Long before adventurous golf travelers had ever heard of Wisconsin destinations such as Whistling Straits, Sand Valley and Erin Hills, there was SentryWorld. The 1982 Robert Trent Jones Jr. design became an immediate must-play, drawing golfers to the quaint rural town of Stevens Point.
“It was one of those places you went in Wisconsin if you wanted to treat yourself,” said Scott LaPlant, a Green Bay native and member of Golfweek’s course-ratings panel.
More than 40 years later, it still is thanks to a massive reinvestment and reimagining of the entire resort that has transformed SentryWorld into what LaPlant calls “almost a hybrid of Shadow Creek and a Discovery Land property.” The secret is out; where once SentryWorld was a course played almost exclusively by Badger State golfers looking to spoil themselves, it’s now a national destination drawing more than half of its business from out of state.
Danny Rainbow, SentryWorld’s director of golf, said, “The critical moment in time came in 2012,” when Sentry Insurance, which is headquartered next to the course, was trying to decide what to do with its signature golf property. Rainbow said every option was considered, including the now-unthinkable notion of plowing under the course.
Sentry decided to go all in on golf, bringing back Jones for a 22-month reconstruction that, in hindsight, was just the beginning of a relentless annual effort to perfect the course and playing experience. That included closing the course again in 2021 – even before Sentry knew it would host the 2023 U.S. Senior Open – to allow Jones to refine his earlier work.
In retrospect, Sentry’s 2012 reinvestment in the course foreshadowed the company’s expanding commitment to the game of golf. That included becoming the title sponsor of The Sentry, the PGA Tour’s season-opening tournament in Hawaii, the USGA’s Official Insurance Partner and a First Tee trustee.
It would be difficult to overstate the transformation of SentryWorld – not just the architecture but the ethos and business strategy. LaPlant, who still has the original SentryWorld yardage book, recalls that it was “a busy place” as Cheeseheads flocked to Stevens Point in the 1980s to play the state’s hot new course.
With the 2022 opening of The Inn at SentryWorld, the property now ranks among the most luxurious golf resorts in the country. The boutique hotel is cozy, not stuffy, and like any memorable destination, has a distinct sense of place, evoking the rugged beauty of the nearby Wisconsin Northwoods.
“The hotel rooms were some of the best I’ve ever come across at a golf resort,” said John Keown, a Golfweek rater who visited SentryWorld after the Senior Open.
“It blows some of these other (resorts) out of the water when it comes to how nice everything is,” LaPlant said. “The rooms are large, the bathrooms are really well done, and everything opens up to 18 green and 18 fairway.”
Sentry’s commitment to delivering pristine playing conditions led to the extraordinary decision to implement 20-minute tee times. Aside from less wear and tear on the course, this allows players the time to visit the two fully inclusive refreshment stations, serving everything from locally made treats to hot meals and cold beers. Players pass the refreshment stations four times during the 18 holes.
Rainbow said the big gap in tee times “really puts people at ease. You’re not being pushed by anyone. If you want to stop for a sandwich and a beer, you can do that. And the course conditions are simply unmatched because of the reduced amount of play we have.”
SentryWorld’s commitment to Augusta-like playing conditions led to the installation of SubAir systems under each green and drip irrigation that ensures targeted and efficient delivery of water to turf around the bunkers.
“The conditions there were phenomenal,” LaPlant recalled.
LaPlant said that Jones’ revised routing now delivers “more variety” than the original layout, while still maintaining some of its best holes. Those include the cape hole par-5 fifth around the lake – not unlike the par-5 sixth hole at Bay Hill – and the iconic par-3 16th “Flower Hole,” where more than 50,000 flowers surround the green.
Prior to Jones’ renovations, only the fifth hole made good use of the water. LaPlant said he was struck by how often water now comes into play, particularly on approach shots.
“You legitimately had to think about hitting it in the water over the green,” he said.
Water is a factor on the downhill par-3 infinity green at No. 3 and left of No. 4, as well as behind the green on the short par-4 17th. Early on the back nine, golfers will face lots of hazards on Jones’ new holes – water behind the green on the short par-4 11th, followed by the peninsula green at the par-3 12th and par-4 13th, where the fairway and green look like slivers of green floating in the lake.
LaPlant noted that “it’s a big ballpark now,” tipping out at 7,320 yards following the redesign – easily enough to challenge the game’s top professionals. Rainbow made clear “there’s an appetite” to bring more big championships to Stevens Point.
The top priority, however, is the golf travelers looking for a magical experience. When Rainbow started working at SentryWorld in 2015, he estimated that only 10 percent of his customers were from out of state; now it’s around 60 percent.
Over the past 20 years, more and more golf travelers have been visiting small towns across Wisconsin to play some of the best resort courses in America, and a growing number of them have learned what Wisconsinites have known for four decades: You have to stop in Stevens Point.
“We’ve heard a number of people say, ‘SentryWorld has to be on the trip,’ and we obviously agree with that,” Rainbow said.