging a club again would make it much worse.

It wasn’t until May 1st when I finally decided to play a round. I’d actually put the walking cart in the trunk, but the state just started allowing motor carts to be used. My score that day and most of my rounds in May were atrocious. I didn’t card a respectable score until mid-June. I’d just gotten my handicap under 15 near the end of 2019 and it ballooned up to 20 by the end of June. But there was an unexpected silver lining: the shoulder pain not only didn’t get worse, it greatly improved.

I’m not really sure how it worked as my orthopedic doctor, my physical therapist, and my chiropractor all told me I shouldn’t golf as long as I’m still experiencing pain. But the first few rounds significantly helped the aching I’d been experiencing over the entire off-season. The pain was still there, and it would worsen a little as I did what I said I shouldn’t and started playing 4 rounds a week again, but nowhere near as bad as it was last year or even the year before. Possibly the best thing I did, which could have culled the situation had I started doing it in 2018, was I iced my shoulder immediately after rounds. I was finally feeling better about my golfing health, until my golfer’s elbow returned with a vengeance.

Around 4 years ago I was golfing nearly every day and developed what’s known as “golfer’s elbow,” very similar to tennis elbow. I’d purchased a compression band for my arm to wear during golf rounds for the remainder of the year, and the pain went away during the offseason not to return until this summer. This time it was much worse, making the elbow tender and my forearm sore, as well as my wrist. It got so bad that it hurt to simply pick up a glass of water with my right hand. Seeing as how my company’s on-site clinic closed down, and remembering how many thousands of dollars I spent on doctor bills for my shoulder last year, I decided to treat my condition with nothing more than ibuprofen, a new compression band, and ice. Along with reducing my golfing to 2-3 rounds a week in the fall, that seemed to work well through the rest of this year. I only hope that much like 4 years ago, it gets better in the offseason and doesn’t come back next year. Unfortunately I will be one more year older.

Despite getting a very late start in the season, I ended up playing about the same amount of golf as I did last year thanks to unseasonably warm weather in the autumn. Usually when the weather gets colder my game goes to hell, but surprisingly some of my best rounds of the season came in October and November. Previously my lower temperature threshold for golfing was about 46 degrees. Since I was playing so well this fall, I was on the course several days when it was 37. And I wasn’t the only one. During the first two Saturdays in December, golf courses in the area had full parking lots. Grand Geneva even decided to open up The Brute despite it being closed due to all of the Christmas decorations spread out on the 17th fairway near the resort entrance. It’s clear that people were looking to take advantage of continuing outdoor activities as long as the weather allowed during the pandemic. 

The biggest drawback to the golf boom of 2020 was the fact that a lot of people who rarely or never golfed before started playing a lot more rounds. It’s great that more people are discovering their interest in golf, but it seems like training sessions need to be held for these people, and I don’t mean lessons. Etiquette has been on a decline already, but this year you had newbies that either don’t understand or just ignore the rules (written and unwritten) of the courses. 18 hole golf rounds in some places went from 4-4.5 hours to 5-6 hours. People seem to be louder on the course than ever. Most venues did not have rakes out for the bunkers, which makes sense to help eliminate virus transmission, but now all of the inexperienced golfers are learning that they don’t need to rake the sand. I’m not saying I’m an expert on etiquette, but I’m learning more and more by golfing with more experienced players.

One of the many things I love about golfing is spending time with my dad. He’s now in his late 70’s and can’t swing anywhere near as well as he used to. In 2019 we’d played 11 eighteen-hole rounds together and 4 nine-hole rounds, but this year he wanted to scale back. We still got in 16 rounds together, but most of them were just nine holes. During the eighteen-hole rounds, he was popping ibuprofen like candy. My brother asked me to ease back my golf rounds with dad, and it looks like I’m going to have to do just that. It is just as well though, as I’ve developed a desire to play nicer, more expensive courses when dad thinks Glen Erin is almost too fancy. 

Much like how I enjoy trying a variety of different beers, I really enjoy trying out golf courses I’ve never played, as well as often rotating the courses I play every weekend so I’m not always golfing the same places. This year I golfed at 38 different courses in the area, 14 of them being new to me. Some of the notable new courses were in the Rockford area, which I used to consider ‘out of my range’ to travel for golf, were Aldeen in Rockford, Oak Grove in Harvard, Prairie View in Byron, and I revisited Timber Pointe in Poplar Grove. I also made quite a few trips north of I-94 to try out Scenic View in Slinger, Deertrak near Oconomowoc, Naga-Waukee and Western Lakes in Pewaukee, and Fairways Of Woodside in Sussex. Back in Walworth County I finally was able to play the elusive Gary Player course at Geneva National as well as both Grand Geneva courses, and the hidden gem Nippersink near Twin Lakes. The courses I’m most looking forward to playing again next year are Naga-Waukee, Nippersink, Western Lakes, and Oak Grove.

I did not renew my membership with Majestic Oaks at Lake Lawn this year, but they still got a large portion of my golf spending as I played 22 rounds there as well as a fair number of range balls. Not too surprisingly my 2nd most golfed course was just up the road at Evergreen where I played 10 rounds (I only played it once last year), and then Delbrook with 6 rounds. Still, my favorite courses are Morningstar & Broadlands in Waukesha County, Hawk’s View in Lake Geneva, and Shepherd’s Crook & Thunderhawk in Zion, IL. I love the Geneva National and Grand Geneva courses, but I only play them when their rates are lower. 

