During our time with Eighteen Under Par, we’ve been able to play and review some fabulous golf courses including Chambers Bay (2015 US Open Venue), TPC Harding Park (2020 PGA Championship Venue, 2009 Presidents Cup Venue), Tobiano Golf Course and the beautiful Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs resort in Nova Scotia. Recently, we were lucky to have the opportunity to play one of the most anticipated golf courses of 2018, Mammoth Dunes, and the other phenomenal courses, Sand Valley and The Sandbox, at the Sand Valley Golf Resort. Here, they’ve designed the resort for “golf as it was meant to be” – a mantra for all of Mr. Mike Keiser’s properties – in the prehistoric sand dunes of Central Wisconsin.
Our trip to Sand Valley Golf Resort was one of the greatest golf experiences we’ve ever had. The quality of golf was phenomenal as were the rest of the resort facilities. The staff is welcoming and makes you feel at home. With Bandon Dunes on the west coast and Cabot Links as the “Bandon Dunes of the east coast,” Sand Valley Golf Resort may very well be the “Bandon Dunes of the Midwest.” Check out our full trip report below and make sure to leave a comment, message us on Instagram or tweet at us if you have any questions!
How to Get There
Sand Valley Golf Resort is literally in the middle of no where (actually, it’s in Nekoosa, WI). But the genius of Mike Keiser and the golf architects that have worked with him at Sand Valley Golf Resort have made this place, and the entire state of Wisconsin, a golf destination. With two courses (Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes) and likely more to come, and the chance of playing 2017 US Open venue Erin Hills and the Destination Kohler golf courses including Blackwolf Run (The River, The Meadow Valleys) and Whistling Straits (The Straits, The Irish), you certainly won’t run out of quality, bucketlist golf courses in Wisconsin.
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Coming from Vancouver, BC, we flew with Alaska Air from Vancouver to Seattle to Milwaukee, as there were no direct flights for us. Before our golf trip began, we did attend a wedding in Milwaukee and stayed at The Westin Milwaukee, which was a very comfortable stay. At Sand Valley, we met golfers from all over the United States during our stay, each with their own unique travel plans. From within Wisconsin, you could look at flying into:
You could also fly into the Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) airport and take a 3.5 drive from there or even consider flying into O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and playing Erin Hills first and slowly making your way up to Sand Valley Golf Resort. From O’Hare, it’s about a two hour drive to Erin Hills Golf Course where you could play on day 1 and then make your way to Sand Valley for an afternoon round on day 2 before spending a few more days at the resort.
Accommodations
Highlights:
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During our stay at Sand Valley Resort, we were in a lower room at the Fairways Lodge in a “Lodge Two Queens” room. The room and location could not have been more perfect – it was literally across from the clubhouse and the shuttle bus stop, at the heart of the resort. This made it very convenient for us to hop on and off of the shuttles to get from the clubhouse to the driving range or to Craig’s Porch (more on this later) and Sand Valley’s first tee. The room itself was beautiful, with a patio that backed onto Sand Valley’s 18th hole with a view of Craig’s Porch as well – it was luxury lodging, but with a discreet cottage design. All rooms at the Fairways Lodge enjoy beautiful golf vistas featuring wind blown bunkers, exposed sand dunes, and fescue turf. With two queen beds and a double vanity sink, each room comfortably sleeps two people. The design of the room itself is very similar to the Cabot Links resort, with high end L’Occitane products provided.
Other accommodation options include:
Being so close to the clubhouse also meant being close to the restaurants. It was great to be able to finish our round, drop our bags off in our room and freshen up before a meal – although, you could even leave your bags in the clubhouse’s club storage area for the next morning! While we were at Sand Valley, we were able to sample the different menus provided at Mammoth Bar and the newly opened space that houses Aldo’s Farm & Table. Like the Cabot Links Resort, the Mammoth Bar is similar to the Cabot Bar and the Cabot Public House whereas Aldo’s Farm & Table offers a higher-end menu, similar to the Panorama Restaurant.
