Some very interesting stories to follow over these last couple of week. 

This coming week I am excited about the Sports Philanthropy Network holiday events in DC (December 17th) and Chicago (December 19th), as well as the Aspen Institute’s event on the State of College Sports which is being held in DC on December 17th. Should be a a very interesting week ahead with lots to report next week.

NFL CELEBRATIONS—for so many years the NFL fought against allowing players to celebrate.  The moniker of the “No Fun League” seemed to fit very well.  I think one of the best things to come along in sports in a long time is the permission the NFL has given players to have fun planning, executing and enjoying the pleasure that comes along with a TD or a turnover.  Though the games are long enough, I would much rather watch the players celebrating than seeing a commercial for the 100^th time, 500^th time.  Let’s hope that they find other ways to encourage these positive spirited enhancements of the game!

CHRIS PETERSON—His retirement highlights the enormous pressure cooker college coaches are under.  NFL coaches are no different, except that very few of them are able to make it past a few years in the league.  Virtually no coach has an open ended contract, unless your name is Belichick or Tomlin.  We have seen Urban Meyer retire multiple times and there are reports he will be back. Bill Cowher took a step back and there does not appear to be much chatter connecting him to any job openings this year.   Jon Gruden stepped away for a long time before he was lured back.  Though it gets in the coach’s blood, people often underestimate the mental, physical and psychological damage it can do to the coach and his family.

49ERS ANNOUNCER—This was a very disturbing incident in which the 49ers announcer Tim Ryan stated that one of the main reasons Lamar Jackson succeeded was due to his dark skin (and uniform) being able to hide the ball on play-action and read-option plays.  The absurdity was highlighted by Jackson wearing white sleeves and white gloves and continuing to put up huge numbers.  Anyone watching his performance will tell you that his running and passing abilities have nothing to do with “hiding” the ball due to his skin color.  The announcer got the appropriate flack and hopefully this issue is put behind everyone. 

BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME—I had the privilege to get press credentials to cover the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis last Saturday night.  Indianapolis has the well-earned reputation for putting on a phenomenal show.  It was doing so for many years of NCAA tournaments, Big Ten Tournaments and other events, before the Super Bowl showcased its capabilities to a much wider audience.  The fan set up in Indy is tough to beat with the hotels and restaurants so close to the action.  The Indiana Convention Center hosted a terrific Fan Fest and pep rallies letting fans get opportunities to kick field goals, run the 40 yard dash and much more.  Some parents even let their kids get in front of them in line.   The staff at Lucas Oil Stadium does a great job hosting the media and ensuring first-class access to the field and all of the necessary resources. 

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF— Returning from the Big Ten Championship game and watching the playoff field unfold was completely anti-climactic given that there were really no strong arguments for any of the other teams, highlighting the need for an 8 team playoff to keep things interesting for more of the country and putting home field at stake!  Personally, I still hate having these games in advance of January 1^st so that the losers of the semi-finals are out of the college football talk before about half of the bowl games have even been played. 

PATRIOTS VIDEOTAPES—It is hard to believe that the Patriots are embroiled in another scandal.  You would think that they would have learned their lesson and that the specifications of working on a Patriots project would clearly articulate the need to be careful about videotaping improper areas of the field.  While it is hard to see how this would give the Patriots a competitive advantage (because anyone in the stands can videotape anything these days), there are certainly multiple troubling aspects of this issue.  First, the lack of “institutional control” in this case is surprising given the past history.  Second, the videographer’s lack of ability to articulate his purpose is somewhat troubling.  If you are filming for a particular feature, it would seem that you should be able to tell the “story” about why that film was needed.  At minimum, it is just a bad look for the Patriots, but it is also the type of incident that has seemed to galvanize the team in the past.

PRESIDENTS CUP FIGHT—Golf is typically perceived to be a game of honor and sportsmanship.  Patrick Reed’s failure to report his violation in the sand waste area created quite a storm leading into the Presidents Cup and the opposing fans at Royal Melbourne gave him an earful.  Reed’s caddy was apparently tired of it at the end of one of his rounds and got in a fans face and shoved him after the fan’s explicative filled tirade.  No matter the fan’s comments, physical assault by the caddie was unacceptable and the PGA rightfully suspended him immediately. Reed accepted that penalty.  He also responded as you would expect and came back with a dominating performance early in the singles session to help set the tone for the USA’s comeback victory.