I mentioned earlier that I’ve been traveling greater distances from my home to golf. I started keeping track of miles driven to golf courses in 2017. While the number went up in 2018 (2376 miles), it went down to under 2000 miles in 2019. This year I racked up over 3700 miles. Much of that was possibly due to playing many fewer rounds at Majestic Oaks (22 this year vs 52 last year) which is only 2 miles from my house, but round trips to Slinger, Hartford, Pewaukee, Byron IL, and Zion IL really roll over the odometer.

Along with breaking from my self-imposed temperature and mileage limits for golfing, I broke through my spending limits. Many of the new courses as well as my favorite courses were outside of what my price range was just a few years ago. I often spent over $50 per round this year when previously that price would make me cringe or at least hesitate to agree to make the tee time. In 2018 I’d spent a lot of money on greens/cart fees ($2582), but I scaled that back in 2019 ($1742) by taking advantage of more discounts. This year I’d spend $2944 on greens/cart fees. While choosing more expensive courses might be a large reason for the big spending, I also take into account that I often would leave for vacation 2-3 weeks during the year but 2020 canceled that. Instead I spent many of my vacation days golfing on nice days in the fall.

I was disappointed that I once again wasn’t able to beat my best round ever carded in 2017 (+7 for 18), but I did have a notable round with my dad this year at Bass Creek where I scored +1 for 9 holes. My best score of the year was +9 at Prairie Woods, but really my best round was when I scored 82 at Western Lakes the first time I played it. I may never know how I managed it, but that day I had a lifetime-long 290 yard drive down the middle of the fairway on hole 16. One day in late October I took the afternoon off work and played two 18-hole rounds at Delbrook, scoring 85 & 81 (that 81 being my lowest calculated handicap differential of the year - which ranks your score with the difficulty of the course). Finally, one of my most memorable rounds of the year was in late November where I played the Gary Player course at Geneva National for the first time and carded an 85 from the hybrid tees. I’d never scored better than 102 at the other two GN courses.

As I’m someone that enjoys variety, I’m the same when it comes to golf balls. Much like my taste in different styles of beer, my taste in which balls to play over the years changes. In the past I’ve preferred mid-level 3-piece balls like the Srixon Q-Star Tour and the Taylormade Project(a). This year my favorite balls were the more expensive Bridgestone Tour B RXS, my old favorite Callaway Chrome-Soft, and the Taylormade TP5 & TP5x. I tried the new Bridgestone B12 and had a few very good rounds with them, but I didn’t love them. But my most pleasing golf ball find this year was how well I played with Callaway SuperHots, even in cold weather. I already bought a few more boxes of those this offseason.

I didn’t make any major equipment purchases this year besides a new rangefinder, so at least I managed to keep my hardware spending down under $500, which was mostly balls and new grips. I’d also managed to sell off some of my old equipment, which helped my budget. I’m strongly considering a new golf watch next year, and the one I’m eyeing up is $400. Along with my newfound desire to play more expensive courses, more expensive balls, and the potential need to replace a club or two out of my bag, it’s my guess that next year I’ll be breaking spending records on the sport.

You don’t need me to tell you 2020 was a garbage year. But despite not cracking a score into the 70’s and no eagles, it was a good year for me on the links. I was voted to be in charge of our company golf league which went well, my game started badly but showed consistent improvement through the season, and my shoulder has improved to the point where I no longer feel I will need surgery. I also broke personal course records at five frequently-played courses. It’s hard not to be optimistic for 2021, but really the most I can hope for is to stay healthy....and finally get a hole in one.

Photos:

My league opponent’s ball stuck in a tree, hole 9 Majestic Oaks

Looking down hole 7 Majestic Oaks during pandemic closure

1st green, Majestic Oaks (17th green in background)

4th fairway, Bass Creek

Hole 16 Towne Country Club

Hole 14 Naga-Waukee War Memorial Golf Course

Small crane in front of #2 green, Hawk’s View

#1 green, Deertrak. Alderly Millpond dam

Practice green, Aldeen

Byron Nuclear Power Plant cooling towers in background, Prairie View

Morningstar

Hole 14 Shepherd’s Crook, looking down on landfill

#2 North green, Evergreen, Thanksgiving Day

Hole 13 Gary Player course Geneva National

Hole 10 Gary Player course Geneva National

Hole 7, Western Lakes

Sunset over Delavan Lake, Lake Lawn driving range

[borggolf]

2019: The Year of the Shoulder

My 2019 golf season will hopefully be known as the year of the bad shoulder. I say hopefully because I’m hopeful that it will not be quite as bad in 2020. My right shoulder started bothering me in the spring of 2018, but not to the point where it affected my golf game until June of last year.

I started 2019 with my typical itch to play right away. Having managed to get in two 18 hole rounds one warm weekend in December, the itch wasn’t bad enough that I felt the need to play the simulator. But during a business trip to Michigan in February, I remembered to bring a few clubs along and found an indoor driving range. Another month would pass before I got to swing again, but I jumped into the deep end as soon as the temperature got above 45 degrees. I played five rounds the last week of March, four of which were 18-holes. My scores were terrible, but I was just happy to be out playing again.

