Pink Squirrel
Fall golf might just be the best golf — but it doesn’t last forever…
It’s been a marvelous fall, weatherwise, and the golf courses here in Rome, Wisconsin are rewarding us with some of their best playing conditions of the year. Sure the ferns in the woods, (where I tend to spend a little too much time), have turned brown on the tips, and the oak leaves and pine needles are letting go one by one at an incredible clip, but temperatures continue to cooperate and the grass continues to grow. So, we play as much golf as we can. In fact, some of us, almost subconsciously, start to play a little more often. Maybe even everyday.
Why? Because just like the squirrel that scurries back and forth across the fairway storing up nuts, we know that our days are numbered. And that number gets smaller with every flip of the calendar. So, we grab our clubs, put on a jacket, and tee it up again, and again, enjoying every round, because fall golf satisfies in ways that summer golf can’t.
John Updike, the American novelist, once wrote, “Autumn brings to the courses an especial beauty. The maples flare a pinking red, the hickories turn a buttery yellow, the oaks withdraw into a rusty brown. The trees generally show bare branches and a fresh new breadth of light washes over the fairways.
Bare branches, indeed. With the fallen leaves often covering the fairways, a beautiful shot right down the middle sometimes takes a little longer to find. But we don’t mind. We find it and we whack it again. Although, sometimes, when I’m feeling a little bit smarter than the leaves, I reach into my bag and grab one of my high-visibility fluorescent golf balls that I’ve accumulated somehow. I don’t know how. I know I didn’t buy them. Then where did they come from? Doesn’t matter. I’m just happy I have some.
So, where do I hit these blazing pink and yellow golf balls? Well, Rome has some of the best golf - fall golf - that you’ll find anywhere.
For starters, Lake Arrowhead boasts two of the Midwest's elite 18-hole golf courses. Here you have the rare opportunity to enjoy not one, but two 4½ star championship golf courses, as ranked by Golf Digest, in one incredible experience.
On a bed of sandy soil, the Lakes and the Pines courses at Arrowhead wind their way through mature oaks and Norway pines in a one-of-a-kind setting. Both feature bent grass fairways, sculpted bunkers, natural sand waste areas, breathtaking water hazards, and large, contoured, undulated greens. Couple all that with the spectacle of fall, and it would be hard to imagine a better way to spend the day.
But as every squirrel knows, winter comes all too soon, and the Lakes course stays open only until October 19th, while the Pines has tee times a little bit later, until November 3rd.
But Arrowhead isn’t the only golf in town. Just a few minutes south, and a little bit west, is where you’ll find “golf as it was meant to be played” in the heart of the Central Sands Region of Wisconsin.
The aptly named Sand Valley Resort leveraged this natural wonder and realized five, count ‘em five, world class, and nationally ranked courses; the namesake Sand Valley course, Mammoth Dunes, The Sandbox, The Lido, and the brand-spankin’ new Sedge Valley course.
Interestingly, all these courses differ from most courses, not just in Wisconsin, but all across the US. The sand, yes. But also, there really aren't any trees to speak of, hence no fallen leaves to contend with. Sculpted from the natural and prehistoric sands, with massive and exposed dunes, firm and fast fairways, and majestic bunkers, and maybe a pine tree or two, these courses offer a multitude of strategic playing options. But again, you may want to get out there soon because open play at all five of the Sand Valley courses only runs through October 20th.
And let’s not forget a course that is a little less sandy, a little bit smaller, but just as much fun for the entire family, Papa Bear’s Mini Golf. Nestled among the pine trees, is a creatively designed course that is challenging yet fun for all ages. Walk up to the window, pick your putter, and of course, your ball. Maybe even a pink or yellow one. Papa Bear’s is open until mid-October (though like many things in the area that are weather-dependent, the official closing date is to be determined by Mother Nature).
So, as the migrating geese, the sandhill cranes, and the snowbirds retreat to Florida, you know, like the squirrels, that these beautiful courses, during this beautiful time of year, belong to you. And you owe it to yourself to make the most of them. So go play—now!
For more information on Lake Arrowhead golf visit; lakearrowheadgolf.com, or call 715-325-2929.
For Sand Valley; sandvalley.com/golf-courses, or call 888-398-8671.
And for Papa Bear’s; papabearsminigolf.com, or call 715-325-PAPA (7272).
Written by: Lydell Capritta
