Courses both scenic, challenging

The Grand Geneva Resort features 36-holes of golf and great views, such as this one the 17th tee at the Brute course. (Justin Edmonds – jedmonds@nwherald.com)

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As if golf weren’t relaxing enough, the amenities at some of Lake Geneva’s popular courses take the vacation pastime to whole a new level.

Only 4 miles west of the city limits is Geneva National Golf Club, a 1,600-acre community featuring three championship golf courses.

Located at 1221 Geneva National Avenue South, the club offers full-service golf and a full-service restaurant. Geneva National is best known as a place to spend a day on the greens, although there is a hotel nearby for those seeking an extended stay.

The site features three courses designed by Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Lee Trevino. The biggest draw is the courses’ scenery, said Jennifer Myers, assistant general manager at the club.

One minute golfers will have a view of the lake, and the next minute they’ll be next to wooded holes or holes through wetlands.

“It takes advantage of southern Wisconsin’s terrain and kind of does everything,” Myers said.

Prices typically hover at $115 per player on the weekdays and $125 on the weekends, but from June 30 to July 6 golfers can enjoy the club while forking over less. Playing on the Palmer and Trevino courses will cost $65, and playing on the Player course will cost $75, both on weekdays and weekends.

For more information or to reserve a tee time online, visit www.genevanation alresort.com.

Travel 12 miles east of Geneva National and visitors will encounter the Hawk’s View Golf Club.

Every year, Hawk’s View, 7377 Krueger Road, hosts numerous social events and between 50 and 60 weddings. However, the main draws are the club’s two golf courses: Como Crossings and Barn Hollow.

Como Crossings is scenic and challenging, and has credentials to back that up. Golf Digest awarded the course four-and-a-half stars, and Chicagoland Golf magazine gave the course a five-star rating. It’s a championship course known for its panoramic views, said Chuck Dammeir, director of golf at the club.

“Como Creek ... meanders through the property, and on many holes you’re back and forth across the creek,” Dammeir said.

Barn Hollow is an 18-hole, par-3 course. It’s named for an antique barn that sits high on a hill overlooking the course.

“The property was originally the old Mount Fuji Ski Hill,” Dammeir said.

By the time golf players reach the 17th tee at the top of the old ski hill, “you can see 15 miles in every direction,” Dammeir said.

Hawk’s View doesn’t have its own hotel, but it keeps close relationships with others nearby. Visitors often can snag deals by packaging their playing time and room rates, Dammeir said.

Otherwise, prices range from $35 to $85 at Como Crossings, including the cart, depending upon the time of day and year. Prices range from $10 to $25 to walk, with carts available for an additional cost, for players at Barn Hollow.

Visit www.hawksviewgolfclub.com for more information or to book tee times.

Rock climbing, biking, kayaking and horseback riding are some of the activities guests enjoy during their stays at the Grand Geneva, located 5 miles south of Hawk’s View at 7036 Grand Geneva Way.

This golf hot-spot and resort combination boasts the ability to give guests more than the average hotel stay.

“What makes us unique and special is the different things we have and can do,” said general manager Patrick Hansen, who added that many of the resort’s offerings are free, too.

Take Embers Terrace, for example. It’s “literally a 20-foot fireplace outdoors,” Hansen said, and a popular spot for guests at the end of a long day.

“It’s a memory they’re going to have, ‘Remember when we were sitting up at Lake Geneva at that fireplace and saw that shooting star?’ ” he said.

Embers Terrace is one of the features included in the resort’s recent $16.5 million renovation efforts. The outdoor pool also has been redone, and the spas revitalized. Overnight rooms feature TV screens inside the mirrors.

“We’re getting tons of wows from our guests who weren’t really expecting it,” Hansen said.

Room rates start at $150 a night during the summer. There also are golf packages available, such as a ladies golf package for $199 per person, which includes lunch, golf time and a golf clinic. For more information visit www.grandgeneva.com.