BEARS-PACKERS—As one of the oldest rivalries in sports, this game always means a lot.  There were some very interesting plays and a finish which might have ranked up there with the famous Cal-Stanford rugby laterals (even if this one was shorter).  The Packers seemingly had no idea how to defense the play and only the failure to make the last lateral properly kept the Bears out of the end zone. It has been a difficult year for the Bears franchise and it will be interesting to watch to see how they react in the off-season.  Trubisky made a lot of very good throws in the game but still makes the critical mistakes that can turns wins into losses.

DARK WATERS—I don’t usually put much in here in terms of movie recommendations but I saw “Dark Waters” Saturday night and highly recommend it.  It depicts the highly disturbing story of DuPont and the pollution it wreaked around the disposal of the chemical compound used to make Teflon.  The compound cannot be broken down by the human body (or by most animals) and it causes all types of cancer and birth defects.  The movie traces the lawyer who fought the battle for 15 years to the detriment of his own legal career and family.  The heartbreaking elements of the story highlight the ongoing failures of the EPA, the inability of government (federal and local) to regulate chemical compounds for our food and water supplies and the challenges inherent in our legal system which allows a large well funded corporation to “bully” its own employees, cancer victims, the town hosting its plant, opposing counsel and everyone else involved in the legal process.

If you didn’t have a chance to see some of the other things I have been involved with or written recently, take a look here:

• Sports Philanthropy Newsstand, December 13, 2019
• PODCAST: Fred Mitchell, Chicago Blackhawks
• Sports Philanthropy Newsstand, December 6, 2019
• Roy’s Ramble, December 1, 2019
• PODCAST: Tony Giarla, AVP First
• Why an 8 Team Playoff Will Save College Football
• Plenty of Blame to Go Around in NFL/Kaepernick Fiasco
• PODCAST: Danya Rosen, Chicago Run
• FIRE SABAN!! Be Careful What You Wish For ‘Bama Fans
• Why Second Guessing Playcalling is Like Second Guessing Rock, Paper, Scissors
• Sports Philanthropy Newsstand, November 29, 2019
• Roy’s Ramble, November 22, 2019

HUMOR FOR THE WEEK

MOTIVATION FOR THE WEEK

WOW.

That is truly the only word that came to mind watching Tiger’s win at Augusta.  It was an impressive performance, even if it didn’t require him to shoot a lights-out round as he watched his nearest competitors dump ball after ball into Rae’s Creek on #12.   We will leave out the editorial comments on their shot selections aimed at the far right of the bunker, instead of playing for the middle of that green with the tournament on the line�shocking mistakes for players that have been around long enough to know better.

As the accolades for Tiger poured in over the last few days (all well-deserved), it got me thinking about how unlikely it was.  Not Tiger’s performance, but the fact that so many people wanted to see him do well.  As a society, we often hear about the desire to see someone comeback from a past mistake. 

But the sidelines are littered with athletes, entertainers, coaches, media members and others whose mistake was one simple act or misstatement.  Most of them do not receive the same type of support.

We see millions of Americans who have been through the criminal justice system. Virtually none of them are given much support in their second chance efforts.

Why is that?  What distinguishes the cases in which a person is crucified for life for one small mistake, and another is seemingly easily forgiven for his transgressions? 

Addiction cannot be the answer because many of the individuals who are ex-communicated from college and pro sports teams were arguably facing the same types of addiction issues.

I do not claim to have the answers to this question, but I do find it fascinating.  I wonder how much more we could accomplish as a society if employers, schools, spouses, sports leagues and media companies would grant this same level of forgiveness and support to those in their midst who needed it.

So each time you hear someone cheering on Tiger, take a minute to think through your own life and see who could use that support from you!!

Each week I take a quick look at some of the stories and news that I found most interesting.  This space will include some sports, but not all of the sports stories that I normally follow in the areas of sports philanthropy, sports law, sports business, Jewish sports, concussions and otherwise.  If you want to see more of what I am following in those areas, let me know and I can point you to the best spots on my blogs and websites.  You will see that I love to find some of life’s little absurdities and point those out as well as other interesting stories that I follow.

