Chiefland Golf Course

chiefland golf course, chiefland, florida

Golf Course Review: Chiefland Golf Course – Chiefland Florida

Chiefland Golf and Country Club, an 18 hole course located 4 miles west of Chiefland, Florida and about 1 mile east of Manatee Springs State Park. Its location close to the state park is ideal for RVers and campers who also like to golf and is one reason we chose the Manatee Campground.

Teeing off on the #1 hole
Can have a brew or sandwich outside or inside at the clubhouse.

What to Like about the Chiefland Golf Course

We golfed there in late February and were pleasantly surprised how much “green” was in the fairways and greens themselves compared to other courses we’ve played in Northern Florida and the Panhandle. We later found out it was because of the Rye grass mix they use compared to Bermuda grass commonly used throughout Florida. Bermuda is great for withstanding hot and dry weather but it dies back in the winter and is slow to come back in the spring.

Another feature we liked about the course were the five sets of tee boxes, a tee for every level of golfer. And my wife particularly liked that the ladies Red Tees come in at under 5000 yards (4843). Too often we see the ladies tees set up for around 5400 yards, which can be too long for the average lady golfer. As my wife Jo is a fairly new golfer she appreciated having a chance of reaching most greens with only one more shot above regulation. But if you are a lower handicap player, the Blue Tees run out over 6500 yards and there are three more choices between the extremes of the Red and the Blue tees.

I also liked that mature trees line most of the fairways – providing good definition of each hole, particularly helpful if you a new to the course. As during our stay we experienced unseasonably warm weather, the shade the trees provided was also a plus.

The tee boxes were in good shape and the sand in the bunkers was firm but it wasn’t caked up like we’ve found at some of the places we’ve played.

The green and cart fees are very reasonable and the pro shop staff (as well as members) were very hospitable. We loved the course and the people and look forward to spending more time there in the future. Note to Rvers, nearby Manatee Springs State Park (see our review) has decent campsites: level with nice trees and shrub screening and/or spacing between the sites.

Google Maps overview of the course. Directions
Teeing off from the Red Tees

What not to like

Rough Texture of the Greens. It is not the smooth bentgrass or bermuda grass carpet you may be used to playing on. But I found them adequate for the time of the year.

Modest Course Challenge (a negative for some, but for others this is a positive). There isn’t much elevation change over the course nor many water hazards. Most of the fairways are wide enough to give you some latitude on your drives. Except for the perimeter around the course itself, the “rough” adjacent to the fairways were light cover; we didn’t lose many balls that missed the fairway.

The driving range is quite basic, a large open field with no targets. The condition of the range balls is poor to average.

Bottom Line

Chiefland Country Club is an attractive and friendly golf course for mid to high handicap golfers. It is also a very walkable course. The layout of the holes provided easy navigation from the green to the tees for the next hole.

Chiefland Area Tourist Attractions

Fall Color Minnesota North Shore

Scenic Fall Color Report along Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior While this fall color travelogue was originally published a few years ago, it presents a reasonably typical experience for fall color leaf peppers during the last week in September. Ross here reporting from the Red Mug Coffee House in Superior, Wisconsin on Sunday, September … Read more

St. Joseph’s Bay Golf Course

St. Joseph's Bay Golf Course

Review: St. Joseph’s Bay Golf Club

The St.Joe course is located in a wooded setting a few miles south of Port St. Joe Florida just off the Gulf Coast Scenic Drive (Highway 30A). Its fairways are tree-lined and water comes into play on fourteen of its eighteen holes. The terrain is mostly level, but grass mounds, water, and groves of trees add variety and challenge. It is a pretty course and for the season (early March) the fairways and greens were in good condition – and mostly green.


Positive Comments on St. Joseph Bay Course

Variety of Tee boxes. There are four sets of tees ranging from 6665 yards to 5039 providing challenge for the lower handicap golfer but some relief for those who aren’t long hitters. My wife Jo is a fairly new golfer (and a senior) so we like courses where the Red (Ladies) tees are less than 5000 yards, so St. Joe’s course was close to that. The Red tee boxes were also in good condition (some courses we’ve played neglect their shortest tee boxes).

