A shot-by-shot hickory golf course vlog featuring Connecticut hickory golfer Christian Williams playing hickory golf at The Club at Lac La Belle in Oconomowoc, WI.
While the current layout at The Club at Lac La Belle was recently designed by Craig Haltom (2020), golf has been played at the site since 1896. Originally called The Country Club of Oconomowoc, the original nine holes were designed by David Foulis and the course was just the third Wisconsin club to become an allied member of the USGA in 1899.
That was also the year that the club’s first professional, Alex Smith, helped organize what was, at the time, the most lucrative golf tournament up to that point in the early years of American golf. Named the Oconomowoc Open, wealthy financiers from Milwaukee and Chicago offered a purse of $250 for the event – $100 more than the established Western Open. The higher purse attracted the best players in the game and they boycotted the Western Open, which ended being cancelled for 1900 due to lack of talent. Seven of the players in the field had either already won a U.S. Open or would win an Open within the next 10 years, making it one of the most talented fields assembled for an event at that point. The Oconomowoc Open only lasted two years, but it set a new standard for what pros could earn in a tournament, and demonstrated what they were willing to risk in order to play for it.
Over the years, the course changed names several times and collected water. Located adjacent to Lac La Belle, drainage issues have plagued the site over the last 120 years. When father and son team Matt and Tyler Morse bought the course, they decided to embrace the best of the past while repositioning the club – and the wounded course – for success in the future. To that end, they hired Craig Haltom to design a new course that both addressed the drainage issues while providing a memorable experience with every hole. Read more about the Morse’s and Haltom’s gorgeous design in this article by Ryan Book for The Fried Egg: https://thefriedegg.com/history-and-memory-renovating-the-club-at-lac-la-belle/
You can also follow more of Book’s thoughts about both golf architecture and metal music on his blog, Bethpage Black Metal: https://bethpageblackmetal.com/blog/
Keep The Club at Lac La Belle in mind the next time you plan a golf trip to Wisconsin, – it’s one of a growing list of courses along with Whistling Straits, Erin Hills, and Sand Valley that’s making Wisconsin a must-visit golf destination: https://clubatlaclabelle.com/
“What’s in the Bag?” sponsored by Steurer & Jacoby (use the promo code HICKORYHACKER22 to save 10% on any purchase at http://www.steurerjacoby.com ):
– Circa 1928 MacGregor Master Brassie “Fancy Face,” 10 degrees, D3, 43-1/2 inches
– Circa 1912 David Kinnell splice-neck brassie, 18 degrees, D7, 43 inches
– Tom Stewart “J” Iron, 25 degrees, D1, 38-3/4 inches
– Tom Stewart 2 Iron, 24 degrees, D0, 38-3/4 inches
– Tom Morris mashie, 36 degrees, D4, 37-3/4 inches
– MacGregor Popular B flanged mashie niblick, 45 degrees, D1, 37 inches
– Walter Hagen Iron Man flanged sand wedge, 55 degrees, G+ swing weight, 34-1/2 inches
– Tom Stewart RTJ putter, 5 degrees, C8, 34 inches
#hickorygolf #coursevlog #golfhistory #golfcoursevlog
5 Comments
Stunning golf course,your approach putt on the 4th was remarkable … I don't go that far on my holidays!
Very enjoyable upload,thank you.
Great video, I’d love to play the course with hickories this year as well.
Thanks Christian, it's like I'm there with you at times…in the gallery…cheering on the good shots. lol
What a great looking course, I'd love to play a round there.
Another terrific course vlog Christian. Beautiful course that I'd love to play with you someday. We'll even have to have Tim come along too – great to see him again!