News:

Welcome to the Golf Club Atlas Discussion Group!

Each user is approved by the Golf Club Atlas editorial staff. For any new inquiries, please contact us.


John_Conley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« on: July 22, 2005, 01:15:38 AM »
www.bigfishgolf.com

This looks pretty good.  Anyone here played it?


Jason Topp

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2005, 07:58:33 AM »
I'm playing it this weekend.  I'll file a report when I return.

Jeff Shelman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2005, 12:04:09 PM »
John,

I played it about a month ago. It's very fun.

Here's what I posted about a great day of golf

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=18699;start=msg331400#msg331400

Rick Shefchik

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2005, 12:26:34 PM »
I haven't made it to Big Fish yet. I hope to get there later this summer. I'll comment here if/when I do.
"Golf is 20 percent mechanics and technique. The other 80 percent is philosophy, humor, tragedy, romance, melodrama, companionship, camaraderie, cussedness and conversation." - Grantland Rice

Jason Topp

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2005, 06:15:07 PM »
I played there this weekend and really enjoyed it.  Perhaps because of drought, or else because of sandy soil conditions, I thought the front nine did a great job of creating links conditions.  Most of the fairways are extremely wide, with the greens favoring an approach from the defended side of the fairway, making all shots interesting.

A good example is the first.  The hole is around 350 yards long and the fairway must be 100 yards wide.  Nonetheless, to gain the favored angle into the green, you need to hug the left side of the fairway, with junk to your left.  It is a relatively benign opening hole that jumped up and bit me for a double while just playing to the middle of the fairway.

Their web site says they have bent grass.  I assumed it was fescue when playing it.  It looks a bit rough, but the greens putted beautifully and the fairways were in great shape.

I would be interested in knowing whether the back nine is similar to some of the famous inland courses in England.  It played very firm and had a rough hewn look a bit like the look of heather in some of those pictures.

The bunkering is similar to other Dye courses, but there is a lot less of it.  While I generally dislike his extreme mounding, I thought there was just the right dose here.

The one hole on the course that is completely out of character is the 7th, which is a par five that wraps around a lake.  It is the only water that comes into play on the course.  The hole is a good hole, it just belongs in Florida rather than on this course.
« Last Edit: July 24, 2005, 06:16:13 PM by Jason Topp »

Tim Bert

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2005, 12:38:49 AM »
The course photos are very nice.  Glancing at the map, the course certainly appears to be in the middle of nowhere!  Does anyone know if they are planning to draw from major cities (seems like most of the metro areas are at least several hours away.)  Are there enough golf-interested locals up in that part of Wisconsin to keep things booked?  Are there other upscale public courses in the area, or at least other points of interest to attract people?  

John_Conley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #6 on: July 25, 2005, 01:21:51 AM »
Tim:

Hayward is a very popular vacation destination for Minneapolis & St. Paul.

Jason Topp

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #7 on: July 25, 2005, 09:20:45 AM »
Also, unlike other vacation areas in Minnesota, this is the only decent course I have played in the Hayward area.  

Dan Kelly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #8 on: July 25, 2005, 01:35:26 PM »
Tim:

Hayward is a very popular vacation destination for Minneapolis & St. Paul.



Here's why:
"There's no money in doing less." -- Joe Hancock, 11/25/2010
"Rankings are silly and subjective..." -- Tom Doak, 3/12/2016

Rick Shefchik

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2005, 11:57:19 PM »
While everyone else on this board was (apparently) agonizing with their favortie college football team Saturday afternoon, I played Big Fish with Dan Kelly and his daughter Rose. We had the course pretty much to ourselves (Minnesota was playing Wisconsin) and had a wonderful day. Jason very accurately described the front nine -- links-style golf on a sand-based, treeless layout that plays firm and fast, by design. Aim for the wide side of the fairway and contend with the greenside bunkers, or risk the fairway bunker and reward yourself with the option of running a ball onto the green. Great fun -- a thinking player's nine.

The back nine is, in a word, spectacular. Steep hills and colorfull hardwoods, rolling fairways, great green sites and subtly contoured putting surfaces. The 14th and 15th holes, both uphill par 4s, are two of the best back-to-back two-shotters I've ever played. No. 15 in particular is simply epic: 490 from the tips, 467  from the next set of tees, into a treelined fairway dug out from a ridge that runs across the center of the hole; the second shot is uphill to a green that is angled from front left to back right; if you come up short to any hole location except extreme front left, your ball will roll 20 feet or more down a hill in thick rough.  

John Conley is right; Hayward is a booming vacation area. It's not the easiest drive from the Twin Cities, but there aren't enough rooms and vacation homes for all the people who want to be in Hayward in the summer. Director of Golf Matt Vandelac said they'd like to keep the rounds down to about 20,000, at $60 -- the price is very fair, and a real bargain compared to some of the comparable resort courses around the country charging $200.