Teeing off on #6

The greens. The greens had some slope to them and were in good condition. We also found they putted true; there were no gimmicky pin placements or crazy undulations to add challenge.

Grass mounds add some challenge and variety to the mostly level course.

The course layout. The cart paths are paved and the layout of the holes make it easy to navigate from the greens to the next set of tee boxes. Some courses have a layout that has golfers new to the course wandering around trying to find the next tee boxes. If you are walking, like we often do, it can be time-consuming and tiring when the course layout doesn’t have a logical and somewhat linear path from green to the tee boxes of the next hole.The clear layout and it being fairly level terrain also make it a very walk-able course.

While there are thick woods surrounding the course, the holes are laid out such that a slice (for a right hand golfer) puts the ball in the trees or rough between the holes where you can easily find it as the rough is pine straw (not long grass) under the trees. However, a slice on a few holes will risk losing some balls due to the location of the water hazard.

An aerial view of the course

Course Fees. The golf course is at a Country Club so there are member and non-member green fees. The guest fees are reasonable; we paid $16 to walk 9 holes. The guest or non-member rate for green fees and cart for 18 holes is $43.25 (2018 prices); a fair price based upon our experience at other courses of similar quality.

A ball that lands in the pines between the holes is pretty easy to find.

The club house has a lounge, a snack bar that has a limited lunch menu, a full bar, and an outdoor patio off the snack bar. Friendly service and reasonable prices.

Hotel and motel lodging is a few miles away in Port St. Joe. There is a private RV Park and Marina about two miles away . . . but somewhat pricey in our estimation. Camping at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park is 13 miles away, but we prefer the Indian Pass RV park and campground which is about  10 miles from the course on the road to Apalachicola.

Overall St. Joseph’s Bay Golf Course Rating & Condition.

Since writing this article, I had an opportunity to read some course reviews on Google and many of them were unfavorable – particularly noting the condition of the fairways. As we were golfing early season when most courses at this time in more northern Florida weren’t fully greened out, we wouldn’t have focused on the quality of the fairway grass. If we play there in 2019, I should pay closer attention to the emerging grass and see if it looks poorly.

Florida Gulf Drive Travel Links:

Top Pensacola Golf Courses

Pensacola Golf Courses Reviewed in this article:

  • Tiger Pointe Golf Club
  • Perdido Bay Golf Club
  • Lost Key Golf Club
  • AC Read Golf Course
  • Osceola Municipal Golf  Course
  • Marcus Point Golf Club

See Links to golf course websites at the end of the article.

During our stays in Pensacola Florida in March, it has been my intention to sample number of Pensacola golf courses – but on our visits rain and cooler weather restricted our opportunities. I did manage to golf two 18 hole rounds at Perdido Bay Golf Club, 9 holes on the west course of Tiger Point Golf Club. On a later February trip we played 9 holes at Osceola Municipal Golf Course.

The other 3 golf courses in this review we visited but did not play the course

Golfing at Tiger Point Golf Club.

The West Course. The staff at Tiger Bay call the west course a “practice course” due to its fairways and greens being somewhat sub-par in terms of condition. But for me not having golfed all winter it was a good opportunity to swing the club on a course (vs a golf range) to work out the kinks in a leisurely manner since there wasn’t much pressure behind me. I was usually able to hit two balls and take some extra shots working on my short game. And the price was right: $20 for greens fee and a cart to golf all day long if you wish. However in 2015, the west course is closed and no present plans to remodel or upgrade it.

The Championship Course. While I didn’t play it, the regular Tiger Point 18 looked to be in good condition for early March. Fairways greened up pretty good and the greens were in very good shape. Tiger Point is an open, links style course with some water and a modest amount of elevation change. Since the city of Gulf Breeze has taken over the Tiger Bay course the conditions and maintenance have improved so just about all of the recent golf reviews I read of Tiger Point are positive and it is a popular course, especially on days when there is a discount for senior golfers.

