Eagle Springs Golf Resort

Favorite Hole

No. 1, par 4, 298 yards

What better way to open a round at a new course than to have a giant hill staring you back in your face? The opener at Eagle Springs features a giant ridge just in front of the putting green, and the first tee creates a fully blind opening tee shot. Once over the slope, the hole has a tremendous center ridge that runs into the green with a left plateau and right punchbowl (as mentioned in the above section).

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‍Overall Thoughts‍

Family-run golf courses have become fewer and farther between in recent decades, but the mom-and-pop Eagle Springs Golf Resort is still going strong after more than a century. The golf course is unlike anything else you’ll see in the game, which certainly helps. The first, second, fourth, and seventh holes are genuinely striking. The first and second, in particular, embody the combination of bold design and wise stewardship that has kept Eagle Springs in business for well over a century.

The Volcano second hole is the star of Eagle Springs – bigger and steeper than any other Volcano I’ve encountered. This 134-yard par 3 takes “hit it or else” to new heights. If you hit the tiny green, you should have an excellent birdie opportunity. If you miss, you’ll be facing a pitch up the 20-plus-foot bank and probably just hoping for a bogey.

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Volcano holes are polarizing, in general. Given its severity, the second has been especially so. As Bolan puts it, “There’s people who play here because they have heard about it, there’s people that hate it, and there’s people who find it hard to believe there’s a hole like that.”

Thankfully, Bolan didn’t overreact to the criticism, but he did see a problem developing. The slope is so severe that older players were having trouble making it to the green. His older regulars started skipping the hole, and Bolan feared that they might start skipping the course altogether. But instead of permanently altering the hole, as many owners would have, Bolan went for a creative solution: He built an alternate green. Bolan and his small staff spent four years on tree clearing and other work, but eventually they created an alternate second hole, a downhill par 3, so the iconic Volcano hole could stay intact.

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The first hole at Eagle Springs has also benefited from sensitive stewardship. A highly atypical opener, it’s a blind but drivable par 4. The tee box sits next to the clubhouse and points you toward a massive ridge that conceals the hole. You just have to pick a line and hope it’s right. Running all the way to the green, the ridge forms a hog’s-back fairway, kicking misses to the right farther to the right and vice versa on the left. All in all, this hole is a Welcome to Eagle Springs moment. It tells you to expect the unusual.

Always a tremendous hole, the first became even better when Bolan expanded the green. Originally, the green was a small punchbowl. Now, that feature makes up the right half of the green. Seeking more pins, Bolan added a left plateau, which adds some welcome complexity and day-to-day variety to the hole. The right and left pins play completely differently.

Bolan’s thoughtful additions have helped Eagle Springs stay fresh and up to date. But more importantly, his restraint has preserved the quirks and unique features that make the course a must-see.

A legacy

Now in his 60s, Bolan has hinted he might be the last in his family line to own and operate Eagle Springs Golf Resort. While his stepchildren love the course, each has a life outside of Eagle, Wisconsin. But Bolan has already established a strong legacy at Eagle Springs, one that should be a model for other mom-and-pop golf course owners. He made prudent financial decisions, but he refused to allow the course to languish. His improvement projects were creative and low-cost. As a result, Bolan not only kept Eagle Springs alive in times when many facilities of its type perished, but he actually made the course better. His work testifies to what a single enlightened owner can accomplish, even on a shoestring budget.

Today, a lot of positive press goes to the developers of destination resorts and the owners of upscale private clubs. Some of it is well deserved. But what the golf world really needs is more people like Mike Bolan.

1 Egg

(How We Rate Courses)

There are, without a doubt, weak holes at Eagle Springs, but it delivers exceptional highs and a genuine once-in-a-lifetime shot. Between the standout holes, the history, stewardship, and commitment to affordability, I am giving Eagle Springs an Egg. It deserves to be mentioned among the best nine-hole courses in America.

Course Tour

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Additional Content

Just the Yolk: What Makes a Great Green? (Article)

The Oldest Golf Course in Wisconsin (Fried Egg Golf Podcast)