SPCC was the second 18 on the first day of our trip. Even if a bit tired, I was very excited to play a course that I had heard such good things about.
SPCC has an interesting history, as the course was originally designed by Larry Packard. Like many mid century layouts it boasted lush conditions and lots and lots of trees. In the early 2010’s, SPCC found itself apart of the Dupont Imprelis lawsuit. The lawsuit came about as landscapers (and golf course superintendents) were sold herbicide that killed certain species of pines. Imprelis wiped out a large portion of the trees at SPCC, and because of this, they were granted a substantial sum.
Fast forward to today, and with the help of Craig Haltom, the course has been completely renovated and 3 new holes created. The new course is much more open with sandy blowouts and waste areas now scattered amongst the remaining pines. The new look is quite unique for Wisconsin, and adds something visually to a generally flat property.
Below I go through my round at SPCC in June of 2022.
Atmosphere
Being a private club, I was expecting the atmosphere to be good, and it certainly was. All sides are lined by trees or native areas, and they do a great job of separating holes with really well maintained (thin) native grasses.
The only note I would make is that the entrance road is pretty tight to the range and first tee. This is nit picking, but if you’re expecting a resort course experience where everything is separate from each other, Stevens Point does have a spot or two where you are close to the entrance road when playing.
Conditions
Absolutely fantastic. This was about as good of condition as I have played. Firm healthy turf, fast greens and playable native areas around the holes. Can’t say enough good things.
Facilities
Being the second round of the day, and playing well the first 18, my group didn’t spend much time at the range. For the short time we did spend there, we found a decent sized range with nice turf. A small putting/chipping green sits very close to the first tee.
From what I glean from the satellite image, there also looks to be a short game area just north of the parking lot that looks quite a bit bigger with 2 greens and a bunker.
Design
When you have a good architect there isn’t a lot to pick on. At SPCC Craig Haltom did a great job with angles and making the players think about which is the advantageous side of the fairway or green to be on. If the player misses that side a substantial penalty awaits them most times. There is also a really nice variety of lengths to the holes. Reachable 5’s, actual drivable par 4’s (#10) and 4.5 par holes like the 6th. It’s a cliché, but you really feel like you hit all of your clubs.
If there was anything to criticize layout wise, I think it’s the par 3’s. While I liked #17, the rest are just okay. #4 and #13 in particular, were just set in areas with very little physical features and only provide intrigue through their undulated greens.
Value
For around $100, I really think the value is quite good. I’m notoriously stingy when it comes to what I pay for golf, but my round here was memorable in a way that courses in this price range sometimes aren’t. I’ll leave it there as I go into more detail in my final thoughts.
- Great conditions.
- Very unique aesthetic
- Good variety of holes: Both direction wise and length
The Good
The Bad
- #8 & #9 feel a bit out of place
- I thought green speeds were actually too fast for the slopes on greens
1st Hole – Par 4
After warming up at the range, the first tee is just steps away. An easy opening tee shot save for a thick tree line on the left. Many players will bail right, as there is just a few thin pines on that side. The green gives you a good introduction to what you will see all day at SPCC. It’s mostly open in the front to allow balls to be run on, but features many internal contours.
My approach on #1 came up about 10 yards short, and at that point I could really tell how exceptional the condition was as the 20 yards or so was cut so tight and the turf so firm that a putt was most likely going to be the play even from that far out. Sometimes I feel like as price goes up, you’re not getting better golf, you’re just getting more amenities. This was not the case at all at Stevens Point. The conditioning really made this feel like a different kind of golf then what you normally get for sub $100.
2nd Hole – Par 4
The 2nd is not a exotic hole, but I absolutely love the look of the tee shot. The sheen of the firm fairway in contrast to the wispy native grasses looked absolutely fantastic. I hope the picture does it some justice. Couple that with the tall pines and Stevens Point really has an aesthetic that you don’t see in Wisconsin.
The hole works a little right, encouraging you to hug the left side of the fairway where the thicker of the pines are. The green opens up from the left with a waste bunker short right.
3rd Hole – Par 5
Running parallel to the first two holes, the 3rd is a shorter par 5 that doglegs right. The tee shot features a long waste bunker along the right. If you’re able to hug said bunker, going for it in 2 becomes much easier as the green open from the right. The green itself is flanked with bunkers on both sides of the green.
4th Hole – Par 3
The 4th is a long par 3, and the site of an ugly scene for this player. The green (like many of them) has domed sections where the ball feeds away and off the green. Behind the 4th green is especially egregious, and with a back pin, I ping ponged a few on my way to a triple.
Not to say I hit great shots, but, on many other courses, they were shots that would stay on the green, while here they roll back to your feet or back into the bunkers. This is subjective of course, but I thought the greens were a bit fast for the slopes they had. I really enjoy the contours, but when greens are too fast, it can ruin the fun/complexity of using the slopes.
That being said I generally appreciated the unique challenge, as you needed to be especially careful where you left yourself. But, while not a great player by any means, I am a single digit handicap/above average player. I think a lesser player would find it frustratingly difficult.
5th Hole – Par 4
The first, more severe dogleg on the course, the 5th is shorter with thick pines on the left. The tee shot features no bunkers besides the waste area in front of the tee, with just the aforementioned pines on the left. The green is more traditional here, featuring an elevated green with bunkers both front right and left.
6th Hole – Par 4
The 6th gets you over to the western part of the property where I think the land is a bit more interesting.