Golfing at Perdido Bay Golf Course

I very much enjoyed my two rounds of golf at Perdido Bay Golf Course. It is also an open links style course with a few pines and some palm or palmetto trees here and there. But the monotony I’ve found in some links-style courses is broken up by several fingers of mature residential areas protruding into the course layout. Some of these units are cottages that are available for vacationers. From the air the course would look like a hand with outstretched fingers.

Perdido Bay Golf Club
The Bermuda grass in the fairways of Perdido Bay golf club hadn’t fully greened up, but the tee boxes and greens were in excellent condition
Perdido Bay Golf Course Pensacola Florida
That dark shape near the water is an alligator sunning himself!

There is water on almost every hole, either on one or both sides of the fairway and at times stretching across across the fairway requiring you to hit over water to the green. One gentleman I talked with said a buddy of his lost 22 balls on one outing! I was a bit luckier than that. I found that the water hazards were quite fair, almost always giving you an “out” if you wanted to play it safe.

Only one time did I feel the course “robbed” me of a decent score. I didn’t look close enough at the scorecard to see that on number 16 a creek ran in front of the green. So after a halfway decent tee shot, I followed with a good 3 wood over the top of a bunker that I thought would be well-positioned in the center of the fairway in front of the green. But when I arrived the ball was nowhere to be seen and concluded it must have rolled into the creek in front of the green! On my second outing, I was in a similar position and opted for a 6 iron but again hit it too well and it also ended up in the drink.

Perdido Bay also has an excellent practice facility: two chipping/pitching greens (one with a sand bunker), one putting-only green, and a driving range with numerous pins at varying distances in addition to the usual distance markers. Previously my favorite golf course practice facility was at Nemadji Golf Course in Superior, Wisconsin; Perdido Bay is even better.

The food at the course restaurant is pretty decent, good selection of breakfast items and sandwiches and wraps for lunch or dinner.

Google and golf review websites generally give good marks to Perdido Bay Golf Course. Particularly for golfing in the afternoon (when rates drop), it is an excellent golfing value.


Lost Keys Golf Club

We drove by the Lost Keys Golf Club. It is in a gated community and like Perdido Bay surrounded by residences and condo complexes, but with a little different look to the community. The Lost Keys area is a more recent development and has some high rise units while Perdido Bays surrounding neighborhood is mainly more mature with lushly landscaped private homes. The Lost Keys course looks to have a good deal of water lining the fairways and the fairways appear elevated or domed so that an errant ball will easily roll into the water. The course looked quite lush. The reviews I read of the course are generally positive. The green fees are generally a little higher than Perdido Bay and I suspect that may be due to them being in a gated community and courting a more “exclusive” clientele.

Marcus Point Golf Club

Another Pensacola Golf Course that gets good reviews and has decent rates is Marcus Pointe Golf Club. Unfortunately it was 24 miles from our Fort Pickens campground and with three days of rainy weather occurring during the time I planned to make the trek out to this course I couldn’t work it into our activities. However, I did stop by late one afternoon and had time to hit some balls on their driving range. Their practice facility is quite complete with chipping and putting greens, as well as a practice sand bunker.

Unlike the Perdido Bay and Lost Keys, Marcus Pointe’s fairways are wooded and the holes include a fair amount of elevation change. Many fairways are undulating and for mid-March the grass was in decent condition.

Marcus Pointe is the kind of course I am used to playing and aesthetically one that I find more pleasing than the links style courses. Their rate structure is attractive, offering discounts for tee times after 10 am, after 1 pm and on special days. The golf carts are electric and look to be in very good condition. It generally gets good reviews on the web.

I definitely would enjoy playing Marcus Pointe the next time I am in Pensacola.

Osceola Municipal Golf Course

The Osceola Municipal Golf Course gets good marks for decent rates and generally good condition. Like Marcus Pointe its fairways are tree-lined and it is located on higher ground than the courses closer to the ocean or gulf bays or lagoons.

Oceola Golf Course Pensacola Florida
Teeing off on the first hole at Osceola

I’ve been waiting over three years to play Osceola Golf Course every spring when we visit Pensacola and Pensacola Beach. I finally worked it into our itinerary. What lured me to try Osceola were decent prices with or without a cart. Jo and I often like to walk the course to get in our daily walking exercise while enjoying the game. We did only 9 holes on this visit as it was early in the season and we weren’t sure we yet had the stamina for walking 18.