[Pelicans near the 12th green at Majestic Oaks at Lake Lawn Resort in March]

I continued playing as often as I could in April, only one time out of 15 rounds playing less than 18. Once in a while I would challenge myself by playing the blue tees. Often this was a mistake, but I did manage one respectable round from the blues at Hawk’s View, which is no small feat. In May I played even more rounds, but my game started going all over the place. I would sometimes score insanely well on one nine and horrifically on the other. 

After being humbled by the tough nine holes at Forest Point up north, my game finally turned the corner and I started posting more respectable scores on a consistent basis. I even shot my best Blackhawk (Janesville) nine ever in mid-June with a +4 using my backup Walter Hagen clubs (because my Pings were being re-gripped). During the month of June I golfed 5 or 6 days a week. But the last weekend of the month, everything fell apart.

[turkeys crossing the fairway at Atwood-Homestead in Rockton, IL]

I was playing Glen Erin and shot pretty decent on the front nine. About halfway through the back, I began shanking everything. Anyone that’s golfed with me knows that isn’t all that out of the ordinary, but I couldn’t pull myself together as my drives kept getting worse on every hole. By hole 18 I was ready to just pick up my ball and go home. Determined to avenge that round, I went back to Glen Erin the next day. Once again, I played the front decently. But I fell apart again on the back, even earlier this time. I realized that the problem was likely physical rather than mental, acknowledging that the right shoulder that had been giving me discomfort for over a year had finally caught up to me.

[damn near an eagle from 110yds in the rain; hole 1 at Glen Erin]

I took a week off from golf. This was particularly difficult for me, having been accustomed to playing at least 5 days a week. My first round back was at Hartford, a new course to me. It took me half of the front nine to shake the rust off, but once I was finally going again I shot great. The next day I was humbled badly at Geneva National, as it often can do to me...but I didn’t feel like the shoulder was an issue. I backed off a little for the rest of the year, only playing 3-4 days a week. Yes, I understand how that sounds crazy to someone that doesn’t golf everyday, but to me it was like trying to wean an addiction. 

My scores began dropping again, but I couldn’t get my shoulder soreness off of my mind. It was always there to remind me of my June implosion. By this time I was popping ibuprofen like candy, hoping that the issue wasn’t something permanent or would require surgery. I had a hard time enjoying my improved rounds, even when shooting my best 18 of the year at Brighton Dale of all places (+10).

[I drove the green on hole 4, a blind short par-4 at Towne Country Club]

Toward the end of August I played a new course to me, Timber Pointe in Poplar Grove, IL. I started pretty rough, but mid-round I found my stride and managed to par 9 straight holes. On hole 18, I shanked my drive terribly in the same fashion that I was playing at Glen Erin in June. I felt like I needed to rest the shoulder again, but I had a coupon to play Coachman’s with my Dad that expired the next day. This ended up being an awful mistake as the shoulder went out on me by the 5th hole. The rest of the round was just a slog of shanked drives and diminishing distance. That Thursday I attempted to play in league but it was more of the same problems.

I took two weeks off of golf at the beginning of September. By this time I’d made an appointment for an MRI and a Cortisone shot (which didn’t help). My first round back, I shot a great nine despite the increasing shoulder pain. That weekend I played 18 and was awful. The following week was our annual league scramble for prizes, and my partner picked me up on every one of my bad shots, leading us to win the scramble! 

[Juvenile eagle perched above the 12th tee box, Majestic Oaks at Lake Lawn]

I attempted 3 more rounds in late September and October, all of which were regrettable even after 3 weeks of rest. At this point my shoulder hurt so badly I had trouble sleeping. A second Cortisone shot (in a different muscle) and several weeks of physical therapy made some improvement for the pain. I continued massage/ultrasonic therapy for a month in January. In March I went back to the doctor to discuss the possibility of surgery, but decided that I would wait until the fall or winter to minimize disruption of my golf season. This ended up being a bad decision...or perhaps a fortunate one.

While I was kicking myself for not getting the surgery earlier in the year not knowing that I would be sheltering at home during a pandemic through much of April, the shoulder has significantly improved in the six months without swinging a golf club. I still experience a small amount of pain with some movements of my arm, but nowhere near what I was experiencing in the fall. I’ve considered taking the entire 2020 season off to allow full healing without the need for surgery (which would likely save me thousands out of pocket). I probably will continue to golf despite better judgement, but I’ll have to learn to only play no more than 2 or 3 rounds a week.

[driving range in Farmington Hills, MI during a severe thunderstorm warning]

And now my favorite part of looking back on my past golf season, STATS! It’s a coincidence that I played exactly the same number of 18-hole rounds in 2019 as I did in 2018 (77), but I played fewer 9-hole rounds. My total greens fees paid was significantly lower than 2018’s ($1742 vs $2582), mostly due to taking advantage of vouchers, coupons, and online deals, as well as playing more rounds at Lake Lawn with my membership. I’d also spent a lot less on equipment. I obviously didn’t need any new clubs after purchasing almost an entire set last year, but I did buy a new bag and a shitload of gloves when they were on sale.