Big Fish is another course to add to your itinerary if you're going to be in the Wisconsin-Minnesota area.
"Golf is 20 percent mechanics and technique. The other 80 percent is philosophy, humor, tragedy, romance, melodrama, companionship, camaraderie, cussedness and conversation." - Grantland Rice

Dan Kelly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #10 on: October 17, 2005, 05:47:28 PM »
Strong concurrence here. We had a blast.

A few additional notes:

-- I don't think I've ever played a course with two such dramatically different nines. The linksy front nine and the woodsy back nine are *starkly* contrasting -- except in the pleasures the holes offer, which are considerable on both nines.

I prefer the back 9, personally -- but that's just an aesthetic matter. The back 9, through the woods (generous corridors), feels more like Northern Wisconsin to me.

-- Unless I'm mistaken (happens!), the scorecard credits the course not to "Pete Dye," but to "Pete Dye and Tim Liddy."

I'm hoping Tim will check in on this thread and give us some information about that collaboration and some thoughts about the course.

-- The course is routed in a very walker-friendly way. Tees are much closer to greens than on many modern courses.
There are hills on the back that will elevate your pulse -- but a walker in reasonable shape will not be crying out for mercy.

-- Big Fish is, as Rick said, not the easiest place to get to -- but the drive through the small towns of Northwestern Wisconsin (c. 160 miles from Minneapolis) was very pleasant. Fall was in high color. Rose and I saw a HUGE bald eagle dining on a roadkill deer -- something neither of us had seen. (A bald eagle scavenging, that is; dead deer are the Official Roadkill of Wisconsin.) We saw a flock of enormous birds way out in a farm field. (Cranes, maybe? They were too big for Canada geese.) In Hayward, one of the churches had a signboard out front, saying: "Darwin called. Said he was wrong."

A very entertaining drive, if you like that sort of thing.

-- Thanks to Matt Vandelac for inviting us up there and for coming out to play a few holes with us. He offered a beer for any par on No. 15 -- and then proceeded to make the only one. I suppose Rick and I should have reciprocated after 18 -- but Matt had to leave, and Rick and I wanted to play some more holes.

As our paper's headline noted this past summer, Big Fish is "a keeper."

"There's no money in doing less." -- Joe Hancock, 11/25/2010
"Rankings are silly and subjective..." -- Tom Doak, 3/12/2016

PCCraig

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #11 on: June 27, 2011, 03:45:57 PM »
I took advantage of a beautiful day up here in the upper Midwest this past Saturday and drove up to Hayward, WI to see Big Fish for the first time.

I found the course to be refreshingly "low-key" in it's operations as well as design. The operations amounted to a couple guys working a small pro shop and a modest bar/halfway house located in between the 9th and 18th greens. The course was in great shape, with the greens running true and pretty quick, the fescue playing surfaces were a blast to play on, and despite the heavy rains in the area the course was pretty F&F.

The course makes really nice use of its property, routing the front nine over prototypical Wisconsin farmland...and in spots reminded me of a mini-Lawsonia. The back nine playing on hilly tree lined land and featured in my opinion the better 9 holes. I thought the course was a ton of fun to play, with smaller than normal Dye (Liddy) greens that feature good amount of internal contour. I would say what's holding the course back from being truly "great" are a few clunker holes, most notably #7 which I thought was pretty bad (a long par-5 playing around a lake).

I would rank Big Fish higher than the Fort outside of Indy, which I think is a similar design and is highly thought of by most on here that have played it. It's also a great value at $25-50. Granted Hayward, WI is not exactly a "I happened to be in the area" kind of place, but if driving around or through Northern WI it's certainly worth a stop. 
H.P.S.

Mark McKeever

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #12 on: June 27, 2011, 08:45:53 PM »
Looks pretty neat if I am ever out in the area!

Mark
Best MGA showers - Bayonne

"Dude, he's a total d***"

Jud_T

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #13 on: July 17, 2011, 08:25:35 AM »
Played the course yesterday and came away very impressed.  Took a couple pix that I'll post later.  One question:  Does anyone know specifically what strain of grass was used on the greens?  I thought thy rolled really well.  Not lightning fast mind you, but very true and consistent.
Golf is a game. We play it. Somewhere along the way we took the fun out of it and charged a premium to be punished.- - Ron Sirak

Jason Topp

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #14 on: July 17, 2011, 10:04:58 AM »
Played the course yesterday and came away very impressed.  Took a couple pix that I'll post later.  One question:  Does anyone know specifically what strain of grass was used on the greens?  I thought thy rolled really well.  Not lightning fast mind you, but very true and consistent.

I faintly remember being told the grass is fescue, at least originally.

