Wisconsin golfers have gotten a little spoiled. We have Whistling Straits, Erin Hills, Sand Valley, SentryWorld and Lawsonia all within a tank of gas, and we talk about them the way other states talk about their one decent muni. So when somebody says a new public course is coming that could crash that party, the natural reaction is a raised eyebrow and a “sure, buddy.”

Then you look at the photos of Whitehall Sands and the eyebrow comes down real quick.

Whitehall Sands is being built on a former frac sand mine in Trempealeau County, between the small towns of Whitehall and Independence in western Wisconsin. Jay Blasi is the architect. The plan is a full public opening in 2028, with a chance at some preview play in fall 2027 if the weather, the shaping crews and the grass all cooperate. That is a lot of ifs, but the land itself is already doing most of the talking.

From Frac Sand to Fescue

The property belonged to Hi-Crush, a sand mining company that filed for bankruptcy in 2020 and left behind a scarred, dramatic piece of Driftless Area ground. In 2025, brothers Derrick and Mitchell Bushman bought it. The Bushmans are retired potato farmers from the Stevens Point area, part of a family business that dates back to 1909, which means they know a thing or two about sandy soil and long days outside.

Derrick also happens to be a Golfweek course rater, so this is not a couple of guys who woke up one morning and decided golf looked fun. These are people who have walked a lot of great courses and had opinions about all of them.

The site covers around 300 acres and includes a working quarry’s worth of drama: exposed sand, ridgelines, long views across the bluffs and a sandstone quarry wall that rises roughly 90 feet. The ownership has made it clear the mining history is not getting buried. The scars are the feature. The marketing team calls it an “industrial inland links,” which is the most Wisconsin phrase I have ever heard, and I mean that as a compliment.

The Architect Gets His Shot

If the Chambers Bay connection rings a bell, it should. Blasi was the project architect there, helping turn a different abandoned sand and gravel pit into the course that hosted the 2015 U.S. Open. Wisconsin golfers know him for the SentryWorld renovation in Stevens Point, and his portfolio also includes Poppy Ridge in California.

What makes this one personal is that Blasi grew up in Madison and went to UW, and Whitehall Sands is his first ground-up new build in his home state. He watched Coore and Crenshaw, Doak and Kidd get the call at Sand Valley. Now the hometown kid gets a blank canvas, and it is a canvas with a 90-foot cliff on it. Golfers who make the trip will be able to tell he has been waiting for this.

What Is Actually Being Built

Here is the menu as it stands:

  1. An 18-hole championship course playing a little over 7,000 yards from the tips, par 71

  2. A nine-hole short course

  3. A putting course

  4. Practice facilities

  5. On-site lodging and hospitality, with more details still to come

There is land for future courses too, though the owners have been sensible about it. Build one great course first, then worry about the sequel. Somewhere, a Hollywood studio executive just felt a chill.

The fairways will be fescue and the greens bentgrass, set up to play firm and fast. That is a gutsy call in the Midwest, where fescue fairways have a spotty track record. Erin Hills opened with fescue and eventually switched. The Whitehall crew is betting that turf science has caught up. If they are right, you get proper ground game golf where the ball actually bounces and rolls. If you have only ever played soft, target golf, bring your bump-and-run and leave your ego in the car.

Walking Is the Point

Fescue does not love cart traffic, so Whitehall Sands will be primarily a walking course with a caddie program built around kids from the surrounding towns. There will be a limited number of cart rounds each day so nobody gets shut out entirely, but the culture is walking-first.

You will want to take a caddie. Trust me on this one. Between the elevation changes and a property this big, a local who knows where the ball is going to end up is worth every dollar. Plus, tipping a teenager from Whitehall well is the closest most of us will get to being a philanthropist.

Fair warning: this will be a real walk. Driftless terrain and a former mine are not a flat stroll through a park. Stretch beforehand. Maybe skip that third old fashioned the night before. Or don’t, and blame the hills.

What It Will Cost

Green fees are expected to land somewhere around $200. That puts it right in line with comparable upscale public destinations, and given the earth they are moving to make this playable, it is hard to argue with. Management has said they want it to be a place people come back to, not a once-a-year splurge you justify to your spouse with a spreadsheet.

There is also a founders program called The Herdsmen, a limited group that gets to be part of the first chapter of the property. Details are on the Whitehall Sands website for anyone who wants a stake in the story early.

Getting There and Building the Trip

Whitehall Sands sits about 40 miles south of Eau Claire, roughly two hours from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and about three and a half hours from Milwaukee. That geography matters. Sand Valley draws most of its traffic from Chicago. Whitehall Sands is expected to pull the majority of its play from the west, with Twin Cities golfers and anyone flying into MSP.

That sets up one of the best golf buddy trip routes in the country. Fly into Minneapolis, play Whitehall Sands, then drive east about two hours to Sand Valley. I have spent plenty of time at Sand Valley, and the thought of stacking those two back to back is enough to make me start pricing out a fifth set of golf shoes. Keep rolling east and you are within striking distance of SentryWorld, then Erin Hills and Kohler. That is a week-long Wisconsin pilgrimage that can go toe to toe with any destination in America.

Where to Stay

On-site lodging is in the plans, and that will change the game once it opens. Until then, the Oak Park Inn right in Whitehall is the closest option. Groups that want more bar and restaurant options should base in Eau Claire, which has plenty of hotels and an easy 45-minute drive to the first tee.

What to Do After the Round

This part of Wisconsin does not have a neon strip, and that is part of the charm. But there is plenty to keep a golf group happy.

  • Norske Nook in Osseo, about 20 miles north, is famous for its pies. You are going to walk 18 hilly holes. You have earned a slice. Probably two.

  • Sullivan’s Supper Club near Trempealeau sits by Perrot State Park with views over the Mississippi River. Order the old fashioned, order the prime rib, and argue about whose fault the triple bogey was.

  • The Trempealeau Hotel books live music on a stage near the river, perfect for couples on a golf getaway.

  • Leinenkugel’s Leinie Lodge in Chippewa Falls is an easy add-on if your group is staying in Eau Claire.

  • Ho-Chunk Gaming in Black River Falls is about 30 miles east, for the guy in your group who insists his luck is about to turn. It is not. But it is fun to watch.

The Bottom Line

Wisconsin has become the epicenter of public golf in America, and Whitehall Sands looks like it was built to raise the bar again. A Chambers Bay architect with something to prove, two farm brothers who know their sand, a quarry wall that will end up on every golf Instagram account in the country and a walking culture that respects the game. Mark 2028 on the calendar. Start the group text now. Somebody always takes six months to commit anyway.