Dining
Highlights:
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The Mammoth Bar is located in the clubhouse with panoramic views of Mammoth Dunes’ 1st and 18th holes and is the main gathering area and watering hole at Sand Valley. It features Wisconsin craft beers, specialty cocktails, and some great food. Just outside of the bar is Warbler Terrace, the main outdoor patio and social gathering space with endless views and beside the putting green. Aldo’s Farm & Table, now just next door to The Mammoth Bar in a newly opened space, offers a wide variety of dishes with ingredients sourced locally and even homegrown on site!
Our first meal was lunch at Mammoth Bar where we sampled the Blackened Walleye Tacos ($14) and the amazing Mammoth Burger ($12), grilled to a perfect medium rare. After a late afternoon round at Mammoth Dunes, we headed to Aldo’s Farm & Table for dinner and started our dinner in true mid-west Wisconsin fashion – with deep fried cheese curds! For mains, we ordered more fish and meat – the Great Lakes Walleye ($28) and the Bone-In Filet Mignon ($48), both of which were cooked to perfection and finished off the night with a cookie skillet dessert. You will definitely leave the restaurant full and satisfied – for us, it was the perfect end to our first night at Sand Valley.
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Our second day consisted of a fabulous buffet breakfast ($18) spread at Aldo’s Farm & Table. The made-to-order omelettes was the highlight for us, but the spread was insane! Options included farm fresh scrambled eggs, crispy marbled potatoes, cherrywood smoked bacon, applewood chicken breakfast sausages, breakfast burritos, cinnamon roll french toasts, a selection of breads and pastries and also a variety of smoothie options. It’ll fill you up for most of the day! After a morning round at The Sandbox, we took a quick shuttle up to Craig’s Porch for a light lunch of beef brisket sliders and pulled pork tacos. Top that off with a couple of the famous Nye’s Ice Cream Sandwiches and you’ll be thinking you’ve arrived at golf heaven!
After an afternoon round at Sand Valley to burn off the meals, we headed back to the Mammoth Bar for dinner and sat outside on the Warbler Terrace to enjoy the food (latest addition, Midwest Meatloaf Sandwich, $16), the views and the live singing… and what a surprise we were in for when Mr. Mike Keiser, owner of the property, sat at the table next to us and chatted with us!
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Our final day at Sand Valley had us waking up early for a 07:15 tee time at Mammoth Dunes. We didn’t feel like we had enough time for another sit down breakfast buffet, so we went into Mammoth Bar and picked up two “Mammoth” Breakfast Sandwiches ($4 each) – they definitely lived up to their name! You can grab either bacon or sausage – we had one of each and that’ll definitely fill you up for a few hours and keep you fuelled up for your round!
Throughout our entire stay, the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. We want to give a shout out to our server, Emma, who helped us out each day we were there. The entire resort employed staff that were happy to be there and always smiling, making guests feel extremely welcomed. Prices for meals at the resort were extremely reasonable as well, given the quality of the food you’re receiving and the fact that you’re at a resort. We would say it’s not any more than you spend on a regular night out with your buddies! Guests will definitely receive a luxurious experience at an affordable price – we could go on praising the accommodations and food forever, but let’s get into the golf!
Facilities
Highlights:
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The facilities at Sand Valley Resort are also top notch. In the pro shop, you’ll find a variety of Sand Vally and Mammoth Dunes branded apparel by companies such as Travis Mathew, Adidas Golf, Peter Millar and more. You’ll also find custom, handmade products exclusively for the resort by brands such as Seamus Golf. Items that can be engraved can be done on site and typically at no additional charge. While you’re shopping, make sure to try the complimentary sample of Spotted Cow, a Cream Ale style craft beer brewed by New Glarus Brewing Company in New Glarus, Wisconsin.
The driving range is also one of the most expansive sites we’ve ever seen – like the new course, it is nothing short of “mammoth.” Complimentary tees and ice cold water were available at the fescue grass driving range with unlimited TaylorMade TP5 practice balls. Shuttles are available to take golfers down there from the clubhouse and back – we never had to wait more than two or three minutes for a shuttle either! Beside the driving range were the new grass tennis courts and lawn bowling area which would be a lot of fun for the rest of the family.
