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By Rick Pledl
As an island city, Minocqua has long been defined by its connection to lakes and rivers and, inevitably, water sports of every stripe. For generations, vacationers have wandered north to Minocqua for the fishing, boating, swimming and other water-related activities. Industry also was attracted to the area thanks to its water, all the better for floating timber from the woods to the sawmills of northern Wisconsin.
Today, Minocqua is a city steeped in recreation, from snowmobiling and skiing in winter, to boating, biking and berry picking in the summer, not to mention fishing 365 days a year.
Golf is also a popular diversion among Minocqua’s vacationers and residents alike, and the early fall is a prime time to play. It’s a spot on the calendar when the days are still warm, the nights have turned cool and the throngs of summertime visitors – like the annual crop of mosquitos – have mostly disappeared. And Minocqua’s golf courses are never quite as pretty as they become when bathed in glorious autumnal colors.
Following is a look at the golf courses of Minocqua and the surrounding area.
Minocqua CC, Minocqua The only private club in the area, Minocqua CC is also the newest addition to the Minocqua golf landscape. The club traces its history to 1911 and for most of the last century it maintained a quirky, but fun, nine-hole course. (The giant Norway pine growing from the eighth green on the old course was a surefire conversation starter.)
But things changed for the better when a new 18-hole championship course opened on July 4, 2001. The Ron Garl design offers six sets of tees named for some of northern Wisconsin’s favorite critters, such as Bear – the longest set at 6,739 yards – Wolf and Musky. The Heron Tees measure in at just 4,950 yards.
Several holes on the front nine are located on open land where the old golf course once existed, but the layout also traverses ridges and wanders through forests on the back nine while offering the sort of water views for which Minocqua is famous.
(715) 356-5217; www.minocquacountryclub.com
Pinewood CC, Harshaw
A dozen or so miles south of Minocqua lies this 18-hole golf facility and North Woods re-treat. Pinewood offers six rental homes – with more on the way soon – a trout stream, mountain biking trails and a golf course measuring 6,283 yards from the back tees.
There’s even an on-site airstrip for those who prefer to fly in.
The par-72 course is longer on the back nine than it is on the front, thanks primarily to a few short holes on the outward nine. The par-3 third, at just 105 yards from the back tee, is one of Pinewood’s most talked about holes, and it plays even shorter than the yardage would indicate down a steep hill. It is followed by the 278-yard par-4 fourth hole.
But there is some serious length as well. After players complete No. 3, there are just two more par-3s, and they average more than 230 yards. And Nos. 13 and 17 are long par-4s awaiting on the back nine.
Pinewood, which has been in the Bromann family for three generations, also offers stay and play packages in conjunction with other Minocqua-area golf courses
(888) 674-6396; www.pinewoodcc.com
Plum Lake GC, Sayner
This nine-hole course opened for play in 1912, making it one of the oldest courses in the North Woods – and one of northern Wisconsin’s most beloved. Charming and quaint, Plum Lake is as well known for its clubhouse as for its golf course. The structure was built in the early 1920s and features a lovely wrap-around porch where many a player has repaired for a post-round beverage. The rough-hewn wooden chairs provide a perfect place from which to gaze upon the lake and add up the day’s golf scores.
The golf course also suggests a bygone era, with a few blind shots, including the opening drive, and a unique par-3. The par-3 fourth hole at 146 yards from the back tee plays to a green situated in a deep bowl-shaped depression.
Par-36 Plum Lake offers two sets of tees measuring in at 3,112 and 2,828 yards. The course was built on land which had previously been logged, and some of the vestiges of that industry are still visible, such as an old railroad bed which runs through the property.
(715) 542-2598; www.plumlakegolfclub.com
St. Germain GC, St. Germain
Heading east of Minocqua on Highway 70 brings players to St. Germain GC, a municipal course operated by the town of St. Germain and a classic example of what North Woods golf is all about.
The surroundings at St. Germain are a wooded wonderland. The fairways were carved out of dense, predominantly pine forests which were formerly owned by a paper company. There are no vacation homes or other remnants of civilization lining the fairways; just woods and wetlands.
A stretch of holes on the front nine plays through a particularly pretty section of the course. Nos. 5-7 lie near the northwestern corner of the property adjacent to a large wetland. Golf course architect Don Stepanik Jr. has referred to the section as St. Germain’s “Amen Corner.”
