West Bend Lakes Golf Club - Clubhouse Fire Update By Brian Weis

West Bend Lakes Golf Club - Clubhouse Fire Update

By Brian Weis

This posted by our friends at West Bend Lakes Golf Club

By now most of you have heard that West Bend Lakes Golf Club suffered the loss of their clubhouse to a fire on Sunday, March 14, 2021.

Although tragic - it is not an end.

What we know:

1. Everyone is safe - first and foremost - the silver lining from the tragedy

2. The clubhouse itself is a total loss. Moving forward the small courtyard building which can be found by the power cart staging area will be used as a temporary Proshop/Bar. The phones have been forwarded to a cellphone so you can still call the West Bend Lakes phone number to make a tee time - (262) 675-9922

3. The fire did not affect the golf course - tees, fairways or greens - or the power golf carts. You can come out and golf - in fact - we would truly appreciate your support during this challenging time.

Moving forward - what you need to know:

A. The golf course is open - with carts - weather permitting

B. West Bend Lakes will be working out of a temporary Pro Shop located near the power cart staging area. The phone number has not changed - (262) 675-9922.

C. All sales will be on a cash or check basis. At present there is no internet available so we cannot run your credit card - but we are working to make adjustments to that for the future - we will notify when credit cards are available - please be patient.

D. Temporary bathroom facilities are being brought in

E. Beverages are available - snacks and limited menu food items will be added in the future - we are working on the logistics of it all

F. Seating is limited to outdoor picnic tables. Please consider tossing a bag chair into your trunk so you can visit with friends while relaxing in the sunshine after your round.

G. Golf leagues will go on as planned.

H. Provisions are being made for tents to accommodate any events/golf outings that have been scheduled to be hosted at West Bend Lakes Golf Club

The Golf Club at Camelot and Horicon Hills Golf Club stand behind their brother course of West Bend Lakes and will be assisting as best they can to help us move forward. As golfers, you all know that we are a family - not a building. The clubhouse was just a structure. It can be rebuilt - our family lives on.

A while ago you were introduced to Traditions Golf and everyone asked "What is Traditions Golf?" Our explanation - the unity between West Bend Lakes Golf Club, Horicon Hills Golf Club and The Golf Club at Camelot - building family values within our communities is the simple answer. But the display of those who build this unity goes above the immediate Merkel family. It's all of you - you are our Traditions Golf family and we know that even through setbacks, you will be there to help us recover.

Chris Merkel said it best last evening in a Facebook Post - "The Lakes may have lost a clubhouse, but our foundation which was built from family, friendship and the fellowship of our community WILL stand strong again."

West Bend Lakes would like to extend their gratitude to all the firefighters, first responders, police officers and countless volunteers that provided support yesterday and to all of you for your continued support going forward.

Revised: 03/15/2021 - Article Viewed 13,372 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.