One facility that we loved was the locker and shower rooms. We played one final round at Mammoth Dunes on our last day at the resort after we checked out. Rather than heading to the airport right off the 18th green, we were able to use the locker and shower room facilities to freshen up prior to our flight home which was fantastic. There is also a gym on the bottom floor of the clubhouse, allowing golfers to get some stretching, running or lifting in during their stay or even before and after your golf rounds to warm up and cool down.
The Sandbox
Highlights:
The Sandbox at Sand Valley Golf Resort is a Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw design. It is a 17-hole short course, providing an intimate connection to the sand county landscape of central Wisconsin, similar to their Bandon Preserve project at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. The Sandbox plays through a restored sand prairie that sits within the same V-shaped sand ridge that frames Mammoth Dunes. Holes here range from 40 to around 140 yards and features some of the most unique green complexes on the property, including a biarritz, double plateau, lion’s mouth, and a redan.
Three sets of tees are available for golfers to choose from, highlighted one of the most unique tee markers you’ll ever see – colored sand shovels! You may be wondering why there are only 17 holes – as Coore & Crenshaw were going through the routing plans, they decided to build 17 great golf holes and utilize the land appropriately rather than trying to fit in a mediocre 18th hole. This is the type of standard that you can expect at Sand Valley – the best or nothing!
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For us, this was one of the funnest parts of our trip – courses like this can grow the sport and could very well be the future of golf. It took us roughly two hours to finish the 17 holes (with us stopping for photos on every hole too!). The Sandbox is a great course to practice your short game and test your creativity, especially when the pins are tucked in tough positions like when we played! Although the distances may be short, it is a true test of your distance control and putting abilities (Ben Crenshaw is considered one of the greatest putters in the history of golf). If you miss the greens, you’ll be tested with some difficult up and downs – and if the wind picks up or if you land in one of the greenside bunkers (especially the 17th hole pot bunker nicknamed “The Devil’s Asshole”), The Sandbox will really start showing its teeth!
The Sandbox even played host to the inaugural Wisconsin State Par 3 Championship recently and played firm and fast, similar to the great golf holes of the British Isles where many of the greens drew their inspiration.
You could easily play The Sandbox as a warm-up round in the mornings before an early afternoon round at either Sand Valley or Mammoth Dunes, which is what we did, and even play it again in the evening prior to dinner. It could be a great way to settle your wagers from the big courses! Overall, The Sandbox is a perfect complement to the phenomenal golfing experiences at Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes and some of the funnest golf holes you’ll ever play!
Sand Valley Golf Course
Highlights:
The first course at Sand Valley Golf Resort is, of course, Sand Valley and designed by the duo of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. On May 2, 2017, the resort celebrated it’s grand opening and like most of Mike Keiser’s other resorts, was located in a small town that was off the beaten path. Like Bandon Dunes and Cabot Links, Sand Valley is a walking only course (with caddies available for hire) and celebrates the natural beauty of the land and location, blending peacefully into the surrounding landscapes.
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Before you start your round at Sand Valley, you’ll see Craig’s Porch. You’ll also pass Craig’s Porch as you make your way onto the back-nine, but as we mentioned earlier, you can grab some fantastic food such as the beef brisket sliders and pulled pork tacos for $1.50 each and finish it off with a Nye’s ice cream sandwich for $4. There are six different sets of tees that players can play from, with the tips (black) playing at 6938 yards. We opted to play the second to last tees (orange) at 6535 yards and found that the course didn’t play as long as it was listed on paper. This was due to the firm and fast fairways and “speed pockets” that golfers can aim for to gain more yardage. There is also room to miss with wide fairways and large greens (on most holes), but also trouble off the tee which challenges the golfer to think strategically.
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The first hole really sets the tone for your round, a short par-4, dogleg left, at 335 yards, forcing players to decide how aggressively they wish to play. The angles off the tees and wideness of the fairways throughout the course are very inviting and really get golfers thinking about how much of the course they want to take on. Playing for the right position off the tee is extremely important in order to give yourself the best angles into greens. The green complexes at Sand Valley are incredible – you can play the ground game and use the backstops and slopes on many greens to get close to the hole. Most, if not all, of the greens feature multiple tiers, shelves and run off areas – and there were also a lot of tucked pin positions on the day we played!
