Sand Valley Golf Resort to open in May

ROME - A row of trees lines the horizon that blends into green grass and hills of sand in Rome, Wisconsin. The scene continues in every direction, interrupted only by resort buildings where golfers will stand to take in the view.

On May 1, community members will get their first opportunity to visit Sand Valley Golf Resort before it officially opens to the public May 2. The resort is the largest in central Wisconsin and is part of a push to make Adams County and the south Wood County area a tourist destination. Glen Murray, general manager at Sand Valley called the resort a rebirth for tourism. He said the area was already attractive as a recreational mecca, and through Sand Valley, visitors will come for golf and find other reasons to stay.

A picture of Sand Valley is featured on the cover of the Wisconsin Rapids Area Convention and Visitors Bureau’s 2017 Wisconsin Rapids Area Official Visitors Guide. Executive Director Laura Nelson said the CVB is working closely with Sand Valley, Rome and Wisconsin Rapids to encourage visitors to spend their extra time 13 miles north in Wisconsin Rapids, rather than traveling 42 miles south to Wisconsin Dells.

Founder Mike Keiser once said he would never build a golf course that was not on the ocean, Murray said. The sand dunes and native plants such as the prickly pear cactus in Rome quickly changed his mind.

“If you dropped out of an airplane, you would never know where you are,” Murray said.

Sand Valley is a sister resort to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon, which opened May 2, 1999 — exactly 18 years before Sand Valley’s opening date. The owner had a marketing plan nearly two decades ago that the organization still follows.

“(He) wrote on a little piece of paper ‘great golf, plus great food, plus great people equals marketing plan,’” Murray said. “And he scanned out to the guys in Oregon through the fax machine, and that’s still (accurate) to this day. Great golf, great food, great people — we are confident that we have all three here.”

The resort is expected to employ between 300 and 325 employees by this summer, and about 70 percent already live in the area, said Murray. About 150 caddies will spend time with the guests on the courses, carrying clubs, talking about golf and sharing with out-of-town visitors their stories about living in central Wisconsin.

“We’re training the caddies to know the course and to read the lines,” Murray said. “But those caddies will also have local knowledge. We’re encouraging them to share their stories about where they’re from. They’re acting almost as a concierge for the area.”

While some are caddying as a second job, many are teenagers who have an interest in the sport. The job gives them an opportunity to work on the courses and learn more about the game as they go.

Sand Valley will be an all-public resort. Golf instruction is also available at $50 for 30 minutes or $90 for one hour. Nine and 18-hole playing lessons are also available. The resort has walking-only courses, but pull carts are available for $10 per day.

For more information about golf instruction, pull carts, rental clubs and more, visit sandvalleygolfresort.com or find Sand Valley Golf Resort on Facebook.

Reported by:  WisconsinRapidsTribune.com