Sand Valley – Played August 2022
- Rankings: None of my four lists
- Location: 1697 Leopold Way, Nekoosa, Wisconsin
- Year: 2016
- Architects: Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw
- Course Access: Resort
- Walking Rules: Caddies Available
Score Card Information:
- Black: 6,938 yards, Par 72, 73.2 Rating/134 Slope
- Orange: 6,535 yards, Par 72, 71.4 Rating/130 Slope (Men’s), 77.6 Rating/138 Slope (Women’s)
- Sand: 6,050 yards, Par 72, 69.6 Rating/127 Slope (Men’s), 75.1 Rating/131 Slope (Women’s)
- Green: 5,598 yards, Par 72, 67.3 Rating/116 Slope (Men’s), 71.7 Rating/125 Slope (Women’s)
- Silver: 4,757 yards, Par 72, 64.2 Rating/109 Slope (Men’s), 67.8 Rating/112 Slope (Women’s)
- Royal Blue: 3,883 yards, Par 72, 60.8 Rating/105 Slope (Men’s), 62.5 Rating/106 Slope (Women’s)
The final round of our Sand Valley visit is at the resort’s namesake course. It’s not nearly as wide open as Mammoth Dunes but doesn’t feel claustrophobic at all. The challenge is definitely found in the approach shots and greens.
The photo below is the view from Craig’s Porch. Definitely swing by here for the $1 tacos and ice cream sandwiches. I went with the whiskey snickerdoodle and certainly recommend it!
Hole 1 – 325 yards – Par 4
A short par four begins the day at Sand Valley. Coore and Crenshaw are big fans of this hole type. The generous fairway begs for a big drive but you can run out of room on the right.
Hole 2 – 395 yards – Par 4
Sand is plentiful on each side of this dogleg right.
Hole 3 – 192 yards – Par 3
This hole is made difficult by the length. There is also a bunker lurking off the left side of the green.
Hole 4 – 557 yards – Par 5
Here is a long, straight monster. You can see the green from the tee so you know what your goal is.
Hole 5 – 164 yards – Par 3
Do not go long here! You need precision though because the green is contoured all over. Runout must be controlled.
Hole 6 – 445 yards – Par 4
Bunkers dot the entirety of this left bender. If you can avoid them, the approach to the large green is made easier.
Hole 7 – 536 yards – Par 5
The green on this hole is tucked among the hills and trees. It’s quite an idyllic spot.
Hole 8 – 115 yards – Par 3
The short par three is a hallmark of Coore & Crenshaw designs. This iteration will play a bit longer with the uphill slope. You don’t want to be short with all the slope in front of the green.
Hole 9 – 290 yards – Par 4
We’ve got another good short four to finish the front side. Difficult shots await if you are not on target. The perched green features a pronounced back tier that makes approach shots perilous.
Hole 10 – 541 yards – Par 5
You attack this hole from an elevated tee box. The shape of the last 100 yards encourages golfers to go for the green.
Hole 12 – 487 yards – Par 5
Depth perception can mess with you here. The fairway is on both sides of the middle two trees which can be carried. As a result, the hole is not as tight as it looks.
Hole 13 – 383 yards – Par 4
A wide fairway here gives way to an elevated green with a bit of a false front.
Hole 15 – 392 yards – Par 4
Avoiding the sand is the goal with this tee shot. You can see the green off to the left from this view.
The putting surface has plenty of slopes to guide your ball. This front hole location has some funnel characteristics.
Hole 16 – 429 yards – Par 4
This is a long, difficult hole that starts by moving right before moving back left and rising to the green.
Hole 17 – 215 yards – Par 3
An absolutely wild hole awaits you here. The massive slope in front obscures the view of the green to where you can only see the flag. The surrounds make it a bit of a punchbowl and it certainly plays that way.
Hole 18 – 507 yards – Par 5
The final hole treks up the hill towards Craig’s Porch. You absolutely must stay out of the bunkers or the hole becomes much more difficult.
The pin position will heavily influence your approach shot. The green is quite long from front to back.
Sand Valley is a good complement to Mammoth Dunes. Each course asks different things from your game. Mammoth is viewed as the more scoreable course but Sand Valley also provides these opportunities. I found it to be a very enjoyable and challenging round.