MAY/JUNE 08
State Amateur qualifying sites
By Rick Pledl

How would you like to be crowned the 2008 Wisconsin State Amateur champion?

That sounds pretty nice, doesn’t it?

If putting your name on the Sinnissippi Cup – an honor that goes to the champion – is an opportunity you’d like to pursue, and if you’re at all new to this whole Wisconsin amateur golf thing, then the following information could be vital to your quest.

The 107th Wisconsin State Amateur Championship will be played at Old Hickory CC in Beaver Dam, July 21-24. As is tradition, past champions and other top amateurs in the state receive exemptions for the championship field (approximately 40 players are exempt in 2008). Anyone else hoping to take part in the championship will have to qualify at one of the nine golf facilities below.

There are six districts across the state, and they have one, two or three qualifying events depending on their size and population. Non-exempt players must qualify in the district of their residence unless they provide a good reason for not doing so in writing to the Wisconsin State Golf Association.

Here’s a look at the nine facilities hosting State Amateur qualifying in 2008. For more information about the Wisconsin State Amateur, or any other WSGA championship in 2008, go to www.wsga.org.

This scenic par-72 course plays over rugged, picturesque terrain high above the Black River, but the elevation changes on the actual fairways are not as severe as the surrounding countryside.

The first nine holes at Skyline opened in 1957, and the back nine was added in 1990. Today, the front nine still features some of the old holes with small, hard-to-hold greens.

The back nine offers two par-5s that are reachable in two for many players thanks to their relative shortness and descending elevation. Another interesting hole is the short, par-4 12th, which begins with a drive through a narrow slot in the trees and ends with a tricky downhill approach to a green right in front of the creek flowing through the back nine. Those who go long on that approach will pay a price.

Contact: www.golfskyline.com; (715) 284-2613.

District 1B – June 24
New Richmond GC, New Richmond
Course Rating: 72.7; Slope: 133

The championship course measuring 6,727 yards will be utilized for this State Am qualifier, the latest of several held at New Richmond over the years. The course also hosted the 2004 WSGA Junior Championship.

New Richmond also has a popular nine-hole course that can be played in either direction, and it has its own clubhouse. The direction of play is rotated often on the generally circular course.

The tournament track had a checkered past prior to a major upgrade in the 1980s under the direction of architect Don Herfort that saw New Richmond expand into a modern 18-hole course. Today’s New Richmond is one of northwestern Wisconsin’s favorites, in part because it always seems to be in great shape. There are several narrow, tree-lined fairways to keep players honest, and water is in play on six holes on the front nine.

Contact: www.nrgolfclub.com; (800) 570-9302.

District 2 - June 30
Foxfire GC, Waupaca
Course Rating: 70.7; Slope: 123

Imagine a Scottish links, but with plenty of water. That’s Foxfire GC.

Eight holes on the par-70 course are influenced by the property’s three lakes, but the mounding between fairways, topped with fescue, is more prevalent and provides the links portion of the equation. The course measures 6,449 yards from the back tees and there are holes that offer some serious length.

One of the best holes is the par-5 ninth, measuring 554 yards. There’s water on both sides of the landing area, and the final approach to the green – typically the third shot on this hole – also has to carry a section of that same pond.

The course also begins and ends with twin, difficult par-4s. Laid out next to each other, Nos. 1 and 18 both play over 430 yards, with the final hole featuring bunkers in the landing area and at greenside.

Contact: www.playfoxfiregolf.com; (715) 256-9000.

Hazards abound at this city of Beloit municipal course on the west side of town which celebrated its 80th birthday in 2007. The two nines were built in 1927 and 1931 and have seen various renovation projects over the years. The course is named for two well known local players, WSGA Hall of Famer and PGA professional Alvin “Butch” Krueger, who worked at the course for 40 years, and Everett Haskell, a businessman and avid amateur player.

Two creeks, several out-of-bounds areas and fairways bounded by thick woods conspire to protect par at 6,245-yard Krueger-Haskell. The course has small, contoured putting surfaces which increase the challenges around the greens and provide an honest test for players of any ability.

The par-70 course features two reachable par-5s, but several of its par-4s stretch more than 400 yards, including a couple difficult doglegged holes bounded by woods.

Contact: www.ci.beloit.wi.us; (608) 362-6503.