Raised sandy waste areas frame the sides of this tee shot creating a halfpipe look as the fairway dives a bit down to the left. The approach is one of the best on the course, in my opinion, as the land tumbles down the last 100 yards of fairway to a domed looking green with a bunker front right. Missing short is preferred.
7th Hole – Par 4
A fun tee shot greets you on the 7th, as you hit over a slight valley to a fairway canted right to left. If you’re able to carry the bunker on the inside corner, you’ll be rewarded with a nice kick forward. The approach is slightly uphill to a green that lets you feed balls in from the left with a prominent slope front left.
8th Hole – Par 5
After playing the 7th, you backtrack slightly to the 8th tee. The 8th has you hitting an elevated tee shot down into a flat. Water hugs the entire left side, and there are woods to the right. The hole then swings significantly to the right with water to carry in front of you and to your right (there is a small cut out of rough so there is no forced carry).
Your third is over water, however, there is a good 20 yards between the start of the green surface and the water. The green, if I remember correctly, is one of the flatter on the course.
The 8th is a hole I’ll reserve judgement until I play it again. I laid up off the tee when I played, making it a 3 shot hole. But I wonder, looking back, if driver is possible, and if that leaves you a short enough yardage into the green to go for it in 2. If that’s the case, while a much different looking hole than the rest, I would instead feel that it’s a nice change of pace rather than feeling out of place. Currently I lean toward the latter.
9th Hole – Par 3
The other hole down in this low, swampy area behind the clubhouse, the 9th is a hole you have probably seen before. A green opened slightly left to right with a carry over water. A bail out area sits to the green’s left. Not the best, not the worst. You do have a nice view watching players on the 9th from their clubhouse patio.
10th Hole – Par 4
The 10th is a really fun hole. The back tee is situated basically on the back patio and looks out to the most rolling fairway at SPCC. A blowout bunker sits just 50 yards or so off the tee, obstructing the view of the fairway. Anything past/to the left of the tree in the fairway should work fine as a layup, while longer hitters will be able to reach this green. Someone in our group hit a great shot on this day and had about 15 feet for eagle.
11th Hole – Par 4
The 11th tee sits behind the 10th green in the far northern portion of the property. The tee shot looks a bit different than most, as thicker deciduous tree line the fairway instead of the pines in the southern part of the course. I quite liked the tee shot as you are going over a slight valley to a fairway that is slightly rolling and set at an angle.
The approach flattens out to a green opening from right to left.
12th Hole – Par 4
The 12th is a long par 4 that starts out just right of the range. A rare hole with no fairway bunkers, the hole moves significantly left to right and features a wide fairway. The green opens wide at the front with a large tree that protects the left side and a bunker to the right.
Not a bad hole, but not terribly memorable one either.
13th Hole – Par 3
A longer par 3 is in store for the 13th. A cross bunker and hill on the right obstruct the view of the green. While it doesn’t look that way from the tee, the green is much deeper than it looks.
14th Hole – Par 5
One of the most basic tee shots on the course, the 14th is dead flat with bunkering along the left side. Carrying that will allow players to go for the green in two. That being said, there are pretty stiff defenses here as a waster bunker extends about 100 yards away from the green on the right, and a traditional bunker sits on the left.
This green is also quite sloped as well as set at a severe angle, making approaches hit from the center or right of the fairway difficult over a bunker.
15th Hole – Par 5
I thought that the weakest stretch of the course was 12-14, but luckily that changes with the 15th. The tee sits just left of the 6th, and features a double fairway. The left side is higher and provides a better angle for your second, while the right side is wider and forces you into making it a three shot hole.
I took the easy route, leaving a layup to a wide landing area. Anything short of the fairway bunker, pictured on the right, will leave you a short pitch as your third. The farther left your layup is, the better, as the green is situated sharply to the right.
The green was one of the smallest on the course, and is tightly guarded with bunkers on three sides. It is also elevated from the fairway pretty substantially, requiring an accurate wedge.
16th Hole – Par 4
The tee for the 16th is right next to the 7th, and goes in the same direction. Like the 7th, you hit over a slight valley to a fairway that is elevated in front of you. The hole moves right to left to a green that is completely open in the front. Be careful of the small bunker on the left. I remember it looking quite ugly if you ended up in it.
17th Hole – Par 3
The 17th is a great looking downhill short par 3. A huge, deep bunker sits in front, as well as a really nasty bunker on the right (don’t ask me how I know). You’ll be thankful if you’re able to hit this in regulation.
The fun doesn’t end there, though, as this might be the toughest green on the course. The green consists of multiple tiers, and sloped pretty heavily back to front. It makes sense for the length of the hole, but that doesn’t mean it will feel any better when you three putt.
18th Hole – Par 4
Did I mention the finish is good? A really fun tee shot awaits you on the 18th, over a pond with a deep fairway bunker that looks very daunting. Don’t be too scared however, as any well hit tee shot should be able to cover onto a wide fairway.
The hole flattens out to the green, and is protected by a large waste area left and another bunker on the right.
Final Thoughts & Grade
Any complaint above is me being quite critical. You cannot ask for much more from a golf course. I think the biggest thing that stood out for me was the uniqueness of the experience. The ability to play a private course as a non-member, the exceptional conditions, and the way you are treated by the staff made for something memorable. I have played courses that normally cost $75-$200. And, while they are nice, a lot of times I feel like all they are, are a big clubhouse and nicer condition away from courses like Glen Erin or even Glacier Wood at three times the price.
After playing SPCC, it is worth the splurge. I applaud the job they are doing, and have done, to get the course where it is today and whole heartedly recommend going to check it out.