Golf Digest ranks 10 Wisconsin public courses among the country’s best

Golf Digest published its annual ranking of the 100 greatest public golf courses in America this month, and the Badger State is well-represented.

This Post: Golf Digest ranks 10 Wisconsin public courses among the country’s best

Despite the Midwestern climate — which doesn’t exactly lend itself to rave-worthy links weather, especially in the spring — 10 of Wisconsin’s public courses made the list. Three made the top 15 and four are in the top 20.

Not bad.

Those even loosely familiar with the state’s offerings will recognize the courses with high scores, namely Whistling Straits and Erin Hills. Whistling Straits in Sheboygan County has hosted a handful of PGA Tour majors in the past 15 years and is the site of the 2020 Ryder Cup. Erin Hills in Washington County hosted the U.S. Open in 2017.

Here are the 10 Wisconsin courses that made the list:

3. Whistling Straits (Straits) in Haven

9. Erin Hills in Erin

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15. Black Wolf Run (River) in Kohler

18. Sand Valley in Nekoosa

27. Mammoth Dunes in Nekoosa

43. Whistling Straits (Irish) in Haven

44. SentryWorld Golf Course in Stevens Point

57. Blackwolf Run (Meadow Valleys) in Kohler

58. Golf Courses of Lawsonia (Links) in Green Lake

69. Troy Burne Golf Course in Hudson

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This is the first time Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes have been on the annual list. SentryWorld made its debut last year and was ranked No. 34. The other Wisconsin courses more or less landed where they were on the 2018-19 list, with SentryWorld an exception. The Stevens Point course dropped 10 spots to No. 44. 

Pebble Beach in California landed at No. 1, the same spot its held since Golf Digest debuted the feature in 2003. 

Marquette Golf Club’s Greywalls course in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is another first-timer. It’s at No. 54. 

You can check out the full list of the 100 greatest courses here. Golf Digest also put out a ranking of the best courses in every state in 2017. Here’s Wisconsin’s list. 

Contact Shane Nyman at 920-996-7223 or snyman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @shanenyman.

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