The Golf Course at Northern Bay

What You Need To Know: The Golf Course at Northern Bay

An Insightful Interview With Derek Donovan, Head Pro

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 Derek 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
Northern Bay Golf Resort & Marina has a one of a kind golf course with replica holes which provides a unforgettable day on the links. However, if you are not a golfer, Northern Bay Resort offers so much more! We have luxury 2- and 3-bedroom condos for rent. We are located 30 minutes north of the Dells on the northern end of Castle Rock Lake. We offer all the water sports you desire! The property has a pool, tennis courts, basketball, sand volleyball, and boat rentals. We have live entertainment every weekend during the summer months at our Tiki Bar. We are a destination resort with "one stop shopping". If you're hungry please stop on in at our Island View Pub and Grill. Plan your Summer vacation now! Stay and Play specials are available while offering new packages in 2020 with unlimited golf Sunday-Thursday.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
Northern Bay Golf Resort & Marina is a unique experience with excellent course conditions! It's a guarantee that you will enjoy your time spent here and you will be certain to come back for more!

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
To be able to score better on this course the golfer really needs to choose the best tees and yardage that suits his or her game. There are not any tricked-up holes or blind shots. The course is set up in front of you, keeping the ball in the fairway always helps. Our greens are larger than most so hitting the green does not always guarantee a two putt. Being sharp with your short game will ultimately help you score better at Northern Bay Resort & Marina.

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
In 2018 we were voted comeback course of the year. With Regency Hotel Management buying Northern Bay in 2018 the last 2 years the golf course has really become quite pristine. We are most proud of the fact that we can offer an experience unlike any other with the 7 replica holes. There are two from Augusta National, TPC Sawgrass, Bayhill, Oakmont, Firestone and Oakland Hills. This is our "niche" which offers that extra dimension of being able to play holes from all over the country that you see on your TV.

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
The most famous and recognizable hole is #10. It is a replica of the famous island hole #17 at TPC of Sawgrass. It gives our guests a chance to experience what the Pro's experience. Just to add more pressure to the hole is its location on the resort where everyone is always watching. You can usually find a wager at the bar, which is overlooking the hole, whether the golfer is going to find land or not.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
My favorite hole is #11. This is a replica of Augusta National's #13 "Azalea". It is a risk, reward par 5. With the famous "Ray's Creek" running along the side and in front of the green makes it challenging for all talent levels. You could have a putt for eagle or struggle to make bogey. It calls for 5 good shots to make par.

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
A must have sandwich after your round would have to be the Augusta Chicken. This grilled chicken breast topped with bacon, provolone cheese, finished with a sweet bourbon glaze, and onion strings served on a ciabatta bun is great for the taste buds. Be sure to wash it down with Northern Bay's very own beer the Rusty Putter an American Ale. With more than 20 beers and wide variety of wines and spirits the Island View Grill and Pub is a great place for all your pre and post round libations.

Back Tee Stats
Par: 72
Yardage: 7223
Slope: 131
Rating: 74.4

More Information
Northern Bay Golf Resort & Marina
1844 A 20th Avenue
Arkdale, WI, 54613
608-399-9891
www.NorthernBayResort.com

More Information »

Revised: 12/18/2019 - Article Viewed 37,373 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.