Course at SentryWorld in Wisconsin to remain closed all year as opening of resort’s inn is delayed

Completion of the new Inn at SentryWorld is delayed by the COVID pandemic, and the resort opted to keep the newly renovated course closed.

STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The Inn at SentryWorld will open later than originally planned.

SentryWorld announced last week that while it intended to open its new hotel, The Inn at SentryWorld, in mid-August, the shipments of furniture and other materials have been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of those delays, the hotel will open sometime this fall, the company said.

Rick LaFrombois, Sentry’s public relations specialist, said it’s hard to estimate a timeline, as the shipping delays continue to be unpredictable.

The Inn at SentryWorld overlooks the golf course, so as construction will continue later than planned, SentryWorld said it wanted to be finished before reopening the golf course to the public. While SentryWorld will still host larger golf outings that have already been scheduled, it will not open the golf course to the public through the end of this year.

The course had been slated to reopen in August. It has remained closed since not reopening seasonally during the COVID pandemic in 2020, and it has undergone a renovation to prepare it as the host of the 2023 U.S. Senior Open. The Robert Trent Jones Jr. layout ranks No. 9 in Wisconsin on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list for public-access layouts.

The Inn at SentryWorld is slated to open this fall after a delay caused by supply issues related to the COVID pandemic. The golf course will remain closed until 2022. (Courtesy of SentryWorld)

“I’m not altogether surprised that COVID-related supply chain issues that have affected so many aspects of U.S. commerce have affected SentryWorld this year,” said Mike James, SentryWorld’s general manager. “Nevertheless, it’s a disappointment. While I regret having to deliver this bit of bad news, I’m exceedingly confident that you’ll love the end result.”

Other amenities at SentryWorld are open, however. PJ’s, the Pro Shop, the fieldhouse, banquet and event spaces are all open.