Grand Geneva Resort - Brute G.C. - no. 9
The par-4 ninth hole on The Brute Course at Grand Geneva Resort presents lots of trouble off the tee.
7036 Grand Geneva Way, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 53147, US
(262) 248-8811
Location Map

About Grand Geneva Resort & Spa

The Grand Geneva Resort & Spa is a sprawling 1,300-acre, AAA Four Diamond property, home to 355 rooms and 29 new villas. It's a four-season destination with the Mountain Top ski and snowboard facility and the 225-room Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark, an indoor-outdoor waterpark. Sandwiched between Milwaukee and Chicago, Grand Geneva invites city slickers to enjoy the laid-back lake life for a while. It started out as the Lake Geneva Playboy Club, part of Hugh Hefner’s empire. That chapter closed in 1981. Eventually, the property rebranded as a luxury golf resort in 1994 with fine dining and conference facilities for corporate clients. The Highlands and The Brute roll over hills and water hazards, creating distinct theaters for challenging and memorable golf. The WELL Spa + Salon, located in a separate fitness building, offers more than 65 treatments and services.

Facts

Price Range$$$, $$$$
Property Class★★★★
Acres1300
Year Opened1968
Number of Units500+

Amenities

RestaurantsFine, Casual, Bar
Room TypesRoom, Suite
PoolIndoor
TennisYes
Fitness CenterYes
Practice FacilityYes
Banquet SpaceYes
SpaYes

Services

Kids ProgramYes
Room ServiceYes
ConciergeYes

Rules

Is the resort pet friendly?Yes
Is resort stay required for a tee time?No

Golf courses at Grand Geneva Resort & Spa

Reviews

4.6
680 Reviews (680)
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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 23
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Nice time

We have played this course a few times and will play there again. A little wet today but fun.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 14
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

One of the best around

Beautiful course well maintained. Golfed it years ago and they continue to make it better every year.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

1/2 hr drive

Took day off of work. 69 degree day , course was in amazing shape. Staff was great , well worth vacation day.

If you can do Monday-Thursday it is well worth the money. Way better than any other local golf course.

Looking forward to next vacation day ......

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 33
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 57
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

You’ve earned it!

There are 2 courses here. We played The Brute. What an interesting, challenging and visually beautiful course. If you work hard and take care of your family etc etc.....and deserve an occasional treat for yourself T it up here.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 168
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Top 100 Contributor
Chicago Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Grand Geneva Resort (The Highlands)

The Good: Fun Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye collaboration is the second course built at Grand Geneva Resort. Wide open fairways provide the opportunity to keep the ball in play, but small, lightning quick greens protects The Highlands. Good course conditions, very nice off-course amenities, and excellent practice facility. Excellent Par 3's and some good risk/reward Par 5's. Most of the Par 4's have a "go for broke" opportunity off the tee, making for an enjoyable resort experience. Several holes have some great elevation change for a course in southern Wisconsin.

The Bad: Overpriced at $130 during high season. The Highlands is a $75 track that disguises itself as a premium resort course. Some holes are beautiful while others seem lackluster. Several tee boxes are uneven. Greens are almost too fast for the resort golfer.

The Verdict: The Highlands is the little sister to The Brute and for a reason. While it does offer great greens and a playable layout, there are only a few holes that justify the hefty greens fee. Nonetheless, there aren't too many more beautiful walks in the park in Southern Wisconsin.

Best Hole: The Par 3's #4 and #12 are great, but the downhill Par 4 #14 offers the best photo of the course. A downhill tee shot to a well-guarded uphill green.

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 31
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

Family reunion

Was in Lake Geneva area for my wife's family reunion. I was able to sneak away for some golf and decided to play The Highlands for the first time. There were some pretty heavy rains the night before but course was in excellent shape. It was cart path only which made the course a bit of a walk at times. Course conditions were very good, greens had been aerated weeks ago and ran very nice. Bunkers needed to be worked from the rains but that would be expected. Definitely recommend this course and next time in LG I will be back.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 44
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Illinois Advisor
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Not quite The Brute but still a challenge

This was my first time playing either course at Grand Geneva. Even before stepping foot on the course, I was impressed with the facilities. The pro shop is very nice. The practice green is very large with a variety of slopes to get you ready for the greens on the courses. The is a chipping/pitching area next to the practice green. Balls on the driving range are included with your greens fees. You have to hit off of turf but the range is large with a variety of flags set at different distances to get you warmed up. The golf carts are set up with a very nice GPS unit which gives readings of distance to the pin, front and back of the greens, hazards, etc. Probably the nicest GPS set-up I've seen on a cart.

The starter at the first tee recommended the blue tees for my group. In doing so, he said it really doesn't matter what set of tees you play from. He stated The Highlands course will give you multiple chances for birdies and pars but it will also give you multiple chances for double and triple bogeys.

The course does not play extremely long as even from the tips it is less than 6700 yards. Where this course will beat you up is the par 4's. Many of them have such tight landing areas off the tee where you will have to hit a wood or a hybrid off the tee to play it safe. If you miss badly, you are in the woods or waste areas, and are scrambling for bogey. Elevations changes will also play havoc with your club selection and distances. Overall, the course was in excellent condition. Just be aware, the course was closed on 4/25, as they were starting to aerate the greens. If you play The Highlands in the next week or two, the greens may run a little rough.

