Golf Course in Wisconsin - Telemark Golf Course - Pro's Tips and Course Description

HOLE 1

Lone Pine - This pretty, straight away starting hole is a 360 yard par four. With a well placed tee shot, center or left center, this hole plays quite easy. You don't need to hit it too long off the tee, but avoid going too far right or left as you may be blocked out on your second shot. Try to stay below the pin on your approach shot as the green slopes quite a bit from back to front.

Tee shot: 200-250 yards center or left center of the fairway.

HOLE 2

Easy Dog - A good hole to let out the shaft on, this short 340 yard par 4 has ample driving area. The dogleg right may tempt you to play the right side, but playing your tee shot straight gives you the best approach shot to the green and avoids the large beautiful white pines guarding the dogleg. The front right side of the green is guarded by a sand bunker and the green slopes slightly from back to front.

Tee shot: Everything in the bag played center of the fairway although a long fade can also be ideal.

HOLE 3

Beaver Pond - This 460 yard par 5 may be the easiest hole on the course to make a birdie on. But it's a little tricky in that it doglegs left and then back right just a bit and there is out of bounds on the right. There is a swampy patch of trees to the right center 250 yards off the tee which should be avoided. Play the left side of the fairway off the tee to position yourself for your next shot. The green is surrounded by 3 sand bunkers and is slightly elevated with not too much room in back. The smart play is to lay up in the right center of the fairway for a straight forward shot to the pin. Long hitters can get to this green in 2.

Tee shot: Left side of fairway gives you the best look at the green, center of fairway is fine for lay-up shot.

HOLE 4

Little Road Hole - A straight forward par 3. This hole plays about 165 from the white tees and a monstrous "pack a lunch" 237 yards from the blues. The green can be tough to hold and read as it has a bit of a crown running down the center from left to right.

Tee shot: Ideal shot is front of the green. Shots center to back often go over.

HOLE 5

Lateral Attraction - This dogleg left par 4 of 349 yards may be the most difficult on the course. It requires a well placed tee shot down the left side of at least 190 yards to even see the green. The fairway slants sharply left to right and any tee shots center or right of center will most likely roll toward or into the lateral creek hazard. Once you have navigated into a position for an approach shot, you will see an elevated postage stamp-sized green. Don't go right or you will be bouncing into the woods. A wise play is front center of the green. This green slopes left to right more than it looks.

Tee shot: Favor the left side of the hole with a shot 200 - 225 yards.

HOLE 6

Uphill Battle - This uphill all the way par 3 can be extremely difficult from the back tees or just moderate from the new front tees. Hit 2 clubs more than the distance particularly if prevailing wind is in your face. Green is huge and has a protective sand bunker back right. The putting surface has quite a slope from back to front.

Tee shot: Hit more club than you think.

HOLE 7

The Snake - It's a long and winding road to the green on this 500 yard par 5. The landing area off the tee slopes sharply left to right so anything hit right or even center of the fairway bounces down into a difficult rough area. With a recent redesign, lay-up shots are much easier to navigate. Play your lay-up shot with plenty of club to the center or left center of the fairway. Very large green with slight slope from back to front.

Tee shot: Use the large white pine on the left edge of the fairway as your target line. Hit down the left side 200 yards or longer to position for next shot.

HOLE 8

Big Dog - A longish par 4 that doglegs sharply to the left, this pretty 400 yard hole is a good test. Off the elevated tee, the ideal shot will follow a target line just right of the distinctive spruce tree. Big hitters may risk going left of the Spruce but need to thread the needle with a shot of a least 270 yards to see the green. Tee shots of over about 240 yards can go through the fairway on the right side if you get too far that way. The green is guarded by 2 sand bunkers on the left and 1 in front. Nice sized relatively flat green to putt.

Tee shot: 220-250 yards on the right side of the big spruce.

HOLE 9

Gambler's Corner - Finish this challenging par 4 and you're halfway home. This dogleg right 365 yard hole gives you good risk/reward options. Play a tee shot straight at the fairway sand bunker whose front edge is 220 yards off the tee and you will have about 155 yards to the hole. Or get a little more bold and hit just right of the bunker to give yourself a shorter approach shot. Careful though, too far right and you can be blocked out from the green. The green is long from front to back, has a large bunker on the left side, and slopes quite a bit from back right to front left.

Tee shot: A tee shot of 215 yards at the center of the fairway bunker.

