At SentryWorld, the food and drinks during the round are already handled. Two on-course refreshment stations serve hot food, snacks, ice cream, beer, wine, cocktails and nonalcoholic drinks as part of the green fee. That all-inclusive format is a better introduction to the experience than simply calling it the course with the flowers.
There is also an important date to know before planning: the golf course will close for the entire 2027 season for a major renovation. The Inn, PJ's and the property's other amenities will remain open, but golf trips need to target the remaining 2026 season or wait for the course to return ahead of the 2028 U.S. Senior Women's Open.
Quick Answer
SentryWorld is a polished one-course stay in Stevens Point with a boutique hotel beside the 18th fairway, strong dining and an unusually generous golf day. One night is enough for the main experience; two nights work better when the trip includes a relaxed arrival, dinner and a later departure.
Why Go
SentryWorld feels different from Wisconsin's exposed sand-based destinations. This is a green, carefully maintained parkland course where mature trees frame the holes and water influences several of the best decisions. The round is meant to move at a relaxed pace, with time built in for the refreshment stations instead of a rushed grab-and-go turn.
Sentry opened the course in 1982 as Wisconsin's first destination golf course. Robert Trent Jones Jr. created the original design, and Bruce Charlton and Wisconsin native Jay Blasi later collaborated on its major modernization. That work helped prepare SentryWorld to host the 2019 U.S. Girls' Junior and the 2023 U.S. Senior Open, won by Bernhard Langer at age 65.
The next phase begins in 2027. The planned work includes new irrigation, a full bunker renovation, changes to selected greens and tees, practice-facility improvements and other infrastructure updates. Blasi will lead the design work before the course hosts the 2028 U.S. Senior Women's Open and, later, the 2034 U.S. Senior Open.
The Golf
The Flower Hole is the photograph everyone knows, but the course has more range than that one par 3 suggests.
The par-5 fifth is one of the best holes to understand before playing. It bends around the lake as a cape hole: the farther left you challenge the water from the tee, the shorter the second shot becomes. A strong drive can create a chance to reach the green in two, while a conservative route still has to account for a large tree near the approach.
The sixth follows with a long par 4 that played as the most difficult hole during the 2023 U.S. Senior Open. It requires avoiding two fairway bunkers before an approach to an elevated green. Later, the par-3 12th plays to a peninsula green with water in front, along the side and behind it. Distance control matters more than chasing the flag.
Then comes the par-3 16th, the Flower Hole. More than 50,000 flowers are planted around it annually, and Robert Trent Jones Jr. has called it his “Mona Lisa.” It is memorable because the planting is part of the actual playing corridor, not landscaping hidden behind the tee. The safest target remains the middle of the green.
The finish is not an afterthought. The short par-4 17th gives longer hitters the option to cut the corner, while the 18th climbs through the largest elevation change on the course to a green protected by bunkers, a false front and a falloff on the left.
The variety of tee combinations is useful for a group trip. The published course setup ranges from 7,320 championship yards to tees below 5,000 yards, so mixed-handicap groups do not need to play the same distance to share the experience.
Where to Stay
The Inn at SentryWorld opened beside the 18th fairway in 2021. It has king and double-queen rooms, golf-view options with patios or terraces, larger suites and a private executive level. The lobby living room, screened Back Porch and outdoor firepit give a group places to sit together without leaving the property.
For most golfers, a golf-view room is the natural choice. It keeps the stay connected to the course and makes the property feel like more than a convenient hotel beside one round. The executive level adds a private lounge, snacks, beverages and evening turndown service for groups that want a quieter premium setup.
How to Build the Trip
Arrive in the afternoon, check into The Inn and have dinner before playing the following morning. That schedule leaves the entire golf day open for the practice facility, the relaxed pace of play, both refreshment stations and a post-round meal.
PJ's is the casual clubhouse choice, with Wisconsin comfort food, wood-fired pizza, cheese curds and an outdoor patio. The Library inside The Inn serves breakfast and coffee, then shifts to cocktails and a more intimate dinner setting. Muse is temporarily closed while its building undergoes a multi-year renovation, so it should not be presented as a current dinner option.
SentryWorld also works naturally with Sand Valley. Sand Valley lists its drive from Stevens Point Municipal Airport at 47 minutes, so the transfer between the Stevens Point property and Sand Valley is roughly an hour. That is short enough to play SentryWorld, stay overnight, and move to Sand Valley the following day without sacrificing a full travel day.
Best Time to Go
For the current course, the practical window is the remainder of the 2026 golf season. There will be no SentryWorld golf in 2027 while the renovation is completed. Future travel should be planned around the reopening schedule and the 2028 championship calendar once exact public-play dates are confirmed.
In a normal operating year, late May through September provides the most dependable combination of course availability and Central Wisconsin weather. Summer also gives groups more daylight for an unhurried arrival or departure.
Planning Tips
- Do not request a 2027 golf stay; the course will be closed all season.
- Allow time for both refreshment stations rather than treating the round like a standard four-hour tee time.
- Choose tees by approach distances, not only total yardage. The course can become demanding quickly from the back combinations.
- Book a golf-view room if the difference fits the group's budget.
- Use PJ's for the casual post-round meal and The Library for breakfast or a quieter dinner.
- When pairing SentryWorld with Sand Valley, move properties after breakfast instead of immediately after the round.
FAQ
Is SentryWorld open for golf in 2027?
No. SentryWorld has announced that the entire golf course will close for the 2027 season while it completes a major renovation. The Inn, PJ's, banquet facilities and fieldhouse will remain open.
What is included with a round at SentryWorld?
The current fully inclusive golf experience includes practice balls, a GPS-equipped cart and unlimited food and beverages at two on-course refreshment stations. Confirm the exact inclusions when booking because operations may change after the renovation.
Is the Flower Hole the 16th hole?
Yes. The Flower Hole is SentryWorld's par-3 16th, where more than 50,000 flowers are planted around the hole annually.
How many nights should you stay?
One night works well when SentryWorld is the only stop. Choose two nights for a slower weekend or use one night before transferring to Sand Valley for a longer Central Wisconsin trip.
How far is SentryWorld from Sand Valley?
Allow roughly one hour between the properties. Actual time depends on the route, road work and seasonal traffic, but they are close enough to combine without losing a day to transportation.
Final CTA
SentryWorld can stand alone as a one-night championship stay or become the polished opening round of a larger Wisconsin golf trip. Share the group's dates and priorities through the custom-trip form, with the 2027 closure in mind.
