cipher

I'll have a few pointers on SV, when the times comes. Tee shot on #2 is a bit tricky and the lake Michigan shaped bunker 261 out on #6 is not visible from the tee are a couple. Also without a lot of hurting wind your drives are going to go farther than many of us are used to. I haven't played Mammoth but I think the tee shots are not as difficult. Deciphering the code: The 6th at Sand Valley - The Fried Egg A look at 6th hole at Sand Valley, a beautiful Coore & Crenshaw-designed par 4 that forces a decision off the tee with unique design features @billchaoBlack I believe.

For those who have tried golf a few times and find it too frustrating(like my wife), I can see where this might be fun for some. Consider me open minded. But that is coming from a snow boarder and someone who also enjoys disc golf as well. 🙂

Haha, it actually takes a lot of "talent" to lose golf balls at Sand Valley.

I definitely think we have 8 solid commitments for sure. Logistically I think it is a great number for this trip as well. I am getting really excited for this, and hope everyone will truly enjoy the trip.

Our numbers are not currently the most ideal for this. I will be booking the times for SV a little over a month from now, and It would be good to finalize this list this month. It would be nice to get this to about 12 and add a couple people or down to 8 if someone is on the fence. We will figure it out, however it breaks down, but it would just be nice for us all to be in groups together. Updated list @cipher @iacas @DeadMan @GolfLug @DaveP043 @Slim_Pivot @Hardspoon @billchao @criley4way open open open Rat Scoundrels We Might Let Back In if they Change Their Minds Again: @mvmac @TN94z @jsgolfer @klineka @ChetlovesMer

Nice to see you are back at it Matt! @14ledo81

Here are some suggestions: Hilton Garden Oconomowoc - This is closer to the course. Not too much within' walking distance but downtown Oconomowoc has many great options. Holiday Inn Delafield - About 10 minutes closer to Milwaukee and very close to my place. Restaurants very close, but there are much better ones in the actual town of Delafield. The Delafield Hotel - This is walking distance from any restaurant in downtown Delafield but I have no idea how much the rooms are. I've heard it is a very nice place. I can look into some dining options that night as I have a bit more time as well.

I would be good with La Belle, it it a very unique track now with the re-design. I enjoyed it very much last year. It's tough though and you have to pick and execute your tee shots. It also has one of the craziest par 3 greens with three massive tiers. with a shot over water that is fairly intimidating. I also live only about 20 minutes from here so that is great for me. And yes it is only about 45 minutes or so from MKE airport.

😂 Yeah, that is what I am thinking, because otherwise it makes it a 3 hour drive back to Milwaukee Friday morning. We can be flexible to what the needs of the group are but that is what I would suggest. It makes Friday a little less stressful and rushed for those flying out that afternoon. So we would be staying at my family place out there Sunday night through Wednesday night, driving to Lawsonia Thursday morning.

Here are some Milwaukee area options: Erin - The course that Mike Davis manipulated. 😂 It's expensive, and you might come away liking Sand Valley better. Be prepared to hit some blind shots if you don't take a caddy. But it is 7731 yards if you want to play a monster of a course. Black Wolf Run - Up near Whistling in Kohler. I've heard only good things but haven't played it. Consistently rated one of the top 5 courses in the state. The Irish at Whistling - It is connected to the Straits course and has views of it and also Lake Michigan. It stands on it's own though, has some neat holes and is a blast to play. Brown Deer Park - I would love to play this sometime. It is tree lined course in Milwaukee with a rich history. It has held many tournaments including the Greater Milwaukee Open and also this piece of history: https://www.golfdigest.com/story/tiger-woods-professional-debut-ten-things-you-might-not-have-known-or-remembered#:~:text=Tiger Woods' professional debut%3A Ten things you might not have known,-By John Strege&text=It was 23 years ago,at the Greater Milwaukee Open. The Bog - North of the city a little bit, haven't played it but it is very well regarded. It hosts many WSGA events. Hawks View Golf Club - Looks like it has two courses, also haven't played this but I have heard nice things from anyone who has. South and West of town about an hour. The Club at Lac La Belle - Established in 1896 it has a pretty neat history to it. It has been bought and sold a number of times over the last 10 years after it went from private to public. It was purchased a couple years ago and the new owner expanded the land and redesigned the course for play last year. It is very unique, a lot of fun, and very challenging. It is however bit of a target golf course. I played it twice last year and is becoming quickly one of my favorites, it runs about $150 to play though. Naga-Waukee War Memorial Golf Course - Designed by Lawrence Packard, this is a beloved Milwaukee area local favorite. It is just west of Milwaukee in Delafield. I am able to walk to the clubhouse from my house. It is a municipal course but it is a rugged tree lined course with lots of elevation changes and view of Pewaukee Lake on a couple of the holes. It is maybe the best value for the money in the area. I love this course. Washington County - A little north of Erin Hills but a great course that I like to play at least once a year. It has been rated as one of the better municipal courses in the country in the past. Very few trees though and I may need to love on some trees by Friday. 😉 University Ridge - Haven't played it, it is an hour west in Madison but it is usually considered a top 10 WI course I believe. Home of the Badger golf team. And now host to the American Family Insurance Championship. There might be some I am missing so feel free to do a little research as well.

