Layout of Hole 1

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Hole # 1: Par 4, 403 Yds.

Pro's Advice: LEFT is where you want to be off every tee. Hitting your tee shot closer then 140 yds from the green, will give you a severe downhill lie….so lay back on the left to give yourself the best shot. The landing zone is flat, but one that can be expensive if you are on the right on the hillside. The green is 30 ft lower than the fairway at 150 yds. Overshooting your second shot here could be a severe penalty and should be avoided!

Naturalist's Advice: Teeing off a high knoll, you get your first view of the climax hemlock/yellow birch virgin forest on the right. The cart path offers glimpses into the dark depths of the virgin timber. On a warm sunny day, you can feel the coolness from within; on a cloudy day you can see the contrast of deep hemlock green, light fern green and shiny golden trunks. The foremost purple tee also has a younger, smaller stand of hemlock on the left. The gold/green tees are shared with magnificent Yellow Birch on the right. Yellow Birch is a long lived hardwood, that is often found with hemlock trees in our Northwoods. Recognize it by the golden bark, shinier at the top than at the bottom in older trees. Yellow Birch often looks as if it is dying, with bare branches and few leaves, but it is very hardy and will struggle on like this for a half a century! The wood makes magnificent veneer for cabinets and is very valuable to loggers. The Ross family have refused offers to log these yellow birch many times in the last decades. On Teal Wing, a yellow birch always gets preferred consideration over other species because of rarity and Fall beauty. We like the glorious blaze of bright yellow early in the Fall, one of the first to turn. Over the crest and slightly to the right the green trunks in by the wetland, adjacent to the river swamps, the giant ferns, shaded by spruce that circle the bog. The wooded hillside on your right shelters the ongoing cart path, with your first ride through the maple woods with young maple sapling undergrowth.

Layout of Hole 2

Hole # 2: Par 5, 522 Yds.

Pro's Advice: A Par 5 that is birdie-wise and eagle-foolish. Two ponds are ready to inherit any Titlelist or Top Flite that hit off course. The wide landing area is deceptive because of the big swamp beyond. The wise way to play is three shots to the green, regardless of how well you placed your tee shot. For your second shot, calculate your lay up shot carefully. It is often wiser to play a shorter second, followed by a longer third shot over the swamp up to the green on a ridge. This will often give the better final score! However, the lay up area beyond that swamp is large, if you make it over. A magnificent oak serves as your target behind the green. Keep up on the upper left, for a par or a birdie on your scorecard. Some of nature's rockware, dug out of the green area here should encourage you not to risk being long! This rolling green needs no sand traps, as another natural pond fits the inside curve of the long green with its interesting contours!

Naturalist's Advice: A long view over the fairway to the bend in the river and rising land of the Chequamegon National Forest beyond the river, gives you the feeling of the wilderness surrounds us here. The cart path to the upper tees circles on itself, briefly entering the hemlock forest where the deer shelter during winter storms. Notice the old, huge, dead yellow birch trunk, all pitted with pileated woodpeckers holes. As you pass the cinnamon tee, four young hemlocks remain to the right, like the nature's fence line outside the grove. We hope they survive as their roots are very shallow and they are easily disturbed by high winds when not in groves. A magnificent oak on a hump serves as a target tree. The tag alder are thick in the swamp beyond the landing, and provide thick cover for deer and fox. The open swamp is a voracious eater of golf balls, but blooms wonderfully with spring purple iris in June. The natural wetlands fit the curve of the green and are often noisy with frogs. The cart path leaves on the left, through the spruce. Take note of the yellow birch that has rooted in the top of an old pine stump on your left. These spruce peat bogs can be deep and gloomy, and bottomless- you will float over this bog as you return on #7 bridge. Pass the storm shelter tucked here between #3, #2, #6, and #7, and return to the higher land upland-style forest.

Layout of Hole 3

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Hole # 3: Par 4, 349 Yds.

Pro's Advice: A short Par 4 where a cautious par will look better than a brave bogey. This is a level fairway BUT needs a good first stroke to position yourself for the shorter shot after a sharp and narrow dogleg to the left. Place your shot to the right, close to the first trap, to avoid the hillside to the left for your second shot - a true hazard and very hard to play off. A shorter shot reaches this green but a small bunker guards the front grabbing any too short shot. But, be careful not to be long either on the second shot - blue sky behind the pin is indicative of a steep hill behind this green - it is very hard to get back up again if you go over, and a birdie is a rare accomplishment here.

