From the publisher’s pen: Grab that guide

Hey, Bucky!   

Too bad about your Badgers missing the Sweet 16.  

But let’s face it, your delightful state is better known for its golf courses than hoops or football these days. We’ll skip the photo op with a statue of you on this gray, windy day, the final Friday afternoon in March.  

We have business to conduct anyway, the type of endeavor and encounter indicating why golf course fanatics always understand the discovery never ceases.  

The affable woman behind the Wisconsin Welcome Center counter along Interstate 90 in Beloit should have a printed copy of the “WisconsinGolf.com 2025 Yearbook.” Well-crafted stories about the state’s growing golf scene along with an extensive course guide lurk within its glossy pages.    

The woman hands over the 60-page booklet. Scouring it yields a few intriguing realizations: 

• Wisconsin boasts a course with “pizza” in its name. There’s a spot near the outdoorsy northern Wisconsin town of Hayward called Lakeview Golf & Pizza. Putts and pepperoni. Sounds delectable.  
• The “Flower Hole” at SentryWorld in Stevens Point remains one of the most photogenic holes on the planet.  
• Overlooked by the state’s popular and trendy resorts, quaint 9-holers and clever short courses dot the state. 

Printed state and regional golf guides represent a free form of continuing education. There’s always another course or resort to learn more about. Plus, we all need conversation starters, whether attending an industry event or family function. Nothing develops a connection like mentioning how a golf course has pizza in its name!   

Understanding how golf courses are promoted to the masses will help anybody in the industry. Astute readers notice turfgrass varieties in advertisements and articles. Skeptical readers with industry knowledge might cringe when reading words such as “lush” and “perfect” in course conditioning descriptions. Need to know which public and resort courses in a region recently executed renovations? Projects make for terrific golf promotional fodder.   

Nearly every substantial visitor or welcome center has some form of golf-related literature on its racks and shelves, whether in dedicated guides to the game or inside broader city, county, state or regional booklets. Golf is a critical piece to many states’ tourism puzzles, and the printed word packs plenty of power.  

On the late March drive from northeast Ohio to Wisconsin, we also grabbed the 2025 editions of “Northern Michigan Golfer” and “Golf Now! Chicago.” Wisconsin and Northern Michigan engage in fierce tussles for golf tourism dollars emanating from Chicago, one of the world’s most influential golf markets. 

A few witty words and sweet images can make the difference between a golfer supporting the economy of one state over another. Studying those words and images can provide details and talking points capable of helping careers and industry reputations.  

Bucky is the brawny mascot of a fabulous state university. Seeing a statue of him while making an interstate pit stop demonstrates why anybody serious about learning more about golf’s playing fields should never stop seeking knowledge

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How far away is the course with pizza in its name from the Beloit Welcome Center?  The answer is probably somewhere in the guide.

Guy Cipriano is Golf Course Industry’s publisher + editor-in-chief.