GRAPHICS OF THE WEEK

WEEK ENDING APRIL 14, 2019

• Tiger’s win at Augusta. Obviously one of the biggest stories this weekend. An impressive feat. I have never been a Tiger fan, but it was an incredible win and a comeback for the ages. Despite my feelings about Tiger, you can read here about how I do give him credit for two very impressive accomplishments. My other question about Tiger, or more his audience, is whether they would give others the same second chances Tiger has received. I routinely see sports related people fired, shunned and shamed for far less than cheating with 100+ women. Seeing all of the joy and redemption stories made me wonder about this double standard. It was fun to see a strong leaderboard the last couple days.

• Concussion research advance.   One big story this week was the study released by Boston University which seems to bring us closer to being able to diagnose CTE in living people. While the diagnosis alone will not get us where we need to be, it will allow a much more rapid progression in the identification of the disease and give us some ability to work on treatments.

• Daylight Time vs. Standard Time.             So if you are in Chicago, in April, does an invitation for 7 p.m. CST mean 7 p.m. CDT? Or is the person sending a stealth invitation for 7 p.m. MDT?  I am not sure why this concept is so difficult.  But there are a large number of people (and media) that incorrectly publish times for an event in Standard Time when we are in Daylight Time.  Part of me always wants to email back to them to ask whether 7 p.m. CST really meant that, or whether they meant 7 p.m. Central Daylight Time.  I am sure they are only confused because we spend many more months on Daylight Time than we do on Standard Time

• Night for Victory.                             The Northwestern Gridiron Network held a beautiful event at the Godfrey Hotel on Saturday night.  Fantastic venue on the rooftop lounge.  Impressive turnout to raise money that they were targeting for customized helmets, allegedly to reduce concussions.  While better equipment can help, I am always wary of players feeling unduly” safe in particular equipment.  The rooftop setting itself was beautiful and the Purple Arch Venture hosts did an impressive job with the decorations.  Take a look at these photos.

• Alley-Oop to Alliyah. My friend David Goldstein from Toronto was in Chicago for a couple of Lunch and Learns” where he spoke about his book Alley-Oop to Alliyah. It is an impressive piece of work about the trail of African-American basketball players that have moved on to play professional basketball in Israel, and how their presence in Israel has made an impact on their lives as well as on the lives of the Israeli’s around them. Many of them have chosen to remain in Israel after their playing careers because they felt that they were treated better in Israel than in most other places that they have lived. If you would like to have David visit your community, let me know and I can put you in contact with him. I think you will enjoy the presentation and I know that I am looking forward to reading the book.

• Diverticulitis.    Typically spending a whole day in the urgent care clinic and the ER are not fun.  And this past Tuesday was spent in that fashion.  But instead of being aggravated with the slow” service, I was thankful for how quickly things were handled, how fortunate I was to be able to receive that type of medical care and how ultimately they only found something that was a short term issue.   Diverticulitis is much better than a burst appendix or dozens of other options that it could have been.  The biggest problem was not the pain, but the effect of two heavy anti-biotics that knocked me out for much of the week.  I rarely take any type of meds for pain so I was surprised to feel so sluggish and lethargic.  I dragged myself out to a few meetings, but really didn’t start feeling better until Sunday.

• NCAA Men’s Championship Game.         I was happy to see Virginia win the National Championship because I am a fan of Tony Bennett.  A tremendous turnaround from last season when Virginia became the first #1 seed to lose to a #16 seed.   I like Bennett’s leadership style and have followed him since his playing days at UWGB.  Virginia had two of the most improbable wins that I have ever seen in their Elite 8 win against Purdue and semifinal win against Auburn.   When Purdue poked that ball into the backcourt and less than 5 seconds remained, the odds of Virginia pulling that out had to be under 5%.  With 10 seconds left in the Auburn game, the odds might have been even lower.

• Illinois Boxing Hall of Fame.       I have never been to this dinner event before, but with my friend Al Bernstein being inducted, it was fantastic to see over 600 people in the crowd to honor him.   The energy in the room was impressive and this was one of the best limos that I have ever seen.

