SentryWorld Golf Course

SentryWorld Golf Course is a public championship course in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and opened in 1982 as Wisconsin's first upscale public golf facility. RTJ II returned to renovate the course in 2013-14. Set within a landscape of native woodlands, rolling terrain, and tranquil water features, it is widely regarded as one of the finest public golf experiences in the Midwest. Explore the full RTJ II portfolio to see more courses built on the same philosophy.

Inspiration Behind the Design

Robert Trent Jones Jr. drew on Wisconsin's lush vegetation, rolling terrain, and tranquil water features when he conceived SentryWorld. He worked native trees, flora, and expansive bodies of water into the layout, letting the land's own features guide the design. The same sensitivity is evident at University Ridge Golf Course, another Wisconsin project by RTJ II that harmonizes rolling topography and natural water movement.

This unity with nature makes SentryWorld not only a premier golf destination but also a celebration of the rich history and splendor of the Midwest's environment.

Jones has called the course his Mona Lisa. Speaking at a press conference before SentryWorld opened in August 1982, he said, "I like to refer to this as my Mona Lisa. This course comes so close to perfection the way it is now that we really don't have to do much more with it. It's pure and unique." The full account of the opening is in 41 years of golf history at SentryWorld.

Robert Trent Jones Jr.'s Design Approach

Jones envisioned SentryWorld as more than a golf course. He set out to create a destination experience that harmonizes with the natural beauty and topography of the Wisconsin landscape, and his strategic design balances the challenge of the game with inclusivity, catering to golfers of all skill levels.

Variability is key in Jones's design, which offers a wide range of hole layouts including long, daunting par fives, shorter par threes with beautiful views, and the signature Flower Hole. For another RTJ II course known for its creative use of short and long hole variation, explore Chambers Bay Golf Course, a U.S. Open host venue that exemplifies championship-level strategic design. This approach makes each round both a challenge to be tackled and a luxurious experience to be savored.

Course Features

The balanced design philosophy at SentryWorld reflects the same attention to landscape and strategy seen at Cabo Real Golf Course and Reserva Conchal Golf Club, both of which integrate coastal terrain and environmental sustainability.

Signature Hole: The Flower Hole

The most iconic feature at SentryWorld is its 16th hole, known as the Flower Hole. It is bordered by more than 30,000 flowers in a typical year, and more for marquee championships, planted in sweeping beds of color. A par three playing about 200 yards from the back tee, slightly uphill and over water to a green framed entirely by blooms, it asks for precise club selection and a calm nerve. That combination has made it one of the most photographed holes in American public golf.

How the Flower Hole Was Born

The hole exists because the original design did not satisfy John Joanis, then chairman of Sentry Insurance. Jones had drawn a fairly benign one-shotter for the 16th, and Joanis wanted something more.

"John said, 'Bob, this hole needs something. What can you do?'" Jones recalled. "I said, 'Well, we weren't able to use some of the water at the far end of the property. Why don't we put a little pond in here?' He said, 'Draw it for me.' So I did, and he said, 'Do you have anything else in mind?'"

Jones mentioned that he had recently come back from Europe, where he had seen tulips in bloom in Amsterdam and flowers planted around a course in France. He still thought a pond in front of the green was the more practical answer. Joanis had a different idea.

"I came back and John said, 'I want to show you something,'" Jones said. "He had taken the pond and crafted it into a lake of flowers. And thus, the famous Flower Hole was born."

The annuals are grown at Heath Farms in Coloma and planted around Memorial Day, and the design of the beds changes every year. Balls hit into the flowers are not retrieved, a local rule Joanis set himself, and the course recovers 2,000 to 3,000 of them at the end of each season. The hole itself has changed very little since 1982. Both the 2013-14 renovation and the work done ahead of the 2023 U.S. Senior Open left it essentially as Jones and Joanis made it. The full story is in the account of how the 16th hole came to be.

Natural Beauty

The course is etched into a landscape of impeccable fairways that meander through pristine Wisconsin scenery. Views of lush woodlands, tranquil waters, and vibrant floral arrangements frame each hole, creating an inclusive golf experience that invites players to enjoy Midwestern hospitality amidst remarkable vistas.

Course Layout

Jones designed SentryWorld with both the avid and the casual golfer in mind. The original par-72 routing covered roughly 200 acres of rocky, wooded swampland, and multiple sets of tees let players choose the version of the course that suits their game rather than putting everyone on the championship setup.

Championships and Course History

• 1982: The course opens to the public on August 30 as Wisconsin's first upscale public golf facility.
• 1986: Hosts the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links.
• 2013-14: Full renovation overseen by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and executed by Bruce Charlton, now the firm's president and chief design officer, and Jay Blasi, then an associate at RTJ II. The course reopens in 2015.
• 2019: Hosts the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship, July 22 to 27.
• 2020-22: The course closes for pandemic-era work and preparation ahead of the U.S. Senior Open. The changes are modest and the course reopens on June 1, 2022.
• 2023: Hosts the 43rd U.S. Senior Open, June 29 to July 2, and the 103rd Wisconsin State Open, August 14 to 16.
• 2026: Hosts the Wisconsin State Women's Open, June 15 to 17, the first Women's State Open at SentryWorld since 2011.
• 2027: The course closes for the golf season for a renovation led by Jay Blasi, who worked on the 2013-14 project. Green complexes, tee complexes, bunkers, and irrigation are all in scope.
• 2028: Scheduled to host the U.S. Senior Women's Open.
• 2034: Scheduled to host the U.S. Senior Open.

SentryWorld FAQs

Who designed SentryWorld?

Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed SentryWorld, which opened in 1982. RTJ II returned for the 2013-14 renovation, overseen by Jones and executed by Bruce Charlton, the firm's president and chief design officer, and Jay Blasi, then an associate at RTJ II.

What is the Flower Hole?

The Flower Hole is SentryWorld's 16th, a par three of about 200 yards from the back tee that plays slightly uphill and over water to a green ringed by flower beds. It carries more than 30,000 flowers in a typical year and more for marquee championships. Sentry Insurance chairman John Joanis created it in 1982 by turning the pond Jones had drawn into a bed of flowers.

When was SentryWorld built and renovated?

SentryWorld opened to the public on August 30, 1982, as Wisconsin's first upscale public golf facility. RTJ II renovated it in 2013-14 and it reopened in 2015. It closed again from 2020 to 2022 for pandemic-era work and modest preparation ahead of the 2023 U.S. Senior Open. The course is scheduled to close for the 2027 season for a renovation led by Jay Blasi, who worked on the 2013-14 project, ahead of the U.S. Senior Women's Open in 2028 and the U.S. Senior Open in 2034.

Is SentryWorld open to the public?

Yes. SentryWorld has been a public course since it opened in 1982. Tee times, lodging at The Inn at SentryWorld, and stay-and-play details are handled by the course at sentryworld.com.

What championships has SentryWorld hosted?

SentryWorld has hosted three USGA championships: the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links in 1986, the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship in 2019, and the 43rd U.S. Senior Open in 2023. It also hosted the 103rd Wisconsin State Open in August 2023 and the Wisconsin State Women's Open in June 2026. The USGA has also selected SentryWorld for the 2028 U.S. Senior Women's Open and the 2034 U.S. Senior Open.

Why does Robert Trent Jones Jr. call SentryWorld his Mona Lisa?

At the press conference before the course opened in August 1982, Jones said, "I like to refer to this as my Mona Lisa. This course comes so close to perfection the way it is now that we really don't have to do much more with it. It's pure and unique." He had designed about 100 courses at that point.