{"id":651,"date":"2022-01-14T16:28:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-14T16:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/?p=651"},"modified":"2022-03-04T17:54:04","modified_gmt":"2022-03-04T17:54:04","slug":"a-bump-run-portage-country-club-short-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/?p=651","title":{"rendered":"A Bump & Run: Portage Golf Club Short Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

About an hour and a half north and west of Milwaukee lies Portage Country Club. The course sits just to the east of the small city of Portage, and just north of Swan Lake. The course is very much known to locals, but I get the impression that it doesn\u2019t get much play from people in larger metro areas like Madison or Milwaukee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally just a 9 hole course, a new 9 was built in 1988. There is a stark difference between the old and new 9. The old 9 has very small greens with limited bunkering, while the newer ones are considerably bigger with more bunkering. One thing that is consistent though is the difficulty of the greens. They are some of the toughest both to hit in regulation and to putt. The old greens generally are tilted front to back severely, and don\u2019t have a ton of internal contours. The new ones on the other hand feature a lot of internal contours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While looking like an unassuming, small town Wisconsin course the greens at Portage make it a pretty tough test admittedly. All at under 6000 yards from the back tees!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conditions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Conditions at Portage are fair. Greens are usually above average. They do keep them a bit slower generally which I like and think helps to provide more fun on the greens. Fairways and tees can be a bit long and sparse in places. Not bad enough to avoid playing, but something to note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Atmosphere<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The atmosphere is peculiar at Portage. The buildings are split with a small pro shop next to the larger bar and restaurant. The buildings give off a Northwoods supper club vibe to me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The course itself is split into almost 3 separate sections, with a road with 6 houses on it cutting right through the area the original 9 sat on. The area closest to the clubhouse south of the road is incredibly claustrophobic. Humorously so if I am being honest. The 9th<\/sup> green is so close to the parking lot(a portion that people park\/drive in!) you can easily hit one into it. It has to be less then 10 yards, and you really do need to think about where you park to avoid having your car getting hit. The 1st<\/sup> tee is also directly next to the 9th<\/sup> green with a net separating them. It is not the current owners fault as there is no where else for the parking lot, but it really is amazing and has to be seen to be believed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent Changes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One last thing to note is that in the last 2 years the course has gotten rid of the old 2nd<\/sup> hole(a tight and hilly short par 4) as well as the long par 3rd<\/sup> by the lake to add homes\/bigger parking lot. They now use the old 3rd<\/sup> green as a blind par 3 from atop a hill, and have added a bit of a makeshift par 3 for #6. I\u2019m sure it was made for financial reasons, but has made the golf course worse. I played the new 2nd<\/sup> after the had just completed the project and it does not work well. I can\u2019t speak to if it was changed in any way in 2021. On to holes to note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Holes to Note<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

1st Hole – Par 4<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For all of my talk about the claustrophobic nature of the property the 1st<\/sup> and 9th<\/sup> are actually both quite good! Specially talking of the 1st<\/sup>, the tee shot is from a bit of a shoot of trees onto a very wide fairway that slopes left to right. You\u2019ll need to hit a shot moving right to left pretty severely to stay on the fairway. The closer you hug the left side, the better chance you will have to see the green on your approach. The green is quite small and sloped back to front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5th Hole – Par 4<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 5th<\/sup> sits in the flattest portion of the property but is a dogleg left. Woods are present on the left with parkland trees on your right. The fairway is quite wide however. As you turn to see the green you are met with an absolute fortress of a green. It does not look like the old 9 or the new 9. I really don\u2019t know what the story is, but the surface is huge and built up quite a bit. A large bunkers also defends the front. In all honesty a good hole, but one that does not fit in with the rest of the course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7th Hole – Par 4<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 7th<\/sup> is a fun, short, dogleg left par 4. The tee shot is downhill to what looks like a very wide landing area. However, the green sits in a hollow with oak trees surrounding it meaning players who hit tee shots to the left will be blocked out unless they are far enough back. The surface itself is sloped severely right to left and away from the player, so shots can be played short and right and rolled onto the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
7th Tee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
7th Tee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