Naturalist's Advice: These woods are covered with natural sedge grass, which grows naturally in shaded maple stands. A "no mow" grass hillside on your left is mowed only once a month or so and is full of wildflowers. This hole has an enticing view from the perched green over the expansive large, inland sedge swamp (you will play across this on #12). The lone, little white pine in the center is like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree - it hasn't grown in living memory! This swamp is effectively bottomless - we have tested it to 30 ft. This yellow swamp grass was used to feed the horses when the logger came through here in the winters of the late 1880's - they walked on "swamp skis" to scythe and collect the fodder for winter. On our first warm late March evenings this swamp sings loudly with the "peepers": a noise, around dusk, that traditionally announces the end of making maple syrup - time to pull the taps out of the trees. The syrup season is over when the sap loses its sweetness.

Layout of Hole 4

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Hole # 4: Par 4, 389 Yds.

Pro's Advice: A narrow tee slot makes this shot look harder than it really is, especially with the green protected on the left side by a large oak tree. A substantial drive, to the level landing zone at the crest of the hill, will give you a clear view and easy shot to the green, but avoid the valley to front and right. An approach shot with a short iron should secure your placement on this flat green - a rare treat, with few contours!

Naturalist's Advice: The back tees are amid a circle of might oaks, and give this hole a tunnel effect. These trees survived the fire that swept through this area in the 1890's and again in the 1920's. (However, those that maintain Teal Wing and give you grass for tees don't like the shady cavernous effect and we just hope we can achieve a compromise through the years!) The ponds have a causeway crossed by the cart trail - they are deep, and part of the big swamp system, and a favored pothole for ducks and otter in spring and fall. At the landing zone on your right, you will see one of the few white pine surviving from the loggers - it must have been to small, or twisted. We have treasured it as the natural timber of this region.

Layout of Hole 5

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Hole # 5: Par 3, 186 Yds.

Pro's Advice: No bail out, no fairway, and very little apron! It forces a careful club choice, long enough to not get wet. The elevated gold and green tees also give distance. With the huge contoured green, over 8,000 square feet, it can take two good putts for par. However, it is cradled, and a long shot will just be very difficult to play out of the rough, but not far away! The long, narrow ridge, provides lots of teeing space for mid and forward tees, but the angle is deceptive! Don't let the marsh psych you out! This was the scene of our first hole-in-one but don't let that intimidate you. (However, this green did intimidate one pro who commented "Too much green-I can't concentrate!!")

Naturalist's Advice: This is the only spot where golf is visible from Hwy 77, recently designated a National Scenic Byway. It is also the only hole where the golfer can see any sign of development or civilization! Two deep potholes and a swamp divide this hole, each with its own variety of vegetation. The huge green lies cupped in a pocket with several large oaks behind it. The long, narrow ridge that provides the cart path and teeing space for mid and forward tees is an old man-made grade from the logging era of the last century. It was later used as the original road through this area, and today our golf carts travel this historical remnant of the logging era. The cart trail continues up an old cut of the original Hwy 77. It had grown up since being abandoned in the '40's but the cuts and compaction left unmistakable signs for us to follow. Unfortunately, we also found all sorts of overgrown dump sites from the "good old days" that were cleaned up to create Teal Wing and provide a collection of old bleach bottles! On #5 green, the otter often stops to enjoy the sun and play in the ponds before going on his way back into the forest across the highway. Otters follow a regular and accustomed route, like the old circuit riders and pass by here about every two weeks! A storm shelter and a bathroom hide in the woods between #5 and #6.

Layout of Hole 6

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Hole # 6: Par 4, 371 Yds.

Pro's Advice: This is always a favorite hole at Teal Wing. The elevated back tees give a dramatic view of this Par 4 from the top of the hill, especially in the full blaze of autumn color. The wide fairway doglegs left and incorporates a huge sand waste on the left inside turn. Hit your tee shot down the right side for the best view of the green and a short iron shot. A back pin on this green is nothing to fool with because of the steep drop off to the river only 50 ft. away. Roll your ball to the front, and two putt.

Naturalist's Advice: The unusual long sand waste on the inside turn, with five old pine stumps, is a touch that remains of Northwoods history. These five stumps from the Old Pinery, about 3 ft. in diameter, were left by the loggers in the 1880's, charred by the fires of the 1920's, and tell the story of this land. They are preserved here, lonely sentinels in the sand waste. The Four Oaks (four large trunks growing together on the right side of the landing zone) mark the turn. The sloped, perched green, is 50 ft. from the water's edge of the Teal River. The banks of the Teal River are left completely natural, with the large white birch enticing your view up the river, around two bends, towards Teal Lake. You will follow the river for the next three holes. This whole golf course has been designed so that from the river, there is only one spot you can see one fairway. A person in a boat on the river, can just see golfers heads as they cross the bridge on #7.

