Geneva National - Palmer Course Hole #18

Getting To Know: Geneva National Resort

An Insightful Interview With Dave Winget, Director of Golf

By Brian Weis

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 Dave Winget 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
For 25 years, the semi-private Geneva National Golf Club has made legendary golf a tradition, with three championship courses uniquely designed by the greats - Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Lee Trevino. Take on all three masters at one singular and stellar location ... swing out to our driving range overlooking Lake Como ... and sign up for a one-day or extended stay lesson with our PGA-certified pros. Home of Golf Digest's "Top Ten Wisconsin Golf Courses," Golfweek's Best Resort Courses" and Golf Magazine's "Top Courses you Can Play," Geneva National features 54 holes of Wisconsin's best golf with meticulously manicured bent grass tees, fairways and greens, as well as five tee boxes offering a great golf experience for every level of player. Carved out of the rolling Wisconsin countryside and along serene Lake Como, Geneva National's three courses take full advantage of the natural surroundings and provide a great escape only a 90-minute drive from metropolitan Chicago and less than an hour from Milwaukee. Offering superb Stay & Play packages, personal service, and on-property lodging specifically created for the group golf experience, Geneva National tees it up for your golf buddy getaways, corporate outings and weekend wanderlust.

Arnold Palmer Signature Course
A perennial favorite featuring elevated tees and formidable greens, the Arnold Palmer Signature Course at Geneva National winds through southeastern Wisconsin's rolling woods and alongside picturesque Lake Como, the shoreline site of Palmer's three spectacular finishing holes. Palmer labels the Signature 17th hole among his favorites, placing it as #11 in his personal "Dream 18? in the eastern part of the states. The Palmer Course also has been named "Top 10 Wisconsin Golf Courses" by both GOLFWEEK and Golf Digest.

Gary Player Signature Course
The Gary Player Course opened with nine holes in 1995, and Mr. Player returned in 2000 to finish the job, taking advantage of the area's natural wetlands to create series of intense risk-reward holes. Strikingly scenic and arguably the most popular of the three courses, the Black Knight's design recently was honored among Golf Digest's "Top 50 Courses for Women in America." At #36, the Player Course ranks highest in the state of Wisconsin.

Lee Trevino Signature Course
Challenging for the seasoned golfer yet forgiving for the beginner, the Trevino course offers a memorable round of golf carved into the lush forests of the Geneva National community. This course plays to Mr. Trevino's natural fade and features subtle dog-leg right holes on nearly every par four and five. Trevino has signed his name to only a handful of courses, and Geneva National's is one to experience.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
There is a lot of quality golf in the Lake Geneva area. In my opinion, we have the three best golf courses in our area. Each golf course -- Trevino, Palmer or Player -- can easily stand on its own as a championship course. Each is 7,000 yards from the tips, has 5 sets of tees for players of all abilities and features elevation changes and signature holes. We have the best golf in the area bar none.

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
Pick the correct tee box. Both your challenge and enjoyment of the course will be directly related to doing so. Also, always know where Lake Como is, as the greens tend to break toward it.

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
"The Best Courses Near You" Golf Magazine 2014
"Best Resort Courses" Golfweek 2014, 2015
"Best Courses You Can Play: WI" Golfweek 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
"America's Top 50 Golf Courses For Women" Golf Digest 2011, 2012, 2013
"Highest Slope-Rated Area Golf Courses" Milwaukee Business Journal 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014
"Top Courses You Can Play" Golf Magazine2012
Top 10 Golf Resorts ResortsandLodges.com 2014
Lake Geneva, WI: Golf Digest's "Top Buddies Trips Destinations"

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
Palmer #17: This Par 5 along the shores of Lake Como is magnificent at sunset.
Player #10: This Par 5 near the historic Hunt Club Steakhouse is a superb risk/reward hole with great elevation.
Trevino #5: This Par 5 through woods features an elevated tee shot plus an excellent green complex preceded by water.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
Trevino #5 through the woods. Keep your drive to the left side of the fairway. (If you hit it into the hills on the left, normally it will roll back to the fairway.) If you go for the green in two, take an extra club to carry the creek. If you layup, leave yourself about 100 yards (the fairway is a little wider at 100 yards). Make sure to take pin position into account when selecting a club for your approach; the green is long from front to back with a good slope in the middle.

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
At the Clubhouse Grill (overlooking the putting greens and Lake Como):
The Rodeo Burger - a half-pound patty smothered in cheddar cheese, bacon, grilled onions, barbecue sauce, lettuce and tomato on a brioche bun - or the Klement's Bratwurst with sauerkraut and sauteed onions and a side of cheese curds and paired with a New Glarus Spotted Cow. (Remember, you're in Wisconsin now!) The Fairway Chicken Sandwich with provolone, Applewood smoked bacon and honey mustard aioli is also a worthy choice paired with a house-infused vodka Bloody Mary.

At the Hunt Club Steakhouse (off the Gary Player course):
The Grilled Tenderloin Skewers or man up with the 18 oz. cast-iron crusted Prime Bone-In Ribeye with a split & grilled lobster tail. The cedar-roasted New Zealand ORA King Salmon is also an awarding choice. Ralph at the bar or Alice in the dining room can recommend a tantalizing specialty drink or wine from the Hunt Club's well-stocked cellar, celebrated by Wine Spectator for nine consecutive years.

More Information
Geneva National Resort
1221 Geneva National Avenue, South
Lake Geneva, WI, 53147
262.245.7000 x1
http://www.genevanationalresort.com/

Revised: 02/19/2016 - Article Viewed 35,803 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.