Pace of play on a Sunday afternoon was just OK. There were waits on some tees and several holes had multiple groups on them. I believe we finished our round in a little over 4.5 hours.

Out of the two course, I enjoyed The Brute more but will definitely play The Highlands again. The two courses compliment each other well. If you play The Highlands first, it is a good warm-up for The Brute. If you play The Brute first and get beat up, The Highlands will be a welcome recovery round. For perspective, I shot 10 strokes better on The Highlands than I did The Brute.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 22
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Golf Advisor
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

A scenic, playable course through beautiful woodland

TheHighlands used to be called The Briar Patch. It was one of the early, and few, Pete Dye-Jack Nicklaus collaborations, opened in 1968 as part of the Playboy Resort. Some older buddies of mine who played the original said it was much tougher at that time than its sister course, The Brute. But it was reworked and softened in the mid-late 1990s by Bob Cupp and Bob Lohman -- and renamed to sound less threatening. A bit more target-golf than The Brute, but "getable". A guy I played with had 5 birdies and an eagle, but still shot 80, due to some triple-bogeys. In other words: getable, but still plenty of trouble to find -- wetlands, woods, high grass. Lots of short par 4s, which will challenge your club selections and strategy, depending on the tees you play -- anything from a driver down to hybrid will be an option. Undulating greens that still show telltale hallmarks of the Dye-Nicklaus days. Great staff and practice area!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 22
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Golf Advisor
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

The Brute is a modern classic design

The Brute is carved into the rolling woodlands of southern Wisconsin. The 1968 Robert Bruce Harris design is a big-hitter's course, with some forced carries, tough fairways to hit, and plenty of woods to avoid. Elevation changes make for lots of fun, though. Greens can be large, but often very firm and elevated and difficult to stick close to the pins. Do not start to count up your score until you hole out on 18, as the last two holes are maybe the toughest on the course. Great practice facilities and excellent staff and pro shop.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 105
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 250 Contributor
Chicago Milwaukee Advisor
Previously Played

Great course when you find a good deal.

Played the brute today. Course is cool with its huge greens and huge bunkers. Stuff you are not used to seeing. Staff is very friendly and inviting, and driving range is very nice also. Tee to green course was a in very good shape they have taken out some trees on some holes especially #2 which has made things a little better more golfer friendly. Greens were slow and a little fuzzy. The highlands seem to be fast all the time and the brute always seem to be slow, doesnt make much sense. Wish they kept them the same. The sand is too soft as always and they have really raised their prices on bev cart (buy at the bar its cheaper). Course is very nice but for the regular price save your money way better courses to play for a better price.

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 105
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 250 Contributor
Chicago Milwaukee Advisor
Previously Played

Can score well or score high

The Highlands at grand geneva is a very nice course with very good amenities. Staff is friendly and helpful and the bag of tees and repair tools are a great addition. You can score on this course very well but the course is tight which can make the score go up up up. Fairways are some of the best around and greens are always in good shape too. The 9th hole is for sure the hardest hole in walworth county maybe the hardest in southern wi. 450yd par 4 uphill with a landing zone off the tee about 30 yds wide with ob on both sides. Then have a long iron or hybrid up hill to a false front green. Getting out of here with 5 is a good score. The golf course is a top 5 lg cpurse to me the bev carts are huge and obnoxious and the price for the course is far to high, but they always throw out deals with the hotel so check for those. Great course to play if you can find a deal.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

what a great time

My first time ever playing. Got tomplay for $25. This is unheard of. Very challenging. Absolutely beutiful. You cant go wrong.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 13
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Fair weather
Used cart

Grand Geneva Resort - Highlands / Very Nice!

This is a very nice upscale coarse and got a very good price from golfnow.com . I was supposed to be paired up with other golfers but was told the coarse was wide open and could go out when ever I felt like it. I hit a couple at the range first and when i went to the 1 tee there was no one waiting so I just went out alone. The coarse was in great condition for mid Oct. and it had some quite challenging holes. I would definitely play this coarse again.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Poor weather
Used cart

Rain was not going to stop me

I made a morning tee time with the weather man being dead wrong again. Rain and cold drizzle hampered the day but not my spirits on enjoying my round. The golf course was wet and slow with several balls plugging and no role from fairways hit...so it played long.
The course was fair, challenging and enjoyable to play at every turn. I would go back with a fall deal but can't afford the peek season.
The only negative was the number of reminders to fix divots, ball marks and staying on cart paths the GPS gave. I was frustrated by the number of times I had to touch the GPS screen to get things going again.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Grand Geneva Golf

This time I played the Brute. I have played the highland and I enjoy both courses. The Brute is a bit more challenging. The course was in excellent condition like aways and the staff are all very helpful. I'm looking forward to the next time I can enjoy a round of golf at The Grand Geneva.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
I Recommend This Course
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Average weather
Used cart

Airated Greens

It would have been nice to know they aerated the greens. We would have played a different course and waited to play this one another time.

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Fair weather
Used cart

beautiful course

good value --will be back-will attend with regular four-some

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Love the terraine layout

Love the glacier terraine of the Highlands. There's hardly no houses. Mostly woids and fields. I think this course is harder than the Brute. It has a couple of short par 4, blind holes.
Considering it had rain for two days, 50° and 20 mph winds it was cart path only..The grounds crew was working hard to blow the leaves away. The $10 rate (Golfnow.com) was worth the trip to Grand Geneva National..

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
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