Morningstar Golf Club - A Diamond in the Quarry

By Brian Weis

Standing on the first tee, I asked the starter what his favorite hole is.

He said, "None of them, they all are hard."

He followed up with, "Most people struggle with the first hole.

He smiled and parted with a "good luck."

The first hole, par 5, sets the stage for the next 18 holes, dramatic views and drastic elevation changes. Perched high above the former rock quarry you can see 5-6 holes. While soaking up the breath taking view, I quickly noticed a few hazards - hills, ponds, long grass and wooded areas.
To start your round off right, keep the ball in play by hitting the generous landing area. Big hitters could reach the lower area but it is tight. (Leave your ego in the bag and hit a 3 wood or hybrid if need be).

Morningstar provides 5 sets of tees , with the back tees playing at almost 6800 yards. The fairways and landing areas are generous although a few holes are visually intimidating.

At one of the lowest spots on the course, the 9th hole is framed in with a steep gradient on the left with a long pond running the length of the hole on the right. To make it feel even tighter the fairway narrows after the landing area creating a very visually intimating hole. Take a deep breath, forget about the water and swing smooth. (The advice worked for half our foursome)

The 16th is the longest par four on the course with a blind shot headed up hill. (429 yards from the blacks; 402 from blues). Aim for the left trap and if you hit your target it will set you up for a clear second shot. Spray right and a lone tree may obstruct your approach to the green.
The closing stanza is a long elevated par 5 that will give you one last look at some spectacular views.

To close out a good round stay left the whole way as you head homeward bound. Following that advice will make the hole shorter and provide you the best angle into the elevated green.

The nineteen hole, Hickory Sticks Pub and Restaurant, is a spacious pub that serves a wide variety of sandwiches, burgers and wraps.

For more information visit www.golfthestar.com

S77 W26285 Prairieside Dr.
Waukesha, WI 53189
Phone 262-662-1600

Article Tags: Morningstar Golf Club, Waukesha Golf

Revised: 11/08/2010 - Article Viewed 29,372 Times

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.