[hole 16 at Towne Country Club in Edgerton, WI]

I played fewer courses in 2019, only trying out six new ones: Coachman’s, Big Foot Country Club, Hidden Greens North (Solon Springs, WI), Koshkonong Mounds, Hartford, and Timber Pointe. The only course that impressed me was Timber Pointe, but Hidden Greens North was fairly nice for an up-north 18-hole course. Koshkonong and Hartford were both decent enough that I’d play them again if the opportunity arose, but Big Foot CC is completely overrated and Coachman’s was disappointing.

[Big Foot Country Club in Fontana, WI]

My favorite courses played last year, in order, were: Morningstar, Thunderhawk, Broadlands, Hawk’s View, Glen Erin (despite the terrible rounds), Wanaki, and Brighton Dale. I couldn’t include Geneva National or Abbey Springs because I’ve never shot well at either, although they are quite gorgeous courses. My most frequently visited course (besides Lake Lawn) was Prairie Woods. 

[Morningstar in Waukesha County, WI]

The pain I experienced with my shoulder last year was nothing compared to the anguish that resulted from some of my terrible rounds, however my handicap did manage to go down throughout most of the year. I also broke personal course records at four 18-hole courses and three 9-hole courses. I’ve started to keep track of my dad’s handicap. He’s become much more excited to golf with me in the past few years as he continues to improve. And the best news of all: I didn’t break any clubs.

[I had to putt around the sprinklers on hole 14, Majestic Oaks at Lake Lawn]

[borggolf]

My 2018 in Golf

2018 was an expensive year for my golf game. I played fewer total rounds than last year but opted to play pricier courses, and I replaced most of the clubs in my bag. Perhaps it was a combination of trying to become accustomed to new clubs along with trying out tougher courses to make this the first year in quite a few that I did not show significant improvement from the last. I spent far more time on the driving range this year and even paid for a few cheap lessons (which only helped my short game slightly).

The bug started biting me in February and I decided to play a few simulator rounds. The Ironworks Golf Labs in Beloit has plenty of bays to play in and a surprisingly decent beer selection, so I played a few rounds there when the temperature outside was in the single digits. They also re-gripped my clubs for me. Alas, the simulator is nothing like the real thing so I was out on the driving range in March when the temps finally got above 45.

My first round of the year was March 18th at Hawk’s View. I somehow talked my dad into playing with the high in the low 50’s. He was excited to play at first, but was exhausted by the 10th hole due to cart-path only rules in effect. The ranger waved the rule for us after seeing him struggling to walk across the 13th fairway. I’m happy that my dad seems more excited to golf with me, but he’s struggling to keep up sometimes, being in his 70’s. He needs his hip replaced. If he starts playing better afterward, I might consider it too!

Traveling for work gave me the opportunity to play a number of new courses this year, including 18 at Farmington Hills in Michigan, a joke of a 9-hole course in Novi MI called Maples (par 30), 18 holes at the country club in Lancaster WI, 18 of the 27 holes at House on the Rock, 18 of the 27 holes at Barneveld’s Deer Valley (my 2nd best round of the year), and 18 holes at Willowbrook in Middle Tennessee. I sadly turned down opportunities to golf when on vacation in San Diego, Washington DC, and Germany, both due to weather and inability to fit a round into my vacation itinerary.

Other courses I played for the first time were Palmer & Trevino at Geneva National (I prefered the Trevino course), Morningstar just outside of Mukwonago (expensive course but beautiful), Thunderhawk near Zion IL (on the hottest day of the year), Petrifying Springs in Kenosha, New Berlin Hills, and Alpine Valley. Petrifying Springs and New Berlin Hills didn’t impress me, but I would be happy to play the others again given I can get on with a discount as Geneva National, Morningstar, and Thunderhawk are all quite expensive. I want to play Alpine Valley again simply because I enjoyed the challenge that came with great elevation changes on the course, similar to Deer Valley.

I found it a little interesting that in 2017 I golfed Evergreen 12 times and Prairie Woods 11 times, while in 2018 I only golfed Evergreen 6 times (2 of those were in December) and Prairie Woods only 3 times. The reason I found this odd is Prairie Woods is one of my favorite local courses, but this year I found myself wanting to play more of a variety of courses. In 2017 I played golf at 26 different courses, while this year that number was 32. Even with the membership at Lake Lawn I played 20 fewer rounds there this year compared to last. Aside from Lake Lawn, I golfed at Brighton Dale more often than any other course this year (7 rounds), mainly because Oscar Davidson has a membership there. I golfed with Oscar 19 times this year. That’s more than double the number of times I golfed with my league partner!

Despite spending over $2500 on greens/cart fees alone in 2018, I was able to take advantage of many discounts available including 2 for 1 deals at Hawk’s View with their app, Golf4LessOnline.com, GroupGolfer.com, and e-mail offers at several courses such as Broadlands and Glen Erin. I also renewed my twilight membership at Lake Lawn, which they raised $75 this year, but I played there 49 times so I think I got my money’s worth (I calculated it to $10.42/round).

