One of best courses in southeastern Wisconsin, Wild Rock is the crown jewel of the ever popular Wilderness Resort in the Wisconsin Dells. Located an hour and a half from Milwaukee and about 30 from Madison, the course is very busy during the Wisconsin summers between Memorial Day and Labor day. Below I go through my round early this May before tourist season started.
Atmosphere
Wild Rock is the definition of a resort course. The holes are spread apart significantly with a cart being required. After checking in, the course actually starts a ways away from the clubhouse itself as there is about a minute or two ride in a cart to the first tee. The course is a bit peculiar as the first 4 holes are on the side of the street with the clubhouse, while holes 5-16 sit on the eastern portion of the property. The atmosphere is certainly different on 1-4 then holes 5-16. More open and generally flatter, these holes are not bad by any means, but are a bit of a contrast compared to the ones across the street. The eastern portion of the course is more wooded and features the most dramatic land.
Conditions
With the cool start to the 2022 golf season the grow in has been a slow one. Add the cool start to the fact that Wild Rock is covered with almost all bent, a grass that likes warmer weather, and conditions weren’t quite summer like. The greens, while quick, were a bit bumpy and fairways were a bit flat. Both also featured a tinge of brown from the blades of grass that were still dormant. There certainly wasn’t much the course could do, and all in all the condition was certainly good based on the discounted rate that the course offers early in the year.
Design
Designed by the team of Hurdzan & Fry, Wild Rock features one of the more unique designs in Wisconsin. Massive fairways, tiny bunkers and dramatic elevation change are what I remember most after my rounds. I really like the small bunkers as a way to highlight the great land that Wild Rock has. Gone are the designs of courses in the 90’s that bragged about how many bunkers they had as they suffocated good land movement. Short grass and sculpted green surrounds are the main defenses here.
One other aspect to note is the style of the green surfaces themselves. They are all broken into tiers. If you are able to hit your approaches on the correct tiers they really do not break much. Miss though and there are certainly plenty of 3 putts out there.
Facilities
The facility while nice, does feel a bit disjointed. The entrance to the clubhouse is right across the street from the shores of Lake Delton, and is about 5 minutes away from the craziness of main street Wisconsin Dells. The course you see as you pull in is not Wild Rock, but their 9 hole Woods course. This 9 was put together from holes from the original course at the Wilderness. The clubhouse has a log cabin look. Similar to many other buildings owned by the Wilderness Resort. The golf shop is nicely appointed as is the rest of the building.
The range is small with only about 10 mats and a slightly larger grass area in front. Range balls are included with greens fees which is a nice touch. Getting to the disjointed nature of the facilities, the putting green is a ways up from the range on the way to the first tee. After rolling a few putts the first tee is again a drive to get to it. Not necessarily a bad thing per se, but the layout is a bit different then other courses of this caliber.
Value
Wild Rock is not cheap. During peak season it is around $90 during the week, and over $100 during the weekend. Like the National at the Par 5 Resort, guests of the resort do receive discounted rates. In my opinion the above rates are too much, even if I think the layout is very good. My advice would be to play during the shoulder seasons. The course is not as busy and the rates are around $50-$60. While still a sizable amount of money, I think it is a fair price for the quality of the course/facilities.
- Lots of elevation change
- Design allows players of all abilities to enjoy while still incorporating strategic elements
- limited use of bunkers highlights land
The Good
The Bad
- Subpar finish to course
- Course can feel disjointed as #1-4 and #16-18 feel different then the rest
1st Hole – Par 5
Wild Rock starts you off with a gentle handshake to open. A very wide landing area sits in front of you with just 2 small bunkers on the right. If you miss, miss right, as even the left rough will leave you a clear shot for your second. Depending on the length of your tee shot either a layup in front of the creek or a carry over the creek is in store. Going for the green is difficult however, as it is 3 tiered with water in front, behind and to the right while a deep bunker sits on the left. In my opinion, take the easy layup and wedge it on.
2nd Hole – Par 4
The creek on 1 turns into a ravine on 2, and sits parallel to the fairway on the 2nd. The tee shot makes you decide to either steer away from the ravine and play short of the bunkers left, or flirt with the ravine and cut one around the trees. An aggressive play will leave you a good birdie opportunity potentially, as left pin positions have a funneling effect that will get the ball close.
3rd Hole – Par 4
The ravine again comes into play on the 3rd with the tee shot playing right over it. However, you are not to just carry the ravine as there looks to be a wall of bunkers both left and right. The right ones are farther back, but the play if possible is to to carry the left set as the fairway becomes very wide by doing so.
The second shot is played over the flattest land at Wild Rock to one of the easier greens on the course that is open in the front. Considering the 2nd is the second longest par 4 on the course it is an appropriate green, but is the weakest shot on the course in my opinion.
4th Hole – Par 3
The 4th looks to be a typical water on the right par 3, however in the case the green is anything but plain. The usual tough pin positions on the right are best gotten to by actually hitting your shot to the middle of the green and letting it release down to the lower bowl on the right. While the most difficult pin on the 4th is surprisingly back left on a small shelf with bunkers lurking on the left and lots of 3 putts right.
The 4th is also the last hole before you cross the street and head to the best part of the course.
5th Hole – Par 4
A reprieve after the last 2 holes, the 5th is a short uphill par 4 that works you up into the trees. To me this is not a green to drive. The fairway is incredibly wide before the centerline bunker, which sits about 90-100 yards from the green. A long iron or fairway wood is the play off the tee. The approach is then to a small, tiered green with a bunker in front.
