U.S. Senior Open – Renovations at SentryWorld a decade ago paved the way for this week’s big event

Editor’s Note: Jay Blasi, originally from Wisconsin, is a California based golf course designer. He worked as project architect in collaboration with Robert Trent Jones Jr. on SentryWorld’s 2013 renovation. He is also a Golfweek Best rater ambassador and writes for Golfweek.

STEVENS POINT (Wisconsin) – This week, SentryWorld will host the U.S. Senior Open. It is the third USGA tournament to be held at the course, and its first major. From a design and ownership perspective, the route taken to get this course here is unique.

Sentry Insurance has its headquarters in Stevens Point, Wisconsin since 1912. Sentry created a campus that was unique in the early 1980s. Sentry, decades before Google or Facebook were praised for their innovative workplaces, built a massive headquarters building with swimming pools, barber shops, an auto center, and much more. The theory was that a campus attractive to employees and allowing them a high-quality of life would help Sentry compete against big city firms.

John Joanis was the CEO of Sentry at the time and he also wanted to include golf in the mix. Robert Trent Jones Jr. was hired to create a course within a pine forest that was flat, rocky and wet. The Jones team routed large waterbodies and created large lakes in the forest. The addition of No. The Flower Hole, No. 16, was the most popular.

SentryWorld was the first of its kind in Wisconsin when it opened in 1982. The white sand bunkers, the bent grass fairways and the caddies dressed in their full attire made it a spectacular sight. SentryWorld was Wisconsin’s first golf destination course before the four courses of Kohler, Erin Hills and Sand Valley.

Joanis died shortly after SentryWorld was opened. As with many other courses, the course grew old over the next 25-years. In 2010, the course had become a bit worn out – it was basically at a crossroads. Sentry had to decide whether it should go away, degenerate into a muni layout or reinvest in the course and bring back its luster. Enter Pete McPartland.

McPartland became Sentry’s president and COO, and then chairman of the board, in 2010. He believed that SentryWorld was the face of Sentry Insurance and needed to be unique. McPartland led the company on a mission to transform SentryWorld from what it was (and is) into the destination that it is today. Golfweek awarded the layout as 2013’s top renovation.

Sentry has not only completely redone the course but also rebuilt and expanded their giant fieldhouse. They have added on-course eating pavilions, and created a boutique called The Inn, which will open in 2022. The company, in addition to its campus investments, has also become the title sponsorship of the Sentry Tournament of Champions on the PGA Tour at Kapalua, as well as the official insurance partner of USGA, and a corporate trustee of The First Tee.

Sentry’s journey to become a leader in the world of golf, as well as the evolution and design of its golf course was unique.

Sentry, after extensive research from 2010 to 2012 decided to rebuild the entire golf course in 2013. This included all new irrigation, greens and tees as well as bunkers, pathways, drainage, etc. The biggest decision was rerouting the golf course.

Owners and clubs are often afraid to change the layout of their course because they already know it. Rerouting is relatively inexpensive if you’re already upgrading irrigation, drainage and tees. Greens and bunkers. The two most important factors that determine how a course will be perceived are the routing and green complexes.

It is important to evaluate what works well and where there are opportunities for improvement when analyzing a golf course’s routing. SentryWorld’s majority of holes were well-suited to the terrain and only needed more breathing space after 30 years of growth. The technological advancements in golf made some holes that had sharp doglegs into the woods feel awkward. The short-game areas and range were too small.

The round was not very varied, as there were water hazards on eight out of nine holes and on 17 of 18 holes, trouble on both the left and the right. There were pockets of unused land on the site.

The original layout consisted of two loops, each with nine holes. The front nine occupied the northern part of the property, while the back nine occupied the southern half. When you studied the routing and played the course, some odd spots stood out.

Hole No. 1: Dogleg too steep for the opening hole. Transition to No. The second hole was a bit awkward.

Hole 3. The dogleg is sharp and the bunker and water on the outside are awkward.

Hole 9. A hidden creek, and trees on the right blocked the path to the green.

Hole 11. The green was surrounded by water.

Hole 13. The fairway was blinded by water on a sharp dogleg.

Hole 17. The hole had a dogleg, a turn at an awkward place and an impossible approach.

You can also identify certain areas on the property which were not used for golfing (yellow circle).

• The area to the left of No. 3 green.
• The peninsula on the north side of Lake No. No. 3 and 13.
• The trees to the right of No. 9 fairway. 9 fairway.
• The wooded area is located to the right of No. 11 green.
• A zone to the right of No. 12.
• The woods are between Nos. The woods between Nos.

The puzzle begins with the use of the empty spaces to arrive at the route you see today.

The 10 steps that led to the current layout are listed below:

A : Combining the Nos. The new number is created by combining Nos. 10. We were able to eliminate the awkward tee-shot on No. The awkward transition from No. 1 to No. 2. We were also able to extend the driving range.

B : Add the new No. 12. We were able to spread the route out and take advantage of the natural greenery.

C : Change No. Change the tee angle on No. 13 by 90°. The new hole is played straight over the water and eliminates the dogleg. Sentry installed a new bridge over the lake, which was key in this transformation.

D. Open No. 9. The par 5 offers players a variety of options both off the tee, and on the second.

E : Move the 11 ^thgreen to the right, up the hill. This is the new second-hole. This creates a hole that plays slightly uphill, and removes the blind water. This also creates a space on the No. 6.

F : Remove the old No. Create a new number 12 in the woods, right next to the old one. 3. This shot takes advantage of the topography, and is a unique one with water in the background.

G. Extend the No. The par 3 will be converted to a 4. This allows a smooth transition from the No. The par-4 is drivable and comes with options.

H : Open up the right side of No. The green should be shifted to the right of the water. This gives players options from the tee, and a tricky short approach shot with water behind green.

I. As shown above, new holes numbers were created in the routing. These are:

• Old 10 = New 1
• Old 11 = now 2
• Old 12 = now 3
• Old 4 = Still 4
• Old 5 = Still 5
• Old 6 = Still 6
• Old 7 = Still 7
• Old 8 = Still 8
• Old 9 = Still 9
• Old 1 and 2 = New 10
• Old 3 = now 11
• New Hole = 12
• Old 13 = Still 13
• Old 14 = Still 14
• Old 15 = Still 15
• Old 16 = Still 16
• Old 17 = Still 17
• Old 18 = Still 18

The renumbering allows us to reclaim the original tee-shot from when the course first opened, while maintaining the Flower Hole at 16.

The changes in the routing have allowed us to remove awkward shots, highlight some of the best parts of the property that were unused, and add more than 400 yards to the course. They also add flexibility, variety and playability.

Sentry was also able to host the U.S. Senior Open.