I jumped off the deep end this year and bought all new clubs. Last year I rented a set of Ping G400 clubs in Tennessee and they were the nicest I’ve ever played. I ended up going with a set of G400 irons, a Ping Glide wedge, and a pair of Callaway XR16 woods with the matching driver on clearance. I kept my Callaway XR 3&5 hybrids, Callaway 60 degree wedge, and Odyssey two-ball putter which I’m very happy with. My resolution in 2019 is to throw my clubs less often as I snapped the shaft of my Callaway 9 iron at the Gin & Tonic Classic in drunken anger when I didn’t win a hole prize, greatly reducing the resale value of the set.

It’s interesting to me when I think about which golf balls I’ve loved and hated over the years. Last year I loved the Callaway Chrome Soft and Taylormade Project (a). This year I’ve moved away from the Project (a) and started playing refurbished Taylormade Tour Preferred balls. I liked those a lot, but I have yet to try the TP5 (which finally came down in price in November). I also developed a love for Srixon Q-Star Tour and Z-Star balls. I attended a ball fitting this year and they found that the Srixons come off my 7 iron almost 10mph more slowly than other balls, with the Chrome Softs coming off the fastest. While I’m obviously a fan of scientific data, the true empirical result is shown in my scores; I haven’t noted a significant difference in my game depending on which ball I use.

One sunny summer day in early July, I went to Lake Lawn after work with a few co-workers and managed to shoot even par on the front nine. I’d been within 2 or 3 strokes of par a few times last year, but I was playing shockingly well this day. I had 3 birdies and 11 putts (one chip-in). My co-workers left after 9 holes, but there was no way I wasn’t going to finish 18. I didn’t have any birdies on the back and ended up shooting +8 with 28 total putts. One round last year I shot +7 at Prairie Woods with 1 birdie and 10 pars, but I was very excited this time to have finally shot par for 9.

Looking back at the data it shows I had a very good July and early August. It’s no coincidence that I got my new clubs in August and my scores tanked shortly afterward. The new Callaway XR woods were very different than my old Callaway X-Hots. I was still not used to the difference at the end of the season. Also the new Ping wedge took some getting used to, which hurt my short game. I’d like to believe that next year I’ll tune in the clubs and it will make my game significantly better than before. I have to believe that, otherwise I wasted over $1250 on equipment that hurt my scores.

This year was the first time I started paying attention to my handicap index. I went as far back as I had scores recorded and was able to see how it has improved over the years. My handicap for 2015 was 23.7 which improved to 19.5 by the end of 2016. I seem to have an uptick at the beginning of each season with a significant fall by mid-summer, which was quite noticeable in 2017 when I went up to 22.9 then dropped down to 14.7 by the end of the year. This year I captured my lowest ever handicap at 13.1 in August, however it became a distant memory by the end of the year when it shot up to 17.8 which is as high as it’s been since the spring of last year. The graph below shows my handicap from the end of 2015 to the present.

In summation, 2018 was a slightly disappointing golf year for me in terms of scoring, but I’ll focus on the positives: at one point I did get my handicap to the lowest it’s ever been, I did shoot even par for 9 holes for the first time, I played not one but two 18 hole rounds of golf in December, I got to play a few of the ‘rich people courses’ in Walworth, Waukesha, and Lake Counties as well as three nice courses in SW Wisconsin (although the guys at the clubhouse bar at House on the Rock were referring to Deer Valley as a trash course, I disagreed with them). And finally I have brand new clubs that should help my scores once I’m completely used to them, also meaning I shouldn’t have to buy any new clubs at all for at least the next few years (unless I wrap another one around a cart in anger).

[borggolf]

2017 Golf Season

The resurgence of my company’s golf league several years ago brought me back into the sport in ways I wouldn’t have imagined. Back then I played in the league without a partner and I couldn’t care less about points or standings. I just wanted to play for the exercise, comradery, and the fun of the game. Golf is all about setting a standard for yourself and then meeting/exceeding that standard. I never really gave much thought to the competitiveness, mainly because I wasn’t very good at all so I rarely could score lower than most people I played with. I found that feeling changes when golf becomes an obsession.

In that short span of several years, I’ve upgraded my entire set of clubs twice (thanks to my generous and benevolent wife), bought several additional clubs (likely violating USGA rules), and I started keeping detailed statistics on every round. In 2015 I played around thirty 9-hole rounds and twenty 18-hole rounds. In 2016 I got a twilight membership at Lake Lawn Resort’s Majestic Oaks course and took full advantage of it after work at least twice a week. Over the year I played 41 9-hole and 62 18-hole rounds. Although I played 17 different courses, more than 60 of those rounds were at Majestic Oaks. Most of the others were on weekends with either my dad or a handful of friends from work.

This year I renewed my membership and played seemingly every day it didn’t rain. I got in 82 18-hole rounds and 55 9-hole rounds at 26 different courses. 69 of those rounds were at Majestic Oaks, so I definitely got my money’s worth on that membership. Some asked me if my wife was OK with this. She often encouraged me to go, seeing that it (usually) made me happy. I think there were more than a few times when she wanted to spend more time with me especially on weekends, but she seldomly voiced her displeasure.

