It was the summer of 1909, two years before the town of Plum Lake was established,
that Fred James, one of the first summer residents on Plum Lake, persuaded Herb Warner
that a golf course would be good for the local economy. Warner at the time was developing
a summer resort on the North shore and a dairy farm across the lake. He donated the land
from his South shore acreage, as well as the necessary labor to clear the designated area.
The stumps left by the logging were as large as six feet across and not easy to remove.
The holes kept sinking and had to be filled and topped many times. Narrow gauge logging
train tracks had to be removed and healing those scars was a momentus job taking nearly two
years.
Tom Bennet was then hired to lay out the golf course and once done to maintain it. Horses
were used to mow fairways and hand mowers to mow greens. Water and sand were provided for
teeing off which was done by placing the ball on a mound of damp sand. Mr. Bennet
initially wanted to fill in the "pot hole" (hole number four), a par three that sits
approximately twenty feet below the fairway. Mr. Warner insisted that this was a unique
feature not to be changed and it hasn't been to this day. Finally in 1912, after a meeting
with lake residents and assurances of the success of the course by Mr. Warner, articles of
incorporation were filed with the Register of Deeds of Vilas County.
Mr. Warner moved his farm house to the lake to serve as a club house and Pete Jans was hired
as the the club's Head Professional. Immediately, the Club became the hub of social life in
the area. Many tournaments, the annual Regatta, dance parties, and bridge clubs made the
construction of a new and bigger clubhouse necessary. In 1923, construction of the current
clubhouse began. Besides a few additions over the years, it remains relatively the same as
it was back then.
Now as we enter a new millennium, Plum Lake Golf Club remains one of the most storied
courses in Wisconsin. Set among rolling hills and tall timbers, the Club offers challenges
to golfers of all levels. The wrap around porch and wood hewn chairs have been the subject
of articles published in Architectural Digest and Better Homes and Gardens. So what are you
waiting for? Come and enjoy a scenic round of golf at Plum Lake Golf Club. For Tee Times or
general information, call (715) 542-2598.
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