The Bog

November 8, 2021 admin

Location: Saukville
Yardage: 7,221 yards
Tees: Black, Blue, White, Gold Red
Holes: 18 (Par 72)
Opened: 1995
Architect: Arnold Palmer Signature Course
Category: Regional Destination
Weekday Rate: $79
Favorite Hole:#1

The Bog is a challenging course over 7,000 yards that requires specific golf shots, which has deterred some due to their desire for creativity and playability. It is an Arnold Palmer signature course opened in 1995 in Saukville, Wisconsin. Located next to the Cedarburg Bog, this course features elevation changes, demanding tee shots, and deceiving visuals. The Bog has hosted many WSGA events such as the Match Play and Amateur Championship, as well as the State Open Championship. The weekday rate is $79 which is fair and expected for being in the Regional Destination category (our second highest ranking), but I wouldn’t consider it a value course. The length of this course can be felt throughout most of your round, especially from the tips with a course rating of 75.3. There are five sets of tee boxes for all players, and most of the fairways are wide for most golfers to keep their ball in play. The defining features of the front nine are strategic/deceiving bunkers and wide fairways. The back nine requires more demanding tee shots with more narrow fairways and trouble nearby, as well as precise approach shots – especially on the par 3’s with forced carries. My favorite hole was #1 (which may seem cliché), but it features a blind approach and a downward sloping fairway into a front to back pitched green which chases balls toward the bunker behind the green. It is very difficult to stop a ball on the putting surface when trying to reach this green in two. #9 is a great risk-reward hole to finish the front nine. #12 also stood out to me, as the very shallow green and daunting water/rocks in front stared at me while hitting an uneasy, less than full wedge into the green. It is a challenging hole that requires a strategic tee shot and a precise approach, but I think they could’ve done better with #12, #16, and #17. The finishing holes are supposed to be exciting and can make or break your round. #16 and #17 are gimmicky and make you feel like you’re on a resort, where the dog legs and forced layups are the only thing that makes the hole difficult. #18 is a good finishing hole with elevated tees that lets you choose how aggressive you want to be with your tee shot. The green has multiple tiers and sits in front of the new event venue “The Barn” which was perfect for our group to watch the rounds conclude. My advice to anyone that hasn’t played The Bog yet is that you should definitely play it, but just know that the front nine is a better routing and you may be disappointed with the back nine. Overall, The Bog is a must see for all players throughout the state due to Arnold Palmer’s design especially the preservation and continual upkeep that The Bog has done to maintain pristine condition year after year.

Categories: Reviews

Tags: Arnold Palmer, Regional Destination, Southeast WI

Wild Rock Golf Course

October 27, 2021 admin

Location: Wisconsin Dells
Yardage: 7,417 yards
Tees: Black, Blue, White, Gold Red
Holes: 18 (Par 72)
Opened: 2008
Architects: Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry
Category: Regional Destination
Weekday Rate: $99
Favorite Hole:#10

Built just up the road from Lake Delton in the Wisconsin Dells and opened in 2008, Wild Rock Golf Course features many aspects that cannot be found at most courses throughout the state. Although Wild Rock is on the Wilderness Resort property and is a short drive from many other Resorts, this course is not what you would expect. The tips play at almost 7,500 yards with very wide fairways for the first 3/4 of the round. Wild Rock is one of the most playable for all skill levels due to 5 tee boxes, large inviting greens, and deceivingly small bunkers that may catch a ball or two during your round. The first four holes and last two are on one piece of the property, and the other 12 are across a road. You take a tunnel under the road to continue your round, which was pretty cool. With subtle uphill holes like #5 and #10, you need to be precise and factor in the slope with your approach shot. Hole #6 features the best view on the property and views for over 30 miles, shown in the cover photo above. Once you reach the 10th green, you also are at a high point and can see the rolling hills in the distance. There were many great holes in the middle of the course which keeps golfers on their toes. The tips are just as long as you would expect at almost 7,500 yards, and you can feel that on almost every tee shot between the long par 3’s and 4’s as well as the intermediate par 5’s.Wild Rock has many features such as a few table top greens, punchbowl pins, large rock quarries, forced carries over water, and many more. It was a treat to play Wild Rock during peak color in the fall, and I can’t wait to go back very soon.