A Firm and Fast Midwestern Golf Mecca
With its array of boundary-pushing courses, Sand Valley is the most architecturally rich destination golf resort in the country
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A Firm and Fast Midwestern Golf Mecca
With three 18-hole courses, arguably the best par-3 course in the country, a unique 12-hole offering, and access to a resuscitated Golden Age masterpiece across the street, the Sand Valley Golf Resort is a Midwestern golf mecca. The best part? It’s just over a three-hour drive from Chicago and Minneapolis and a manageable flight from much of the country.
Following the success of Bandon Dunes in Oregon and with the help of his sons Chris and Michael, Bandon Dunes developer Mike Keiser brought the Sand Valley Golf Resort to life in 2017 in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. It started with Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw’s Sand Valley, expanded with the duo’s Sandbox par-3 course and David McLay Kidd’s Mammoth Dunes in 2018, and has since added Tom Doak’s Sedge Valley and Jim Craig’s Commons. In addition, the Keiser family brought the Lido back to life in the form of a private club on the north side of Archer Avenue. The course offers Sand Valley guests limited tee-time access Sunday through Thursday and makes for a total of six golf courses available to those visiting the area.
It is clear that the Keiser family was focused on diversity in their development of the resort. From its golf courses to its food offerings and beverage scene, Sand Valley has something for everyone.
Notes
Walking Only – The courses at Sand Valley Resort and the Lido are walking-only. The resort does make rare medical exceptions for golf carts, but expect to be hoofing it on your trip.
Plan Ahead – Tee times and lodges at Sand Valley book out far in advance. Staying on site at Sand Valley earns you early tee-time access, but you’ll need to have your ducks in a row about 18 months ahead of a trip if you plan to visit with a large group of multiple foursomes. Get that group chat started early.
Second-Round Discount – If you play multiple rounds at Sand Valley in the same day, the second one is half price. This does not apply to the Sandbox. If you can muster the strength to play three courses in the same day, the third round is free.
Shuttles – Once you park in the lot at Sand Valley, you do not have to get back in your car until you leave. Whether you need a ride to a course, lodge, or restaurant, the resort’s shuttle system will help get you around.
Public Booking – Sand Valley began allowing online booking for single tee times in 2024. If you’re someone who can’t get a group together far enough ahead of time or just find yourself in the area on a road trip, check out what times are available and stop by the resort for a one-off round.
Multi-Round Days
The ever-important question for those looking to pack in as much golf as possible at a Dream Golf property: which courses do I pair together on the same day? It seems like the Keisers had this question in mind, as they offer a wide range of options for golf at Sand Valley that allow for combinations that won’t completely ruin your legs. Some thoughts:
The Big Day – Trying to do two of the Lido, Mammoth Dunes, and Sand Valley in the same day is a huge undertaking and will undoubtedly leave you dead tired at the end of the day. It’s not impossible; it’s just the most tiring way to tackle two courses in one day. If you take on the challenge, do it on the first full day of a trip. That will allow you to pair some less intensive walks toward the end of a trip and help you recover.
Mammoth Dunes / Sedge Valley – A more manageable walk that still allows you to play two 18-hole courses is the biggest walk of them all (Mammoth Dunes), and a moderate walk (Sedge Valley). More importantly, this combination allows you to pair the most forgiving course on property with another course that has width but more demand in its approach. It’s a fun look at two different styles of golf course architecture.
Sedge Valley / The Commons / Sandbox – Sand Valley prides itself on unique playing opportunities. With the addition of the Commons, there now exists a three-round experience with courses that all buck traditional American golf trends. Tom Doak’s Sedge Valley, Jim Craig’s Commons, and Coore & Crenshaw’s Sandbox are all low-impact walks. Playing these three on the same day would allow your body to still feel fresh despite having visited three different golf courses.
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Sand Valley Resort Lodge Rooms
Meant for singles and twosomes of close friends, the lodge rooms in the main paddock of Sand Valley are a great option. The rooms overlook either the first hole at Mammoth Dunes, the 18th hole at Sand Valley, or the Sandbox. In the Keiser tradition, they are equipped with what you need and little more.
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Sand Valley Lodge Suites
Want to step up your game? The suites in the main lodge at Sand Valley are located on the top level and offer a premium stay in the main building.
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Sand Valley Cottages
With more room to spread out and spend time with friends and family, the cottages at Sand Valley are a spacious alternative just a short ride from the main lodge.
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Sand Valley Estate Homes
The newest lodging option on site at Sand Valley, the estate homes around Mammoth Dunes and Sedge Valley are huge spaces that offer a truly luxurious experience. Houses usually include four bedrooms, along with communal rooms that allow for entertaining guests.
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Aldo’s
In the main lodge at Sand Valley, Aldo’s offers both breakfast and dinner and sources many of its ingredients from local farms. The breakfast buffet is solid but probably more than you need. Ordering a la carte would be my recommendation. A full dinner isn’t a cheap meal, but it’s worth it. The entrees are all excellent, and there’s a wide domestic and international wine selection. A late-night meal followed by a hangout at the nearby fire pit is a pretty great evening.
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Mammoth Bar
A great spot for anyone coming with a small group of friends to Sand Valley. Located in the main lodge, the Mammoth Bar is a cool space to meet new people staying at the resort. You can certainly have lunch and dinner here, but my advice would be to use this as more of a snack stop or nightcap. Insider tip: When you check in at the main desk, head immediately to Mammoth Bar and sip on a Spotted Cow while looking out at Mammoth Dunes. It’s a great teaser for what lies ahead.