Oceola Golf Course Pensacola Florida
Osceola Golf Course

Oceola is a mature and nicely landscaped course, liberally sprinkled with Pines, Palmettos, and Live Oak Trees, helping to define the fairways. It is a mostly level course, but gentle mounds in the fairways relieve the monotony of a flatter landscape.

The greens and tee boxes were in good shape and offered a set of 5 tees to accommodate a range of playing abilities. The fairways were somewhat dry, the grass somewhat sparse and some creek beds were dry.

It was late February so most courses in Pensacola hadn’t finished greening up. And I believe prior to our visit they have had less than normal winter rainfall. So with some rain and a little later in the season I’d expect the fairways to perk up nicely.

Oceola Golf Course Pensacola Florida
Osceola Golf Course

Overall a very playable and walkable course with fair prices. For me, a senior and middling golfer, it had sufficient challenge so I look forward to playing 18 the next time we visit Pensacola. However, lower handicap golfers may find it less interesting even playing from the longest tees. But for your money, you definitely get value.

Scenic Hills Country Club

The Scenic Hills Country Club has been recently purchased by the University West Florida. Not many reviews available online for it but one I found from the summer of 2013 indicated that the university had yet to make much needed improvements to the course. The rate structure looked good so may be worth a look-see. In 2015 I continued to have difficulty getting good information online about the course, so that concerns me. It also is quite a drive from downtown Pensacola and Pensacola Beach.

AC Read Golf Course

Another Pensacola course I had trouble getting info online was the AC Read Golf Course on the grounds of the Naval Air Station. I couldn’t find their rates nor a lot of reviews. I did stop in the pro shop and did a drive by it on our way to the National Naval Air Museum. While the course is on the naval base, it is open to the public. The rates are attractive, although the facility appears to be showing its age and may not be as well maintained as the semi-private courses like Perdido Bay.

It is a wooded course and looks quite mature. There are no residences surrounding the course – only woods. The fairways weren’t quite as green as the other courses I visited. From what I could see the layout was fairly flat with not a lot of elevation change so it could be a good course to walk.

They offer 27 holes on their championship course and one of the nine borders the lagoon and looks like it could be quite scenic. There is also an 18 hole executive course that would be ideal for walking.

During our drive-by and visit to the pro shop, it did not look overly busy so there shouldn’t be a problem getting a tee time. You’ll need to call for rates and times because the website is very sparse and dated.

PS. You’ll also need photo id’s, driver’s license, and proof of vehicle insurance to get admission to the base and have to register at the Naval Base Gate office.


Pensacola offers several good and affordable public golf course that offer a variety of experiences. If you are staying on the Gulf (versus Pensacola Bay) in Pensacola Beach as we were, the only disadvantage is drive-time. From the Fort Pickens Campground & RV park on Santa Rosa Island, the closest course was Tiger Point Golf Club at 16 miles.

Pensacola Golf Course Website Links:

Visiting Pensacola Florida

Fall Festival Great River Road

McGregor Fall Arts and Crafts Festival

Attractions in this post: McGregor, Iowa, Pikes Peak State Park, Prairie Du Chien Golf Course

Fall colors were starting to break out along the Mississippi River and a perfect weather forecast for the weekend encouraged Jo and I to head to McGregor, Iowa for their Arts & Crafts fall event.

McGregor Iowa’s Art and Craft Festival, second weekend in October

McGregor Fall Color. Since we were last in McGregor-Marquette area in the fall a few more of McGregor’s historic old buildings have gotten remodeled and some new enterprises now occupying them. The town is full of antique shops, artisan studios, pubs, and gift shops . . . most of them stretched along the main street that runs from the river front up the hill to out of town. Originally settled in 1837 as a ferry boat landing to cross the river to Prairie Du Chien, the community grew fast and was incorporated as a town in 1847. It retains its original river town roots in its grain elevator and dock, which was active with the fall harvest the weekend we were there. But its restored downtown buildings and interesting shops make it a fun place to visit.

