Public Play · Golf Trips from Chicago
Grand Geneva Resort — The HighlandsLake Geneva
The Highlands at Grand Geneva: a Dye-Nicklaus original, reworked by Bob Cupp, in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
Par
71
Yardage
6,625
Rating · Slope
72.0 · 131
Holes
18
Green Fee
Contact for pricing
The Course
About Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands
The Highlands is one of two championship courses at Grand Geneva Resort, a par 71 of 6,625 yards from the Blue tees (72.0 rating, 131 slope) that the resort bills as Scottish-inspired and links-style. It rolls over hilly, glacier-formed ground with creeks, ravines and tree-lined corners. The public can play: tee times are booked online only, and carts with GPS are required. From Chicago it is a trip, not a quick outing, so plan an overnight or a long day.
History
Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands — History
The course began as The Briar Patch, designed by Pete Dye with Jack Nicklaus, on the property Hugh Hefner chose in 1968 for a Playboy Club hotel; Hefner sold the resort in 1981. Bob Cupp transformed the course in 1996, and Golf Channel reported later work by Bob Lohmann. It now plays as The Highlands, and the 2nd hole's name, Forgotten Briar, nods to the original.
Design
Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands — Design
The resort describes a tight shot-maker's course: its short par 4s call for anything from driver to hybrid, and long hitters may need to leave the driver in the bag to stay short of bunkers. Golf Channel's Randall Mell wrote that working the ball around its doglegs is rewarded. The greens carry the defense, with false fronts on the 5th, 12th, 16th and 18th and tiered surfaces on the 5th, 10th and 15th.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands
A course with Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus in its lineage, sharing the resort with Robert Bruce Harris's Brute and the 11-hole Wee Nip short course by Dusenberry Design.
The Round
The Journey at Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands
I.
The Opening
Cupps Cradle, the 389-yard 1st, sets its fairway in a valley with three bunkers left, so the drive goes right. The 506-yard 2nd, Forgotten Briar, is generous off the tee and reachable for big hitters. A 432-yard par 4 precedes River O Fear, the 192-yard 4th over the White River. The 438-yard 5th has a steep false front, and the 549-yard 6th, the No. 1 handicap, turns 90 degrees left around trees.
II.
The Middle
The 153-yard 7th is the shorter of the front-nine par 3s, usually played into the wind to a small green. Highlands Run, the 345-yard 8th, is a blind, downhill carry over a ravine, and the 461-yard 9th, the longest par 4, finishes at an elevated green. The back nine opens with the friendly 318-yard 10th, then the 594-yard 11th, the No. 2 handicap, and Dye Wisely, the 205-yard par-3 12th across Dye's Valley.
III.
The Finish
Nicklaus's Turn, the 394-yard 13th, climbs to a kidney-shaped green split by a ridge. The 398-yard 14th starts from a towering tee, and the 334-yard 15th runs beside the resort's ski hill, a hole for less than driver. The 374-yard 16th crosses a road from an elevated tee. Diver's Paradise, the 143-yard 17th, has a pond and four bunkers, and the 400-yard 18th climbs to a long, narrow green with a false front.
How to Play It
Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
Lean on the cart GPS for yardages and choose tees short of the Blues. Take extra club on the 4th over the White River and on the 12th, where the elevated green has a false front. The 143-yard 17th is guarded by a pond and four bunkers, so aim for the middle. The 318-yard 10th, with its wide landing area, is the friendliest hole.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
The Highlands rewards placement over distance. On the 15th the resort suggests less than driver to stay short of three fairway bunkers, and on the 1st and 5th the right side of the fairway is the safer line. On the 6th, decide early whether to challenge the fairway bunkers or lay back, and on the two-tiered 5th and 10th greens, land the approach on the correct tier.
Advanced / Low Handicap
From the Blue tees (72.0 rating, 131 slope) the scoring holes are the 506-yard 2nd, reachable in two for big hitters, and the short 10th and 15th. The 594-yard 11th tempts a gamble down the left on the second shot, and a backstop behind its green can help the approach. The 9th and 18th both climb to their greens, and the resort advises more club into the 18th.
Signature Holes
Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands — Signature Holes
The Card
Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands 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 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 71 |
| Yards | 389 | 506 | 432 | 192 | 438 | 549 | 153 | 345 | 461 | 3,465 | 318 | 594 | 205 | 394 | 398 | 334 | 374 | 143 | 400 | 3,160 | 6,625 |
| Handicap | 11 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 17 | 13 | 3 | — | 14 | 2 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 18 | 8 | — | — |
Good to Know
Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands — questions answered
- How do I book a tee time at Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands?
- Find and book live tee times at Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands through GolfNow — Golf in CHI links straight to its tee sheet on this listing.
- Who designed Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands?
- Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands was designed by Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus; reworked by Bob Cupp.
- What is the par and yardage at Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands?
- Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands plays to a par of 71 over 6,625 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 72.0 and a slope of 131.
- Is Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands public or private?
- Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands is open to public play. Tee times can be reserved in advance.
- Where is Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands located?
- Grand Geneva Resort — The Highlands is located at 7036 Grand Geneva Way, Lake Geneva, WI 53147, in the Golf Trips from Chicago area of Chicagoland.
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How to Play It
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