Is the Dauphin Island Golf Course Open? Also see our article on things to see and do on Dauphin Island 2024 Isle Dauphine Golf Course Update The Dauphin Island golf course was originally part of the Isle Dauphine Club. Constructed in 1957 as an effort by local boosters to make the island a “Modern Vacation … Read more
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.
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.
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.
Scenic Fall Drive, Mount Horeb to Monroe, Wisconsin
Featured attractions in this article: Yellowstone Golf Course, Toy Train Barn, Monroe Town Square
On beautiful October fall day, we decided to take a trip to Monroe, Wisconsin following rural roads through one leg of our Wisconsin Cheese Country Scenic Drive (see our Map). Our trip began at Hwy 78 west of Mount Horeb (Wisconsin’s Troll Capital) and proceeded south. We experienced some decent views of Blue Mounds and some nice color shots along the ridge heading towards the burg of Daleyville and later along the route to Blanchardville.
Fall color along highway 78 south of Mount Horeb, Wisconsin
Fall color along Highway 92 south of Mount Horeb, Wisconsin
Argyle, Wisconsin
We continued south on Hwy 78 another 8 miles to the village of Argyle. A little northwest of the village is the Yellowstone Golf Course and Gnarly Oak Restaurant. We had read online of their “senior fall special” green fee and cart for $13 so Jo and I packed our clubs to give the course a try. A bonus was some nice color in the trees surrounding the course.
Yellowstone Golf Course Review. It is a links style course with only a sprinkling of trees here and there lining the fairways. But the course is surrounded by woods so it is not as open as some links style courses. They have 3 sets of tees (Blue – 3158 yards for longer hitters; White – 2766 yards for the regular Men’s tees; and Red – 2324 for Ladies Tees) . We found the fairways, tee boxes, and sand traps were in decent condition and the greens offered some challenge but had fair pen placements. Overall a well-maintained course and I liked the variety of holes, each one with a distinct character. The #1 handicap hole is the Par 5 #6 playing 545 yards from the Blue Tees and 512 yards from the White Tees. I saved some of my best drives and shots for this hole and managed to par it! Every tee box had a nice graphic of the hole layout but we found a few gave mis-information, indicating a fairly straight shot towards the green from the tee when the hole actually had a pronounced dog leg. So some golfers new to the course will get some surprises. The club house is the Gnarly Oak Restaurant and Bar, set in an attractive log chalet style building on a hill overlooking the course. They have Friday Fish Frys 12 months a year; we plan to catch one of them next golf season as we do plan to return for golfing; it’s a fun course and decent rates. By the way, the restaurant also offers Ribs, Steaks, and Shrimp dinners as well as occasional buffets. http://yellowstonegolf.com/
Kids can actually operate the trains at the Toy Train Barn
Another interesting Argyle attraction is the Toy Train Barn, about 3 miles east on Highway 81, provides fun for the entire family and an ever-expanding layout. Here, you’ll see an extensive collection of model train layouts in the barn, plus a 12″ gauge railroad that visitors are able to ride known as the Argyle & Eastern Railroad, built on 18 scenic hilly acres (near the highest point in Green County) that include a natural springs and creek. The Argyle & Eastern Railroad features a turntable, water tower, depots. There are many curves and trestles, semaphore signals, wig-wags etc. Retired train engineer Buck Guthrie built and runs the attraction. Among other trains, the museum features Buck’s extensive collection of American Flyer model trains (which is the model train I ran as a kid). We were anxious to get to Monroe before the Minhas Brewery closed so we didn’t have time to stop on this trip. But the Toy Train Barn is on our must see for the future.
Our main Cheese Country Scenic Drive route continues through Wiota to the village of Gratiot and then to the historic town of Shullsburg (see our Scenic Drive Map below). On this day, however, we drove to Monroe (via Hwy 81) which is Wisconsin’s Cheese Capital. Along the route you’ll see several large dairy farms nestled in the hills. You’ll also pass the Klondike Cheese Co http://www.klondikecheese.com/ a huge operation producing Muenster, Brick, Havarti and Feta Cheeses as well as Greek Style Yogurt. Unfortunately there is no retail store at the facility nor do they offer tours due to sanitation, health and safety standards.
1891 Green County Courthouse with its 120 foot high clock tower (that actually works)
Monroe, the unofficial capitol of Cheese Country and a town steeped in Swiss Heritage, has done an excellent job preserving the viability of their downtown square, anchored by the historic courthouse. Some of Monroe’s best shopping, dining, and entertainment venues are located around the square. One of our favorites is Baumgartner’s Tavern and Cheese Store, a Monroe institution.
Baumgartner’s Cheese Store and Tavern is located across from the courthouse in the city square. Baumgartners offers a large variety of cheeses produced under their private label by a number of Monroe area Cheesemakers. They are Wisconsin’s oldest cheese store, open since 1931. The adjacent Tavern, offers a ton of atmosphere & nostalgia, some terrific Swiss and German sandwiches, and 24 beers on tap. Fast and friendly service. In the past I’ve had their terrific Reuben sandwich. On our latest visit I went with their smoked bratwurst with kraut and onions. Jo elected their all beef hot dog with a side of cole slaw. The sandwiches came with a dill pickle and a hunk of Muenster cheese. Both were tasty and topped off with cold pints of beer. Funky atmosphere with Swiss and beer memorabilia hanging from everywhere. Good food, good brews, superb service, and a fun experience.