It is difficult to pick a favourite hole when each and every hole was so fun and memorable. The Par-3 5th, the highest point on the golf course, gives you great views of the property and with the tee elevated, the shot plays less than the yardage on the scorecard. The Par-3 8th is the opposite, with tee shots going towards an uphill green. It is one of the best par-3’s we’ve ever played. From the tee, with clear skies as the backdrop, it will be one of the prettiest golf holes you’ll ever see. But don’t let the beauty fool you – it is one tough green to hit – the green is long and narrow, with large bunkers that guard the front right side.
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The 9th hole is a fun risk and reward hole after the challenging par-3 8th. It is a 305-yard par-4 from the tips with long hitters able to drive the green. Again, the course challenges your discipline and makes you think about how aggressively you want to play. The smart thing to do would be to lay back and leave yourself with wedge to get as close to the hole as possible! The 17th hole par-3 was probably the funnest hole for us at Sand Valley – it features a massive punchbowl green and measures at 236 yards from the tips. Accuracy isn’t as important here as shots should funnel back to the middle of the green.
The par-5 18th is a great way to end – a beautiful, uphill hole leading back to Craig’s Porch. Massive bunkers line the fairways and with the hole being uphill, you’re going to need two fabulous shots to get home in two. Otherwise, lay up and use the backstops to get close on the “mammoth” green! After you finish your round, make sure to reward yourself with a (another?) Nye’s ice cream sandwich and hang out on the lounger chairs to watch other groups come in.
Sand Valley was a fantastic experience and the design team of Coore & Crenshaw did a phenomenal job of designing a course that allowed players of all skill levels to enjoy their time and make a decent score.
Mammoth Dunes Golf Course
Highlights:
Mammoth Dunes opened for play earlier this year and was one of the most anticipated golf courses of 2018. It was designed by David McLay Kidd, who worked with Mike Keiser and created the first links course at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. The scale of Mammoth Dunes is simply, well, mammoth, given that it’s set on 500 acres of land. It has a very adventurous feel to it with the land feeling more rugged than Sand Valley. The fairways, greens, bunkers and changes in elevation here are massive in scale. Every hole is memorable as we found ourselves constantly in awe on every tee box. The scale and width at Mammoth Dunes is very forgiving for golfers of all levels with fairways seemingly 100 yards wide on every hole, giving the opportunity for everyone to hit memorable shots. Mammoth Dunes offers six different tee boxes with the tips at 6935 yards. We played a combo set of orange and sand tees which totalled 6307 yards.
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The fairways have fescue grass whereas the greens are bent grass. With the type of grass on the fairways and the summer conditions we experienced, the ball was going a long ways. Similar to Sand Valley, there are a lot of “speed pockets” that you can hit your ball to in order to gain extra yardage. Again, the course does not seem like it plays as long as its listed on the scorecard. With the tight fairways and tight areas around the green, it’s a good idea to get familiar with the ground game – bump and runs, hybrid chips around the green and using the mounds and slopes to your benefit! There is very little rough at Mammoth Dunes, so players will most likely have good lies – but you’ll definitely have a lot of hilly lies as the fairways roll and are undulating. Most drives off the tee should find the fairway (and the fairways are very inviting), but accurate driving and placing your ball in the right areas of the fairway is essential. To us though, the par-3’s at Mammoth Dunes are the holes that really shine – more on this below.
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Like Sand Valley, it’s extremely difficult to pick a favourite hole from 18 great holes. The par-3 4th, 192 yards from the tips, is a beauty and similar to the par-3 8th at Sand Valley in the sense that the green is elevated. Aim a bit left, right over the pot bunker to get on the green and avoid the false fronts.
The walk from the 4th green to the 5th tee is incredible – it brings you to a high point where golfers will be welcomed with a dramatic vista from the 5th tee. Hole 5 is a long par-4 (450 yards from the tips), but like most of the holes, the fairways are wide and inviting. Again, placement of your drives will be essential though, as explained in the video below highlighting the 5th hole and narrated by architect David McLay Kidd. This video gives the perfect explanation of what to expect when you tee it up at Mammoth Dunes – bad shots won’t be severely punished, but great shots will definitely be rewarding!
