Public Play · Golf Trips from Chicago
Geneva National — Player CourseLake Geneva
Gary Player's only Wisconsin course, a woodland and wetland layout at Geneva National near Lake Geneva.
Par
72
Yardage
6,859
Rating · Slope
73.7 · 143
Holes
18
Green Fee
Contact for pricing
The Course
About Geneva National — Player Course
One of three courses at Geneva National, a semi-private resort club in Lake Geneva about 76 miles from O'Hare, the Player Course takes daily-fee play. Non-guests can book up to 60 days ahead, but one course is reserved for members six days a week on a rotation, so the Player is not open to the public every day. From Chicago this is a trip, an overnight or a long day, not a quick round. GPS carts are included, though walking is allowed.
History
Geneva National — Player Course — History
The Player Course opened with nine holes in 1995, and Gary Player returned in 2000 to complete the 18. The club calls it the only Player Course in Wisconsin. It shares the property with the Palmer and Trevino courses, and Geneva National rotates which of the three is reserved for members, for variety on both sides.
Design
Geneva National — Player Course — Design
Risk and reward run through the Player Course, which the club describes as 18 scenic holes traversing woodlands and wetlands. Quintessential Golf, which rates it the most challenging of Geneva National's three courses, notes that tee shots usually find ample landing room and the test comes on the approach. Water is in play on only five holes, the trees and natural wetlands give it a bucolic feel, and nearby Lake Como is in view on many holes.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Geneva National — Player Course
Its card is unusual: five par 5s and five par 3s inside a par of 72, with a 143 slope from the Black tees, and Quintessential Golf calls it the most challenging of the resort's three courses.
The Round
The Journey at Geneva National — Player Course
I.
The Opening
From the 1st tee, a downhill drive comes with a view of Lake Como in the distance; the 379-yard hole then asks for an approach over a chasm in front of the green. The 555-yard 2nd is the first of five par 5s, and the 421-yard 3rd is the No. 3 handicap. After the 140-yard 4th, the 354-yard 5th offers a carry straight at a small, bunkered target near the green or a safe play right, before the 192-yard 6th.
II.
The Middle
A marsh defines the 412-yard 7th, the No. 1 handicap: it doglegs left, the carry growing the farther left the drive, and a large tree and a bunker guard the corner. The 560-yard 8th leads to the 477-yard 9th, the longest par 4. The 542-yard 10th tempts a second shot at the green, but a lake and a massive bunker sit to its right, and the 467-yard 12th is the No. 2 handicap.
III.
The Finish
Three par 3s and two par 5s fill the last six holes. The 155-yard 13th leads to the 489-yard 14th, where the tee shot is the narrowest on the course but a drive kept clear of the trees sets up a good score. The 183-yard 15th and the 554-yard 16th rate as the No. 6 and No. 4 handicaps, the 218-yard 17th is the longest par 3, and a 401-yard par 4 finishes.
How to Play It
Geneva National — Player Course — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
Most visitors belong on a shorter set than the Black tees, which rate 73.7 with a 143 slope. Use the generous landing areas, take the safe route right on the 5th, keep the drive right of the marsh on the 7th, and lay up short of the lake on the 10th instead of chasing the green.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
The round turns on approaches, so favor the side of each fairway that opens the green. At the 5th, the play right leaves a short pitch to a large, multi-tiered green, often a better scoring route than the carry. Favor the left side off the 10th tee, then decide whether the lake right of the green is worth taking on in two.
Advanced / Low Handicap
Low handicaps can attack the 5th green directly, accepting a small landing area surrounded by bunkers. On the 7th, the line that cuts most of the marsh shortens the hole but brings the tree and bunker at the corner into play. The 14th rewards a precise drive between the trees, and the 467-yard 12th asks for a long approach struck well.
Signature Holes
Geneva National — Player Course — Signature Holes
The Card
Geneva National — Player Course Scorecard
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 36 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Yards | 379 | 555 | 421 | 140 | 354 | 192 | 412 | 560 | 477 | 3,490 | 542 | 360 | 467 | 155 | 489 | 183 | 554 | 218 | 401 | 3,369 | 6,859 |
| Handicap | 9 | 11 | 3 | 17 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 13 | 5 | — | 10 | 8 | 2 | 16 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 14 | 12 | — | — |
Good to Know
Geneva National — Player Course — questions answered
- How do I book a tee time at Geneva National — Player Course?
- Find and book live tee times at Geneva National — Player Course through GolfNow — Golf in CHI links straight to its tee sheet on this listing.
- Who designed Geneva National — Player Course?
- Geneva National — Player Course was designed by Gary Player and opened in 1995.
- What is the par and yardage at Geneva National — Player Course?
- Geneva National — Player Course plays to a par of 72 over 6,859 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 73.7 and a slope of 143.
- Is Geneva National — Player Course public or private?
- Geneva National — Player Course is open to public play. Tee times can be reserved in advance.
- Where is Geneva National — Player Course located?
- Geneva National — Player Course is located at 1221 Geneva National Avenue South, Lake Geneva, WI 53147, in the Golf Trips from Chicago area of Chicagoland.
More in Golf Trips from Chicago
More golf courses in Golf Trips from Chicago
Arnold Palmer · Lake Geneva
Geneva National — Palmer Course
Arnold Palmer's 1991 course at Geneva National, finishing beside Lake Como near Lake Geneva.
Lee Trevino · Lake Geneva
Geneva National — Trevino Course
Lee Trevino's fade-friendly signature course at Geneva National, a resort trip from Chicago to Lake Geneva.
Robert Bruce Harris · Lake Geneva
Grand Geneva Resort — The Brute
Robert Bruce Harris's big-bunkered resort course at Grand Geneva in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
How to Play It
Book a Tee Time at Geneva National — Player Course.
Geneva National — Player Course is semi-private — it still releases public and twilight tee times. Find and book them on GolfNow.
Golf in CHI is an independent guide — we don’t sell tee times or mark them up. We map the exact way on.