District 4 – June 25
Yahara Hills (West Course), Madison
Course Rating: 71.8; Slope: 119

This popular, affordable 36-hole city of Madison facility on the southwest side of town has held numerous competitive events over the years, including several State Am qualifiers. This year, the par-72 West Course will be utilized. It’s the shorter of the two, measuring 6,885 yards from the back tees.

Both courses were designed by Wisconsin architect Art Johnson, and they offer huge greens that require players to hit approach shots to specific areas or risk a three-putt.

A couple of difficult par-3 holes bear mentioning. The 13th is the shortest par-3 on the course at 174 yards, but it plays over a corner of a pond and the green is practically surrounded by water. The 222-yard 17th is the longest, playing to a huge green influenced by bunkers.

Contact: www.cityofmadisongolf.com; (608) 838-3126.

One of Wisconsin’s exceptional municipal layouts, Brown County GC is owned and operated by Brown County, and it always seems to be in great shape. The Green Bay-area course, designed by Lawrence Packard in the 1950s, has hosted several important state championships in recent years, including the 2005 State Amateur Championship and the 2002 State Match Play. In doing so, Brown County held up quite nicely against the onslaught of Wisconsin’s top amateur players.

Par-72 Brown County measures 6,749 yards from the back tees and plays through pretty, park-like surroundings. A primary reason the course has not been overpowered during tournaments centers on its many narrow, tree-lined, dogleg par-4s. Those holes tend to rein in long hitters and place the emphasis on iron play.

Contact: www.co.brown.wi.us; (920) 497-1731.

District 6A – June 30
Mee-Kwon Park GC, Mequon
Course Rating: 70.6; Slope: 122

An Ozaukee County-owned course, Mee-Kwon Park GC is a straightforward golf course where players see what they’re going to get – that is, if they can see around the occasional dogleg. The course is located in the county park of the same name just south of Cedarburg. The layout, built in 1974 and designed by Lee Egelhoff, who also created Ozaukee County’s other muni, Hawthorne Hills GC, is relatively open. But since the course is set into the side of a large hill the potential exists for awkward lies and stances, and for wind to influence play.

Par-70 Mee-Kwon measures 6,527 yards from the back tees. The course offers numerous bunkers, including a large new waste area to the right of the 13th fairway. The 388-yard par-4 used to feature a pond in that area which got a lot of action from wayward golf balls, but the pond was drained and will be filled with sand prior to the State Am qualifier.

Mee-Kwon also offers a nice clubhouse with casual dining facilities.

Contact: www.co.ozaukee.wi.us/parks/mee-kwonpark.htm; (262) 242-1310.

District 6B – June 25
Naga-Waukee GC, Pewaukee
Course Rating: 72.0; Slope: 126

Another top municipal course designed by Lawrence Packard, Naga-Waukee GC has become a favorite among Waukesha County players since it opened in 1966 on high ground between lakes Pewaukee and Nagawicka (hence the name). Naga-Waukee is one of three courses operated by Waukesha County, and its location just off I-94 makes it a popular destination.

Naga-Waukee plays over hilly, forested terrain and measures 6,822 yards from the back tees. The back nine is particularly rugged, beginning with the downhill par-4 10th hole at 412 yards. Another fun hole is the par-5 14th, a double-dogleg playing 542 yards, downhill all the way with exceptional views of Pewaukee Lake. And the par-3 16th at 179 yards plays severely downhill to a green guarded by two massive bunkers.

Contact: www.waukeshacountyparks.com; (262) 367-2153.

District 6C – June 23
Deertrak GC, Oconomowoc
Course Rating: 70.4; Slope: 121

This picturesque golf course, measuring 6,313 yards from the back tees, offers water features galore. Flowing through a network of creeks and ponds, and also influenced by Alderley Lake, 12 of the 18 holes at Deertrak play over or around water.

Among the holes where the wet stuff comes dramatically into play are the 508-yard 16th, a short par-5 where the approach is complicated by water in front and back of the green, and the all-carry par-3 17th, which is tricky thanks to a large pond in front of the putting surface.

Alderley Lake comes into play on just one hole, as the par-5 second invites players to chop off as much of the shoreline as they dare on the drive. The fairway on No. 2 then skirts the edge of the lake before veering right on this double-dogleg hole measuring 523 yards from the back tee.

Contact: www.deertrakgolf.com; (920) 474-4444.