• JNF Lawyers Breakfast. Held the day after the Israeli election, this breakfast took a bit of a detour to examine the results of the election and challenges that will be faced in putting together a new government.  Israel always has political challenges but this particular election may hold the fate of some of the biggest decision’s in the country’s history.

• Traction.              I was invited to an interesting lunch presentation by a company called Insperity.  The presentation focused on a book called Traction and the system for helping a business analyze how to prepare themselves for growth.   The presentation took us through a process called EOS (Entrepreneur Operating System) but the presentation itself was probably better suited to a small group for a working session than for a lunch presentation.  But the substance of the presentation had some terrific content and if you are interested in hearing more about it I can connect you to my host.

As we see Tiger Woods lurking near the top of the leaderboard after the first day of the 2019 Masters, we hear a lot of people in the golf world (and beyond), talking about what a Tiger victory would mean to the golf world.  There can be no doubt about his drawing power and the TV ratings that he drives for any golf tournament in which he participates.  The energy and passion around the events go up tenfold when he competes.

Still, I have always argued that Tiger’s two biggest accomplishments have come outside of competition.

DRESS CODE

For almost the last 100 years, a collared shirt has been a mandate at virtually every golf club in the United States (and most other countries).  Try walking onto a private country club in a tank-top, t-shirt or anything other than a standard polo, and you will be rapidly escorted either back to your vehicle (to leave) or directly to the pro-shop (to purchase a new shirt).

Tiger changed that.  Almost single-handedly. I saw almost because we know that Nike had an enormous influence in that marketing play, but even Nike would not have had the power to institute that change, but for Tiger’s power.

The fact that Tiger could show up wearing a mock-turtleneck shirt at one golf tournament and that the entire golf industry would be flipped upside-down is a testament to that power. 

I doubt that you can think of any athlete who created such a large change.  Even Michael Jordan’s famed Air Jordan brand did not have that same influence.  High-tops were a strong fashion before and while he took them to an entirely new level, it was still essentially just a redesign of an existing product.

On the chart of golf fashion, this was a true seismic change.

AFFAIRS

Tiger’s other accomplishment” is equally astounding, though less exemplary.  While he was roaming the globe with all of his golf success, Tiger was apparently sneaking around behind his wife’s back.  This is hardly noteworthy, since it occurs on a daily basis. 

What makes his story different is not that he had a beautiful wife and young children.

The remarkable element of his story is that Tiger was able to keep over 100 women quiet.  His cheating remained hidden from social media, from leaks from his agency, leaks from his friends and leaks from the women he was keeping time with.

In a world where any action, inaction or mis-deed goes viral within seconds, it is truly hard to fathom how Tiger was able to keep a lid on this story for so long.  Having the ability to keep that many women happy (or at minimum, not angry”) is a huge accomplishment.

For better or for worse.

It should be an interesting weekend at Augusta.  But in my view, even a Tiger win will no eclipse either of these accomplishments.

Each week I am planning to look at some of the stories and news that I found most interesting.  This space will include some sports, but not all of the sports stories that I normally follow in the areas of sports philanthropy, sports law, sports business, Jewish sports, concussions and otherwise.  If you want to see more of what I am following in those areas, let me know and I can point you to the best spots on my blog or various websites.  You will see that I love to find some of life’s little absurdities and point those out as well as other interesting stories that I follow.

MOTIVATIONAL IMAGES OF WEEK:

OTHER TOP IMAGES OF THE WEEK:

ROY’S RAMBLE:

• Buffalo Wild Wings.  I went to watch the Michigan State-Texas Tech game at Buffalo Wild Wings.  One of the few places now that has the sound on for the games.  Apparently BWW created new menus that the waiter said are supposed to remind you of a coaches clipboard.  Horrible idea. Very awkward and clumsy.   D-minus to the marketing staff.  Waiter said everyone hates them.