PCCraig

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #15 on: July 17, 2011, 12:43:17 PM »
Jud,

Glad you liked Big Fish. Any favorite holes??

I believe both the greens and fairways are in fact a strain of fescue, according to an early season e-mail/report from Chris T, the super at Northland CC.
H.P.S.

Jud_T

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #16 on: July 18, 2011, 09:20:17 AM »
Probably #13 is the most memorable.  Classic risk/reward par 5 which uses the elevation change to great effect.  Also some of the large fairway undulations on 17 were very cool as well...The front nine is all of a piece, with the exception of #7 as you noted.  Really a lot of fun with the breeze up.
« Last Edit: July 18, 2011, 03:47:12 PM by Jud Tigerman »
Golf is a game. We play it. Somewhere along the way we took the fun out of it and charged a premium to be punished.- - Ron Sirak

David Lott

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #17 on: July 18, 2011, 03:10:23 PM »
Couples Membership: $2k.
David Lott

PCCraig

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #18 on: July 18, 2011, 03:45:46 PM »
From Jeff's blog:

http://onlygolfmatters.com/2011/07/14/a-daily-deal-worth-buying-big-fish-for-30/

Big Fish held a Groupon...$30 for golf and a cart. That would be $30 well spent!
H.P.S.

Dan Kelly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #19 on: July 18, 2011, 04:43:31 PM »
From Jeff's blog:

http://onlygolfmatters.com/2011/07/14/a-daily-deal-worth-buying-big-fish-for-30/

Big Fish held a Groupon...$30 for golf and a cart. That would be $30 well spent!

Pat --

A correction I *need* to make:

That was not a Groupon offer. That was a Daily Deals offer from twincities.com (which happens to be operated by my employer).

Cf. http://dailydealstwincities.com and http://dailydealstwincities.com/deals/recent

Dan
"There's no money in doing less." -- Joe Hancock, 11/25/2010
"Rankings are silly and subjective..." -- Tom Doak, 3/12/2016

PCCraig

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #20 on: July 18, 2011, 04:45:51 PM »
From Jeff's blog:

http://onlygolfmatters.com/2011/07/14/a-daily-deal-worth-buying-big-fish-for-30/

Big Fish held a Groupon...$30 for golf and a cart. That would be $30 well spent!

Pat --

A correction I *need* to make:

That was not a Groupon offer. That was a Daily Deals offer from twincities.com (which happens to be operated by my employer).

Cf. http://dailydealstwincities.com and http://dailydealstwincities.com/deals/recent

Dan

My bad, sorry.
H.P.S.

Dan Kelly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #21 on: July 18, 2011, 11:31:20 PM »
I just remembered that I took some pictures during that trip Rick Shefchik and I described up above. Back then, I didn't know how to post them!

It's been too long for me to put proper captions on them, but if you want to see them (in reverse order), they're at http://s175.photobucket.com/albums/w132/kellys17_photos/Big%20Fish%202005/
"There's no money in doing less." -- Joe Hancock, 11/25/2010
"Rankings are silly and subjective..." -- Tom Doak, 3/12/2016

Rick Shefchik

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #22 on: July 20, 2011, 11:49:50 AM »




Those were fun to look at -- not sure I'd seen them since we made the trip. A great course on which to lose yourself on a bright autumn day.
« Last Edit: July 20, 2011, 11:52:03 AM by Rick Shefchik »
"Golf is 20 percent mechanics and technique. The other 80 percent is philosophy, humor, tragedy, romance, melodrama, companionship, camaraderie, cussedness and conversation." - Grantland Rice

Mike Hogan

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #23 on: July 31, 2011, 08:49:18 PM »
I'm heading to Hayward and I was hoping to play 36 on Aug 14th.

I have times for 7:30 and 12:30 if anyone would care to join send me a PM.
Rate is $89.00 for the day..

Mike

Chris Tritabaugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Pete Dye - Hayward, WI - Big Fish
« Reply #24 on: July 31, 2011, 09:40:40 PM »
Jud,

Glad you liked Big Fish. Any favorite holes??

I believe both the greens and fairways are in fact a strain of fescue, according to an early season e-mail/report from Chris T, the super at Northland CC.

The fairways were a combo of colonial bentgrass and fine fescue. The colonial populations are typically higher and the wetter areas of the course, the fescue higher in where its drier. The greens were originally seeded with velvet bentgrass. All of this was in an effort to reduce inputs. What typically happens in these situations is the called for reduced inputs are not reduced and the low input turf fails soon becoming Poa. Not exactly sure when Big Fish opened but I was very impressed at the relative lack of Poa in the playing surfaces. The velvet in the greens looked great and the fescue in the fairways looked even better.

 

Tags:
Tags:

An Error Has Occurred!

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()
Back