Sand Valley | Nekoosa, WI | Par 72

For most top-of-the-line golf entities, you get a sense that you’re someplace special as soon as you reach the property. That is absolutely the case at Sand Valley, and you can feel the course design before you’ve stepped onto the first tee. Once you’ve gotten into your round, you’ll enjoy the severity of the greens and the variety in the holes. As one of the top resorts in the country now, Sand Valley draws a wide range of golfers, and they accommodate them well with a number of tee options. The views from the central hub of Craig’s Porch are truly remarkable, and make sure to spend some time before and after your round to appreciate them, along with a cheap (but delicious) taco and beverage.

Everything about Sand Valley is maintained in a way that the matches the overriding theme of the property. You will have bad lies and bad stances, but the rugged landscape is why the course is so amazing. The places you want your golf ball to be are flawless. The big, inviting fairways are firm and fast. The greens are the same way, offering large targets, but a lot of outcomes. The large tee boxes offer excellent starting spots. Sand Valley is not intended to look like a Wisconsin Country Club, and it is incredibly successful in not doing so.

A good-sized range is a little bit of a walk from the practice green area. The practice green is large and has many ridges and runs at speeds very close to the course. It would be nice if there was a little more space around the practice green to work on chips, because those will be big once you’re on the course.

Sand Valley is a walking-only facility, unless you have disability documentation that requires you to take one. Otherwise, they have outstanding push carts that you can famously push right across the greens. If you’re looking to up the experience, Sand Valley has professional caddies that can carry your bag.

The staff, from top to bottom, is outstanding. Friendly, accommodating and outgoing. They want you to have an amazing experience while on the property. The starters keep everything organized and make getting connected with your caddie (assuming you got one), a breeze. I have had nothing but very good caddies at the Sand Valley Resort, which includes Mammoth Dunes. They have all varied in their strengths, but all have been, at least above average readers of the green, and all have been enjoyable to be around. I strongly suggest getting a caddie when you’re here, especially if it’s your first time.

Sand Valley is proving to be a very popular place, with golfers flocking from across the Midwest to play here. With that demand, the price is going to go up. If I am going to be paying north of $200 to play golf, it better be special. Sand Valley is special. If you argued that this is too much to play golf, I would understand. If you’re factoring in everything as part of a special day on an amazing course, the value is still there. The prices however, have risen each of the last few years, so this rating has dropped for me when I consider peak prices. The other thing to be aware of is that, while it doesn’t offset the large greens fee, the food and drinks on the course are ridiculously cheap.

Sand Valley is a relatively wide-open golf course, with not a lot of trees and water in play on only one hole. Instead, the mounds and dunes challenge your eye and the greens test your short game. Hitting the green might not be the best thing if you’re on the wrong place. Understanding how to play the hole from start to finish and leaving yourself in the best places is what will allow you to score. Do your best to avoid the many dunes, because they fine, abundant sand can penalize anything less than a quality strike.

If you’re a golfer, playing a visually stunning, well-maintained golf course is fun. I assume that’s why you’re reading this. Sand Valley offers a little bit of everything, including some green complexes you aren’t going to see too often elsewhere. Being able to find your ball pretty much no matter what is fun, too. You almost have to try to lose them, so you can just relax and enjoy your time on the links. And while you really don’t want to be there, the sand that frames nearly every hole is such a great look.

It is tough to narrow down a favorite hole on this golf course. There are so many stunning, memorable holes to choose from. As I write this, I am going with the par-3 5th as my favorite. The views are amazing as you stand perched well above the level of the green. It seems like it should be a simple shot, but if you miss, getting up and down will be a challenge.

#17 is a hole I considered for all three categories – favorite, toughest and worst. How can that be? First, it’s a long, uphill par-3 that is going to require a long iron or more to even reach the surface. Second, the green is blind. And what a green it is. This might be one of the craziest green in the state, and that’s on a property with its fair share of crazy greens. If you didn’t hire a caddie, good luck figuring this massive putting surface out. That challenging is both fun, difficult and enraging.

As with many top golf properties, it’s hard to say that there is a “bad” hole. I struggle to look at Sand Valley and find a hole that was designed poorly enough to say it’s not a good hole. So, in order to fill out this portion of the review, I look at a hole that I just think is hard and that I really struggle with, and that’s hole #2. It’s a par-4 that doglegs hard to the right, and seems to have no real aiming point off the tee. Massive bunkers line the right side, and trust me when I say, you don’t want to be in there. The hole seems to coax you into being conservative off the tee, then punishes you for doing so. Maybe as I lay this one a few more times, I will figure out the best way to play it.

I took my son to the Sand Valley Resort for the first time, taking advantage of the junior rate while playing the initial course of the property. If you have a junior under 17, they play for free if you tee off at 2 pm or later with a paying adult. The course was in beautiful shape, and the views with spectacular. A volatile wind howled for most of the round, but the course was still very playable. Everyone on the group learned pretty early on that the dunes are not your friend. Avoid them at all cost! I got off to a wonderful start, but the sand got me in a serious way on hole #4 after some unforced errors. I battled back with some good shots and good putting resulted in a couple of birdies. I was outdriven by my son on several occasions, including on the par-5 18th hole, where my best tee shot still couldn’t get past his. All in all, it was a great experience with family and friends. Sand Valley is a special place and something I always look forward to.