A year or two ago playing 18 holes exhausted me, even when riding a cart. I would come home so sore that I would just plop down on the couch and not move for hours. Playing 18 two days in a row was torture on my feet, back, and arms. I was diagnosed with tennis-elbow last year and I had to cut back a little late in the summer. This year, I played over 18 six times. 36 holes once at Majestic Oaks in July, ran out of daylight before I could finish 27 at Delbrook in August, played 18 in the morning and 9 at another course in the afternoon one day in September, 27 once at Evergreen and an insane day of 45 holes at Evergreen in October, and my last golf round of the year was 36 holes at Prairie Woods on November 3rd, the day we left for Munich.

The improvement in my game has been more than noticed by others, even without the benefit of seeing my meticulously recorded data. In the league I’d changed partners several times, usually due to their inability to meet the schedule consistently. I didn’t really mind so much because I never felt like I was good enough to compete for the top standings, even with a ringer for a partner. Last year I got a new partner whom was very enthusiastic about winning. He’s not a great player, but he’s fairly consistent scoring. My game gradually improved through the year, which is the secret to success in a handicap league, and we managed to win it all our first year together. I also took the individual top points championship. Some believed this was a fluke as in the past I’d never finish above 5th in points, but in 2017 I finished only two points out of first place and our team finished 2nd.

Playing often with my dad meant his game improved this year as well. I would harass him into playing more often than he wanted to, usually talking him into it with course pricing specials (we played quite a few rounds at Prairie Woods for only $20). I tried giving him a nice set of clubs after my 2nd upgrade, but he was content to use his assortment of rummage sale clubs. He bragged to everyone he could about picking up a Big Bertha driver for $10. Toward the end of the year, he’d recorded a few birdies (rare for him as he can barely drive 150yds), and I got to witness his first ever hole-in-one, hole #7 at Towne Country Club. He almost had another at Prairie Woods on #15 when his ball hit the flag. I’ve come within a few feet of a hole-in-one several times, but dad finally got one after over 60 years of golfing.

I’m not sure anyone cares about the statistics I keep track of, but I pride myself in them as they show graphical proof of the improvement of my game, so here they come: In 2015 I’d recorded three birdies. In 2016 I’d recorded 19 birdies (3 rounds with 2 birdies) and my first eagle. I only had 21 birdies in 2017; disappointing because I played so many more rounds, I expected more. My record round (+7 at Prairie Woods) only had one birdie but 10 pars. I did manage to score another eagle late in the year at Evergreen on #3 East, a nemesis hole of mine. I was usually happy to get through that par 5 with a double-bogey and having only lost one ball in the woods, but this time I had a perfect drive helped by the hillside, a skilled 2nd shot onto the green, and a 17ft uphill putt into the cup. My eagle last year involved a lot more luck as my shot was off but I benefited from the roll of the green, but this one took more skill with my approach and my putt, with the luck only coming into play with the distance of my perfectly placed drive, landing near the 150 post.

As you can see I started the year with some bad rounds. One can forgive a high score on the first round of the year in mid-February, but according to the graph it took me until late June to start consistently scoring better. Of course this is all relative as my 2016 record round was +16 (also at Prairie Woods); I bested that score ten times in 2017. On the other end of the spectrum I did have a few very bad rounds, but three of those were the first time I tried playing tougher courses such as Brighton Dale White Birch, Broadlands, and Abbey Springs. My worst score of the year was +37, but the silver lining is I had five rounds worse than that last year.

I’ve also kept track of the money I’ve spent while golfing in the last two seasons. In 2016 I spent nearly $1700 on greens & cart fees, also including simulator rounds and driving ranges. Compare that to this year where I spent $2200. This may seem like a lot, but after frugally taking advantage of discount cards, coupons, discounted tee times, and my twilight membership, it comes to under $10 per 9 holes played. Even my dad would consider that a good value.

I even kept track of my spending on concessions including food, soda/beer, and tips: just under $600 last year, just under $700 this year.

In 2016 I spent just under $1000 on golf equipment such as balls, gloves, shoes, clubs, and my Garmin Approach X40 golf watch. This year I spent only $750 on equipment, mostly on two hybrid clubs, balls, a new pair of shoes and a new bag.

I’ve developed quite an unhealthy obsession with golf balls. Some people I golf with use only one brand and model of golf ball. Some may switch that loyalty on occasion. Others will play whatever they find in the woods. For me, much like my beer drinking, I love variety. I really like trying new golf balls out and attempting to compare them to others I’ve used. It’s difficult to do this objectively because even when using my favorite, most expensive golf balls I can still have a very bad round. I’m not above playing balls I’ve found at the edge of the woods just to see what they play like, or snagging a nice ball from the driving range bucket. Often that’s how I try out a different ball before buying a dozen of them. The problem is I’ve gotten too curious and my golf ball collection is starting to look larger than the basket on a range tractor. Because of this obsession I began keeping track of how many balls I actually go through in a year. This year I lost 167 balls to the festige, woods, water, or highway (they need taller fences at Lake Lawn).

I currently have more than that amount of new or like-new balls in storage, and another 50 crap balls that I use when I play the course up north of Hayward where I may lose up to 8 per 9 holes.