McGregor Iowa Antique Shops
One of the many antique shops in “antique” buildings in McGregor
McGregor Iowa mainstreet
Main street McGregor has retained and restored many of its old commercial buildings

Our favorite dining spot, the Beer & Bratz Garden, was closed for a few days due to a death in the family. We missed having a sandwich and Leinie’s on their deck that overlooks the river.  As an alternative, we tried dinner at the Old Man River Brew Pub but we found it disappointing in many respects. So unfortunately no restaurant review here on that establishment. 🙂 The Cafe McGregor looks like a nice place; has an attractive outdoor patio. Have to try them next time we are in town.

McGregor Log Cabiin
A few structures like this log cabin date back to the 1840s and the founding of the town

There were spots of nice color on the hillside behind McGregor but we didn’t find the fall color along the river as we expected. Some trees had lost their leaves while others hadn’t changed much. If the leaves hold on, there still should be some halfway decent color towards the last half of October. Even though we missed peak color, it was still a very nice weekend to be out of doors along the Mississippi doing things whether it be hiking, leaf peeping, or touring the shops and pubs in McGregor and its nearby neighboring towns of Marquette and Prairie Du Chien.

McGregor Iowa
Not quite Peak Color on the hillside behind downtown McGregor

When we are in the area we usually do some hiking at nearby Effigy Mounds National Park as its mature forest offers some great color and it also has some very good scenic overlooks of the river. But the park was closed due to the government financial and political wrangling. This winter we hope to return to do some snowshoeing at the park when it reopens.

Pikes Peak Camping & Hiking

We lucked out and found an vacant campsite at Pikes Peak State Park located on one of the high bluffs above McGregor. Most of the 77 sites offer electrical hookups for Rvs with about a dozen suitable only for tent camping. There is a RV dump station and a clean, modern washroom and bath facility. Once we checked in we found out one reason the park was so full on an October Thursday: very reasonable campsite fees. Amenities include a day use picnic shelter, a well outfitted camp store and concession, some interesting hiking trails, and among the best scenic overlooks of the Upper Mississippi River. It is located only about two miles from town.

Here’s a few pictures of Pikes Peak.

Mississippi River Overlook, Pikes Peak
Looking upstream on the Mississippi River from Pikes Peak. Marquette-Prairie du Chien bridge in the background
Pikes Peak State Park River Overlook
The main scenic overlook of the Mississippi River Valley from Pikes Peak State Park

Prairie Du Chien Country Club Golf Course Review.

While we in the area I took an opportunity to squeeze in nine holes of golf at the Prairie Du Chien Country Club. It’s a nice little course and not too expensive. I will return to do 18 holes next time. Most of the fairways are tree-lined, with some thicker woods bordering some. About 2/3 rds of the holes are rolling hills, some with dramatic terrain changes. A few relatively level holes as well. I walked the course with little trouble. There were some challenging holes but no gimmicks. The fairways were lush and well maintained, the greens in good shape and relatively fast. The clubhouse is old and shows its age, but everything was clean. Has a small pro shop, a dining room and a bar, with an expansive deck overlooking the course. From the blue tees the course runs 6222 yards, with a slope and rating of 69.9/119.

A few pictures of the golf course.

Golfiing at Prairie du Chien
Well manicured fairways were typical of Prairie du Chien Country Club’s golf course
There are some dramatic terrain changes on some holes of the Prairie du Chien golf course

Our Rialta motor home will be soon put to bed for the winter so the next time we are at the Mississippi it will be winter for some snowshoeing.

Happy Trails,

Roscoe

Top Door County Golf Courses

Golf Course Reviews Door County Wisconsin

Golf Courses reviewed in this article: Idlewild (Sturgeon Bay, WI), Orchards at Egg Harbor (Egg Harbor, WI), and Peninsula State Park Golf Course (Ephraim, WI)

Door County Golf Courses
Fall Golfing in Door County Wisconsin

During our trip to enjoy fall colors in Wisconsin’s Door County, my brother-in-law Dan and I planned to sample some of the peninsula’s golf courses. Based on reviews and recommendations we selected three courses to play during our stay: Idlewild (Sturgeon Bay, WI), Orchards at Egg Harbor (Egg Harbor, WI), and Peninsula State Park Golf Course (Ephraim, WI). Had we more time, we would have also played the Alpine Golf Course in Egg Harbor, but since Dan had played the course before, we elected to play the courses he had not played in the past. Although the weather turned abnormally cool and was also cloudy several days with some rain, Dan and I managed to play all three courses. The three courses we played, plus the Alpine courses, are the major 18 hole golf courses in the Door County peninsula.



