Geneva National (Arnold Palmer)

Most golfers on a vacation to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, may be slightly confused during the first portion of their round with the Arnold Palmer Course at Geneva National Resort.

With all the hype surrounding the title lake, the course spends its first 15 holes traversing through the wooded area surrounding the resort. Palmer knows how to finish, however, bringing the three final holes down to the shores of the lake (Lake Como, not Lake Geneva) for a fine culmination.

Palmer himself, generally humble, was rather proud of the par three at No. 16. Given an opportunity to create a “Dream 18” of his own holes, he included this one at No. 11. The hole plays out from the woods to a green, with the ever-distracting panorama of the lake in the background.

The allure of the lake may sour, depending on how you handle the next hole, a par five that wraps around the shore and creates a dead zone for any ball that works its way left of the fairway. Those who have played Palmer’s longtime home at Bay Hill may find this concept painfully familiar.