One of my favorite balls I’ve used are Taylormade Project (a). The first time I used a “Project (a)” ball was my championship round in league last year, so they’re even a little sentimental to me. You can get them refurbished from Amazon for $10/dozen which is a price that cannot be beat. I honestly cannot tell the difference between new and refurbished Project (a)’s.

This year at Golf Galaxy I was purchasing prizes for the league and the salesman talked me into a dozen Srixon Q-Star Tour. About as expensive as new Project (a)’s at $30/dozen, I started using these balls late in the summer and they won me over. My record round at Prairie Woods (a course where I often lose 2-3 balls per round) was played with one Q-Star Tour.

Other balls I like using include Titleist NXT Tour, Callaway Chrome-Soft Truvis, Bridgestone B330-RX Tour, and of course the Titleist ProV1, but I would never actually buy those as they’re far overpriced.

I made it a point to myself to not be afraid of trying new courses this year. As I mentioned earlier, I played at 26 different courses in 2017, 10 of those were new to me. I tried out Broadlands with a coupon and I loved it even though it kicked my ass. I played it 5 more times and I was able to tame it at least once. I played a few 9-hole courses in Michigan when I was there for work. Since I sometimes fly there, I left my old golf set in the closet at the office. Once in Tennessee on business I stopped at the local course and rented some nice Pings. And I finally got to play Abbey Springs, a jewel of a course near Geneva Lake, but that ended up being my worst round of the year.

I do not know what’s in store for my golfing in 2018. There are many rumblings in the league leading me to believe we will not be going back to Lake Lawn, which if that’s the case I don’t plan to renew my membership despite the fact that it’s extremely convenient for me to golf there after work. My reasoning has to do with lousy course maintenance, borderline incompetent management, and most of all the class of golfer there (FIBs). I am likely to get a membership at a different nearby course, but I have yet to decide which one as it will likely come down to where the league goes. But aside from that, I still plan to play new courses (likely toward Madison and/or Milwaukee) as well as try to master courses I enjoy but have issues with my scoring at, such as Glen Erin, Broadlands, Hawk’s View, and maybe even try Abbey Springs again.

[borggolf]

Krueger-Haskell

Nestled in the NW corner of Beloit is a municipal course that’s been there since 1927. This is the course my dad would play often when he was younger. I really like this course because of its challenge and the uniqueness of the holes. The many water hazards (several added recently as part of a major renovation) and endless number of trees that border every fairway will keep you in check. Also the prices here cannot be beat. You can often play 18 with a cart on the weekend for under $25, sometimes as low as $12(!).

The drawback to this course is where it’s located. If you desire a quiet and relaxing setting for your round, this may not be the place for you. It’s rare that you don’t hear nearby engines revving and constant dogs barking from the surrounding neighborhood. The 10th hole shares a fence with a playground and sports complex, which can get quite noisy during games or when kids are playing basketball with their car stereos cranked up. The course also shares a parking lot with the municipal pool, so you might hear a lot of children playfully screaming. To put it as nicely as possible, the clientele here is sometimes questionable. You might see guys wearing wife-beaters on the course. Etiquette can be lost with a few golfers so you’ll see lots of unrepaired divots and unraked bunkers. I once almost got into a fight with someone because I accidentally picked up their ball.

Negatives aside, the challenge brings me back. The first 3 holes have you hitting over large water hazards. Hole 7 is a short par 4 with an extremely narrow fairway and large trees on each side just waiting to envelop your drive. Hole 13 has a creek winding through the fairway which you must cross twice. Hole 14 is the obligatory hit-over-a-pond par 3, and finally hole 18 has a pond to cross in the middle of the fairway. The par 36 front only sports one 3-par hole, while the par 34 back generously gives you three of them.

There is no driving range, however there is a brand new practice range where you can warm up by hitting into a net. The bar isn’t bad with an OK drink selection and a few food options. The staff is very friendly, but I don’t recall seeing a beverage cart the last few times I’ve played there on busy weekends.

[borggolf]

Wanaki

Located between Menominee Falls and Brookfield lies 18 great and challenging holes. The very first hole will give you an idea of the round to come; drive across a creek into a narrow fairway. Then a few hard left dog-leg holes before you come back around to cross that creek again on the par 5 9th. The back 9 is more of the same. The course and greens have been in excellent condition all three times I’ve played there. The clubhouse bar has sandwich/sausage choices and several Madison/Milwaukee craft beers on tap, while the beverage cart is just frequent enough to keep you quenched (there are also soda/Gatorade vending machines on the course). There is a short netted practice range next to the clubhouse and a practice pitching green past the parking lot.

The price is decent compared to others in the area, but the website is a little wonky to try to book a tee time. If I lived closer to this course, I would definitely play there more often.

[borggolf]

Atwood-Homestead / Macktown

Not far south of the border are two municipal courses in Rockton, IL that are nice on the wallet ($35 or less on weekends). Both of these courses are nestled near the Rock River and they’re fun to play for all handicaps. Many of the greens are elevated, adding some difficulty. The sand traps often have some large pebbles mixed in, so watch out if you’re on the green waiting for someone to pitch-out. Macktown sports a very narrow 9th fairway, a few tough par 3s on the back, and a nasty uphill dog-leg 18th. Many of the fairways have deliberate rolls and valleys that are often not seen upon the tee shot. Only one water hazard and relatively few sand traps don this course. Only two tees are available here: front and back. Atwood-Homestead is a little more wide open with spread-out trees along the rough. Only two water hazards (both on 16), but quite a few more greenside bunkers. For budget courses, the fairways and greens are in good shape. The first cut of rough can be very thick near the fairway but thin with hard ground off to the side of the greens.

