The Sweet Spot: Weekly notes from the world of Wisconsin golf
“The Sweet Spot” is a weekly column of news and notes from Wisconsin.Golf’s Gary D’Amato. Check back every Monday for the latest tidbits from the world of golf and feel free to email Gary at garyd@killarneygolfmedia.com with news.
TPC Wisconsin owner quashes rumors in letter to members
The Sweet Spot heard plenty of rumors about the future of financially distressed TPC Wisconsin during the recent American Family Insurance Championship.
Dennis Tiziani, the owner of the private club in Madison, addressed some of those rumors in a letter to members dated June 11.
The Sweet Spot obtained a copy of the letter, in which Tiziani wrote that he was not selling the club and was not pursuing bankruptcy.
“Those rumors are simply not true,” he wrote. “While I have been approached by several parties interested in purchasing or acquiring a portion of TPC Wisconsin, I am not interested in pursuing those opportunities at this time.”
He added that he was working to refinance the club’s existing bank debt and was exploring private investment options in an effort to improve cash flow and provide additional resources for future club enhancements.
Those enhancements include improvements to the tennis entrance, updates to the tennis parking lot, renovations to the pool area, and road and parking lot improvements near the clay tennis courts.
“These projects will require significant investment,” Tiziani wrote. “To support this, I have engaged a firm to help structure a private equity program that will offer investors an annual interest return along with a share of EBITDA.” Interested members were encouraged to contact him by email.
“The future of TPC Wisconsin is bright, and I am excited about what lies ahead,” Tiziani wrote.
TPC Wisconsin has played host to the AmFam Championship since 2025, when the format switched to a two-man team event. Before that, the PGA Tour Champions event was held at University Ridge.
Eichhorn leads parade of state golfers in PGA Tour-sanctioned events
No fewer than seven golfers with Wisconsin ties competed in PGA Tour-sanctioned events this past week.
Steve Stricker of Madison played in his first individual event on the PGA Tour Champions in 53 weeks and finished in a tie for 40th place in the Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines, Iowa. He lowered his score each day, shooting 72-70-69 for a 5-under 211 total.
Madison native Mario Tiziani and Madison’s Jerry Kelly finished T-45.
Hunter Eichhorn | 2023 Wisconsin State Open
Wisconsin.Golf photo / ROB HERNANDEZ
On the Korn Ferry Tour, former Marquette University golfer Hunter Eichhorn stayed hot, shooting a final-round 64 and finishing fifth in the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.
It’s Eichhorn’s third top-five finish and his seventh top-10 in 14 starts this year. He remained in fifth place on the season points list. The top 20 at the end of the year earn PGA Tour status.
Tyler Leach, Eichhorn’s former MU teammate, finished T-21 and moved up 19 spots to No. 97 on the points list.
On PGA Tour Americas, former University of Wisconsin golfer Griffin Barela finished T-43 and Chippewa Falls native Thomas Longbella was T-58 in the Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship in Bogota, Colombia.
Meanwhile, on the All Pro Tour, Oconomowoc’s George Kneiser finished T-42 in The Territory Classic in Duncan, Okla.
No admission charge for spectators at Chicago-area Korn Ferry Tour event
Grounds admission for the 2026 Evans Scholars Invitational at The Glen Club in Glenview, Ill., will be complimentary, courtesy of a new partnership between the Western Golf Association and BCU, a community credit union headquartered in Vernon Hills, Ill.
The Korn Ferry Tour event is scheduled for July 23-26. Complimentary grounds admission will be available to spectators on all four days of competition.
Fans planning to attend the tournament must register online in advance at esinvitational.com/tickets to claim tickets. Spectators can also purchase upgraded hospitality tickets for the Lemonade Stand presented by Mike’s Hard Lemonade, a shaded venue overlooking the 18th green, or the Corona Cabanas, a premium venue featuring views of the 18th green along with included food and bar service.
All proceeds from the Evans Scholars Invitational benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation, which provides full tuition and housing college scholarships to deserving youth caddies. Currently, 1,260 Evans Scholars are enrolled at 27 universities nationwide.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler won the inaugural Evans Scholars Invitational in 2019. Past champions also include 2026 Players Championship winner Cameron Young and PGA Tour winner Harry Hall.
Tanglewood Greens in Menomonie opens Toptracer Range
Cutting-edge technology has arrived at Tanglewood Greens in Menominee. The 18-hole course has opened Toptracer Range at its practice facility.
Toptracer Range is an interactive driving range experience that uses camera-based technology to track golf balls. Monitors in each hitting bay display a shot’s distance, flight path, ball speed and launch angle.
For casual players, families and groups, the technology transforms the driving range into an interactive experience with games and virtual courses.
Four Wisconsin courses make Golfweek’s top 200 classic list
On the heels of releasing its 2026 list of the top 200 modern courses in America, Golfweek has released its list of the top 200 classic courses — including four in Wisconsin.
Classic courses, as defined by Golfweek, are those that were built before 1960.
Milwaukee Country Club is ranked No. 60 on the list, down from a tie for No. 54 in 2025. The Links Course at the Golf Courses of Lawsonia in Green Lake is ranked T-78, down from its 2025 ranking of T-74 (it’s also the only public course in the state to crack the top 200 classic).
Two courses moved up in the ranking: Blue Mound Golf & Country Club in Wauwatosa is T-93, up from T-108 in 2025; and Pine Hills CC in Sheboygan is No. 162, up from T-180.
The top three courses on the list are Pine Valley, Cypress Point and Augusta National.
Volunteers needed for U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sand Valley Resort
Volunteers are needed for scoring, player registration, marshaling and more at the 45th U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship hosted by Sand Valley Resort in Nekoosa and scheduled for Sept. 26 to Oct. 1.
The cost to volunteer is $100, but the package includes: two rounds on The Commons, the newest course at Sand Valley; a championship polo, quarter zip and hat; and free lunch during the volunteer’s shift.
For more information or to register, click here.
What’s new on eBay this week?
Each week, The Sweet Spot highlights cool, weird or whimsical golf-related items that are up for auction or being sold on eBay.com.
This week’s featured item is a Milwaukee Brewers duo ball marker licensed by Major League Baseball. The outer ball marker measures 1.65 inches and the removable inner marker measures just under 1 inch. The marker showcases the Brewers’ “glove” logo.
Buy one ball marker for $16.94, two for $16.44 each or four or more for $16.10 each. Shipping is $1.95.
Tap-ins, lip-outs and double-breakers
According to the National Golf Foundation, 7.7 million Asian, Black and Hispanic golfers played on a course in 2025, a high-water mark for the industry. People of color represent 26% of traditional golfers, also a record high. Among those who exclusively play off-course forms of golf, the proportion of those who are people of color is even higher, at 45%. … NBC reported that 2 million fans watched the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open, a 78% increase over last year.