Looks like we can make tee times months in advance for that Thursday at Lawsonia as well. I would suggest we do that to get our ideal tee times. I’m am definitely up for this new plan, and can provide a list of great courses for us to choose from for Friday in/near Milwaukee for those who want to play a Friday round.

We will likely not be going back to the lake house after Lawsonia, I live much closer to Lawsonia than the lake house and I think on that Friday people will either be going to Lawsonia or flying out. If anyone is planning on playing Lawsonia and then flying out Saturday, it will likely require a hotel Friday night maybe in Milwaukee somewhere.

MKE is also pretty easy and fast to get to your gate. It is still pretty much a small town airport in a lot of ways.

Yes, if you are able to find cheap flights you could do so at this time.

That de-escalated quickly... Well, I'm not dropping out.😉

I'm just here for all the experts on automobile crush zones, build quality and ADAS. 🙂

Yeah I'm thinking I've upped my BS by about 5mph this winter. 😉

The amount of snowfall we have received this year is absolutely brutal. I have not seen this much snow in years. I haven't had much motivation to swing a club all winter, but I need to soon.

Some good lessons in here. To each of us is different with the time we're given. I lost my cousin last night who is a few years younger than me to a very short battle with cancer. Maybe I'm a bit too introspective at the moment, but time is the most valuable thing we have as it relates to our family, friends and our passions. Spend it well.

That would be tough but not impossible. Might requite flying out on the 6th day. From Lawsonia Links it would be a 4 hour drive back to MSP airport.

Thanks for trying to make it happen Mike. Hope you have a great time at the tournament! Sorry to hear it, that is a tough break.

Thanks for that. When I made the tee time last year for just the 4 of us I had to make the payment at the time of making the tee time. I wasn't able to have the other members of our group call in for payment later. I have no issue putting the entire amount on my card, I just want to pay it off quickly. We should just plan, worse case scenario to all pay for the Sand Valley rounds a month or so ahead of scheduled rounds. Yep that sounds good, we will get it all handled. We can all hang out at the lake(It's questionable as you mentioned how much time we will actually have for that), there are some hotel options close to the lake, and some options closer to the courses as well. The earliest I can make the tee times is one month out. I am going to push that boundary as much as I can to make sure we get good tee times.

Originally I was only planning on 8, because it kept the lodging and handling of things much easier. We can go up to 16 if the interest is there, it just makes it more complicated for the arrangements and some may need to unfortunately find lodging for themselves if I am not able to locate a second place of stay for us. I am not overly keen on being the arbiter of who is able to stay at the lake and who isn't. Lastly I will likely need payment for the rounds at Sand Valley a month or so before we play. The fees are non-refundable for Sand Valley, and with 16 people we are talking roughly 14K going on my credit card. Please plan accordingly for that.

Here is that info again. I added the dates to each day. I am thinking we start golfing maybe on Monday the 19th or Tuesday the 20th. Again, I am very open to discussion on all of this. July 18th(Sunday): Travel Day July 19th: Mammoth or SV and the Sand Box $290 July 20th: Mammoth or SV and the Sand Box $290 July 21: Mammoth or SV and the Sand Box $290 July 22: Sentry World ($155) or Mammoth or SV and the Sand Box ($290) July 23: Lawsonia ($120)/Travel Day If you would be doing this on the way out it would be recommended to maybe fly out of Milwaukee. It is a 2.5 hour drive or so from the lake where we will be staying. If you are doing the first 4 days I recommend flying into Minneapolis rather than Milwaukee. It will save an hour of drive time and tickets should be easier to get/cheaper. Costs: The 4 days of golf with Sentry world would be roughly $1025 for the golf. 5 days with Lawsonia $1145. I would like to keep this to 12 people, if possible. I think we are almost there. I think the best experience for everyone will be to have this be relatively small. I will start to look at a secondary lodging(vrbo/airbnb or something) option to fit everyone too and I think a second cabin would max us out around 6 per cabin with beds at the most.