The Lido
The Lido is the most remarkable resurrection in golf. The original, built by C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor on Long Island in 1917 and lost to the United States Navy in the Second World War, was for years the great vanished masterpiece. At Sand Valley in Wisconsin, Tom Doak and Brian Schneider rebuilt it down to the inch from old photographs and survey maps, and since 2023 you can finally play the course that golf thought it had lost forever.
Photo: Jim Lewis via Google.
The verdict
No course on earth has a story quite like the Lido. C.B. Macdonald, the founding father of American architecture, and his protege Seth Raynor created the original on Long Island in 1917 at vast expense, building a links from nothing on a tidal marsh. It was hailed as one of the greatest courses in the world before it was requisitioned by the Navy during the Second World War and bulldozed, leaving only photographs, written accounts and a few survey drawings behind.
What Tom Doak, Brian Schneider and the Renaissance team achieved at Sand Valley is closer to archaeology than design. Using a painstaking digital model built from period imagery, they put every template green, bunker and fairway contour back exactly where Macdonald and Raynor had placed it, then built it on the ideal sandy ground of central Wisconsin. The Lido reopened to play in 2023 as a par 72 of about 6,782 yards, longer from the back, and it has rocketed up the rankings as one of the most talked about courses in the country.
The Lido at a glance
- Opened
- 2023
- Designer
- C.B. Macdonald · Tom Doak
- Type
- Template links revival
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 6,782 yds
- Green fee
- From $295
The original 1917 design by C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor, the recreation by Tom Doak and Brian Schneider of Renaissance Golf, the 2023 reopening, the par 72 and the yardage of about 6,782 yards were verified June 2026 from Sand Valley Golf Resort and design records. Green fees are indicative, with 2026 peak season rates around 295 dollars for eighteen holes in line with the resort's other courses, lower out of season. Access is for resort guests, generally Sunday to Thursday. Always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
To play the Lido is to take a tour of the great template holes that shaped American golf. Macdonald and Raynor filled it with their signature designs, the Channel hole that asks you to bite off as much carry as you dare across water, the Biarritz with its deep swale, the Redan that feeds a running shot, and the Alps where you play blind over a towering dune to a hidden green. Each is a strategic puzzle that has tested golfers for more than a century.
The genius of the original was its width and its options, and the recreation keeps every one. Many holes offer two or three completely different routes to the green, the safe way round and the heroic carry, and the firm sandy turf lets the ball run so the angles matter on every approach. The bunkering is deep and old fashioned, the greens are big and boldly contoured, and the wind that sweeps the open Wisconsin barrens stands in for the sea breeze of the Long Island original.
What makes the Lido extraordinary is that it lets ordinary golfers play a lost legend. This is not a tribute or an approximation, it is the actual lost course rebuilt to the inch on ground arguably better than the original. Played as part of a Sand Valley stay alongside the resort's other courses, the Mammoth Dunes, the Sand Valley course and the newer Sedge Valley, the Lido is one of the most fascinating and joyful rounds anywhere in modern American golf.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A resort course open to guests staying at Sand Valley, generally Sunday to Thursday; tee times are arranged through the resort as part of a stay and play |
| Green fee | Indicative 2026 peak season rate around 295 dollars for eighteen holes, in line with the resort's other championship courses, lower out of season |
| Booking | Book a Sand Valley stay and play well ahead, as the Lido is in high demand and its guest only access limits the tee sheet |
| On the day | Walking only with caddies and forecaddies available; a vast putting course and the resort's other layouts are all on the same property |
| Getting there | On the central Wisconsin sand barrens near Nekoosa, about a two hour drive from Madison or Milwaukee and three from Chicago |
| Best months | May to October for the best weather and firmest turf; the resort typically closes for the deep winter |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from Sand Valley Golf Resort; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with the resort or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
The Lido is open only to guests staying at Sand Valley, so a stay on property is part of the experience rather than a luxury. The resort offers lodge rooms and cottages within easy reach of all the courses, and a Sand Valley stay and play is the only reliable way onto the Lido tee sheet, generally Sunday to Thursday.
Sand Valley is a destination resort rather than a city break, so most golfers settle in for two or three nights and play the whole stable, the Lido, Mammoth Dunes, Sand Valley and Sedge Valley, plus the enormous Sandbox short course. The nearest cities of Madison and Milwaukee are a couple of hours away for those who want to add a night either side of the trip.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts at Sand Valley and across central Wisconsin.
Play the Lido and Sand Valley
The Lido is open to resort guests only, so we build the whole Sand Valley stay and play around it, locking in the guest tee times, the lodging and the wider course stable. Tell us roughly when and who is traveling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
The Lido questions
Who designed The Lido at Sand Valley?
The original Lido was designed by C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor on Long Island in 1917. The Sand Valley recreation was built by Tom Doak and Brian Schneider of Renaissance Golf, who rebuilt it down to the inch from period photographs and survey maps, and it opened in 2023.
Is the Lido a copy or the real course?
It is a faithful recreation of the lost original. The Renaissance team used a detailed digital model from historic imagery to put every green, bunker and contour back exactly where Macdonald and Raynor had placed them, then built it on Wisconsin sand. It is as close to the vanished Long Island course as is possible to build.
What is the par and length of the Lido?
The Lido plays as a par 72 of about 6,782 yards, stretching longer from the back tees. Its defence is width with strategy, deep template bunkering, big bold greens and the wind across the open Wisconsin barrens.
How do I play the Lido?
The Lido is open to guests staying at Sand Valley Golf Resort, generally Sunday to Thursday, as part of a stay and play. Tee times are arranged through the resort, and because access is guest only and demand is high you should book well ahead.
How much does it cost to play the Lido?
Indicative 2026 peak season green fees are around 295 dollars for eighteen holes, in line with the resort's other championship courses and lower out of season. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm current rates directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Opening year, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.