• Golf.      A friend treated me to the first round of golf we have played together in a few years. Beautiful day on Saturday and nice to be out there. We used to get in about 25 rounds a year together, but family and work seemed to get in the way the last couple of decades.  I always find some good things to laugh at on the golf course.  This day’s prime item was the way many golfers overestimate how far they can hit the ball.  We had a twosome in front of us that was waiting to hit until the group ahead of them was 300+ yards away.  I am not sure we saw either of them hit any ball 200 yards in the air. Most of them were dribblers or shanks.  On two par fives, they waited for the group to clear the green when they were at their tee shots�about 200 yards off the tee.  Still it is always great being out on the course even with clueless golfers.  I managed to scrape out a few pars and even knocked in a birdie. 

• Neuroplasticity training.              .               Last weekend I got certified in neuroplasticity training and will have more details and information for you about that service soon.  This will be a great benefit to so many organizations and so many individuals that could use the help getting their brain to function more efficiently.

• Cancelled meetings.      Many of us have busy schedules. We all recognize meetings get cancelled, rescheduled or arrivals may be delayed.  But it amazes me when someone fails to let you know that they won’t make a meeting until you email to confirm, EVEN WHEN THEY ARE OUT OF TOWN.   TWICE.  Hey, newsflash.  If you are out of town an hour before our meeting, you knew you were not going to make it that day.

• JT Foxx.  Until about a year ago, I had never heard of JT Foxx.  I attended one of his free events in Chicago last summer. He bills himself as The World’s #1 Wealth Coach.”  Though he comes across as cocky and though he can be hard on some of the attendees that he brings up for coaching, there can be no doubt about his work ethic.  He presents all around the world and opens up many of his events for free.  Having now attended my 4^th event of his, there can also be no doubt that he has some tremendous ideas and helps many people improve their lives.  He does it in a very different way to Tony Robbins, but the impact is very real.  You can read more details here.

• Fundraisers Forum.         Led by Rae Ringel, this was an outstanding event.  You read more details about it here, but if you work with non-profits or try to raise money, her presentations are fantastic and worth of a more detailed look.

• Vendor response. I am planning the Sports Philanthropy World Congress in August. As I was looking for venues for the event, I sent out emails inquiring about availability. It continues to amaze me how unresponsive many companies are, even when you are trying to give them business. One venue that was pitching me for business took over 10 days to provide any of the requested information via email (and even then, came back with only about half of what was requested). #VendorFail

• Final Four.           I hate seeing games decided by controversial endings.  The end of the Virginia/Auburn game was tremendous drama but the missed call on the double dribble will be questioned for a long time.  However, what about the missed grab before that?  Would that have cancelled the other missed call out?  The final call on the 3-point shot was the correct call and was explained very well by Gene Steratore.  He is one of the most articulate referees that we have seen on TV and continually provides great insight. This year’s tournament seems to have the largest collection of tight games that I have seen in many, many years.  It will be tough to top Virginia’s two improbably victories.

• Health Club Redux. You may have read my prior post about the 12 Most Absurd Things You See at the Health Club.” I may have to start a volume two. Today one elderly member kicked two teenagers out of the hot tub because they were not technically old enough, even though they were probably only a few months short of the age requirement. Mind you, plenty of space there. They were sitting quietly and talking.

SMT Golf held a terrific promotional presentation at Ruffled Feathers Golf Club in Lemont, Illinois, on February 15, 2019.  Mike Tait does a terrific job of coming up with creative fundraising games and programs to help the organizations raise money for their particular causes. 

SMT runs over 300 events per year and Mike continues to come up with new ways to help the organizations secure more participation and make the events more fun for the golfers.

If you take a look at the specific games SMT puts together, you see that the organization can have a wide array of choices for their population. 

Over 50 event planners attended and were treated to a first-class lunch by Ruffled Feathers as they put out a great spread to showcase their event hosting capabilities.  Ruffled Feathers does a first class job at their events and you could easily see why it is a premier facility in the Chicago area.

If you are looking for innovative ideas for your golf event, SMT might have the answers.  While some may find the games gimmicky, only you can determine if they are a good fit for your golfing audience.  For your company outings and Chamber of Commerce type of events, I think their games fit pretty well.

However, if you host an event with a more serious contingent of golfers, their competitive spirit is unlikely to want to skip” playing several of the holes, even if the games provide the golfers with an artificially inflated scoring.

