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Golf Trips / Midwest / Wisconsin

Plan Your Sand Valley Golf Trip in 60 Seconds

Wisconsin's answer to Bandon — sand-dune golf in the middle of nowhere

Mike Keiser's inland Bandon: firm, fast, walking-only links carved from 12,000 acres of prehistoric sand dunes in central Wisconsin. Coore & Crenshaw, David McLay Kidd, and Tom Doak all built here. This is a pure golf pilgrimage — you stay on property, you walk, and you play until you can't.

5
courses
Summer, Fall
best season
CWA
45 min drive
<10k
town size
The rota

Courses

Sand Valley (Coore & Crenshaw)Bucket ListTOP 100 PUBLIC

The original Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw design that started it all — heaving sandy fairways and exposed dunes

$195–$395
Par 72 · 6,913 yds
links · walkable
Mammoth Dunes (David McLay Kidd)Bucket ListTOP 100 PUBLIC

David McLay Kidd's wide, generous, dramatic dunescape — playable for the whole crew but visually massive

$195–$395
Par 73 · 6,988 yds
links · walkable
The Lido (Tom Doak recreation)Bucket List

A faithful recreation of C.B. Macdonald's lost 1917 Long Island masterpiece — golf archaeology you can play

$250–$450
Par 72 · 7,000 yds
links · walkable
Sedge Valley (Tom Doak)PremiumDESIGNER CLASSIC

Tom Doak's 2024 heathland tribute to England's classics — short par 68 that plays bigger than the card

$150–$325
Par 68 · 5,829 yds
heathland · walkable
The Sandbox (par-3 course)PremiumHIDDEN GEM

17-hole Coore & Crenshaw par-3 with cold beers, big bets, and zero stress — the best afternoon on property

$75–$150
Par 51 · 1,652 yds
links · walkable
Base camp

Where to Stay

resort houseSleeps 4–16

$400–$1,600 /night

On-resort cottages and lodge rooms at Sand Valley — book a cluster of cottages for the group

on-site golfwalk to first teemultiple restaurantsfire pitscaddie program
houseSleeps 8–16

$300–$800 /night

Lake-area rentals around Wisconsin Rapids / Nekoosa / Castle Rock Lake, 20-30 min from the resort

full kitchenlake accessdeckgrill
The table

Dining

Mammoth Bar

$$
casual

The resort's social hub — burgers, beers, and the post-round scene overlooking Mammoth Dunes

Aldo's Farm to Table

$$$
farm-to-table

Resort's upscale farm-to-table dining room for the big group steak-and-wine night

Craig's Porch

$$
casual

Sandwiches, breakfast, and turn food at the Sandbox — easy daytime fuel between loops

Lake Hub (Wisconsin Rapids)

$$
brewpub

Local Wisconsin Rapids gastropub if you want to get off-property one night

After the round

Nightlife

Mammoth Bar

patio

Big patio, fire pits, and dune views — where every Sand Valley night begins and ends

The Volcano (fire-pit lounge)

Late night
patio

Open-air fire-pit gathering spot for cigars, whiskey, and settling the day's bets

Sandbox Bar

patio

Order a beer at the turn and play the 17-hole par-3 with a drink in hand

Off days

Activities

Lake Leopold paddle & swim

kayaking2-3 hours$0–$40/pp

Kayaks, paddleboards, and a spring-fed swimming lake right on the resort for a rest-day reset

Sand Valley Tennis & Pickleball

go karts1-2 hours$20–$50/pp

On-property grass tennis and pickleball courts for a non-golf competitive outlet

Central Sands fishing & hunting

fishinghalf day$50–$150/pp

Guided fishing on the area's lakes and rivers, or sporting clays nearby in the off-golf hours

Ready when you are

Build the Sand Valley trip.

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Nearby

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