Sand Valley Golf Resort might be in the middle of nowhere, but if you’re looking for the next great golf destination, this is it! It’s currently home to two 18 hole golf courses and a par-3 short course. One of our caddies said there’s room for two or three more 18 hole courses on the property, so it’s not difficult to project what this place can become in 5 or 10 years.
Getting to central Wisconsin may not seem that easy, but if you live in the Midwest, it’s actually not that bad. Sand Valley is located outside of Rome, WI and it’s official address is in Nekoosa. The resort is an easy drive from the following cities:
- 108 miles from Madison, WI (1.75 hours)
- 167 miles from Milwaukee, WI (2.5 hours)
- 193 miles from Minneapolis, MN (3.5 hours)
- 247 miles from Chicago, IL (3.75 hours)
- 355 miles from Davenport, IA (4 hours)
Bottom Line on Top
I enjoyed all aspects of my stay at the resort. It has clean rooms, great food, incredible golf and outstanding service. Boasting two likely top 50 courses in the United States, Sand Valley Golf Resort is a must play for the golf enthusiast. It’s already among the top 10 golf resort destinations in the country.
My dad and I drove up on Monday, July 2. After a bite to eat, we played Mammoth Dunes that afternoon. We had dinner on the property at Aldo’s and stayed overnight in the Clubhouse Lodge. The next morning we teed off on Sand Valley and after lunch, we played the Sandbox before heading back home. I’ll get to the golf soon, but what made the whole experience so great is the service. It’s clear that service is a priority at Sand Valley. Management has hired great people and trained them well. At every stop in the resort, we were greeted warmly and waited on superbly.
The front desk staff was very friendly when we arrived. Our room wasn’t ready yet but they pre-checked us in and stored our bags for us. The staff also directed us to our lunch options and where to check in for golf that afternoon. After our round they showed us to our room and had our bags delivered.
In the pro shop, they have a Spotted Cow tap right there. So as you’re shopping for Sand Valley gear, the staff will pour you a beer to sip on while you browse. I’ve never seen that before and was a great touch!
In the restaurants, we saw the same servers each day and they work very hard. They’re attentive, friendly and will bend over backwards to ensure you’re taken care of.
Lodging
There are several lodging options at Sand Valley. The resort is only a year old so all the rooms are clean and tastefully decorated. You’ll definitely enjoy the modern rustic feel with the wood features and furniture from Room & Board.
Clubhouse Rooms and Suites
The clubhouse rooms are perfect for one or two guests who want to be close to the central hub of the resort. There are 12 double queen rooms which feature incredible views of Mammoth Dunes. On the first floor, the rooms have double sliding doors that open directly to the first tee of the course. Each room has a little patio area with two Adirondack chairs – perfect for enjoying a post round drink and rehashing the day’s events.
For a really unforgettable experience, groups of 10 to 16 guests can rent the entire second floor of the clubhouse and use the common room of the Mammoth Suite as the main common area.
The clubhouse also boasts the Wisconsin King Suite for 1 to 2 guests and the Mammoth Suite for 4 guests. Both suites overlook the first hole of Mammoth Dunes and the smaller one is a great choice for couples. It features a large soaking tub, spacious shower and a lounge area. The larger suite is on the second floor and features a large deck and common room. There are king beds in each of the four bedrooms.
Lodge Rooms
Less than a five minute walk from the clubhouse are the fairway and dunes lodges. The Fairway Lodge overlooks Sand Valley’s 18th hole, while the Dunes Lodge has views of the Sandbox, which is the new par-3 short course.
Lake Leopold Cottages
The cottages are located on the highest ridge of the resort, overlooking Lake Leopold. The setting is serene, secluded and beautiful with views of the lake and Sand Valley’s 9th hole in the background. Groups of 4 to 8 guests will enjoy a large common room, spacious outdoor deck with Adirondack chairs and a large fire-pit.
Dining
During our stay, we ate all our meals on resort grounds and the food was terrific. We had lunch in the Mammoth Bar and Lounge upon arriving and dinner at Aldo’s Farm & Table that evening. The next morning we stopped again at Mammoth Bar for a quick bite for breakfast and had lunch in the same spot. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to eat at Craig’s Porch.
