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4.8
120 Reviews (120)
5 Stars
86
4 Stars
25
3 Stars
6
2 Stars
2
1 Stars
1
Conditions
4.7
Value
4.5
Layout
4.9
Friendliness
4.8
Pace
4.3
Amenities
4.7
94.5%
Recommend this course
111 out of 120 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
5.0
1 Reviews (1)
5 Stars
1
4 Stars
0
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
5.0
Value
5.0
Layout
5.0
Pace
5.0
Amenities
5.0
StaffFriendliness
5.0
100.0%
Recommend this course
1 out of 1 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.9
30 Reviews (30)
5 Stars
27
4 Stars
3
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.8
Value
4.6
Layout
5.0
Pace
4.6
Amenities
4.9
StaffFriendliness
4.9
96.7%
Recommend this course
29 out of 30 reviews
Read Reviews

About

Holes 18
Type Semi-Private/Resort
Par 72
Length 7171 yards
Slope 140
Rating 74.7

The Palmer Course is just one of three championship courses at Geneva National Golf Club. The other two boast well known designers as well: Gary Player and Lee Trevino. All of the courses were carved from the lush countryside along the banks of Lake Como, the sprawling club is the second largest golf facility in Wisconsin. The Palmer Course is the most challenging of the three but the Player Course comes in at a close second. There is less water one this course but it still has a prominent presence throughout. The golf course begins with a tricky water hole, a par 3 that is crossed two by a meandering stream. The 17th is also memorable since it plays right along the lake. There are a few homes lining some of the fairways but they do not distract from the stunning scenery throughout the golf course.

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Geneva National Golf - Palmer Course
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Course Details

Year Built 1991
Fairways Bluegrass
Greens Bent Grass
Architect Arnold Palmer (1991) Ed Seay (1991)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - included in green fees
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Discover Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Dress code Proper golf attire

Food & Beverage

Bar, Grill, Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Lounge, Banquet Facilities

Accolades

  • Golf Advisor: Top Courses in Wisconsin (2023 #17)
  • Golf Advisor: Top 25 Off-course amenities in the U.S. (2023 #1)
  • Golf Advisor: Top 25 Courses for Layout in the U.S. (2023 #7) (2021 #4)

Reviews

4.8
120 Reviews (120)
Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 68
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Top 1000 Contributor
First Time Playing

Palmer G National

This was Zach and my first time playing this course. The course fairways and greens were in primo shape. Excellent design layout with target golf a priority. This is the best of the three courses at GN, Greens were though playing this course for the first time because there are slops and many tiers on the greens. If u like to challenge your game this is the course to do it on.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 7
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 7
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 28
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Palmer

Excellent and scenic course can't wait to the middle of summer

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

I feel the Palmer course is the best course on the property. The back 9 is more challenging than the front. Holes along Lake Como provide great views.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once every three months
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great Course - Punishes Mistakes

Had a beautiful fall Indian summer day temperatures in the high 70s. Course was in fantastic shape. Beautiful layout. Punishes you when you miss the fairway or the green. Be prepared to lose a few balls and have your score impacted by penalty strokes unless you keep it in the short grass. Fantastic time.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 16
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Round 2 of our 24 man buddy trip

We arrived at Geneva National for our 1st of 3 rounds to be played on the Palmer course. I had played the course a few years ago and struggled to remember a lot of the holes until stepping back on the tee. The course itself is a fun course with lots of tee shots requiring a little shape or a layup if you don't want to try it with driver. The first few pins were very severe making a 3-putt almost un-avoidable which but after #4 things got more under control. The unfortunate part was the pace of play, we were unable to complete our round because the 1st tee was 25 minutes behind schedule and the pace of play was horrible. 4:35 into the round and we were only on the 16th tee in the dark and were not able to enjoy what is the best stretch of the course. We saw a ranger on multiple occasions and nothing got better, based on how the bar/restaurant was staffed this felt like it was strictly a money grab and the resort was stuffing in as many people as possible. When I brought this up with the pro shop that evening they said there was a slow group ahead of us but they did nothing to speed them up. Our group was given a slight refund on golf but it wasn't enough to get the sour taste out of our mouths. When compared to U. Ridge the day before, this course pales in comparison for value and playability.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 10
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Palmer course

This is a truly exceptional golf course. The setting of the front nine is like playing through an old stand of oak trees with beautiful home scattered throughout. The back nine opens up a bit after 14 to get you with lake views.

What truly stands out is that the layout offers risk reward decisions on most holes but always leaves a safe out if you choose to play conservatively course was in gear shape and the greens were fast and took some time to get the feel for the speed and the grain.

Will definitely be back

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 168
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Chicago Advisor
Top 50 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Geneva National (Palmer) - The Most Picturesque of the Courses in Lake Geneva

The Good: Very challenging and interesting layout from golf king Arnold Palmer has some of the most picturesque holes of the entire Geneva National Resort. Many holes weave through forests sprinkled with ponds and creeks, while the course closes with several super views alongside Lake Como. Superb course conditions, a top-notch practice amenities, and an exceptional clubhouse and service for a public facility. Make sure to eat at the Hunt Club Restaurant after your round! On-site accommodations are very nice.

The Bad: Some holes have great character with elevation changes or intimidating hazards, while the holes in the middle of the track (particularly the Par-4's) appear to be "filler" holes until the great closing stretch on the back half. The $130 greens fee during peak season is steep for the course. The greens, while putting very true, are extremely slick and difficult to the point that it can ruin a happy-go-lucky round. Lack of GPS on the carts is a glaring amenities omission.

The Verdict: The Palmer course at Geneva National has arguably some of the best holes of the entire resort, yet the Player course is the better all-around track. A joy to play if you can avoid 3-putting all of the greens. A great option if you are in the Lake Geneva area.

Best Hole: The closing is a great capper to this impressive track; however, the best hole of the resort is the long Par 5 #17. The hole borders Lake Como and winds around the water to a green pinched between sand traps. Make sure to bring your camera!

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
3.0
Previously Played

Don't play on weekends

Still absurdly priced on weekends. They must be subsidizing the broader condo assn with their fees. Over a hundy to play and carts don't even have GPS. Play Hawks view down the road where they value customers.

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Fair
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Bang for your buck

This course is about 45 minutes away from Milwaukee and is a great alternative option to expensive courses such as Erin Hills or Whistling Straits. Twilight hour rates are around $50 and if you get a tee time right when they begin you will finish with sunlight. Practice facilities include putting green, short game area, and driving range(all in great condition). I played the last week of July and the course was basically in perfect condition with a few minor issues with the tee boxes and fringes. Greens are in good shape and aren't too fast, giving easy approach shots and aggressive putts to score low. Only complaint was our round took 4:45 to finish and waited on every tee box past the 12th hole. I would definitely recommend this course to anyone looking to pay a low price for amazing quality.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Walked

mix up

Well we didn't get to play the palmer course, because it was a members day thing. They had no golf now reservation at all. Ended playing the trevino course and was pretty nice.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Geneva National Palmer

Course was in nice condition foe this early in the year. Greens were good but not yet excellent. Paid $39 thru Golfnow. Great rate since rates are closer to $100 the rest of the year. Have played here many times but won't pay $100. All courses here are always some of the best in the area.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 13
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

This course is beautiful and challenging!

Very unique layout. It is recommended you drive ahead a little to see what's ahead if this is your first time going. This course will definitely test your accuracy. Overall this course is very awesome and I will definitely return.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
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