8th Hole – Par 5<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

8 features one of my least favorite tee shots anywhere. Tight, and with a fairly steep hill starting just off the tee. That being said I really, really like the rest of the hole. It turns 90 degrees to the right after the tee shot and features very rolling land leading to a green sitting at the top of a hill. The green on the 8th<\/sup> is also obscene. I have played over 200 courses in my life so far. The 8th<\/sup> is one of the hardest. The green is 2 tiered and small. The grade of the back to front slope is so severe you cannot keep a ball on the green from above the hole if the speeds are faster then say a 10. Chipping from above the hole? Forget about it. I\u2019ve turned a 5 into an 8 here multiple times. I shouldn\u2019t like the hole, but I do. You certainly won\u2019t see this hole anywhere else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

9th Hole – Par 5<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like I mentioned earlier the 9th<\/sup> is a good hole. The downhill tee shot is wide and is hit onto very tumbling land. The hole gets progressively tighter as you get closer to the hole. The green really isn\u2019t bad either with 2 bunkers on either side, however like I mentioned the green is way to close to the road\/parking lot. Even a good bunker player will get nervous about blading one on 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11th Hole – Par 5<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On to a unusual hole, the 11th<\/sup> is a par 5 in which less then driver is required for most players as a section of marsh cuts across the fairway. The 2nd<\/sup> shot is then played over the marsh(about 150 yards to carry) with a pond on the left and woods on the right. A very difficult 2nd<\/sup> shot. The approach is then played slightly uphill to a heavily sloping green.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15th Hole – Par 4<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A good-looking hole from the tee, the 15th<\/sup> sits in the new part of the property and is much more expansive. The hole works downhill where the fairway acts as a funnel. From 50 to 100 yards out the hole in pinched tightly by large trees on both sides. This makes the tee shot play quite tight even though the landing area appears wide. The green is narrow with bunkers on each side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

18th Hole – Par 4<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What to say about the 18th<\/sup> at Portage\u2026. Here are the facts. The road to enter the course crosses 50 yards in front of the tee and sits all along the right side. There are homes on the left. The hole is short(sub 300 yards). It is straight and the green is quite flat. The back nine really is good. Some really unique holes, but it really is a back 8. The 18th<\/sup> is bad. I wish there was something else they could do, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s possible with their space constraints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Thoughts & Grade<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Portage is never going to be a high end daily fee and that\u2019s ok. It\u2019s a course for locals that does have some interesting and definitely unique holes that are worth seeing. It also has bad ones. 2,3,4,6, and 18 are not very good, but in my mind the good holes make up for it. I wouldn\u2019t drive way out of your way, but if you\u2019re looking for something different go play the rollercoaster ride of a golf course that is Portage Country Club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Atmosphere: C<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Conditions: C<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Design: B-<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Facilities: C+<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Value: B-<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