Mammoth Bar and Lounge
The Mammoth Bar & Lounge is attached to the clubhouse and has panoramic views of Mammoth Dunes’s 1st and 18th holes. There are probably 8 to 10 tables inside and 8 to 10 more seats at the bar where you can enjoy Wisconsin craft beers. Outside there’s a terrace, which is the main gathering space, where you can enjoy a post-round beverage, the fire-pit and the stunning views.
I’d classify the food as upscale bar food and it was very good. Sandwiches and entrees come with a side and unlimited salad bar. For lunch on Monday, I had the beer braised brat, which was very good. The potato salad side was creamy and delicious. On Tuesday I tried the mammoth burger, which was terrific, and I couldn’t pass up another side of potato salad. For refreshments, you can’t go wrong with a Spotted Cow. It’s an easy drinking and popular Midwest beer. It’s only sold in Wisconsin though, so you have to take the opportunity when you have the chance!
Aldo’s Farm & Table
Aldo’s temporary location is about 100 yards from the clubhouse, by the Sandbox course. Construction on the permanent location next to the clubhouse is ongoing, so they enacted a sturdy tent-like structure until that’s complete. My dad and I booked our golf through a package that included dinner. When we got to the restaurant we were informed that with our package, everything was included! We could order as many items as we wanted and so we tried a few more things than we expected to.
For appetizers we ordered the lobster mac and cheese and the cheese curds. The mac was good, but the clear winner were the cheese curds – they were outstanding. You can get cheese curds just about everywhere in Wisconsin but the breading on these made them among the best I’ve ever had. They also came with a spicy dipping sauce which I really enjoyed. For entrees, we both had the bone-in filet mignon which was excellent. And for dessert, we split a cookie skillet. We were so full at this point, but had to try this dessert since we had seen several being brought out to other tables. It did not disappoint! The cookie was warm and came with ice cream and hot fudge on top.
What made everything taste so amazing is their use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients. They work with local farmers to create a genuine farm to table experience and you can taste the quality ingredients in each dish.
Craig’s Porch
Craig’s Porch is located next to Sand Valley’s 1st, 10th and 18th holes and offers cold drinks, food and terrific views. Although we didn’t eat here, they have 9 different homemade ice cream sandwich flavors! I might have to go back to try a few.
Golf
The golf is why people will come to Sand Valley Golf Resort. The property is situated on over 1,700 acres of tumbling sand dunes and is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The scale of the golf course features are enormous and sandvalleygolfresort.com tells you why:
The site for the resort currently sits on what was once the lake bed of an ancient glacial lake that covered much of Central Wisconsin. In roughly 16,000 BC the ice dam protecting the glacial lake burst, causing a catastrophic flood event that emptied the entire 150 foot deep lake in just two days, creating what is now the Wisconsin Dells. The sandy lake bed where our site now sits became exposed and over time blew into the 80 foot high dunes and valleys now seen today.
Similar to the great links courses you might find overseas, these courses feature dramatic sand dunes, windy playing conditions, and a as many strategic playing options as you can think of.
All courses at Sand Valley are walking only and caddies are available if desired. At home, I almost always ride in a cart while playing golf, but walking with a caddie really added to the overall experience. When you walk a course, you can really take in the scenery and immerse yourself in the experience. Caddies know the courses intimately and offer invaluable insight about pin placements, yardage, and club selection. We had two different caddies during our rounds and they made the round so much fun. While I didn’t play like it, having a caddie made me feel like a pro (almost)!
Mammoth Dunes Golf Course
Mammoth Dunes opened just a few months ago and was designed by David McLay Kidd. Kidd partnered with Sand Valley developer Mike Keiser on the flagship course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort 20 years ago. The success of Bandon Dunes paved the way for Keiser to create the “Bandon Dunes of the Midwest” here in central Wisconsin.
This aptly named course is in fact mammoth in terms of the scale of its features. It’s a rugged course with few clean sight lines which makes the caddies all the more important. There were several holes where I would not have known where to aim if not for the caddie’s course knowledge. Many pins are hidden behind ridges or the rolling topography of the property.
This course is instantly one of my favorites! The views are spectacular and the course is so mammoth and spread out that it gives you this joyful, pure feeling – like you’re playing golf the way it was meant to be played. Below are a few highlights.
The first hole is a par 4 that has one of the widest fairways I’ve ever seen. We should all thank Mr. Kidd for easing us into the round!