Most importantly, it is great to see golf season coming around the corner.  Winter has already been too long and we are anticipating even more snow ahead this coming week.

Wisconsin has some terrific golf courses that are unknown to many travelers around the country.  If you fly in to Chicago, Milwaukee or Minneapolis, many of these courses are reachable in no more than 3-4 hours drive (and some much less).

Let’s be clear on one thing, this list is NOT going to include courses which host national tournaments such as Erin Hills, Blackwolf Run or Whistling Straits or highly priced substitutes that are popping up like The Bull and Fire Ridge.

But if you are looking for value and diverse holes, this set of courses has them.

This list is in alphabetical order and for those of you not familiar with the areas we have included the general location as well.

• Bog (Saukville–Milwaukee area)

I am not even sure how to describe this course.  Hmm.  Hard comes to mind.   There are certainly no gimme holes on this one and nothing that screams out birdie.  But you definitely have some room to miss it a bit off the tee and many holes have generous landing areas.  But the routing of the course makes missed shots difficult to recover from.  One nice element is you rarely have to worry about balls coming at you from other directions.  Most of the holes are well defined.  The most memorable are probably the Par-5 14th, which takes you into an open tee shot and then WAY up a hill to a blind green.   Seems very easy to get there in two and challenge the shortcut but it is more difficult than it looks.  The course does an excellent job incorporating the wetlands and other natural terrain.  The condition on this course is usually excellent.  Keep an eye out for deals since they do run lots of promotions.

• Brown Deer Park (Milwaukee area)

You would think that a course that has hosted the GMO for so many years would be well known.  But many people still fail to associate the tournament with this venue which can be played for a very reasonable price.  With many holes cut through old oak trees, Brown Deer was the site of Tiger Woods’ first PGA event as a pro.  Many of the holes will give you room to miss off the tee but you can easily end up being blocked out on your next shot if you swing wildly (like most of do!!).  It is always fun to get a crack at a PGA Tour venue and especially when it can be done for considerably less than most PGA venues.

• Geneva National (Lake Geneva area)

I had a long debate about this course.  Although it is one of my favorite set of courses in the state, the typical asking price is $125+ at prime times.  So ultimately I decided that you should know that not only would it be worth that cost for the 3 designs by Player, Palmer and Trevino, but that you can deals virtually every day in the afternoon (after 2 pm) for around $70-75 and they have standing specials allowing 36 holes for about $125 if you start early and take a short break between rounds.  That makes these courses a bargain in comparison to some of the other Lake Geneva properties like Grand Geneva, The Abbey and Hawks View.   Geneva National is semi-private with memberships available, but essentially two of the three courses are open to the public every day.  My personal favorite is the Player but the Palmer is not far behind.  Trevino is still a very nice golf course but just doesn’t quite measure up to the other two.  The courses are almost always in great condition and the greens are usually quick.  The setting is tremendous as the clubhouse is up high looking down over the finishing hole of the Palmer against the backdrop of Lake Como.

• Eagle Creek Golf Club, Hortonville (near Appleton)

This one shocked me.  Driving up to a friend’s cabin near Eagle River where they promised me some interesting 9-hole courses, I put my foot down and demanded we play at least one 18 hole course on the way up. J  In the middle of nowhere (hey!!!  Not everything in Wisconsin is the middle of nowhere you big city slickers!!!), this course had a surprisingly diverse set of golf holes that incorporates some streams, woods, marsh and wetlands.  Although you have room off the tee on most holes, do not assume that being wild will give you a good angle on your second shot (though few of them will be blocked).  Certainly worth a stop on the way up to Northern Wisconsin or for a Packers game.  The 4^th thru the 9^th holes can stand toe-to-toe with almost any stretch in the state.

• Lake Arrowhead (Nekoosa�Central Wisconsin�35 miles north of Wisconsin Dells)

Boasting two courses (Pines and Lakes) in little known Nekoosa, Lake Arrowhead is one of the finest pair of public courses you can find.  Located in central Wisconsin you can easily combine this with a trip to SentryWorld, The Ridges or Trappers Turn to makes for a fun weekend of golf.  Many of the holes are carved out of the pine trees which line the fairways so hitting off pine needles will become second nature by the time you are done here.  Both courses are highly rated as the Pines course originally opened in 1982 and is one of Golf Digest’s 75 Places to Play.  The Lakes is a more difficult challenge and was named one of Golf Digest’s Best New Public Course in 1999.