Overall Golf Course Impressions and Ratings

Most Scenic Door Country Golf Course

The Most Scenic Door County Golf Course is The Peninsula Golf Course. The Peninsula State Park course is built into the north side of the bluff overlooking Ephraim and Lake Superior. Because it is part of the state park forest, except for the fairways, the landscape is heavily wooded with mature trees, some showing vibrant fall colors. The setting of the course offers several scenic vistas and has some dramatic elevation changes on some of the holes.

A very close second in terms of scenery is the Idlewild Golf Course south of Sturgeon Bay. Idlewild mixes woods, groves of trees, water, and terrain variety into an attractive combination. Where Peninsula’s beauty is primarily due to its bluff location and Mother Nature’s work on the surrounding forest, Idlewild’s attraction owes more to man’s skillful landscape design and course layout.

Most enjoyable Door County Golf Course

While we enjoyed all three courses, the Orchards of Egg Harbor got our vote for the must fun and challenge. Again Idlewild was a very close second. Peninsula was a clear third. I’ll comment more on this later.

Best Golf Pro Shop, Club House, Customer Service in Door County

Idlewild Golf Course wins this category hands down. The well-outfitted pro shop was staffed by a hospitable pro who actually gets out on his course and plays. He took the time to talk some shop about clubs and tips on playing the course. The second floor lounge has a very nice 180 degree view overlooking the golf course. The bar was staffed by the kind of people you find running your favorite neighborhood bar – friendly, service-oriented, down-home folks.

Since the temps were below 50 degrees, the course was not overly busy so Dan and I had lunch at the turn. Our sandwiches and chili were outstanding, truly home-made, made fresh and served hot. The food and beverage service is good enough to warrant a trip there even if not golfing. In fact, it was apparent several guys at the bar were there for that reason. They weren’t golfing.

The Orchards at Egg Harbor has a nice facility but is a clear second. The gentleman in the pro shop was pleasant enough but the bar-restaurant food quality and service was below par.

Peninsula State Park Golf Course comes in third in this category because it is more spartan facility and unfortunately showed evidence of being a stereotypical government run facility: microwave food, no bar service, limited pro shop selection, and lukewarm customer service.

Door County Golf Course Profiles

Review Peninsula State Park Golf Course

Peninsula Golf Course, Door County WI
Peninsula State Park Golf Course, Door County Wisconsin

Peninsula Park Golf Course Website

Stats. 3 tee boxes. Red 5428 yards, Blue 6304 yards. Blue tees rating 69.8, slope 123

Review and Comments. Fairways and greens were in very good condition, but if you miss the fairway in some cases you are on bare dirt with roots and rocks. Some tee boxes were too dry. Peninsula offers some interesting holes with unique challenges. Terrain changes and some narrower fairways provide most of the challenge. There are some great vistas of Lake Michigan from some holes.

Value. Weekend and mid-summer rates were competitive with other Door County courses. However, of the three courses were played it offers the least value. There are no fall, senior, nor weekday rates, and a State park daily or annual sticker required for entrance to the course.

Peninsula Golf Course, Door County WI
Peninsula Golf Course
Peninsula Golf Course, Door County WI
Peninsula Golf Course

Review Orchards at Egg Harbor Golf Course

Orchards at Egg Harbor Golf Course
Orchards at Egg Harbor Golf Course, Egg Harbor, WI

Orchards Golf Course Website

Stats. 5 tee boxes. Red 5485 yards, Black 7206 yards. Blue tees rating 72.4, slope 126

Course Review & Comments. The greens, fairways, and tee boxes were in good condition. The scorecard offers nice graphics and tips on playing each hole. Orchards or woods line most fairways, balls missing the fairway are usually playable. There are several interesting holes that combine challenge, yet are not gimmicky. We found number 16 the most scenic and challenging hole.

