terrific golf &
Woods, water, wildlife
These are attributes the Minocqua area has in abundance
COURTESY OF MINOCQUA CC
erry Collins readily admits the reality for any business
that hopes to compete for the time and dollars of
visitors to Wisconsin’s recreation-rich Northwoods.
“We understand up here,” said Collins, the head pro at
Minocqua’s Timber Ridge GC, “that the lakes kind of
come first, in my opinion. People are first coming up to
enjoy the lakes, and golf kind of takes a back seat.”
But the lakes – even if there are thousands of them in
Vilas and Oneida counties, as wonderfully puddled as any
J
part of this state – are not the only draws in the forested
north. Famous fishing waters like Trout Lake and Big and
Little St. Germain lakes may sometimes get top billing,
but scenic challenges such as Trout Lake GC and St. Ger-
main GC have their fans as well, not only year-round and
summer residents but also thousands of week-at-a-time
refugees from outside of the region who flock to the
woods to get away from, well, not everything.
“The primary reason that people come to the North-
woods is fun and relaxation,” said Kim Baltus, director of
the Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce, “and for a lot
of people relaxation means golf. There are some very nice
courses up here. For some people (vacation means) shop-
ping, for some people it’s going out to eat. (Golf) is just
another piece of the relaxation pie.”
For golfers, that pie has many slices – and yes, they are
