Sand Valley

A trip to Sand Valley Golf Resort feels like a modern American answer to the great golf pilgrimages—remote enough to feel purposeful, yet refined in its understanding of why golfers travel in the first place. Set among sprawling sand barrens in central Wisconsin, Sand Valley succeeds by combining scale, simplicity, and architectural confidence, creating an experience that is both relaxed and deeply serious about the golf.

At the heart of any visit now sits The Lido, a course whose story alone justifies the trip. Originally designed by C.B. Macdonald on Long Island in 1917, The Lido was considered by many historians to be his most ambitious work—an idealized expression of strategic golf built with bold templates, massive scale, and uncompromising intent. Lost during World War II, it existed for decades only in photographs, notes, and myth. Its modern reconstruction at Sand Valley, guided by exhaustive research and architectural reverence, is less an homage than a resurrection. Playing it today is a rare opportunity to experience Golden Age strategy exactly as it was imagined: heroic carries, demanding angles, and greens that place a premium on positioning rather than perfection. Because access is limited, your entire trip should be planned around securing a tee time at The Lido first; everything else is secondary.

Beyond The Lido, Sand Valley offers breadth without dilution. Sand Valley itself presents expansive corridors and subtle ground movement that reward restraint, while Mammoth Dunes leans fully into width and scale, encouraging bold lines and creative recoveries. The Sandbox might be the most joyful surprise—a par-3 course that blends imagination, strategy, and replayability so effectively that it can credibly be argued as the second-best short course in the country. It’s informal, endlessly entertaining, and deceptively thoughtful, the kind of place where competitive rounds dissolve into laughter without losing architectural integrity.

Off the course, the resort’s lodging and communal spaces reinforce the golf-first ethos. Accommodations are modern, comfortable, and intentionally understated, while evenings gravitate toward fire pits, shared meals, and conversations that linger well past sunset. The atmosphere is relaxed but purposeful, attracting golfers who care deeply about architecture without taking themselves too seriously.

Sand Valley works because it respects the past while understanding the modern golfer. It asks you to make the effort, plan carefully, and commit—especially if The Lido is your goal—but rewards that commitment with golf that feels both timeless and unmistakably alive.

Extending a Sand Valley trip is almost too easy, because the surrounding region is quietly one of the best golf corridors in the country. Sand Valley can absolutely be the centerpiece, but the reality is you could spend two full weeks in this part of the Midwest and never feel like you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. The only real question is logistics—specifically, where you’re flying in and out—because that determines whether you build a clean loop or you start stacking unnecessary drive time.

If you’re flying into Chicago, Madison, or Milwaukee, the priority add-ons are Erin Hills and Lawsonia Links. Erin Hills gives you the “big-stage” round: wide playing corridors, huge scale, and a walking experience that feels like a U.S. Open venue because it is one. Lawsonia Links is the opposite in the best way—an architecture-first, no-frills classic that just keeps delivering hole after hole. Together, they complement Sand Valley perfectly: Sand is modern, bold, and expansive; Erin is massive and athletic; Lawsonia is timeless and strategic.

From there, you can round out the trip with a handful of excellent supporting courses depending on your appetite and drive tolerance. SentryWorld brings manicured, modern resort golf and is a very easy add in the same general region. The Club at Lac La Belle gives you a more traditional Wisconsin private-club feel, while still being accessible. If you want something that plays really well as a “fun competitive day,” The Bull at Pinehurst Farms is a strong choice, and Wild Rock is another dependable add when you want a round that’s enjoyable without needing to be treated like a pilgrimage.

If you’re flying into Minneapolis, the add-on that makes the most sense is Troy Burne. It’s a clean way to extend the trip without forcing an awkward route change, and it gives you a very different style of public golf that fits well as either a warm-up or a closing round depending on your travel plan.

If you have a full week, the best “upgrade” is combining Sand Valley with Kohler / Whistling Straits. That turns the trip into a true Wisconsin super-loop: Sand Valley as the modern, fast-playing, big-sky anchor, and Kohler as the iconic lakefront championship finish. It’s a different gear—more dramatic production, bigger caddie/resort energy—but it stacks perfectly if you want the week to feel like multiple destinations rather than one extended stay.

And if you want a simple, fun add that doesn’t require extra planning, Eagle Springs is a great move on the way in or out. It’s a 9-hole course and the oldest in the state—perfect for a quick loop that still feels like it has real character and history, especially when you’re trying to squeeze in “one more swing” without committing to another full day.

Bottom line: Sand Valley can be a long weekend, but it’s also the gateway to an entire region of golf that’s absurdly deep. Plan the extension based on your airport, prioritize Erin Hills and Lawsonia if you’re coming from the east, use Troy Burne if you’re coming from Minneapolis, and if you’ve got the time, connecting it to Kohler turns the whole thing into a heavyweight Wisconsin trip.