There is no driving range at either course. The dress code is pretty lax, so you’ll see some golfers in jeans and tank-tops. I question the clientele a bit after seeing cart tracks through one of the greenside bunkers. Both clubhouses sell beer and food (burgers & hot dogs), however neither course has beverage cart. You’ll always see turkeys here (also available in sandwiches at the clubhouse bar).

[borggolf]

Country Club Estates

This is the nicest 9-hole course I’ve played. Located in Fontana, WI just off Hwy B, the fairways are in great condition and the holes are short but challenging. Plenty of bending dog-leg fairways will make the short par-4s seem long unless you place your drive perfectly. This is especially true with holes 7 & 8. Stay clear of the woods on the left side of holes 2-4 as you will not get your ball back, as well as the swamp on the left side of the 8th fairway. Blind pins are a theme as many of the holes may not give you a good view of the green from your approach shot. There is no beverage cart, but they do sell beer in the clubhouse and they have a small deck overlooking the 9th green. This course can be pricey on weekends ($30), but not bad during the week (especially after 4). It’s a little hilly, but still easily walkable if you wished to save a little more money. There is a pitching green a short cart ride away from the clubhouse.

I also have a soft spot for this course not just because I played league there with my first brand-new set of golf clubs, but in the fall of 2016 I sunk my first eagle on hole 5 from 110 yards out.

[borggolf]

Broadlands

18 holes located near Eagle on Hwy 59, this course is in great shape. I played it for the first time in mid-May 2017, and several more times since then; it’s already become one of my favorite courses. When dry, the fairways have a ton of bounce and roll to them making a good, straight drive even better. Many of the fairways are wide open for your drive but get narrow toward the green, so your 2nd shot is critical. It’s easy to be in trouble with all of the fescue. I was in it all day, but I was usually able to find my ball. Hole 13, a par 5 with a large pond to tee off over, is probably the most difficult on the course. If you can avoid the many water hazards and the fescue, you’ll do alright.

The beer cart comes around often enough to drown your penalty sorrows, and there’s a nice beer garden outside of the clubhouse where they often are cooking up brats and burgers on the grill. The bar is very nice with many TVs and a few craft beers on tap. The pro shop has a wide selection of Brewers apparel, more so than I’ve seen even in Milwaukee area sporting goods stores.

There is a driving range across the street where you can park your car right there without having to go to the clubhouse.

I highly recommend this course, although it runs a little more expensive than the mid-budget courses I play (weekend prices can exceed $50). You can usually find a decent deal on their website or if you sign up for their emails.

[borggolf]

Majestic Oaks at Lake Lawn Resort

18 holes located on the north shore of Delavan Lake. This was once a very expensive and exclusive golf resort 10 or so years ago, but the resort went bankrupt. It was purchased by an investor in 2011 and was brought back to being the nicest course in Delavan (sorry, Delbrook). The course features more than plenty of trees, more sand traps than I usually see on other courses, and a par 5 that curves along the lake’s shoreline. Although that sounds tough, the course is rather wide open; not a lot of places to go out of bounds unless you hit your ball over the fence onto Hwy 50 (which I’ve done more times than I’d like to admit). You might often see someone playing their ball from the wrong fairway (so heads up). The fairways are in nice shape, but often the rough can be difficult to play from, either long grass on the 1st cut of rough or dry areas where you wouldn’t dare use a wedge for fear of scalding the ball over the green into the inevitable trap on the other side. The greens aren’t in great shape; I’ve been playing this course at least once a week for the last several years and some of the greens have the same bad spots as they’ve had years ago. I’ve also found that, perhaps due to the caliber of players that stay in the resort, I often see greens pocked with many unrepaired divots as well as unraked bunkers, sometimes even more often than some budget courses. On weekdays the beverage cart is never out after 5:00PM, even on busy or hot days, although they finally have Spotted Cow in cans (as well as on tap in the clubhouse). When the cart is out, the frequency is very good. The bar in the clubhouse is pathetically small, but there is a separate banquet room if you wanted to stay for a few drinks after your round. They do have one of the cheapest driving ranges in the area, however you have to buy your balls from the clubhouse and literally drive a mile to get to it.

All that said, I like the course well enough. Partly because I play league there and partly because it’s the closest golf course to my house. It’s a nice par 70 course but it pales in comparison to other courses in nearby Lake Geneva. I wouldn’t pay full price to play there (runs around $50 or more on weekends), but the twilight pass is very reasonable at $400, and otherwise you can often find good deals to play there online. 

You may not lose many balls there, but they will likely get scuffed up by the blacktop cart path that runs along the right edge of almost every fairway.

You will see plenty of wildlife on the course, ranging from the countless geese, ducks, and the occasional crane to turtles and even a few deer. This year a pair of eagles were nesting near the 12th tee.

Here is a doe with four(!) fawns walking behind the 10th green.