Getting To Know: Geneva National Golf Club

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with Jennifer Myers who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
Geneva National Golf Club features 54-holes of legendary golf designed by the masters, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Lee Trevino. Located on the shores of beautiful Lake Como, the course is located in the Geneva National community, five miles west of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin on Highway 50.

The 60,000 square foot clubhouse features an expansive Golf Shop featuring a number of lines of mens and ladies apparel, shoes, equipment and accessories. Three elegant banquet rooms play host to golf outings, banquets and weddings of 15 to 450 people.

Two dining options on property are the casual Grill Room in the Clubhouse, and the Hunt Club Restaurant at the front of the property overlooking the 6th and 10th holes of the Gary Player course. The Grill Room serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks throughout the golf season. The Hunt Club is open for dinner year-round, serving an incredible menu of steaks, seafood, game and more in a relaxed and casual atomoshphere.

The Inns of Geneva National are just adjacent to the Clubhouse, and an experience to be had. The Club recently purchased the Inns in August, 2012, and is beginning extensive renovations that will be completed in May, 2013. The Inns are a unique spot - offering a perfect balance between the common space that home or condo rental would provide, and the privacy that hotel rooms offer. The 36-rooms are divided among six buildings that each house six rooms, two great rooms, a kitchen and an outdoor patio area.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
Geneva National is a great golf destination. Usually when you have a multi-course facility, you have THE course, and the other one or two. Not so at Geneva National - all three courses are championship level, and maintained to the same high standards. You can't go wrong, so you've got to try all three.

Staying on property at the Inns of Geneva National is a perfect spot for groups of 6 to 12 (or more, just taking another Inn). Check them out next spring after our extensive renovation is completed.


What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
All of our courses are built to be challenging, but also FUN. The three are all championship level, and really no one is definitively tougher or "better" than another, but they are all different and wonderful.

Trevino is long, and often plays to Lee's natural fade with many dog-leg rights. Many of the greens are quite large, so you really need to know the pin placement and play accordingly.

Palmer has some blind shots, and the rough is killer. There's no real secret to scoring well - just stay in the fairway and everything will be fine.

Player was tricky to build in that it winds though wetlands that need to be undisturbed. With that, there are a lot of carries, but it's so beautiful with so few holes having any real estate in view, you may not care. There are a number of risk-reward holes, and if you're taking a risk, Mr. Player does serve up a challenge.


What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
Trevino would probably be #5. A par 5 that starts up on a hill with a carry, and then ends with a nasty creek proctecting the very large green. It's a great hole, and you need to play wisely.

On Palmer, #17 along the lake is Pebble Beach-esque, and then you finish with the tough #18 with about a million bunkers ready to take your game.

On Player, it's a tough call. There's #1 that heads to the lake. There's #5 that has a beautiful carry, and a tempting choice to try to drive the green. There's #6 - a par three over a pond, #10 - a beautful strecth leading to the Hunt Club, and #13, a par three up on a hill with a view for miles.

With 54-holes, there are 54 favorites, and never a bad photo.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
Palmer 17 is amazing. A few years ago, Arnold Palmer was asked to put together his "dream 18" holes, and he named this hole on his course. Its a long par 5, with lake on your left, and yuck on your right. Best tip - hit a great, long drive and hit the fairway. Nuf said.

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
The Grill Room is known for everything - great burgers & sandwiches, and outdoor pizza oven, breakfast, Friday Fish Fry - you can't go wrong.

The one thing you HAVE GOT TO TRY is at the Hunt Club... our signature dish is a 25oz Bone-in Tomahawk Ribeye Chop. The presentation itself is a major wow factor, but the food and drinks will wow you even more.

Back Tee Stats
Par: 72 on all three courses
Yardage: 7171 Palmer, 7008 Player, 7120 Trevino
Slope: 140 Palmer, 141 Player, 136 Trevino
Rating: 74.7 Palmer, 74.3 Player, 74.3 Trevino

More Information
Geneva National Golf Club
1221 Geneva National Avenue
South Lake Geneva, WI, 53147
262-245-7000, ext 1
www.GenevaNationalResort.com