Back
Spurred on by the incredible growth of Sand Valley, Wisconsin has become one of America's public golf capitals.
To help golfers figure out where to play, GolfPass releases a Top 25 Public Golf Courses in Wisconsin every March thanks to YOU. We create our annual Golfers' Choice lists by curating the reviews submitted by everyday golfers. We use GolfPass' Ratings Index logic that weights newer reviews and combine it with a course's subcategory averages.
Each course needed at least two reviews and at least some public access to qualify. Famous courses that have hosted major championships - the Straits Course at Whistling Straits on Lake Michigan and Erin Hills in central Wisconsin - didn't make our list. If you feel they belong, leave us a review next time you tee it up.
We make our Golfers' Choice best-of lists user friendly. Simply click on the photo of each course to learn more about the facility or to book a tee time (in most cases).
Want to get involved with determining the top public golf courses in Wisconsin or any other future Golfers' Choice lists? Click here to review the next golf course you play.
Wisconsin golf courses reviewed in 2024: 132
Reviews of Wisconsin golf courses in 2024: 2,066
Best Public Golf Courses in Wisconsin
-
Glacier Wood Golf Club
Green fee: $30-$49
What they're saying: "Teed off 15 minutes early hot deal single in cart with my dad along for the ride. Fairways all blown off of leaves. Luckily only missed a few fairways and when I did miss it was by less than 5 feet so no lost ball issues. Hadn’t played in a while. Rust cleaned off after front 9 and lit it up on the back. 6 hole stretch of -2 including my 1 st ever bird on the HATED 15th. Great weather, great staff not charging me for my 87 yr old dad hanging out with me. Good score given only 2nd round in 2 months. This course is always a 5 star proposition." - Roger1012042 -
Geneva National – Trevino
Lake Geneva, WisconsinSemi-Private/ResortGreen fee: $75-$205
What they're saying: "This course is lovely. The layout is super easy to follow. Very few blind holes. Lots of sand traps. Our golf cart refused to go around the third hole. Enough to be aggravating. One hole on the back side is under construction. Pace of play was fast. Rental clubs were superb." - GolfPass Reviewer -
University Ridge Golf Course
Green fee: $75-$145
What they're saying: "The course was well maintained and the layout was good. The greens were fast and tough for bogies players. In the first few holes the pace was slow, the ranger came and separated a foursome to two twosomes which improved the pace. Definitely will come back again." - clifftang5 -
Thornberry Creek At Oneida
Oneida, WisconsinPublicGreen fee: N/A
What they're saying: "We ended up being the last group off the course the last day they were open for the year. We had a good time and the course was in very good condition, especially considering it was the middle of November in Wisconsin. We got an excellent deal on this premium course through Golfnow. They even had beer specials in the bar after. What more could you ask?!" - GolfPass Reviewer -
Washington County Golf Course
Green fee: $50-$65
What they're saying: "Great course at a reasonable price. The course is always in great shape. Challenging, but fair. I golf all over the area and this course is the best by far for the cost." - uwp1974 -
Hiawatha Golf Club
Green fee: $35-$45
What they're saying: three five-star reviews in 2024 -
Par 5 Resort - The National Golf Course
Green fee: $35+
What they're saying: two five-star reviews in 2024 -
The Valley Golf Course
![The Valley GC: #18]()
Green fee: $22-$34
What they're saying: "Finding a hidden gem like this one is what makes my golf travels worth it. The course seems to effortlessly flow over the hilly terrain. Signature holes seem to be found at every turn! The course conditions are superb and easily exceed the rate the golfer is charged to play. I chose to play this course over a round at Sand Valley and could not have been happier to play a hidden gem like this for one seventh of the price!!" - hornedwoodchuck -
Sand Valley Golf Resort - Lido Course
![Sand Valley Golf Resort - Lido]()
Green fee: $220-$295
What they're saying: "Seeing Lido for the first time is so disorienting. You step off the resort shuttle to a mostly flat and treeless landscape that allows you to see what feels like the entire course. It looks so ... uninspiring ... until you get a club in your hand. This one blew me away. I had so much fun playing its template holes. There were so many optical illusions that would have led to missteps if the caddie wasn't guiding me where to hit it or, most important, where to miss it. It's hard to pick my favorite Tom Doak course, but this one's on the short list of contenders." - JasonDeeganGA -
Irish Course at Whistling Straits
![20371.jpg]()
Green fee: $200+
What they're saying: "This track is nearly as enjoyable as the Straits course. It lacks two things that the Straits course has - holes along Lake Michigan and high profile exposure due to global events. It canbe confusing to know if you're in a waste area or a bunker. April weather can be a challenge in Wisconsin." - Duncan50 -
Sand Valley Golf Resort - Sand Valley Course
![Sand Valley Golf Resort: #12]()
Green fee: $220-$295