The par-5 7th hole is another favourite of ours. From the tee, you only see an uphill mound of fairway – your line would be the single pine tree on the right side of the fairway, which should allow you to catch one of the “speed pockets.” Once you get closer to the green, you’ll see a bunker with a stone wall – remnants of the foundation from an old colonial home, as we were told – and used to protect the 7th green. This is a perfect example of golf architecture and “land preservation” – allowing the land to help dictate the design of the golf course and keeping it as natural as possible.
The next hole is another stunner. The par-3 8th hole, a seemingly “island green” in a sea of sand is simply beautiful. At 191 yards from the tips, it can be one challenging green to hit, even though the green is quite large. But as you move forward on the tees, you’re also positioned farther left, making the angles of approach more forgiving.
Hole 10, a 334 yard par-4, is also magnificent, particularly the approach shot into an elevated green with the large, Wisconsin blue skies in the background. The par-3 13th hole is probably our favourite at Mammoth Dunes and will likely be one of the most photographed golf holes on the property. It is also an “island green” at 128 yards, carrying over an absolutely mammoth area of sand. If you don’t quite make it over the sand area, you’re going to have a challenging time getting out of trouble! And if you’re long, your ball will be rolling off the green into a collection area and faced with a shot to a slightly elevated green.
Mammoth Dunes, Hole 13, 128 yards
One of the most interesting facts about Mammoth Dunes is that one of the holes, the par-4 14th, was designed by a graphic designer who designs golf courses for video games in Florida. Brian Silvernail, who won the Golf Digest Armchair Architect Hole, had his design selected – a drivable par-4 that featured a dramatic sloping fairway from right to left – and visited the site in 2017 to work with David McKlay Kidd and his team to finalize the layout and location of bunkers and fairway lines. How cool is that?
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If you’re reading this trip report and considering visiting Sand Valley Golf Resort, you’ve likely already seen photos of the par-3 16th hole at Mammoth Dunes too. From the elevated tees, there is probably around 40 feet of elevation change. The sand area on the right side is used to hide the entire right side of an extremely large punchbowl green, making shots to a right side pin blind, which was the case for us during our first round at Mammoth Dunes. The scale of the sand area really messes with your depth perception, so having a caddy (thanks, Big Cat and Sunshine!) with you who knows his line and yardages is essential. As you reach the 18th tee, you’ll be faced with a long, par-5 with sand areas to the entire left side of the fairway. Keep your shots to the right and on the fairway to end with a par or better.
Towards the end of our second round at Mammoth Dunes, the wind really started to pick up and it became a completely different challenge from our first round there, when we had calm conditions. The course really showed its teeth once the wind started blowing, putting even more of the bunkering around the property in play – you’ll definitely love playing some of these holes down wind though!
Closing Thoughts
As we walked off the 18th green, we felt a strong sense of sadness and disappointment…. Disappointment that our round was over on such a fabulous golf course! We were also sad that our three day stay and phenomenal golfing experience at Sand Valley had come to an end.
If you were to ask us which of the two big courses we preferred, we honestly couldn’t say. You could argue for both courses individually and have strong arguments for both designs. But if there is one adjective that we can use to describe Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes and The Sandbox, it would be “fun.” The golfing experience at Sand Valley Golf Resort is an incredibly fun time – you’ll hit some very memorable shots and seriously be in awe with the views on every tee box on both courses. With the property so “mammoth” in scale, it feels as if you and your group are the only ones on the golf course, surrounded by the natural landscape and sand dunes of Wisconsin – a truly exhilarating feeling.
There is still a lot of construction happening around the property and it is growing by the day. With a third course in its discussion stages and who knows, maybe even a fourth or fifth course in the future, Sand Valley Golf Resort, along with the other fabulous courses in Erin Hills and Whistling Straits, has seriously made the state of Wisconsin a golfing destination. You can bet that we’ll be making plans to come back sooner, rather than later!
Source: Sand Valley Golf Resort