A Good Value. The Orchards offers both mid-week and fall rates and was a decent value.

Orchards at Egg Harbor Golf Course
Orchards at Egg Harbor Golf Course, Egg Harbor, WI
Orchards at Egg Harbor Golf Course
Orchards at Egg Harbor Golf Course, Egg Harbor, WI

Review Idlewild Golf Course

Idlewild Golf Course, Door County, WI
Idlewild Golf Course Door County, Wisconsin

Idlewild Golf Course Website

Stats. 5 tee boxes. Red 5354, Black 6876. Blue tee rating 70.7, slope 126

Course Review & Comments. Water is a factor on 10 of the 18 holes, adding to a pleasing variety of challenges from hole to hole. The fairways are moderately open, with groves of trees sprinkled throughout the course and woods lining some of the fairways. It is a Par 72 course, but the par 4 holes were not excessively long giving the average golfer a chance to reach the green in two. Favorite Holes: Number 9 is an island green, number 18 green is surrounded by water on 3 sides

Good Value. Offers both mid-week and fall rates. Best value in Door County.

Idlewild Golf Course, Door County, WI
Idlewild Golf Course, Sturgeon Bay, WI
Idlewild Golf Course, Door County, WI
Idlewild Golf Course, Sturgeon Bay, WI
A Swing Golf
David Leadbetter’s new A swing golf could improve your game. I’ll be trying it out this spring. (amazon affiliate link)

More Golf Course Reviews

There is one other 18 hole golf course in Door County worthy of consideration – the Alpine Golf Course in Egg Harbor. Alpine actually offers two 18 hole courses.  Alpine Golf Course Website

Door County Travel Blog Articles

Red Wing, Minnesota

Barn Bluff

Golfing and Dining in Red Wing

In September Jo and I spent some time in Red Wing. Earlier we had spent some time in Duluth to attend the Duluth KIA Drag Races & Car Show. On the way home we decided to spend two days in Red Wing, Minnesota – one of our favorite river towns along the Upper Mississippi River Great River Road. We found a great RV Park at the Treasure Island Resort and Casino. Very clean, well staffed, and full services for a decent price. It is a bit of hike from downtown Red Wing but the Casino has a shuttle service should you not want to drive back and forth.

I had been wanting to play the Highlands Course at Red Wing’s Mississippi National Golf Club for the last few years but never seemed to get the chance. I talked my brother-in-law Dan joined me for the golf outing. His wife Donna came along to do some shopping and exploring of Red Wing with Jo. There were also a few restaurants that we’d heard good comments about that we wanted to try. During an earlier Red Wing visit to enjoy their Holiday Stroll Celebration we sampled the fare at Liberty’s Restaurant, one of the areas popular dining spots, so this trip we wanted to try the Brickhouse Pub & Grille which is another top-rated Red Wing restaurant. And we’d heard great things about Hanisch Bakery & Coffee Shop so that was on our itinerary as well. To follow are our reviews.

Highlands Golf Course – Mississippi National Review

#17 hole at Highlands Golf Course, Red Wing, MN
The signature #17 hole at the Highlands Course drops 150 feet to the green.

The older gentleman in the pro shop gave us a friendly welcome and helped us with some tips on playing the course. The fall senior rate was decent – $30 for green fee and cart. The carts were electric which I prefer, especially when navigating dramatic elevation changes as the Highlands Course offers.

This was the first of several unique holes on the course, many of them quite scenic as the photos illustrate. Mississippi National has two 18 hole courses – Highlands, which we played and as the name suggests is high on a bluff overlooking the Hiawatha Valley, and the Tournament Course, which is predominately in the valley below the bluff.