6th Hole – Par 5
On to the 6th and one of the most memorable shots on the course. The tee shot on the 6th is dramatically downhill to one of the tighter fairways at Wild Rock(still wide comparatively speaking). A bunker on the left and a steep drop off into native grass on the right pinch you. The second features a centerline bunker about 80 yards from the green. To have a clear shot at the green you must take on the bunker, and hit a long second to the left of it. The green itself is very tricky. Very wide, very shallow and 3 tiered with a tiny bunker stuck right in the front middle. Unless you are able to get your second within 90 yards I don’t really like it as a blind shot.
I just don’t think many players even if they hit good shots are able to get it to the area the architect intended. Consider that the green both falls off behind and to the right as well.
7th Hole – Par 4
Another severely downhill tee shot, but this time there is a centerline bunker. Luckily there is plenty of room short, long, right and left of it. Miss the bunker, and you are left with a uphill second that plays longer than it looks. The miss is short and right, as left will leave you well below the green surface.
8th Hole – Par 4
More great land is in play for the 8th as it runs next to the 7th. The tee shot plays over a valley onto a raised landing area. The 8th tee shot is a great example of why I like the design at Wild Rock so much. While being technically very wide, the tee shot makes you pick a small target as a bunker sits on the right and a drop off left. You will not lose a ball going left, but the 2nd then becomes immensely harder. The same can be said for hitting the bunker on the right. The key is that players don’t lose balls often after bad shots. They are put in more difficult positions certainly, but there is still a chance the player can recover.
The green is one of the smaller and tighter on the course as trees behind and left hug the green more closely than many of the other holes.
9th Hole – Par 3
A very nice-looking tee to green par 3 is in store for the 9th. Pin position is key here as the green is split into 3 distinct tiers. When we played, we had a front pin, which makes it an easy hole as long as you miss short. In our case, a couple of misses in the left bunker left almost impossible up and downs as we could not keep the ball on the green with the severe spine that splits the tiers.
10th Hole – Par 5
Daunting to say the least, the 10th starts with a tee shot across a ravine to a fairway that sits slightly above you. Very few people will be able to reach the green in 2, so the better option is to play left of the centerline bunker. If hit to the right of it, you are left with the shot pictured below which is severely uphill and over treacherous bunkers. A shot to the left of the bunker leaves you with a more level second and the privilege of not hitting over the bunkers on the right.
Your third is played to a small green for Wild Rock with a tiny bunker in the front middle and a green that has a spine that runs from the bunker to the back of the green.
11th Hole – Par 3
The 11th is a long par 3 that is the one flat hole on the eastern section of the property. While on a flat piece of land the green is not so with lots of rumples and waves that give the course many options for pin positions.
12th Hole – Par 4
Probably my favorite tee shot on the course. A huge fairway sits to the right as the hole doglegs to the left. For a right handed player who draws the ball aim right and swing as hard as you can. Big hitters may carry the bunkers on the left.
The shot to the green is slightly uphill to a diabolical surface. A sharp false front on the right will send balls short back off the green and a difficult chip awaits if you miss left. All in all a tough par 4.
13th Hole – Par 4
Following the tough 12th is another tough par 4. The hole again swings right to left around a hill with bunkers set in it(pictured below). A safe shot is to the right of them, but will leave you with a long 2nd to a narrow green.
The 13th is the first of 3 holes that feature an old quarry. In the case of the 13th it sits right to the left of the green. The pictures below are taken from the 14th tee, and it should be noted it is a great spot to watch approach shots come in. If you are ever a spectator at an event at Wild Rock it is a highly recommended spot.
14th Hole – Par 5
The par 5 14th is the most claustrophobic tee shot on the course. Downhill and a bit blind the hole tumbles down a slight hill. Your second is either a easy layup or an attempt to go for the green as it is a shorter par 5.
The green is very small and has a bunker short, as well as the quarry tight on the right.
15th Hole – Par 3
Besides the 6th the 15th is the most photographed hole at Wild Rock and for good reason. All carry over the quarry to a shallow green. There are multiple tee boxes/angles. This particular picture was taken from the 2nd longest tees. It was certainly a daunting shot this day as this blogger had to hit 6 iron.
It is a one of a kind hole in Wisconsin and should be played/seen at least once.
16th Hole – Par 4
A bit of a letdown after the last 3, the 16th is a straight away par 4 with containment mounds on either side. The shot to the green is very typical Wild Rock as it is split into 3 tiers with a scar like bunker right in front.
17th Hole – Par 4
The 17th takes you back across the road for a short par 4. A layup is very easy. Anything right at the bunkers on the left will leave you just a wedge in. There is the option for a more aggressive play as in between the bunkers there is a slope that will kick the ball hard towards the green. In both pictures you can see the downslope. The green again has many tiers and is a challenging 2 putt if not on the correct one.
18th Hole – Par 4
A downhill finisher is in store for the last hole. Most players will want to aim right at the bunkers beyond/to the left of the fairway. A shallow green with bunkers both in front and behind is in store for the approach. While not a bad hole, I feel like it is a bit of a lackluster finisher compared to the rest of the course.
Final Thoughts & Grade
Even with the new developments in Wisconsin, Wild Rock is still one of the best courses in our state. It does a great job of not only being a stern test of golf for the best players, as seen by the recent US Open qualifier it hosted, but also being approachable for the average player. In my book the ability for a course to be great for both sides really speaks to how good it really is.
If you have never been, go. The course is worth the splurge.