SentryWorld
Wisconsin's first destination golf course and home of the famous Flower Hole. A Robert Trent Jones Jr design reborn through a top to bottom renovation, now a polished, all inclusive par 72 of about 7,145 yards.
Photo: SentryWorld Golf Course via Google.
The verdict
Long before Whistling Straits or Erin Hills, there was SentryWorld. Built by Sentry Insurance and designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, it opened in 1982 as Wisconsin's first true destination golf course, an instant national name thanks to its lavish conditioning and its astonishing signature hole. Jones himself called the design very possibly his Mona Lisa. Decades later he returned, and with architects Bruce Charlton and Jay Blasi led a top to bottom renovation, reopening the course in 2014 and 2015 better than ever.
Today it is a polished, par 72 public course of about 7,145 yards, run as an all inclusive experience that has turned it into a genuine national draw once again. For the traveling golfer it offers immaculate parkland golf, generous hospitality and the chance to play one of the most photographed holes in the game. It pairs naturally with Wisconsin's other great public courses for a memorable Midwest golf trip.
SentryWorld at a glance
- Opened
- 1982
- Designer
- Robert Trent Jones Jr
- Type
- Parkland
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 7,145 yds
- Access
- Public
Designer, history, par and length verified June 2026 from the course and leading databases. SentryWorld is a Robert Trent Jones Jr design that opened in 1982 and reopened after a major renovation, led with Bruce Charlton and Jay Blasi, in 2014 to 2015. It is a par 72 of about 7,145 yards and fully public; the indicative 2026 all inclusive green fee is around 275 dollars covering cart, range and food and beverage, and rates change, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The course winds through 200 acres of birch, pine, spring fed lakes and immaculate parkland, with the kind of presentation that first made SentryWorld famous. The 2013 renovation modernized the layout from greens and grasses to bunkering, water features and irrigation, so it now plays as a contemporary championship test while keeping the character that earned its early acclaim.
And then there is the Flower Hole. The par 3 16th plays around 200 yards to a green ringed by some 50,000 annual flowers, petunias, snapdragons, marigolds and geraniums among them, grown on site and used as living, blazing hazards. It is one of the most distinctive and most photographed holes in American golf, a moment of genuine spectacle in the middle of a serious round.
Beyond the showpiece, SentryWorld is a thoughtful, well balanced parkland design with water in play, generous but defended fairways and large, subtly contoured greens. The all inclusive format, with carts, range balls and on course food and drink rolled into the fee and twenty minute tee intervals, makes it as relaxed and hospitable as it is good.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A fully public course; anyone can book a tee time, with the all inclusive format the same for every golfer |
| Green fee | Indicative 2026 all inclusive green fee around 275 dollars, covering GPS cart, range balls and on course food and beverage; rates change by season and day, so always confirm the current rate directly before booking |
| Booking | Directly with the course; the twenty minute tee intervals keep the round unhurried, and summer weekends are the busiest |
| On the day | Smart resort golf attire; the experience is relaxed and generous, with refreshment stations on course included in the fee |
| Getting there | In Stevens Point in central Wisconsin, about a 90 minute drive from Madison or Green Bay and within easy reach of Sand Valley |
| Best months | May to October, with the Flower Hole at its most spectacular through high summer |
Access and indicative fees verified June 2026 for the 2026 season; rates change, so always confirm directly before booking. Ask us about SentryWorld tee times.
Where to stay nearby
SentryWorld has its own on site hotel, The Inn at SentryWorld, along with restaurants and a sports complex, so you can stay, dine and play without leaving the property. It makes an easy and comfortable base for a central Wisconsin golf trip.
The natural itinerary pairs SentryWorld with Sand Valley, less than an hour away, for a few days of contrasting golf, the polished parkland of one against the rugged sand country of the other. Stevens Point and the surrounding area add further dining and lodging for groups who want options.
Looking for a base? See our recommended stays at The Inn at SentryWorld and around Stevens Point.
Build a Wisconsin golf trip
We build trips around the great Wisconsin public courses, from SentryWorld and the Flower Hole to Sand Valley and Kohler, and arrange lodging, transfers and tee times. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
SentryWorld questions
Who designed SentryWorld, and when did it open?
SentryWorld was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr and opened in 1982 as Wisconsin's first destination golf course. Jones returned with architects Bruce Charlton and Jay Blasi for a major renovation, and the course reopened in 2014 and 2015.
What is the Flower Hole at SentryWorld?
The Flower Hole is SentryWorld's signature par 3 16th, which plays around 200 yards to a green surrounded by roughly 50,000 annual flowers grown on site. It is one of the most distinctive and most photographed holes in American golf.
What is the par and length of SentryWorld?
SentryWorld plays to a par of 72 and measures about 7,145 yards from the back tees. It is a parkland course winding through birch, pine and spring fed lakes, thoroughly modernized in its 2013 renovation.
Can visitors play SentryWorld, and what does it cost?
Yes. SentryWorld is fully public and run as an all inclusive experience. The indicative 2026 green fee is around 275 dollars covering cart, range balls and on course food and beverage, and rates change by season and day, so always confirm directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, par, yardage and fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.