Another wide fairway greets you on the par 4 second hole but sand runs all along the right side and down by the green as well. The course plays really fast and you’ll find that you get a lot of roll on all shots. This makes picking your landing areas very important as many shots won’t stop until they hit the sand.
The par 5 third hole has a pretty view off the left of sand dunes and forest.
The fifth hole is one of my favorites. The tees are elevated on this long par 4 and the fairway rolls out to the right. The green is tucked over a mound of sand on the left side so the more left your drive the blinder your approach shot.
The seventh hole is a par 5 with a blind tee shot. The target was a lone tree out in the distance (you can just see the tip in the picture). I was hitting left all day up to this point so of course my tee shot went out much further right than I wanted. The plus is that this is another wide fairway that also has some slope so tee shots will roll out quite a ways. I was very happy to find my ball 270+ yards out in the middle of the fairway.
A sign has been put up in front of the small bunker about 50 yards in front of the seventh green. The bunker is called “The Cellar” and the stone wall are remnants of an old hunting house from the early 1900’s.
The eighth hole is a par 3 and is essentially an island green. Instead of water it’s sand. Many are calling this Mammoth Dunes’ signature hole and it certainly was fun to play.
The thirteenth hole is a fun and shorter par 3. There’s an enormous sand wasteland in front and to the left of the green (not pictured) and the green is raised quite a bit. If you do hit your tee shot in the wasteland, you’re going to have a hell of a pitch shot to save par.
The view of the green on the par 5 eighteenth hole.
Mammoth Dunes is going to be on the short list for best new course of 2018. The direct competition will be the new course at Streamsong in Florida. Regardless, most people I’ve talked to think it’s a lock for every publications’ top 50 course lists.
Sand Valley Golf Course
Sand Valley was the first course to open on the property in 2017. It was designed by the team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and immediately drew rave reviews from journalists and critics. Both Golf Digest and Golf Magazine named Sand Valley the best new golf course of 2017. It will be in every golf publications’ top 50 course lists.
I didn’t take many pictures during this round but did take a few of the ninth hole. We played the back nine first, so this was our last hole of the round. Hole 9 is a fun, downhill, drive-able par 4 at only 290 yards from the orange tees. I lost my drive off to the right and flirted with Lake Leopold, which I didn’t know was there at the time.
My second shot was only about 40 yards away but I had to avoid some tree limbs. My ball hit the green past the hole but there is a ridge in the green. The ball ran up and then back down the ridge, and fed almost all the way to the pin. I was able to make the 4 footer for birdie to end the round on a high note!
My favorite hole on this course was the par 3 seventeenth. It’s 215 from the orange tees and 236 from the tips. I used a three wood but what’s really fun is the green is a massive (and I mean massive) punchbowl. On the tee you are looking at a partially blind shot. Both my dad and I hit our tee shots left and didn’t think we’d find our balls on the green. But as we walked up, both were sitting there ready to be putted as the punchbowl green kicks everything back towards the middle.
Sand Valley is a beautiful course with sprawling views of sand dunes and pine trees. I found it to be the more difficult course compared to Mammoth Dunes, with tougher, elevated and undulating greens. There are several holes on the front nine that go straight uphill so you’ll be tired after the round.
The Sandbox Short Course
The Sandbox is a 17 hole short course where the goal is to maximize fun. Located 50 yards from the Clubhouse, the short course features the most unique green complexes on the property, including a biarritz, double plateau, lion’s mouth, and a redan. Most of these historic concepts couldn’t be done on a big course so it’s an opportunity to putt on greens you don’t often see. Holes range from 40 to 140 yards and you can play the course with just a putter and a handful of wedges.
An example of what makes this course fun is the third hole with the biarritz green. A biarritz green, is a putting green that features a deep gully bisecting its middle. A biarritz is especially challenging when the hole is cut on one side of the gully and your ball is sitting on the other side. This requires a long putt that must travel down the gully then up its other side to reach the hole.
Non-Golf Activities
Sand Valley offers more than just golf. In 2018 they opened two grass tennis courts which are located near the golf practice area. You can also swim and fish on Lake Leopold, off the 9th hole of Sand Valley. For hikers, there are two trails on property. The Songbird Trail is the easier of the two at 1.2 miles long and begins near Craig’s Porch. A moderately difficult trail, The Ridge Trail is 2.2 miles in length and offers spectacular views of Mammoth Dunes, including vistas on sand ridges as high as 80 feet above the course.
