Meet the best Wisconsin golf resort you’ve (probably) never heard of

When you turn off Highway 50 and arrive at Wisconsin’s best golf resort you’ve (probably) never heard of, you’ll drive past stately homes, drive around intriguing golf holes, and pass flower beds of perfectly decorated.

The speed limit during this 90-second drive on the way to the grand club is an arbitrary 26 mph, for no other reason than simply to attract the attention of visitors. It certainly works, but the entire attraction property achieves this as well.

And hands up, until recently, I never knew this place existed. But the photos looked great and the drive from the Twin Cities seemed easy enough, so we gave it a try on a steamy August morning. Fast forward 36 hours and 54 holes after arriving – as I stood on top of mass dance Katini putting green on the final evening of a quick two-night stay – I was squinting as the sun set over Lake Como and couldn’t believe that the church has been so naive.

How did I not know about this place? And was I the only one?

I have spent most of my life 300 miles away in a neighboring golf state and the last decade working for a golf website. Sure, I knew about Sand Valley and Lawsonia and Whistling Straits and Erin Hills and others, but I hadn’t heard of Geneva National Destination until this summer. I’m sure most die-hard Wisconsin and Illinois players are well aware of this, but it still felt like it slipped under the radar for someone, even a state away. It looked worthy of a visit and was soon on the to-do list.

Undiscovered is a subjective term, but I left Geneva National with the intention of making sure a few other people knew about one of the best golf getaways in Wisconsin.

Geneva National Destination – a fairly new title; Formerly Geneva National Resort & Club – located in southeastern Wisconsin, in the small resort town of Lake Geneva, Wis. It’s about an hour from Milwaukee, less than two hours from Chicago and five hours from Minneapolis. The city has a unique history as a haven for Chicago gangsters like George “Baby Face” Nelson and George “Bugs” Moran, but these days it’s mostly known as a quiet family getaway with a pleasant downtown with great restaurants and shopping and a handful of resorts and good golf courses, many of which are sprinkled around Lake Geneva or Lake Como.

One of those spots is Destination Geneva National, a sprawling property located on the western side of Lake Como. Its appeal is that it basically does everything – and does it all well. It hosts weddings, corporate outings, family getaways and friends’ golf trips. And setting it up – hard against the lake – is almost like a cheat code for doing any of the aforementioned specials. (But the pools, half a dozen restaurants, and plenty of lodging options don’t hurt, either.)

A big selling point for golfers, you might assume, is the golf. there are three 18-hole coursesso a 54-hole tee off means you never play the same hole of golf twice. The courses are good, too, and weekday stay-and-play fees are $145 during peak season ($190 weekends, with cart). Spring and fall are cheaper, and this time of year – October – you can play for $100.

What you get are three unique courses designed by a trio of famers whom we can simply identify by their last names: Player, Trevino, Palmer. The Trevino course starts in the woods and is a mostly forgiving layout that opens on the back nine. The Player’s Course will test your shot-making and challenge your aggressiveness (and was home to some of my favorite holes). And the Palmer Course boasts a picturesque finishing stretch along Lake Como and a finishing hole on the 18th that plays up to the impressive Geneva National Club, a bustling area teeming with golfers, weddings and dozens more. hanging out at the bar or snacking on the patio.

But this busy area is all by design, and at the heart of it all is the new Dance Floor, a floodlit 27-hole Himalayan-style course that opened in 2022 and stretches to the back of the club. It’s 44,000 square feet and complimentary to anyone staying at the resort (and only $9 for anyone else) and open until 11pm on weekends. There are drink holders propped up all over the wild undulating surface, with music blasting through the surrounding speakers. Just a few meters away is another recent addition, Paloma Cantina, an outdoor bar where you can order tacos, craft cocktails and beer. It’s surrounded by more new centerpieces — a bocce ball court, two fire pits and additional patio seating.

Overlooking all this is the raised ground. smoking patio, the restaurant located at the back of the clubhouse (which, by the way, is big enough to accommodate the pro shop, hotel check-in and event spaces upstairs). The Turf serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner—go for the wings and fire pizza—but there are other resort restaurants a few miles from the property (there’s a free shuttle you can use). Crafted Italia serves pasta, pizza and more—all the carbs you need after a long day on the golf course—and Hunt Club Steakhouse offers delicious wet- and dry-aged cuts, an incredible wine catalog, and a long list of flavors. old-fashioned inside one of the most historic buildings in the area. Oh, and the thick-cut apple wood-smoked bacon heaven will literally be lit by your waiter before it’s ready to be devoured (it’s the little things).

After you’ve had your fill of golf, red meat and wine, excavations are goodalso. There are villas, suites, and a lodge to stay in, and some with enough space to accommodate larger groups (and custom stay and play package likewise).

It’s easy to be a fan of Destination Geneva National. Everyone seemed to be there. However, there was one thing few agreed on – which course they liked best. Some said Palmer. Others swore by the Player and others liked Trevino. It’s kind of a running joke here; everyone has a different opinion with no outright winners. If you’ve been there, you know the drill. Just don’t tell me it’s anything other than the player.

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Josh Berhow

Editor of Golf.com

As managing editor of GOLF.com, Berhow handles the day-to-day and long-term planning of one of the most widely read sports news and service websites. He spends most of his days writingediting, planning and wondering if he’ll ever break 80. Before joining GOLF.com in 2015, he worked at newspapers in Minnesota and Iowa. A graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn., he resides in the Twin Cities with his wife and two children. You can contact him at joshua_berhow@golf.com.