SentryWorld Golf Club
Stevens Point, WI • Public
Fred Vuich
Overview
The lush, tree-lined SentryWorld won Golf Digest's first-ever Best New Public award in early 1984, but never made our 100 Greatest Public ranking until 2017, as the highest-ranking newcomer. A few years ago, Trent Jones Jr. partner Bruce Charlton and their former associate Jay Blasi remodeled SentryWorld, rerouting four holes and adding a new par-3 12 and par-4 13th, but they preserved the famous "Flower Hole," the par-3 16th which uses petunias, snapdragons, marigolds, geraniums and other annuals grown on site as decorative hazards. The flower beds are treated as lateral hazards. A more recent renovation by RTJII's team focused on preparing the course for the 2023 U.S. Senior Men's Open. In an age when almost every renovation consists of enlarging fairway space to provide players better angles for more recoverability for mishits, SentryWorld went the opposite direction, narrowing its landing zones, enhancing roughs and converting a number of chipping areas into maintained bluegrass. Sub-Air systems were also installed under the greens. The alterations proved formidable as Bernhard Langer fended off Wisconsinities Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly to win the Open. SentryWorld has previously hosted several other USGA championships, including the 2019 U.S. Girls' Junior, where future U.S. Women's Open champion Yuka Saso was the stroke-play medalist.
About
Awards
100 Greatest Public: Ranked since 2017.
Highest ranking: No. 34, 2017-'18.
Previous ranking: No. 50.
2023-'24 ranking: 52nd.
Best in State: Ranked inside the top 10 since 2011. Ranked 8th 2019-'24.
2023-'24 ranking: 8th.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Greens were extremely good and quick. There was not significant movement in the green complexes. Significant tee box variety with multiple angles to attack the individual holes. Taps had a kidney shape design and enhanced the aesthetics aspect of the course. The conditioning is excellent and the fact the course is only open 4 months a year and has limited play keeps the course in great shape."
Read More2025
Review
“This has to be one of the best conditioned courses in America!"
Read More2024
Review
“A visually stunning course, with exceptional conditioning. From the moment you step on the premises you feel the attention to detail to make every guest welcome. The course offers a variety of holes, requiring a variety of shots. A pleasure to play"
Read More2024
Review
“A visually stunning course, Offers a good mix of different holes, requiring a variety of shots. Excellent conditioning, Fair course regarding its difficulty level."
Read More2024
Review
“SentryWorld is a fascinating public golf course that very much feels like a private experience with its limited play, pristine conditioning, and all-inclusive halfway houses. The course itself is challenging and immaculately conditioned, with lush conditions and very fast and true greens. It is also quite visually attractive, giving off an Augusta National feel with its large, white bunkers and tall trees. The famous "flower hole" 16th is a fairly straightforward par 3, but features a beautiful display of flowers that make it instantly memorable and unique. In terms of interesting strategic holes, the two reachable short par fives on the front stand out with well-placed water hazards and numerous options for the golfer. Wisconsin is an elite state for public golf, perhaps the best in America. SentryWorld is a drastically different design than the other top courses in the state but is well-worth a play and an overall fantastic experience when you consider the amenities."
Read More2024
Review
“Very difficult golf course. Will enjoy all the free food included in the green fee more than the golf."
Read More2023
Review
“Played course week after Senior US open - course incredible condition. No hole is the same, great layout and fun holes that prove to be risk and rewarding. Bunkers in great locations and many flow straight from green directly to bunker. Must have strategy on several holes. Rough can eat balls and cause havoc."
Read More2023
Review
“Nice variety of long and short holes, good par 3, 4 and 5 variety. Conditioning was excellent. This course is tournament ready. Tee times are spread out every 20 minutes. Plenty to eat at the refreshment stations which are included in the green fee. This is a top notch experience that I would recommend to any golfer."
Read More2022
Review
“SentryWorld challenges low handicappers from the back tees and is friendlier to higher handicap golfers from the shorter sets of tees. Multiple risk/reward holes and two par 5's give you risk/reward options both off the tee and on your approach shots. If you hit a bad shot course usually gives you a chance to make par with a good recovery shot. Nice variation in direction and length of holes on par 3's, 4's and 5's. The two 500+ yard par 4's play in opposite directions. Fairways were not firm and fast but greens held on well struck approaches and rolled pure. Don't let the flowers distract you on the 16th hole as the slightly uphill par 3 is challenging."
Read More2022
Review
“– hmmn. Best new renovation but honestly I thought I was playing the same course I rated in 2015. In asking the Director of Golf, Danny Rainbow he told me a lot of the work was putting in sub-air gear underneath each green and adjusting some bunkers. The routing was identical and the one thing I noticed was the new Championship tees adding 185 yards for a total of 7,320. The next set of tees were 7,102 – similar to what it was previously for the blacks and the blues were actually 142 yards shorter than before – the blues at 6,543. The other thing that was different is they have shorted the golf season from June 1 to September 30th and tee times are 20 minutes apart. OK the course itself is a stern test with a combination of well-placed bunkering – fairways and tees and plenty of water features on seven holes. Easily the strength of the course was its collection of par 5’s and I would say it would easily be in the Top 100 for par 5’s. The first par 5 at 519 yards (championship length) was a horseshoe going around a lake dogging left. Great risk/reward on the tee shot and the second and/or third shot. The 9th at 501 yards had a creek bisecting the fairway twice and right in front of the green that was very narrow. The 10th at 611 yards was gently turning right the entire way that was tree lined to a green that had no width, but great depth. The 14th was the weakest of the bunch, but still very good at 581 yards that had a water feature right that a pushed drive would find and then slightly uphill with a fairway bunker about 80/100 yards short right of the green that had a bunker guarding the front and one to the right and one back."
Read More2022
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