• Lawsonia (Green Lake)

Apparently there are two Green Lakes in Wisconsin so make sure that you pick the right one to end up here.  These courses could not stand in more stark contrast to each other.  Unlike Lake Arrowhead which features two courses with similar feel, at Lawsonia you have the Links Course (which is a links style course) and the Woodlands (which has a lot of trees�go figure).  But the interesting part about these two is that the ground under the courses feels different too.  The entire Links Course has a much firmer feel to the ground and you will get much more roll and bounce.  One of the hardest par-3’s you will find anywhere as you hit the 7^th hole which reportedly has a rail car buried underneath.  Miss off the edge of the green and you will have a brutal pitch shot.  On the Woodlands, you get a completely different style with a quarry on the 2^nd hole, a lot of trees and some challenging elevation changes.  This is an excellent venue if you want to get in 36 in one day without having to move around.  And if you want to stay overnight on the way back from central Wisconsin and some of the other courses, we recommend the Barnacle.  Do not expect luxury (nor phones in the room) but it will be an experience!!

• Oaks (just outside Madison)

This is one of those courses that leaves you shaking your head and saying how did  Iput up such a bad score here??”  There are some very difficult holes, but many of them look innocuous as you line up to play.   So sneaky tough” is probably the best description of this course.  One element I really liked is the diversity of the holes which required you to hit many different clubs (unless, like one of my foursome, you can hit it 325 every time and then you only need a wedge).  When you get done playing you will realize that this is a well designed course that requires excellent shot-making to put up a good number.   Don’t get flustered on a few of the tough holes and take yourself out of the round (and don’t hurt your back like I did trying to hack a 7-iron out of thick weeds instead of pitching out).

• Ridges (Wisconsin Rapids)

What do you do when you have a tremendous nine hole layout but many golfers do not want to come and play because you are not a full 18?  You buy a bit of extra farmland around the property and throw up another 9 holes.  Now if this sounds like I am bashing the front nine I really am not.  It still has a few interesting holes but let’s be serious.  It was only put there to draw you to the back-nine.  And that is fine.  Because the back-nine is worth the entire trip.  A dogleg left around a steeply banked hill opens the back.  And before you get done, you have played some of the most interesting and unusual holes you will find anywhere, and only a couple of them are completely unfair (yes #13, I am talking to you!!).  This is definitely a course where a bit of local knowledge would go a long way as some of the shot values are very deceptive.  The Ridges is one of the most different” courses I have played but I truly enjoyed the experience, and not only because I was able to eagle the last hole (but hitting my second shot off a tree, and then hitting a put that I thought was going to stop 15 feet short of the hole and was complaining and moaning as I turned away before I saw it drop in the hole).

• Silver Spring Country Club (Menominee Falls)

This is an unusual selection because it is really a different caliber course from most of the others.  This is more of a municipal type of venue, but it has a lot of interesting holes and has expanded to a 36 hole facility (Island Course and Falls Course).  You would expect to see this diversity at higher end courses, but Silver Spring CC can really require a lot of good shots.  From the downhill dogleg right to open, to the island green 8^th hole (the only natural Island green in Wisconsin), you will get plenty of challenges here making it an easy stopping point if you are at meetings in Milwaukee or on your way to a Badger or Packer football game.  This is a very fair venue even for high handicappers but do not make the mistake of thinking it is an easy course or that you will shoot a low number!!  If you only have time for one of the courses, I recommend the Island Course.