Cheese lovers will also want to stop at another Monroe institution, the Alp and Dell Cheese Store, 657 2nd Street. Here you can peruse a wide selection of locally produced cheese and sausages. From a total of over 100 different cheeses you are able to taste many of them in their store. They are also the flagship store for Roth Kase Cheese Factory. Viewing windows provide an opportunity to see Roth cheese being made.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
One of the many antique shops in “antique” buildings in McGregor
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.
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.
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.
Looking upstream on the Mississippi River from Pikes Peak. Marquette-Prairie du Chien bridge in the background
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.
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.
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)
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
IdlewildGolf 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 State Park Golf Course, Door County Wisconsin
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
Peninsula Golf Course
Review Orchards at Egg Harbor Golf Course
Orchards at Egg Harbor Golf Course, Egg Harbor, WI
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, Egg Harbor, WI
Orchards at Egg Harbor Golf Course, Egg Harbor, WI
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, Sturgeon Bay, WI
Idlewild Golf Course, Sturgeon Bay, WI
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
Fall Scenic Drives andInteresting Places to visit in Door County Wisconsin
Traveling in Door County catching some great fall colors, visiting Door County’s quaint villages, playing a little golf, and finding who has best hamburgers and sandwiches on the peninsula.
Along the lakeshore in Ephraim in Door County Wisconsin
Sunday, October 7th.
While the temps were cool (50 degrees) the sun came out to show off the colors and offer a beautiful day to drive around the peninsula. Our first stop was at Door County Coffee’s Café and Coffee Roasting headquarters, a place we first heard about on Wisconsinmade.com. A great place for breakfast or lunch if fresh roasted gourmet coffee with your meal is an important ingredient. Over 100 coffee blends are available in their company store. In addition they have a pretty decent selection of unique gift items that are fun to browse through even if you are not in the market for gift ideas.
Door County Coffee Company – Outdoor Patio
Picking our coffee
Next stop was Egg Harbor’s PumpkinPatch Festival. We found the town in full swing with arts and crafts &tents all about town and all the artisan shops open with specials available. Down by the lakefront music by Big Mouth & the Power Tools playing classic rock and blues and lots of food for the hungry festival goer. Even though I just had breakfast, couldn’t pass up the BBQ roasted corn-on-the-cob.
Egg Harbor Pumpkin Patch Festial
Pumpkin PATCH Festival, Egg Harbor
Ephraim, Wisconsin
Yummy Whitefish sandwich and fries with homemade Root Beer
We drove through Fish Creek but didn’t stop as our destination was Ephraim, Wisconsin and Wilson’s Old Fashioned Café and Soda Shop. We ate on their screened in porch as the sun was keeping it warm enough.
Others stayed inside in the 1950’s Soda Shop mileau. You’d expect LaVerne and Shirley or Fonzi to walk in any minute. Playing on the authentic juke box were some a selection of Chuck Berry, Elvis, and Beach Boys tunes.
Jo and Donna had the burgers and pronounced them tasty. They came with a generous helping of fries, more than either could handle. Dan had the Reuben Sandwich which came with an extra generous helping of sauerkraut and chips + home made cole slaw. I had the Whitefish Sandwich and it passed the test – hot, not fishy tasting, and not overly breaded. I also had the fries and homemade cole slaw. I couldn’t finish all my meal either. Both Dan and I also had Wilson’s signature old-fashioned draft root beer served in a frosty mug. Beats A&W for sure.
Wilson’s Soda Fountain & Cafe, Emphraim, WI
Old fashioned booths and juke box at Wilsons
Peninsula State Park
While Dan and I golfed the course at Peninsula State Park, the girls went hiking on some of the trails in the park. (See our golf course review here). The park offers over 10 hiking and nature trails with a variety of terrain, fauna, scenic lookouts and degree of difficulty. The 2 mile Eagle Trail is perhaps the most scenic with 150 feet high cliffs, lookouts over the lake and dense forest but it is also rated as a “difficult hike.” Jo and Donna were looking for a less strenuous outing so they chose to hike the 3 mile Skyline Trail. Beforehand they warmed up on a part of the Vita Course, a 1 mile loop with numerous exercise stations. The park’s camping capacity is huge, offering 468 camp sites, including 101 with electric service for RV camping.
Along the Skyline Trail at Peninsula State Park
A view of Horseshoe Island from the Skyline Trail, Peninsula Park
After hiking and golfing we returned to our lodging on the waterfront on Sturgeon Bay. That evening a beautiful sunset looking across the bay.
Here’s a Google Map showing some of the locations we visited during our fall scenic travel tour of Door County and some links to other articles on our Door County visit.
View the complete Door County Travel map in a larger view, with links to various destinations and attractions
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.
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.
Overshoot this green and your ball won’t stop rolling until it gets to downtown Red Wing!
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.
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