Craig Haltom found the land for what would eventually become Sand Valley and the intrepid Wisconsin-based explorer is the designer behind the newly-restored 18-hole layout at The Club at Lac La Belle (reopened in 2020) which dates all the way back to 1896.
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Craig Haltom found the land for what would eventually become Sand Valley and the intrepid Wisconsin-based explorer is the designer behind the newly-restored 18-hole layout at The Club at Lac La Belle (reopened in 2020) which dates all the way back to 1896.
The Club at Lac La Belle
The Club at Lac La Belle once hosted a golf major, or so claims the museum feature within the clubhouse: During the early 20th Century, the Oconomowoc Open did indeed have the highest prize pool in championship golf. The club eventually aged out of its prominence before a local businessman brought it back, purchasing a new plot of land across the road to make the routing less crowded, and bringing in Craig Haltom (who worked on Lawsonia’s acclaimed renovation) to craft his first original design.
Players will be treated to lessons around the property, largely focused on the club’s original trio of pros, who won a combined six U.S. Opens between them. Of course, those who are more interested in golfing in the present can enjoy several of the massive putting surfaces Haltom installed around the property, including the closing green, which is almost 80 yards deep, and connects with the putting course near the clubhouse.