Located on picturesque South Murphy Road just off Highway 11 between Footville and Orfordville, Bass Creek Golf Club remains a hidden treasure.
Opened in 2003, the nine-hole course has gone from being an afterthought at the beginning to a destination chosen for many golfers in the area.
Brothers Willie and Ed Hoeler were the original owners of the property and the land used to build the field, but Matt and Sheena Wellnitz took over Bass Creek property on July 1st, thus realizing their lifelong dream of owning their own field. golf.
Sheena’s grandfather, Robert, was one of the four Hoeler brothers, so buying the course kept things in the family as it were.
And although the COVID-19 pandemic made the times less ideal for buying Bass Creek, Sheena said the couple never hesitated from their plans.
“Willie published that the course went on sale in November, so Matt and I decided to talk to him about it,” Sheena said. “And when it came time to finalize things, we didn’t hesitate and decided to try.
“The response has been exceptional, and although we are still dealing with COVID, we are still offering a lot of excellent deals, both for golf and for food.”
Bass Creek is currently following the COVID guidelines set by the Rock County Health Department, but Sheena said she also changed some things to make the experience more enjoyable. Some golf carts have been equipped with a plexiglass divider that allows players who are not family members or relatives to share a cart. And golfers also have the option of sharing a cart as unfamiliar members if they wear a mask.
“As requested by Rock County, we are only allowing 50 percent capacity in our bar / restaurant,” said Sheena. “We hope that when we get to Phase 3, we can start returning to normal and start working on some projects that we have planned.”
For years, rumors circulated that Bass Creek would expand into an 18-hole course. Sheena said it’s still a possibility, but more of a long-term goal than anything in the next year or two. Sheena, who is the on-site manager, said that updating the menu and providing a restaurant / bar all year round is top on the to-do list.
“This year because of COVID, everything is kind of a status quo,” said Sheena. “But I have many fantastic ideas for new food, special dishes and things like that.
“And we still have our excellent fried fish from 16:30 to 21:00 on Friday and you can still stop and have a bite to eat before or after golf.”
Bass Creek organizes championship games three days a week and also offers daily golfing specialties. Mondays cost $ 18 for nine holes and a cart, and the special one also includes a hot dog or brat with a drink. The cost is $ 26 for 18 holes. From Monday to Friday before 9 am, golfers can play nine holes with a cart for $ 17 or $ 29 for 18 holes.
Sheena said one of the things that made the transition to ownership smooth was the fact that the land crew employed by Willie and Ed remained on staff.
“My husband Matt works full time as well as owning Bass Creek, and I’m in there all the time, so having those kids around was great for us,” Sheena said. “And they do such a fantastic job of keeping the course in great shape.
“It’s a little fun to think that when the course was opened in 2003, they didn’t even have a club house. All they had was an army tent that they used to control people. And now look what we have. This is truly a dream come true for us. “
.