What they're saying: "When the original Sand Valley course opened in 2016, it made a strong statement about the viability of linksy – or, more accurately, heathland-style – golf in the American interior. Even as other architects have sought to outdo Coore & Crenshaw’s effort here, the original course remains strong, with stunning variety on firm, fast turf. It can be quite scoreable, but never feels like it panders to golfers with abundantly easy holes. Even the massive punchbowl long par-3 17th is tricky in its own way. Even after more courses have come on line, there will be plenty of golfers who feel the S.V. O.G. remains their favorite course at the resort. It is tough to argue with them." - TimGavrichGP -
St. Croix National Golf Course
Green fee: $69+
What they're saying: "I play 100 rounds a year in various states. This course is by far my favorite. Bring a rangefinder that does elevation and have a blast. It's just a beautiful up and down and around experience." - RickLarson18 -
Old Hickory Golf Club
Green fee: $38-$44
What they're saying: "Well maintained course. The value you receive is by far greater than the cost. My dad's (90 yrs. old) favorite course." - GolfPass Reviewer -
Voyager Village Country Club
Danbury, WisconsinSemi-PrivateGreen fee: $49-$69
What they're saying: "Great always ,been playing here for 40 years Never disappointed" - post580 -
Bass Lake Golf Course
Green fee: $26-$51
What they're saying: "The course was in very good shape for mid October. Greens rolled fast and true, fairways and tee boxes were good. Only negative was sand traps they were hard and compacted with many foot prints. I would recommend this course." - Kidnyeboy2000 -
Grand Geneva Resort - The Brute Course
Green fee: $75-$205
What they're saying: "Greens and tee box were recently aereated which impact play somewhat. The maintenance was nothing out of the ordinary though. Nice layout - late season golf with lots of golfers taking advantage of the nice weather. Bag drop staff was very personal too." - Bdchurch58 -
Geneva National – Palmer
Lake Geneva, WisconsinSemi-Private/ResortGreen fee: $75-$205
What they're saying: "I’ve been playing the Palmer course since Geneva national it opened. They’ve made a few nice tweaks to it, including taking the creek out of the first fairway and leveling the green a little bit as well as leveling off the second green. I think the course gets better every year I play it. It’s a nice routing and very scenic. Considering it was November 17, the greens were still in very nice shape for the time of year as well the rest of the course." - Patmc53174 -
The Bull At Pinehurst Farms
Green fee: $75-$89
What they're saying: "Ours scores were terrible but we had a great time. We were just a twosome and we finished in just under 4 hrs. Mother Nature had more in mind when the gusts of wind were way over 30 mph. Still a blast to play the track." - Todd1556301 -
St. Germain Golf Club
Green fee: $33-$63
What they're saying: "Cool AM as expected. The course is in excellent condition. The only issue was some holes had aeration going on. But beautiful course and we will be back!" - golforpar -
Brown County Golf Course
Green fee: $33-$42
What they're saying: "Very enjoyable course with enough challenges to make it a great course to play." - GolfPass Reviewer -
Grand Geneva Resort - Highlands
Green fee: $59-$159
What they're saying: "Everything a golf course should be. From the staff, the carts and course layout, it was a fabulous round." - etganusjr -
Riverside Golf Course
Green fee: $28-$49
What they're saying: "Hadn't played here in decades. This is the course I started playing on as a kid. Very little has changed and that is a really good thing! Fiance just started playing and she loved this course." - Lego8 -
Cumberland Golf Club
Green fee: $45-$65
What they're saying: "Great day weather was awesome and the course conditions were really nice considering the rain. Always more fun when you are teamed up with 2 fun golfers" - tnyquist62 -
Rolling Oaks Golf Club
Green fee: $29-$47
What they're saying: "Very nice course. Good layout. Not to challenging but not easy either. Great experience." - GolfPass Reviewer -
White Eagle Golf Club
Green fee: $70-$105
What they're saying: "Spectacular views, with the course in mint condition from the tee block through the fairways, although I wasn’t on many of those 😂, to the traps and greens. Modern carts with GPS, discount for being a 1967 baby, and friendly staff. Anna is a beautiful gem too. Highly recommend it, but take spare balls, as some holes are tight and narrow, if you’re not hitting straight, it’s a tough one." - billjones1967
Comments (2)
I thought this was going to interesting, and it sure was!! I did not know the marketing at Glacier Wood was so high. I found the first 24 interesting, and was curious what #1 would be. Respectable golf course, but who are you kidding?
Hi Dean, I think the sample review says it all. For a $50 golf course to be considered a five star by its customers says all you need to know - it's going to get great reviews, especially for service and value, two categories where many more famous (and more expensive) golf courses fall short. Golfers' Choice isn't a rating of the best "designed golf course", it often measures the best "golf experience" vs. what someone paid.