Layout of Hole 7

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Hole # 7: Par 4, 342 Yds.

Pro's Advice: Four tees are located to the south of the big river marsh and must carry to the landing zone to the north. A short tee shot here gives you a wet ball and possible a real bird perched on a cattail! The floating bridge is only 84 yds, plus ramps - this is not as far as it looks! The foremost Cinnamon tee carries only 110 yds to the drop zone, or 120 yds for the landing zone. You don't need a big drive to be on the fairway. For the shy, the purple tee is on the other side. The green is cradled into a curving knoll heavily covered in young evergreens and white birch, but is protected by another little swamp so make it a good shot.

Naturalist's Advice: The tees located on the south bank of the big swamp are raised, with help from the swamp muck that was dug out to provide open water for the bridge to float in. The swamp is crossed by a wide and sturdy floating bridge, 250 ft. long, like a leisurely boardwalk passing between the gently waving cattails on your right and the tangled tag alder swamp, beaver paths and giant bullfrogs on your left, but the bridge floats in open water. On the right of the cart path alongside the landing zone, watch for the little flowers of the waterfront. The view of the Teal River on your right is superb, and the distant hills are all Chequamegon National Forest-the forest in which, less than a mile away, one of the transported elk cows wandered to give birth to the first new generation of elk born in our area in 1995. The green, cradled into a curving knoll heavily covered young evergreens and white birch - a totally natural bowl that was just waiting for a golf green - North country's version of the 14th at Augusta! (Featured in John Deere Co. "World Tour of Golf")

Layout of Hole 8

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Hole # 8: Par 4, 144 Yds.

Pro's Advice: Short, dramatic, and scenic - it looks easy but can be deceiving. With dropoffs both sides, this hole needs no further hazards! However, the designer of our greens gave you two sand traps to protect and prevent runaway balls around the green - to help rather than to hinder! The green has a steep slope in front and flat in the back. Par is not easy if you stray here.

Naturalist's Advice: Dramatic and very scenic. Running along a gently undulating ridge, parallel with the river, the untouched river's edge remains along the entire right side of this fairway and untouched deep tamarack swamp remains along your left side. The privacy of this peaceful spot has golfers just delaying for sheer enjoyment - pause a minute, with the fishermen and otters on the river. The tamaracks are interesting and dramatic in very late fall, almost November, when they turn bright yellow. Many people think they are dying, but in they are deciduous not "evergreens"! With this proximity to water, in the spring we find turtles nesting in the sand traps - such warm and sandy spots! Hopefully just little painted turtles, not big snappers. If you do see a big snapper turtle here stay clear: his jaws will bend your golf club with no effort! But do remember to tell us at the clubhouse.

Layout of Hole 9

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Hole # 9: Par 5, 475 Yds.

Pro's Advice: Short in yardage, but it plays uphill all the way: from the golf tees by the river, to the green, it rises 85 ft in elevation. This tough final hole has two back tees with a carry across the swamp to the hillside beyond. The Blue tee is on another island beyond the cinnamon tee .Target on the rock (about 300 yd from gold). The banana shaped hole will bear fruit for the patient golfer. Going for the green in two needs an excellent shot. A huge hard maple tree on a high knoll sits out on the left, ready to deflect any shot coming near. The smarter play is to lay up to the right or just past the big maple, placing the third shot carefully on the green. One putt birdies feels better than a forth shot from the edge of the woods. However, a gambler's shot, a tough gamble between the hemlock grove on the left and the huge maple has delivered surprises!

Naturalist's Advice: Take a moment for reflection on the river's ridge, up and down the Teal River, before you play across the swamp to the hillside beyond. In the spring, this swamp blossoms with wild blue bog iris, the defiant splash of color that promises summer. There's a bench here to take a moment, or perhaps let someone play through. You cross the little bridge deep in the wooded bog to reach the fairway. Lots of bog plants thrive here. The big dead yellow birch on the right is a special nesting tree. Remember to look back, around the second landing area, before the final turn to the green. The three mile view of distant forested hills is all part of the Chequamegon National Forest. A maple of extraordinary size remains near the turn towards the green, just too grand to dispose of, so we moved the fairway! It has many dents from golf balls. The maples are a little easier than the mighty oaks to save during the construction phases as their root systems are a bit less sensitive. We took special pains here to keep the machine weight away from roots, and were lucky here.