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Well it’s about time! Life as we know it has finally returned to some normalcy. Fortunately for golfers, normalcy returned a bit sooner with only a few social distancing modifications. I really like this putting to a raised cup alteration for my scores, although having your ball glance off the edge doesn’t compare to the pure sound a ball makes when it finds the bottom!
Speaking of pure, this issue of Midwest Golfing Magazine features a collection of pristine, peaceful golf courses that have the unique ability to transport us away from our day-to-day troubles. We begin with one of our all-time favorites, the Golf Courses of Lawsonia in Green Lake, Wisconsin. For over 90 years Midwesterners have been reveling in the wild green complexes found on the Links Course and the Northwoods-feel found on the newer Woodlands Course.
Staying in the Badger State, we also highlight the Wisconsin Dells gem Trappers Turn and their upcoming addition, The Short Course. Lead Staff Writer Matt Tevsh loved what he saw during a preview tour of the 12-hole, par-3 layout designed by two-time U.S. Open winner Andy North, which is scheduled to open in 2021.
Closer to Milwaukee resides Washington County Golf Course, one of the top municipal courses in the entire nation. The Arthur Hills links-style layout is a staple of the community and a true credit to how a property can grow the game thanks to a series of innovative programs.
Editor Glen Turk must have drawn the long straw as he headed up to Door County to chronicle the 20th anniversary of Horseshoe Bay Golf Club, one of the state’s top private clubs. As Glen found out, the property is excited for the next twenty years thanks to an increased membership base and stellar staff.
We then head across Lake Michigan to highlight two properties that are the definition of serene – Black Golf in Onaway and Arcadia Bluffs in Arcadia. Black Lake, a Rees Jones masterpiece, is also celebrating their 20th anniversary with incredible Fall Stay and Play Packages that are under $100 per night! Arcadia Bluffs debuted its sister venue, The South Course, to rave reviews last year and, as Matt Tevsh explains, the best is yet to come for this iconic property.
Our cover feature shows off the power of Johnny Morris in the Show Me State as the founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops has created a golf kingdom near Branson, Missouri. Five unique courses make up 77 holes that according to Glen Turk says solidifies “an emerging golf destination the likes the Midwest has never seen.”
Finally, an issue of MGM wouldn’t be complete without Chip Shots, Midwest Golfing Personals, Nate Gray’s Pro Page, and Turk’s Takes. One final note, make sure you show extra gratitude this summer to the great pros and staffers at all your favorite courses that have done so much behind-the-scenes work to keep golf going during these unprecedented times!
Make Some Birdies,
Jay Royle, Publisher