“You feel like you’re a long way from Chicago,” Stepanik said of the area when the course was completed in 1996. “And that’s a nice feeling.”
The three-hole swing starts with St. Germain’s signature hole, the par-4 fifth at 373 yards. The dogleg-right requires players to fit a drive between two ponds in the landing area.
St. Germain’s first nine holes opened in 1993, and the second nine was added three years later. The full course measures 6,241 yards from the back tees.
(715) 542-2614; www.stgermain-golfclub.com
Timber Ridge GC, Minocqua It may be a cliché to say that a daily-fee golf course is of private club quality, but that’s the truth at Timber Ridge. And it’s no coincidence.
Timber Ridge actually was a private club for most of its existence. The Roger Packard-designed course opened in 1979 as a private club, and it stayed that way until it went public in 1997. A true championship golf course, Timber Ridge features five sets of tees stretching to 6,686 yards.
The design rambles through a former pine tree plantation, so the sound of soft pine needles rustling in the breeze is a common and welcome part of the ambiance. The beautiful natural landscape is augmented by Packard’s use of vertical railroad ties as retaining walls and as the facing on the numerous sand bunkers. It’s a theme familiar to devotees of noted architect Pete Dye, and it works nicely in Timber Ridge’s wooded setting.
Timber Ridge offers stay and play packages through various hotels and resorts in the area. Meanwhile, The Timbers restaurant located in the clubhouse is a popular dining spot for players and non-players alike.
(715) 356-9502; www.timberridgegolfclub.com
Trout Lake GC, Arbor Vitae
Another quaint and charming course built in the 1920s, Trout Lake is located about 10 miles north of Minocqua. The 18-hole layout lies on the opposite side of Highway 51 from the actual Trout Lake, but the Trout River offers a pretty diversion on the golf course side of the roadway.
The first and 18th holes play over the river, but neither shot requires a long drive to clear the water. In fact, the river is hardly a concern on the 260-yard 18th hole, where many players attempt to drive the green. Those who make it might hear a cheer go up from the 1880s-era clubhouse, with a porch that overlooks the final hole.
The rest of the course, which measures 6,175 yards from the back tees, is a pleasant ride through the forest. There are five par-3s, and the longest hole on the course, the par-5 fourth, measures just 513 yards. No. 4 can be difficult, however, because of the severity of the dogleg, which is essentially a hairpin turn to the left about halfway between tee and green.
In general, Trout Lake’s smallish greens can be hard to hold, and the mature timber and some occasionally deep bunkers will surely penalize wayward shots.
(715) 385-2189; www.troutlakegolf.com
Wildwood GC, Minocqua
This golf course opened in the early 1980s, but it has been under new ownership since 2005. The new team has added an upgraded pro shop and the popular Rusty Putter restaurant.
There are two sets of tees stretching to 5,189 yards, so with a par of 72 this isn’t a long course. But several well-positioned ponds are scattered across the property to keep players on their toes. The longest of the 10 par-4s at Wildwood measures just 320 yards, and several fall into the 250-275 yard range. The longest hole is the 515-yard par-5 fifth.
All of which makes the course a great place for juniors, seniors and new players of every description, and youngsters get an additional treat since several of Wildwood’s fairways play along a wildlife park next door.
(715) 356-3477; www.wildwoodgolfcourse.info
Inshalla CC, Tomahawk
On the way to Minocqua, travelers from the south pass the city of Tomahawk, where Inshalla CC awaits.
Inshalla is a woodsy, par-69 layout measuring 6,015 yards which is both challenging to play and easy on the pocketbook. It has been in the Hein family since the first nine holes opened in 1964. Many subsequent changes have been made, including a new clubhouse featuring dining and pro shop facilities and a fitness center. And the golf course has since been lengthened to 18 holes and was redesigned in 2001 to accommodate a new practice range.
(715) 453-3130; www.inshallacc.com
Edgewater GC, Tomahawk
Edgewater is a fun nine-hole course located on a hillside above the western edge of Lake Alice, a large Wisconsin River impoundment. Nos. 6 and 7 – a par-3 and par-5, respectively – play right along the shoreline. Par-36 Edgewater measures 3,250 yards from the back tees and offers bar, restaurant and pro shop facilities.
(715) 453-3320; www.edgewatercc.com
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