In a span of just 17 years, Erin Hills (Wisconsin) has built an impressive national championship resume that few golf courses – even revered ones much older – can match. At the end of this month the course just outside of Milwaukee will host its fifth United States Golf Association (USGA) event when the 80th playing of the U.S. Women’s Open will be held there. Yuka Saso of Japan will defend a championship that has been won by just about every legend of the women’s game. USGA officials were on hand May 5 at Erin Hills to set the stage.…
Author: Matt Tevsh
Matt Tevsh
Matt Tevsh has been a contributor to Midwest Golfing Magazine since 2004.
Las Vegas is lit. Is it ever not? On this weekend night in March, a UFC fight card is headlining. The West Coast Conference men’s basketball tournament is also in town. And Maroon 5 is scheduled to play at the Park MGM. The shows and entertainment are about to start. The sequin dresses, light-colored designer suits and high-energy beats at the STRAT’s Remix Lounge would suggest as much. It is go time. On I-15 just off the Strip, however, traffic is stalled in front of Allegiant Stadium. The video board – one of the largest in Sin City – on…
There are many opinions for what makes a great getaway. For some, a beach and some sun might be just the answer. For others, a long hike or some downhill skiing might do the trick. For those of us at Midwest Golfing Magazine, golf, of course, is at the center of every trip agenda. Only a few places can cater to just about everyone’s wishes. Shanty Creek Resort (www.shantycreek.com) fits that bill – for couples, families, buddies groups and more. And since this publication is all about golf, here is a full round’s worth (18 holes) of how the Northern…
Summer has brought another packed tee sheet at Phillips Park GC in Aurora, Illinois, just west of Chicago. The city course, which was redesigned and updated by native Greg Martin back in 2001, originally opened with a nine-hole layout in the mid-1920s making it nearly a century since it began under Director of Parks Ray C. Moses. “Our course is made for the everyday golfer. It’s a fun golf course,” said Jeff Schmidt, PGA Golf Operations Manager. “The course has four sets of tees to choose from and is playable for all golfers whether they are experienced or new…
For those living in the Midwest who may not get the chance to go south for golf therapy during the winter, the spring season brings reminders of simple pleasures. Like the sight of a fresh layer of snow in Wisconsin disappearing almost magically after crossing into Illinois. And then the relatively colorless, dormant grasses greening up the further the ride goes down I-65 to Indianapolis. The true lovers of the game who are taken away from it temporarily embrace any opportunity to return. So when Midwest Golfing Magazine (MGM) had its chance to begin the Midwest season on the…
“I like adventures, and I’m going to find some.” That line from novelist, writer and poet Louisa May Alcott is framed atop an old wooden chest in unit 203 at the Holiday Hills Resort in Branson. For any guest who arrives at this cozy Airbnb rental in the woods, it speaks volumes. The final stretch of U.S. Highway 65 into the historic southwestern Missouri town really sets the stage. There is a bombardment of billboards promoting musical shows and fun family activities. The drive coasts down and grinds up for long stretches. It bends at times around and through impressive…
SentryWorld Golf Course being awarded the 2023 U.S. Senior Open was a process that really began nearly a decade ago. Back then, Sentry Insurance – which owns SentryWorld and is headquartered on the same property in Stevens Point, Wisconsin – summoned original course designer Robert Trent Jones Jr. and course architects Bruce Charlton and Jay Blasi. Their general task was to bring what was once the original “destination” course in Wisconsin back to its former glory. While scheduled projects like irrigation systems and bunkers were on the agenda, the conversations led to an opportunity to do much more. Two years…
Many years ago, some thought the Mesquite, Nevada, course only existed in a video game. But to alter a famous line from the sitcom Seinfeld, “It’s real, and it’s spectacular.” In recent decades, the Olympics have integrated an “X Games” feel more and more into its competitive landscape. For those unfamiliar, the “X Games” is a separate annual competition of both summer and winter “extreme” sports that attracts athletes from all over the world and also awards gold, silver and bronze medals. In this delayed Olympics year, viewers saw a variation of some of those crossover sports including BMX and…
The Island Resort Championship is returning to its annual spot on the Epson Tour schedule this summer and organizers are hoping this year’s event will be one of the biggest and best ever. To start, this year’s total purse for the June 24-26 championship has been increased to $212,500. “Our goal every year is to beat their top spot on Tour,” said Tony Mancilla, general manager of the host property, Island Resort and Casino in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Like many stops on the Epson Tour, the growth has been promising. The Island Resort stop is approaching nearly double the purse…
On opening day for Major League Baseball two major cities along the Lake Michigan southern tip are hosting games, yet traffic is moving along nicely on the main interstates by late afternoon. Such is life after a post-pandemic season when stadiums are bringing back fans in limited capacities while also serving as vaccination sites. Still, spring and hope are refreshingly in the air. Not only are the temperatures around the Midwest forecasted above average for the coming week, but also the Augusta National Women’s Amateur has started in Georgia. The Masters will soon follow, back in its traditional spot on…