Go Play Lake Michigan’s West Coast

East Central Wisconsin is a Bucket List Phenom

Chris Duthie | Photos: Chris Duthie

Even if you are a savvy traveling golfer, East Central Wisconsin may not be pinging your must-play radar. Bordered on the east by Lake Michigan, the region’s glaciated moraine terrain appears more akin to multigenerational farms and dairies than to emerald-green fairways.

Yet hidden amongst this verdant and panoramic country are fabulous resorts and golf properties that for decades have been favored playgrounds for big-city vacationers from Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay and Madison. Now the world is beating a path to the region. Here are five exemplary reasons why:

1. The American Club in Kohler is an astonishingly resplendent Forbes Five Star experience that’s regarded among the very best in North America. The 34-year-old property pampers well-heeled guests with peerless service, über-luxurious rooms, stylish restaurants, swimming, indoor tennis, fitness complex, a Kohler Waters Spa and 72 holes of Pete Dye golf—including nationally ranked Blackwolf Run, site of the U.S. Women’s Open in 1998 and 2012.

2. Golf Digest ranks Whistling Straits as the 22^nd best course in America, and playing it guarantees a lifetime of memories (pictured, top). The premier American Club amenity is a former dead-flat army air base transformed by Pete Dye into a super-charged links layout that lists three PGA Championships (including this season’s fourth major) and the 2020 Ryder Cup Matches on its glittering résumé. Sited hard on the windblown shores of Lake Michigan, it is worth every nickel of the $385 greens fee (plus mandatory caddy fees and suggested gratuities).

Photo: Whistling Straits

3. Historically hailed for its thrilling public road races of the early 1950s, Elkhart Lake is a sensational vacation destination regaled for its intimate small-town surrounds, fresh-water recreation, dynamic events and celebrations, top-tier resorts, award-winning restaurants and more. After checking into AAA Four Diamond rated Osthoff Resort, go play Quit Qui Oc Golf Club— exceptionally crafted by Scotland’s Tom Bendelow of Medinah Country Club fame—then satiate your inner foodie at the award-winning Lake Street Cafe.

4. Since 1955, Road America in Elkhart Lake has been a world-class racing venue that today annually attracts 800,000 visitors to its spine-tingling NASCAR, motorcycle, vintage and Le Mans-styled race events. The 640-acre motorplex also is celebrated for its hands-on driving schools, incentive group programs and off-road adventures designed for all experience levels.

5. Golf Digest ranks Jack Nicklaus’ only signature design in Wisconsin, the Bull at Pinehurst Farms, among the top 100 public golf courses in America. It’s a compelling enough reason to include scenic Sheboygan in your travel plans. Take full advantage by overnighting at water’s-edge Blue Harbor Resort (pictured below), which rewards guests with luxury accommodations, signature spa, fitness center, gracious dining and a 54,000-square-foot indoor water park.

Kohler, Elkhart Lake and Sheboygan are about 60 miles north of Milwaukee and 70 miles south of Green Bay. Direct flights from Denver to Milwaukee are available via American, United, Delta and Southwest airlines. For additional information about the region, click here.

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Chris Duthie is a contributor to Colorado AvidGolfer, the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.