HOLE 10

Roller Coaster - A good par 4 to start the beautiful back nine. This 350 yard hole features plenty of elevation changes and also requires correct position to score well. Off the tee, your drive should favor the left side as the large trees on the right approaching the green can play pinball with your shots. Shots over 240 yards down the left side can go through the fairway. The elevated green requires that you add about 10 yards to the effective yardage on your approach shots. Green slants slightly from back to front and is challenging to read.

Tee shot: 200-230 yards down left side of fairway.

HOLE 11

Distant Flag - An excellent 500 yard par 5, this hole gives you many opportunities to be smart, or otherwise. A fairly wide but narrowing driving area is followed by a fairly wide but narrowing lay-up area, and then a 2-tiered green for the Coup de Gras. Played most wisely as a 3 shot par five with shots of 220, 175, and 100 yards, it can possibly be reached in 2, or 5. A sand bunker guards the front of the green with a wet swamp to the left and a very wet pond to the right. Don't be long as the area over the green slopes sharply down to a.......swamp.

Tee shot: Tee shots of 205 - 225 center give best position for lay-up shot down left side.

HOLE 12

Short and Sweet - Take a breath after maneuvering through holes 10 and 11 at this cute little par 3. Playing about 135 or 140 from the white tees, this hole offers the most trouble to the right in the enchanted forest of pines that you may never get out of if you enter them. The green is fairly large and slopes quite a bit from back left to front right.

Tee shot: Center or left center of the green.

HOLE 13

Hidden Green - A par is an excellent score on this 370 yard par four. A late dogleg right with quite an elevated green makes this a very challenging hole. It behooves you to either hit a tee shot over 220 yards left of the trees on the knob, or else be more conservative and play this as a 3 shots to the green hole. No bunkers here but shots missing this elevated green bound into challenging areas. The green plays about half a club longer on approach shots and slopes quite a bit from back right to front left with some tricky reads.

Tee shot: 220-270 yards left of the pine on the knob.

HOLE 14

All Righty - This tricky par 4 is a dogleg left and the watch word here is "STAY RIGHT". Tee shots hit center or left of center bounce to the left and are either in the woods or blocked out from the green. The first big pine is about 195 yards from the white tees and just left of it is the ideal target area. A well-placed tee shot makes this an easy par as the green is fairly flat and accessible.

Tee shot: 200-225 yds. at the right side 150 marker.

HOLE 15

Corner Cutter - This sharp dogleg left is a risk/reward hole. Hit a tee shot 190-200 yards to the top of the hill and have a downhill approach shot of about 165 yards to a green guarded by a bunker in front, trees on the left, and a pond beyond and on the right side. Or hit the riskier high tee shot over the corner of the trees with a carry of at least 210 yards and leave yourself an easier approach shot from the lower level fairway area somewhere between 100-140 yards out. If you elect to cut the corner, the more you cut the closer you are, but if you don't carry the trees, it can be tougher than heck to recover with your dignity.

Tee shot: 225+ yds. over the trees left of the corner.

HOLE 16

Sweet Signature - Stop and take a breath and a picture on this beautiful little par 3. The huge back to front slanted green makes it easy to get on (what water ?), but can leave some long breaking putts. The water carry is 100 yards from the white tees and 90 yards from the forward tees. Try for a 1, go for a 2, take a 3.

Tee shot: Right at it, but below the hole.

HOLE 17

Guardian Pine - This par 5 dogleg right hole gets more difficult as you get closer. The recommended 3 shot way to play it is with shots of about 200, 175, and about 120 to a sharply slanted green where an approach shot below the hole is key. Big hitters may be able to get there in 2, but must maneuver around the large pine in the right center, the unforgiving woods on either side, and the bunker guarding the front right side of the green (no problem !). In any event, it is generally better to favor the left side on this hole as most shots roll down to the right.

Tee shot: 200-260 down the left center.

HOLE 18

Clubhouse View - The big finale and a great finishing hole it is. This shortish par 4 dogleg left provides not only a gorgeous clubhouse view, but an opportunity to finish strong as well. A tee shot of 220 yards straight at the bunker is ideal and will leave you with a short approach shot to an elevated green. Pay attention to the pin position as the green is very long and can be deceptive from down below. Hit it in the middle, hit it on, knock it in, and go enjoy your favorite beverage on the deck. You've earned it !

Tee shot: 225 yards straight at the center of the bunker.