GENEVA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB (262-245-7000)
Chiago Golf Course Review - 4/25/03 -
Gary Player Signature Course
 The Player course is considered by many to be the best layout of the 3
championship courses on property, with the others being designs by Palmer and Trevino. Together, they provide 54 of the best holes available
at one location in the United States. With five sets of tees and with all 3 courses measuring over 7000 yards through beautiful, rolling Wisconsin
countryside, the Geneva National designs will test the skills of a pro, while also facilitating the skill levels of beginning, intermediate and resort golfers.
One expansive clubhouse services all three courses, and features a large pro shop stocked with the latest brands of accessories and golf attire,
including beautifully designed Geneva National logoed clothing. The Hunt Club Lodge and Tavern houses a full service menu of heartland cuisine
and is open for lunch, dinner and Sunday Brunch. In season, breakfast is also served. An expansive patio is
available for outdoor seating and also helps facilitate golf outings and group events - with wonderful views of the
Player Course. Banquet rooms (choice of six rooms and outdoor pavilion and deck) are available in the 60,000
square foot clubhouse, and are perfect for hosting parties, weddings, corporate retreats, meetings and special
events. Visitors and members are also treated to expansive locker rooms - complete with changing areas and
showers (the men's contained 126 lockers and 5 shower stalls). With 3 courses plus all these facilities on property, Geneva National is also an ideal spot for golf outings of all sizes and formats.
From the clubhouse two large putting greens, exquisitely landscaped, are just steps away. The driving range
features both mat and grass tee stations, and members of the club are treated to a separate practice area. In
fact, members are treated especially well here - and are provided with blue golf carts so that rangers and
working personnel can easily distinguish them. The courses are well marked, with 150 yard stakes quite visible
in the center of the fairways. 100 and 200 yardage plaques are provided, and many sprinkler heads are also
measured to the green's center. Pin placement sheets offer information on the 4 hole locations that are rotated in season. All tee areas provide exact measurements, at every tee box.
 We found the Player Course to be in excellent condition on our mid-April
round, and would have to give an "A" grade to the greens, fairways, tees and bunkers, which were filled with top quality and extremely soft
sand. The course itself provided an excellent variety of tight and wide open driving holes, and of doglegs to the right and left. It is player
friendly, but challenging at the same time. Many holes were secluded, and the ones that traversed through residential communities were far
removed from the actual homes. Scratch golfers can choose from the challenge of the black tees (7018 yards/139 slope) or the golds (6409/132). The whites are the middle tees, and provide a fair test for
average golfers at 6014 yards/128 slope. The two forward tees measure 5473/128 and 4825/120.
The front side is the more scenic of the two, and also in our opinion, a bit more challenging. A narrow creek runs
the length of the fairway on the opening hole and crosses about 10 yards in front of the green. The long par five
2nd is tricky...you must be long off the tee as a pond on the left about 150 out is a difficult carry on the second shot.
 Option two is to lay up on the narrow landing area to the right, and approach the putting surface with a
short iron/wedge. There is more room than appears from the tee areas on three, though rolling mounds and bunkers guard the approach. After a
simple par three, you will find an interesting golf hole on the par four fifth. Those without confidence in their sand game may elect to hit to the
elevated fairway right, while long hitters may try to drive the green. In betweeners will have about 50 yards of short grass between the
considerable bunkers that define the fairway. The sixth is a pretty par 3 over water, with lots of bail out room to the left, and is followed by the number one handicap.
 To reach in regulation, a long tee shot that bends
left towards the deep fairway bunker on that side is necessary. Play it to the right and you may go through the fairway, and will in any case have a long approach to
the green. Although number 8 looks like a dogleg left, it actually plays straight along a rolling fairway. Be aware of the pond on the far right
about 90 yards out. The closing hole on the front doglegs right around some fairway bunkers, and plays quite long. Par is a fine score here.
 The back nine opens with a beautiful downhill par five that plays towards the clubhouse. We found this to be the
toughest hole of the layout. The fairway slopes towards the water hazard, and the location of the green, over a substantial pond, makes it difficult to reach in
regulation. Plenty of bunkers guard the path to the putting surface on 11, which precedes another long par four (470 from the tips) that usually plays into the
wind - tough par here. Thirteen and fourteen play from elevated tees and are both aesthetically pleasing - and fair holes for par or better. Another simple,
downhill par three precedes a wide open par five, that invites the prevailing wind blowing in from Lake Como. A beautiful bunker complex lines the right side, and
water also comes into play on that side on the approach.
 Hidden from view is a
stream that crosses the fairway about 25 yards out - take this into consideration as it can mean the difference between a birdie or par opportunity, and putting for bogey or higher. Number seventeen is
protected a bit by the condos lining both sides, and is a good scoring hole. The closer is also quite reasonable - a short par four and the 12th handicap.
The Two Guys Who Golf highly recommend a round of golf on the Player Course. Visitors will be happy with the layout and course conditioning, and outstanding facilities
available. Rates are very reasonable through the spring and in fall, and jump up to $115/$125 for visitors during
prime time in the summer, as folks from the Chicago area travel up north to vacation near the famous lakes and
resort communities around Lake Geneva. This is a beautiful area - and an outstanding 4 star (Golf Digest) golf facility - worth the drive and worth the cost.
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