Highlands Golf Course Red Wing, MN
Overshoot this green and your ball won’t stop rolling until it gets to downtown Red Wing!
Highlands Golf Course Red Wing, MN
Unless you are Bubba Watson you better not go directly at the green

A few of the Highlands holes are in the valley so part way through the round you come off the bluff down to the valley and then back up to the bluff again. This involved quite a long cart ride between holes and at times we wondered if we were lost! My main complaints about the course were the dry tee boxes that resisted sinking my special tees to its shoulder and the sand bunkers were quite hard packed as well. Also, once you got off the edge of the fairways, the grass was somewhat sparse. We’ve had an exceptionally warm and dry summer and I suppose this high bluff location has suffered from this kind of weather. But on the positive side, the Highlands course is quite scenic and has a number of interesting and challenging holes. It is a fun round of golf for a fair price, a decent value. Next time I’d like to try the Tournament Course to see how its character compares to the Highlands.

Brickhouse Pub & Grille – Dining Review

The pub has a neat outside deck overlooking a lush garden but it was a little too cool to eat outside so we found a comfortable booth indoors. One review we read liked the food but complained about the service. That was not our experience. We had excellent, very attentive service. We ordered sandwich platters, burgers and reubens. Huge portions served on homemade bread from the Hanisch Bakery. Hot, juicy, and very tasty. They come with kettle chips, waffle fries, or hash brown cakes. We had fries and hash brown cakes. Both were excellent. The dinner salad had a nice variety of greens and vegetables and an adequate sized portion. Coffee was served in large soup sized cups. Overall assessment. A decent price and a very decent meal. Three of the four of us took half our sandwich home. Two days later from the fridge my cold reuben still tasted good! After sampling the Brickhouse I can see why it was voted “Restaurant of the Year” the last two years running.

Outdoor Deck and Garden of the Brickhouse Pub & Grille, Red Wing, Minnesota
Jo, Donna, and Dan enjoying some great sandwiches at the Brickhouse Pub and Grille

Hanisch Bakery & Coffee Shop – Dining Review

You walk in the shop to confront hundreds of temptations in the form of pies, cookies, donuts, muffins, specialty breads, cakes, danish rolls, etc. begging to be eaten. But we were there for breakfast so we turned right past the bakery into the coffee shop area – two cozy rooms outfitted with tables and booths. Between the two rooms is the coffee counter with about 8 – 10 styles of coffee available in carafes that have their decanting time noted on each, a detail important to me since I like my coffee “hot.”

Hanisch Bakery – After breakfast we had to take some muffins and cookies home with us!

Your coffee and breakfast is ordered deli-style across a counter behind which is the grill and kitchen. A good deal of Hanisch business is carry out so the deli style works nicely for either eating inside or taking it with you. You place and pay for your order, get your coffee cup, and find a table. The staff brings you your order when it is ready.

Enjoying a tasty breakfast and good conversation at Hanisch Bakery & Coffee Shop in Red Wing, Minnesota

Service was prompt and the food was hot – and delicious. We all had the breakfast sandwiches (bacon, sausage, or ham & eggs) served on thick sliced homemade bread. It was delicious. The sandwiches also came with a nice portion of cut fruit. We topped off our breakfast with some tasty muffins from the bakery. Warning to breakfast goers. Don’t expect the usual café selections. There are only six items on the breakfast menu: breakfast sandwiches or wraps, a quiche, french toast, toasted bagel, or a fruit and cottage cheese plate. Naturally you can have hundreds of pastries and baked goods but forget two eggs over easy with hash browns and bacon or blueberry banana pancakes; you ain’t gonna find it here.

But what they do offer is done to perfection and the price is decent. You get artisan food at small town café prices in a cozy small town friendly atmosphere. Next time I think I’ll try their Ham and Veggie Quiche, served with toast and fruit. Advertised as a “Man’s Meal” we’ll see if I am up to the challenge! By the way I note that the lunch menu is a bit more generous in terms of the number of choices – – – sandwiches, soups, salads, and hot dishes.

Links:

Mississippi National Golf Links

Brickhouse Pub & Grille

Hanisch Bakery & Coffee Shop

Links:

Red Wing Convention & Visitors Bureau

Treasure Island Resort & Casino RV Park

More on  interesting things to see and do
in Red Wing, Minnesota

–Ross

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