About an hour and a half north and west of Milwaukee lies Portage Country Club. The course sits just to the east of the small city of Portage, and just north of Swan Lake. The course is very much known to locals, but I get the impression that it doesn\u2019t get much play from people…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":581,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-course-reviews"],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1069,"url":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/?p=1069","url_meta":{"origin":651,"position":0},"title":"A Bump & Run: Waushara Country Club","author":"mgrams26","date":"August 25, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"2 hours from Milwaukee, Waushara Country Club is a public course located right outside of Wautoma, WI. The course has 3 separate 9's that rotate to make a different 18 hole course each day. This review goes through a foggy early morning round I played on their Westwoods 9. Atmosphere\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Bump & Run"","block_context":{"text":"Bump & Run","link":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/20220716_074302-scaled-e1661481427773.jpg?fit=1200%2C453&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/20220716_074302-scaled-e1661481427773.jpg?fit=1200%2C453&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/20220716_074302-scaled-e1661481427773.jpg?fit=1200%2C453&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/20220716_074302-scaled-e1661481427773.jpg?fit=1200%2C453&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/20220716_074302-scaled-e1661481427773.jpg?fit=1200%2C453&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":668,"url":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/?p=668","url_meta":{"origin":651,"position":1},"title":"Bear Slide Golf Club Review & Course Profile","author":"mgrams26","date":"February 24, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The next few posts will highlight a golf trip I took to the Indianapolis area back in 2019. While certainly not known as a golf destination, I was blown away by the quality of public golf for the price. In my opinion, it is far better than around Milwaukee. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Course Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Course Reviews","link":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/?cat=19"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/20190521_182253-scaled-e1645311872492.jpg?fit=1200%2C624&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/20190521_182253-scaled-e1645311872492.jpg?fit=1200%2C624&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/20190521_182253-scaled-e1645311872492.jpg?fit=1200%2C624&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/20190521_182253-scaled-e1645311872492.jpg?fit=1200%2C624&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/20190521_182253-scaled-e1645311872492.jpg?fit=1200%2C624&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":669,"url":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/?p=669","url_meta":{"origin":651,"position":2},"title":"A Bump & Run: Monroe Golf Club","author":"mgrams26","date":"March 27, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Well off the beaten path for Milwaukee area golfers, Monroe Golf Club is a public facility, that is located about and hour south of Madison and 2 hours from Milwaukee. While I am not 100% sure of the history, I believe the course was at one time private, but has\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Course Profiles"","block_context":{"text":"Course Profiles","link":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/?cat=11"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/20201013_110845-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C663&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/20201013_110845-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C663&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/20201013_110845-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C663&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/20201013_110845-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C663&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/20201013_110845-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C663&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":291,"url":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/?p=291","url_meta":{"origin":651,"position":3},"title":"Cumberland Golf Course Review & Profile","author":"mgrams26","date":"November 19, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Located about an hour south of Luck Golf Course is Cumberland Golf Club. A popular course for locals between Eau Claire and the twin cities, but certainly not known to be a must play in the area. The course sits right outside the town of about 2,500 people. My impressions\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Course Profiles"","block_context":{"text":"Course Profiles","link":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/?cat=11"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/20170927_130752-1-scaled-e1637379800281.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/20170927_130752-1-scaled-e1637379800281.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/20170927_130752-1-scaled-e1637379800281.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/20170927_130752-1-scaled-e1637379800281.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/20170927_130752-1-scaled-e1637379800281.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":964,"url":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/?p=964","url_meta":{"origin":651,"position":4},"title":"Western Lakes Golf Club Review & Course Profile","author":"mgrams26","date":"September 4, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"After a good round in the morning an \"emergency 18\" was deemed necessary by the group on this mid May day. Scrambling for a tee time, we found one at a reasonable price at Western Lakes in the afternoon. Below is a review of the course from my time playing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Course Profiles"","block_context":{"text":"Course Profiles","link":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/?cat=11"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/20220508042235_IMG_0115-e1661739769133.jpg?fit=1200%2C474&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/20220508042235_IMG_0115-e1661739769133.jpg?fit=1200%2C474&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/20220508042235_IMG_0115-e1661739769133.jpg?fit=1200%2C474&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/20220508042235_IMG_0115-e1661739769133.jpg?fit=1200%2C474&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/20220508042235_IMG_0115-e1661739769133.jpg?fit=1200%2C474&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1148,"url":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/?p=1148","url_meta":{"origin":651,"position":5},"title":"Stevens Point Country Club Review & Course Profile","author":"mgrams26","date":"December 24, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"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\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Course Profiles"","block_context":{"text":"Course Profiles","link":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/?cat=11"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20220618003822_IMG_0241-e1671905058447.jpg?fit=1200%2C429&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20220618003822_IMG_0241-e1671905058447.jpg?fit=1200%2C429&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20220618003822_IMG_0241-e1671905058447.jpg?fit=1200%2C429&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20220618003822_IMG_0241-e1671905058447.jpg?fit=1200%2C429&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20220618003822_IMG_0241-e1671905058447.jpg?fit=1200%2C429&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflyerlie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1004160847a-rotated-e1644595125155.jpg?fit=1344%2C692&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=651"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":737,"href":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651\/revisions\/737"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theflyerlie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}