Just got back from a 3 dayer up north
Wednesday
Bass Lake in Deerbrook
Big Fish in Hayward
Thursday
Big Fish again
Spooner Golf Club
Friday
Turtleback in Rice Lake
Big Fish is a real treat, an earlier Dye design that is not as tricked out. An open sprawling front 9 with a links feel to it with native grasses on the surrounds. Back nine holes 13-17 is wooded with quite a bit of elevation change and a contrast from the front, with 10-12 having groves of trees/semi+wooded, and 18 being extension of the front 9 topography. It's a real test.
Spooner was an add on as when we got to Hayward Golf Club the back was closed for Aerification and the front had been aerated the day before.....would have been nice.to know, it should be posted on the site and on the tee time booking. Oh well, we adjusted and went to Spooner as that was the one left off for this trip. What a treat it was, plenty of elevation change, mostly tree limed and we'll shaped holes, the greens were mostly small/ish, perched a little with the right amount of slope. Miss on wrong side or above hole and it was a tough up and in. One good hole after another. Greens did not look like much until you got on them and then I appreciated them!
Turtleback -. A mixed bag, the front was just ok with a super opening hole between some majestic pines, subtle shapes left to right. 5 was a a real beast again shapes left to right, tee ball down hill and then an approach back up the hill to a well guarded green with bunkers and a back right pin. 7 was a solid hole shaped left to right, semi blind tee shot guarde with bunker on the left and some mounds on the right. 8 a short par 3 with a wide green with significant slope back to front, and 9 a risk reward short par 4 right to left shaped around a pond, shooting back up to a perched green well guarded by bunkers, all carry for the long hitters going at the green. Back 9 was a real test and a roller coaster with the first 3 holes amazing with tall mature pines shaping the holes which were all doglegs with elevation change and tough greens that were perched with slope. 13 a severe downhill par 3 with a huge green with a ridge in the middle and sloped to each side off the ridge, and a little finger on the right where the pin was ๐ฒ. Then it switched to more open sprawling design with some big perched greens with tiers and slope. 18 a par 5 dog leg left to right around a pond to the right and well guarded perched green with bunker system short/right. I think the term turtle back comes from the mounding on many of the holes that helps define the holes as well as on the bunker systems. The back was a real treat and a real test. I'd move up a tee box as it plays longer then the states yardage.
The other fun was Angry Minnow in Hayward, for a really good scotch ale and peach sour/gose, Round Man Man brewing in spooner for a good milk stout, and Tamarack Farms just outside of Hayward, the smoked wings and pizza were fab (if ever in the area this a stop you must make, the food is that good), the brewing Projekt in Eau Claire for flight pours of their Bourbon barrel aged stout, French toast bourbon barrel aged stout, and imperial coffee maple syrup stout; and then Stubborn Brothers in Shawano on the home stretch....what a nice place in an old renovated vaudeville theatre. Got to meet and talk to the owner and head brewer and try the Vader a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout and strawberry/rhubarb sour. Nice selection of taps.
After 5 rounds of golf, twelve+ hours of driving, and plenty of good food and beverage, in 3 days, I'm on the couch๐ฅฑ