Sand Valley is the new kid on the block but comes with cool friends and esteemed lineage; this blog is my golf course review of Sand Valley. The course could be described as the hipster friend to its more distinguished peers in Whistling Straits and Erin Hills. Sand Valley is associated with the likes of Bandon Trails and Preserve, Cabot Cliffs and Streamsong due to their architect heritage. Architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw bring immediate prestige and notoriety to Wisconsin golf and I could not be happier for the Rome, WI area to host this magnificent track.
Sand Valley is quickly rising to the tops of golfer’s bucket lists. The Coore and Crenshaw names and reputations are the big draw but my interest was focused on seeing central Wisconsin in one of its most natural forms. The sand is a dominating feature throughout the course and is to be avoided if scoring is on your mind. Strategy and angles will be critical requiring accurate irons into difficult green complexes. Sand Valley is a thrill to play demanding decisions from the golfer along the way.
Course Background
Sand Valley opened in early 2017 designed by Coore and Crenshaw and voted best new course that same year by Golf Digest. The course was built in central Wisconsin on sandy terrain formed by a glacial lake that flooded the area when an ancient ice dam collapsed 18,000 years ago. Trees were planted on this land in the 1800s in response to the demand from the local paper industry for pulp.
Rumors of a third regulation course are buzzing around Sand Valley with mention of designer Tom Doake behind it. The rumors include a par 68 course on the north side of Sand Valley. The addition of a third course on this site, with Mammoth Dunes already gaining popularity, could officially put Sand Valley as a golfers destination.
As for the surrounding area, travelers will not find much. The area of Rome, WI is quite remote, however, Lake Arrowhead golf course could be worth your time if in the area for a few days. Sand Valley is walk only with a caddie recommended; two options include an ‘A’ caddie or junior.
Sand Valley Experience
Sand Valley now has two regulation golf courses. The courses, Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes each have developed their own reputation. These two course boast playability and require golf strategy. For our trip, we played the Sand Valley course but will be back to play Mammoth. Golfers are treated with an immediate change in landscape as soon as they turn onto the grounds. It is amazing to see central Wisconsin returned to its native landscape with dunes popping up throughout the drive (I even spotted a cactus!).
As mentioned, Sand Valley Golf Resort is only two years old obvious by the construction happening throughout the surrounding grounds. The golf is bringing people to the site – cannot complain about growth, but the noise is noticeable.
As we pulled up to the newly built clubhouse, we were greeted by an SV employee. The hustle and bustle in front of the clubhouse is hard to ignore as bags were lined up for 50 feet and at times 2-3 deep. Golfers were dressed in their best gear walking up and down to grab a putter or warm up clubs. The check-in process was a bit chaotic, however over time, I expect the SV crew to figure out a better process.
Practice Facilities
The Mammoth Dunes course is directly behind the newly built clubhouse while the older brother, Sand Valley, requires a short shuttle ride to the top of a hill. There are constant shuttles so this was not a distraction. The ride gave everyone a chance to catch their breath and look around with excitement.
We were greeted by the caddies, found our assignments and walked up the hill. As you reach Craig’s Porch, I recommend grabbing some tacos and a beer for less than $5. You will not be disappointed. Golfers will walk down the path to the newly opened practice facility to warm up. The sunshine and warmth made quick work of our session where we then turned our attention to the practice green. After a few putts, our groups made our way to the starter who welcomed us to Sand Valley.
Top Holes
Hole 9 Par 4 – 290 Yards
This risk / reward hole is a great finisher to the first nine. The severe downhill grade from tee to green encourages accurate drivers to pull out either driver or 3-wood. Lots of room short but requires accuracy into the tiered green in order to score a birdie. Sand Valley challenges golfers to make constant decisions – and there are lots of ways to score.
Hole 17 Par 3 – 215 Yards
An uphill par 3 seems terrifying when looking at a huge grass mogul in front of the green. Our caddies encouraged us to hit a shot over that mound and we would be guaranteed a putt. I pulled my shot 20+ yards left and had roughly 125 feet for birdie. Best two putt of the day!
Hole 18 Par 5 – 507 Yards
The last hole takes you back up the hill towards Craig’s Porch with “bogey” bunkers lining the right side of the fairway as you hit your second shot. The green has a severe back stop giving golfers lots of options to get the ball close. A great hole to finish off a terrific golf course.
The Sandbox
Sand Valley hosted our group of 10 golfers wonderfully. After our round, we feasted on a terrific menu of appetizer after appetizer after appetizer. You get the point. We had the final two tee times at The Sandbox at 6:40pm and 6:50pm. Everyone grabbed a few wedges and a putter and walked towards the first tee a couple hundred yards away. Below is my brief golf course review for The Sandbox at Sand Valley.
The Sandbox is a chip and putt course with the majority of holes measuring between 60-90 yards. Our group quickly realized this was a course we could play with 10 golfers and joined together. Everyone had fun both cheering and taunting one another as we made our way through 17 holes.
The Sandbox delivers on amazing green complexes you will typically only find on a par 3 course. Green complexes and undulations found at The Sandbox would be too difficult if coming in from further than 80 yards. Score devastating bunkers are sprinkled throughout the 17 holes but not many of us kept score. The course was too fun to think about anything else.
Conclusion
Sand Valley deserves attention and my hope is this review provided a good perspective. For Wisconsin golfers, I recommend finding a good group of golfing friends and make it a 2-day trip. The challenge yet playability of this beautifully architected golf course will leave you wishing for more daylight. My hope is you enjoyed this golf course review of Sand Valley – find more on my blog.