• SentryWorld (Stevens Point)

One of the finest public courses you could find anywhere in the country.  SentryWorld was built by Sentry Insurance and contains the infamous Par-3 16^th known as the Flower Hole”.  This hole has 45,000flowers and numerous of species of flowers.  It is truly a sight to see in full bloom.  Typically very well manicured, SentryWorld is worth the trip if you are able to get there (or to sneak away from your family at the Dells if you are vacationing there).   Every single hole has its own space and routing so there are almost no places on the course where you will be in someone else’s fairway or vice versa (yet will manage somehow, don’t we?).    One of my favorite holes is the Par-4, 13^th and not only because I was able to snake a couple of skins from one of my good buddies two years in a row from the most unlikeliest locations.  A sharp dogleg right it tempts you to drive over the bunkers to cut the corner but you really do not need to cut it that finely as a solid tee shot leaves only a middle iron into a green which is set on a difficult angle to the fairway.  The sand is typically VERY soft and fine so you should expect a very buried lies if you are unfortunate enough to hit it into the bunkers.  17 is another difficult hole as it winds down to the left with a very tough angle to a narrow green set between a lake and an (unfairly) close fence with a cart ball that will bounce you OB (no, I am not still bitter about that shot!!).   Make sure you start early enough because I am still not sure that I have ever completed 18 in full daylight.   If this course was in Chicago, it would cost $150 or more.  Great layout and very interesting holes.

• Trappers Turn (Wisconsin Dells)

This facility features three nines:  Arbor, Canyon and Lake.  Do you remember many holes where you have a fan circulating the air around the green?  That is what you typically see on the Par-3 7^th hole on the Canyon.  From the tee, the funnel down to the hole looks inviting until you get a bad kick that sends you to the far side of the green with severe undulations.   The closing Par-5 hole on the Canyon is something you rarely see.  Almost straight downhill, a good drive with a bit of draw can go well over 300 yards.  But then you are still left with a long second off a downhill lie to try to reach the green in two.  Tempting but trouble lurks on each side.  The first hole of the Canyon is very pretty with a dogleg and a stream defining the setting.  In between you probably see a more diverse set of topography here than any other course I can remember.  You have a mix of rivers, lakes, trees, links, quarry, hills and ravines.  Plenty of stay and play packages as well as many of the Wisconsin Dells resorts. 

• University Ridge�(Verona (Madison area))

Here I go again stretching the definition of hidden gem.  This course has a well deserved reputation in the area and regionally but lacks a lot of national recognition.  (I always felt that they mis-named the course from a branding perspective because University Ridge is too generic to be associated with Madison, Wisconsin, while Badger Ridge would have created a much better branded connection�but that is another story).  The nines are vastly different as the front nine is a links style course.  The second hole is an interesting Par-5 with a tough carry on your tee shot and a semi-blind 2^nd (if you can reach) into a green that is sunken down in a ravine.   If you are a big hitter, go play the 4^th hole from the back tees.  I dare you!!  That is probably one of the most intimidating tee shots that I have ever seen.  And even if you get it in the fairway you have a tough uphill second shot which will be partially obscured by trees if you are in the left half of the fairway.  The front features the rare combination of 3 of each hole: Par-3, Par-4, Par-5. This allows you to score a little bit if you hit the ball well.  Back when you make the turn to the back nine, one of the biggest changes of scenery on any course.  The back is cut out of woods almost all the way around and while there is room to make it playable, you cannot be wild.  When you stand on the 10^th tee you will see what to expect for the rest of your round.  The 16^th is a very unusual Par-5 which allows you to play left or right of some enormous trees, the right side allowing a very good chance to get home in two (but miss your tee shot and you are in BIG trouble).  A tough Par-3 17^th runs along the edge of a pond and if you survive to that point you reach the closing hole which is a big uphill, dogleg left, Par-4.  Cut off as much as you dare but if you don’t cut off anything you will have almost no chance to reach the green in regulation.  A great pro-shop with a huge selection of merchandise and great practice facility and putting green allow you to spend plenty of time warming up for the challenge.

One of the notable omissions here is Wild Rock at the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells.  I have heard great things about the course but did not include it here since I have not yet played it.  There are also some very interesting nine hole courses if you get up around the Eagle River area.  If you only have time for nine, I suggest Lake Forest Golf Club and Plum Lake Golf Club (a beautiful setting if you can time to end as the sun is going down�9:30 pm in the summer).

We hope you enjoyed this list and welcome your feedback to rkessel@sportsloop.com and your recommendations for what other areas you would like to see us cover.  And next time you are in heading to check out these courses, make sure you email me because it is never that hard to twist my arm and tempt me to go play.