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Craig’s Porch
For those looking to save a little cash during their visit, Craig’s Porch should be your go-to for either breakfast or lunch (or both). Craig’s Porch offers three-dollar breakfast sandwiches, two-dollar fruit cups, one-dollar tacos, and five-dollar chicken salad cups. Hell, this would be my recommended stop for everyone for the first two meals of the day.
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Bill’s BBQ
A slightly elevated casual experience, Bill’s BBQ packs a surprising punch with its classic pulled meats and walking tacos (more on that in a second). It also sits adjacent to the ninth hole at the Sandbox, an undulating 50-yard par 3 where most people use a putter off the tee. It’s dinner and a show.
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The Gallery
The newest restaurant at Sand Valley, the Gallery sits between Sedge Valley and the Commons, overlooking the resort’s grass tennis courts. From the outside, the Gallery seems like a fancy place with a stuffy atmosphere. It’s quite the opposite. The restaurant is designed as a large food hall and serves terrific pizzas, pastas, and sandwiches. It has a different wine list than Aldo’s, leaning more on Italian reds to pair with the food. It also has a great bar with TVs for those who want to grab a cocktail and watch sports.
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Salsiccias at Sedge Valley
The halfway house at Sedge Valley sits back in the woods behind the 12th tee, and it sells my favorite snacks on property. The salsiccias (also known as Hand Pies) are essentially a large empanada and carry a whopping one-dollar price tag. You don’t need two, but you should get two. The Sedge halfway house also has Italian beef sandwiches, which aren’t nearly messy enough for this Chicagoland native. But maybe that’s not what you’re looking for in the middle of a round of golf.
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Cottage Dining
If you find yourself staying in one of the cottages on site at Sand Valley, the resort will give you the opportunity to do in-cottage dining with their chefs. It comes at a premium price but makes for a premium private-group experience.
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Sand Valley
Building the first 18 at a destination resort is tricky, but Coore & Crenshaw’s Sand Valley navigates this challenge with aplomb. It has returning nines so Mammoth Dunes doesn’t need to; it has a par of 72, so Sedge Valley can be a par 68. Yet the course also pushes against the expectations of the “retail golfer” (a Keiser term) in several ways. Sand Valley does not call attention to itself, but for that reason it occupies an important position at a resort that boasts a collection of boundary-pushing courses. –Garrett Morrison
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Mammoth Dunes
Mammoth Dunes was an immediate smash hit at the resort, partly because architect David McLay Kidd focused on “defending birdie” as opposed to the traditional task of “defending par.” This ethos has led to thousands of golfers setting their career-best rounds at Mammoth Dunes, taking the concept of playability, a dominent golf course architecture trend since the early 2000s, to a new extreme. Did Kidd design the perfect resort course at Mammoth Dunes? Perhaps. Does that make it one of the world’s greatest golf courses? Maybe not. Is it one of the most fun courses to discuss with friends over a couple of beers? Absolutely. –Andy Johnson
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Sedge Valley
Sub-par-70 courses are rare in modern golf, but they make a lot of sense for a big resort such as Sand Valley. On long Wisconsin summer days, visitors often pack in as much golf as possible, and Sedge Valley now provides another option for a faster round with this par-68, 5,829-yard layout. It also gives the resort variety, as it sits opposite end of the architectural spectrum from the expansive Mammoth Dunes, with the resort’s first course, Sand Valley, residing somewhere in the middle. If I could play one course at the resort twice during a visit, I would probably choose Sedge Valley. –Andy Johnson
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The Commons
The sixth course at the resort, the Commons, is a sporty 12-hole romp set to open in 2026. The design is a collaboration between longtime Coore & Crenshaw shaper Jim Craig and Sand Valley Resort co-founder Michael Keiser. The inspiration for the course came from Michael’s trips to Scotland, where clubs often have "kids courses." The premise is that the Commons will serve as an additional afternoon option for guests, along with the Sandbox. One of the many good problems the resort has faced is the Sandbox tends to get jammed up with players later in the day. The Commons should help relieve some of that congestion while providing a distinct experience. Although billed as an afternoon course, I could foresee the Commons becoming a quick morning option, too. Guests might almost come to view it as a warm-up range. –Andy Johnson
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The Sandbox at Sand Valley
It’s hard to imagine how the Sandbox could be improved. The figure-eight routing, the green designs, the shaping, the turf presentation—every element is impeccably executed. Granted, the land is undistinguished, but Coore & Crenshaw’s artificial topography, as well disguised as we’ve come to expect from the firm, gives the site variety and a continual, well-proportioned roll. The Sandbox is purely about the art and joy of golf architecture. It deserves recognition as a great golf course, not just as a fun short course. –Garrett Morrison
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The Lido
The original Lido Golf Club, built on a barrier island just off Long Island, was one of the greatest feats in the history of golf architecture, but eventually fell victim to the Depression and was replaced by a housing development after World War II. Michael Keiser Jr. and Chris Keiser set out to re-create the design as closely as possible on a flat property across the street from their Sand Valley resort. They enlisted the help of architects Tom Doak and Brian Schneider, as well as that of digital designer Peter Flory, and the result was a strikingly authentic-feeling version of the course. – Andy Johnson
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Lawsonia Links
Just an hour down the road from Sand Valley is Lawsonia Links, one of the best public courses in America and in the argument for the best course—public, private, or resort—in Wisconsin. One of the top examples of great architecture available to all, the course represents the best parts of the Golden Age as well as a few trends of the next era of architecture.
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