| by: Dan Rusnak - 3/29/2002 11:48:34 AM |
The Lake Geneva area has been able to boast of having some of the best golf in the Midwest for a long time and now, with the addition of Hawk's View Golf Club and the additional nine holes on the Player Course at Geneva National, the area has received two of the best courses you will find anywhere. On a recent trip to Lake Lawn Resort in Delevan, I had the great opportunity to visit and play these two courses and was so incredibly delighted to see such great golf being added to this already rich golfing area.This story is on Hawk's View Golf Club. To read our review of The Player Course at Geneva National, click here
.Hawk's View Golf Club is just a little north of downtown Lake Geneva and features two distinctively different 18 hole courses - Como Crossings and Barn Hollow. While Barn Hollow is a unique 2,708 yard short-game course, Como Crossings is a 7,032 yard championship layout.I did not get the opportunity to play the Barn Hollow course, but the three players I enjoyed my round with on Como Crossings had just finished playing it and said it was a great experience. Barn Hollow is a great practice course as well as a warm-up course or a great place to put a few bucks down on some closest-to-the-pin action.According to the course, it was designed to offer families and beginning golfers an enjoyable golf experience while still challenging low handicappers who want to sharpen their short games. The course can be walked in about two hours, making it an ideal course to play in the late afternoons and evenings. Also according to the course, the design of Barn Hollow replicates the creativity of the Como Crossings Course, only shorter. As for Como Crossings, I was very much impressed with this course. The course is very scenic and very playable. The course takes great advantage of the natural elevation changes, which includes the former Mt. Fuji ski hill. The Como creek meanders through the course and creates beauty as well as challenging hazards on many holes. Water comes into play on 8 of 18 holes.The property was part of a family farm that dates back to the late 19th century and the facility still features the horse and dairy barn as well as the fieldstone root cellar and the original farm house. The property later became the home of two ski resorts, Holiday Hills and later Mt.
FujiThe Hawk's View promotional information talks about the traditional architecture blended with dramatic elevation changes, mature trees, open meadows, lakes and wetlands. Now many facilities like to use these great sounding bits to describe their courses and many do not really deserve the rite to boast these things, but this course definitely does. I do not like to build a course up to much, for fear getting someone's hopes up, but I have no fear of this with Como Crossings and Hawk's View Golf Club in general.| Now a chance to mention some of the facts that we don't always get on courses that we do get due to the knowledge of the course itself that is known by its General Manager and Superintendent ... * The State-of-the-art Rain Bird decoder irrigation system, the largest decoder system in the world with over 1300 sprinkler heads and 25 miles of pipe, which will ensure the highest quality playing conditions even during periods of drought.
* Over 40 miles of drain tile are installed to provide for superior water drainage.* The 6 acres of laser-leveled tees use low clip bluegrass varieties to minimize damage divots in daily use and provide superior wear compared to bentgrass tees.* 36 acres of fairways seed with a threeway bentgrass blend developed to require minimal pesticide and fertilizer use.If you want more information on the turf and construction of Hawk's View, contact Jim Moore, Course Superintendent, at 414-397-7657. |
This is a must play if you are in the Lake Geneva area! I have talked with the club General Manager/Director of Golf and Superintendent a few times before and after my rounds and was very much impressed with their dedication to the facility and what they have created. They are both Class A golf course superintendents and have been on staff since course construction started in August of 1999.Hawk's View is rather unique in that its General Manager, Dave Hills, was a course superintendent. This to me is a great idea. Too many superintendents are not recognized for what they do. They are the guys who spend the money that we pay for our green fees. They are the guys that are at the mercy of Mother Nature every year. Buy they usually do not have much say in how the course collects those fees and treats those golfers during their round.To find a superintendent who has the capacities to also manage the daily operations of a clubhouse is a great catch and Hawk's View has found one of the best in Hills.A perfect example of this is the way they describe the courses 36 acres of fairways. (The fairways) consist of a three-way bentgrass blend that provides excellent lies, playability and is environmentally friendly, reducing the need for fertilizer and pesticide applications. You don't hear that type stuff from your every day golf pro.And Hills brought with him to Hawk's View his assistant, Jim Moore, to be his superintendent when he left Lake Lawn."Beautiful granite bolder retaining walls are featured in the course landscaping and signage," said Hills. "These were all excavated from the original site.""Other unique course features that enhance your golf experience include two covered bridges built from lumber cleared on the property and a picturesque, natural 15-foot cascading waterfall."
While the course is very enjoyable the entire facility is also great. The only question I had was why they put the cart building in front of the clubhouse blocking the view of this impressive building.The clubhouse features locker rooms, a fully stocked pro shop that features brand names such as Cutter & Buck, Haley Sport, Tehama, Ashworth, Ping, Titleist, Maxfli, Taylor-Made and more.It also features Tail Feathers Bar and Grill, private meeting rooms, banquet halls and there is also a covered outdoor facility. The facility can accomodate groups from 24 - 400.There are numerous banquet or outing choices which include the Red Tail Room, which accommodates up to 300 guests with a view of Mt. Fuji and the 18th hole as well as Sparrow Hawk I, which can accommodate 40 comfortably and Sparrow Hawk II, which can accommodate 60 comfortably or you can combine the two to accommodate 100 guests.You can also choose Overlook Terrace, which is a covered outdoor terrace that can handle 500 guests. Half of the terrace is screened in.The Tail Feathers Bar and Grill is open daily during golf season and offers golfers and guests alike an appetizing selection of soups, sandwiches, salads and specials. The driving range is unique in that you hit into the face of 'Mt. Fuji'. While it does not give you a great gauge of your distance it is a rather unique feature of the facility. The range also has large sand bunkers, chipping and putting areas. Why Hawk's View?"The name reflects the basic philosophy behind the design and operation of the club," said Hills. "Our goal is to offer a challenging golf experience while maintaining the natural beauty and a low-impact, environmentally sensitive course layout."
"Throughout the design and construction process at Hawk's View, every effort has been made to preserve mature trees, existing wetlands and the natural elevation changes on the site."Hawk's View Golf Club is located at 7377 Krueger Road in Lake Geneva and their phone# is 1-877-HAWKS VU (1-877-429-5788). |
