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Hone Your Golf Swing and Soothe Your Spirit in Lake Geneva

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 September 2005, 21:00 CDT

It doesn't take long for Lake Geneva to erase the stress of the city.

A quick drive north across the Wisconsin border and your escape is complete. By morning, you'll be sitting on your balcony watching the first boats glide out of the harbor, the early sun turning the lake to glass.

The same charm has lured Chicago-area families to the resort towns ringing the lake for more than a century. Wealthy Chicago families began coming to Lake Geneva soon after the Civil War, giving the Wisconsin resort town the nickname "Newport of the West."

Following the Great Chicago Fire, many of these families relocated to their summer estates on the lake while their primary homes were rebuilt. Trains offered quick commutes to Chicago. A number of these summer "cottages" still stand, lending an air of luxury and elegance to the lake.

My childhood trips to the area were spent in long days at the beach followed by trips to the farm stand for fresh sweet corn. Those attractions remain, but as an adult I'm looking for a little more in a getaway, and today's modern resorts answer the need.

If you haven't been to this vacation spot in a few years, it's worth a return visit. Lake Geneva and nearby Lake Delavan are booming with new development, particularly condominiums and high- end hotels. The downtown area is packed. The resorts aspire to truly upscale golf, and are building full-service spas and indoor water parks to expand their year-round offerings.

If golf is your goal

Hugh Hefner picked Lake Geneva for his first Playboy Club Hotel nearly 50 years ago. Now known as Grand Geneva Resort, the property shed its original owner - and the bunny ears - years ago to become a year-round destination for an active getaway.

On our way up the meandering drive to the main lodge, my husband and I get a peek at what this 1,300-acre resort has to offer. You'll see some of the 100,000 annuals and perennials planted each year on the beautifully landscaped grounds, the horse stables, water park, fitness center and spa, and, of course, the golf courses.

Grand Geneva offers two choices in golf: The Brute, rated among the Midwest's top 10 courses and known for its 8,000-square-foot greens, and The Highlands, a Scottish-style course that boasts natural beauty along with challenging golf.

Before we head out for our round, we squeeze in a lesson with Al Zuehlsdorf, Grand Geneva's head golf pro. Al's warm style and practical guidance put even novice golfers at ease - and it turns out we need his advice.

The Highlands course is lined with prairies, oak groves, wetlands and stands of red pines. On the third hole, a speckled fawn stepped out of the thicket to watch our tee shots. All that nature makes for a peaceful round of golf, until you slice your shot right into a patch of purple coneflower.

The golf carts are all equipped with GPS systems that pinpoint your location on the course and distance to the hole. They also offer tips about doglegs and bunkers and other handy advice, such as to watch for low-flying planes on the fifth tee, which is near Grand Geneva's air strip.

Grand Geneva isn't alone in golf. The landscape around Lake Geneva seems to grow fairways as easily as field corn, and golfers have hundreds of holes to sink their putts into.

Geneva National offers three 18-hole courses on the shore of Lake Como, noted among the top courses in the area. You can choose from courses designed by Palmer, Trevino or Player.

You'll find another scenic course on the west side of Geneva Lake near Fontana. Abbey Springs Golf Course features tree-lined, narrow fairways and dramatic terrain, and some of the holes offer panoramic views of the lake.

On a hot day, check out the links at Lake Lawn Resort in nearby Delavan, where a lakeshore breeze cools the front nine. The course is mown edge to edge, making it particularly friendly for beginners, but even experienced golfers will find it a challenge.

The golf course is one of the few things that will remain largely unchanged at Lake Lawn. The resort is embarking on a $390 million redevelopment that will renovate all guest rooms and build substantial new amenities in the next few years, including a water park, new restaurants, destination spa and marina.

The spa's the thing

After 18 challenging holes, you'll be anxious to sample the more relaxing aspects of Lake Geneva. A short walk from the lodge at Grand Geneva is The Well Spa, where we change into robes and slippers for a "Swiss shower" with 32 jets of water, followed by a couples massage. As therapists knead our shoulders, we forget all about the dozen golf balls we orphaned in The Highlands.

You could spend hours hanging out in the locker rooms, which include dry saunas, steam rooms and whirlpools, or get in a yoga class at the adjacent fitness center.

Across the lake in Fontana, the Abbey Resort is even more in tune with tuning out. Where the Grand Geneva caters to active pursuits, the Abbey lures with relaxation.

All 334 guest rooms were renovated as part of a recent $40 million redevelopment, and the light and airy rooms are a vacation in themselves. We immediately sink into the down comforter on the bed. My husband loved the enormous marble shower.

That's only because he didn't know what awaited in the Fontana Spa, the Abbey's revamped 35,000-square-foot oasis of calm.

The heated basalt rocks used in my hot stone massage found every last knot of tension. The spa also offers a Trilogy massage, combining Swedish massage, Shiatsu and craniosacral techniques.

In the women's spa, light filters though glass blocks into a whirlpool, or you can melt in the sauna, steam room or aromatherapy room. It would make a perfect getaway for a group of girlfriends. The men's spa offers similar amenities.

My spa buddy on this trip is my husband, so we appreciate the chance to lounge together in the tranquil atrium around the spa's indoor aerobic and lap pool. Once a water aerobics class ends, it's a true retreat. You won't find kids doing cannonballs here; only spa guests have entry.

With a cool drink and a good book, the suburbs of Chicago feel far, far away.

- Information for this article was gathered on a research trip sponsored by Grand Geneva Resort and the Abbey Resort.

If you go

Lake Geneva, Wis.

Go: If you want a quick getaway for golf, spa, water sports, skiing and boutique shopping

No: If you long for big-city attractions and entertainment

Need to know: Lake Geneva Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) 345-1020, www.lakegenevawi.com

Getting there: Lake Geneva is a 90-minute drive from Chicago. Take U.S. Route 12 north to Wisconsin Route 50 west.

Lodging: Grand Geneva Resort is two miles east of Lake Geneva on Route 50. The 1,300-acre resort includes two golf courses, a ski hill, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis, horseback riding, indoor fitness center including basketball court and climbing wall, complete spa and three restaurants. Rates from $189. ((800) 558- 3417, www.grandgeneva.com) Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark is on the same property and features an indoor/outdoor water park and video arcade. Rates from $129. ((866) 636-4502, www.timberridgeresort.com)

The Abbey Resort on Wisconsin Route 67 in Fontana, Wis., looks out over a protected marina on Lake Geneva. This 90-acre resort recently underwent a $40 million renovation, including all of its guest rooms. Amenities include indoor and outdoor pools, water sports, tennis, volleyball, basketball, walking trails, bicycles, lawn games and bonfires on Friday and Saturday nights. The resort also includes nine restaurants and cafes and the 35,000-square-foot Fontana Spa, which includes a fitness center. Golf courses and beaches are nearby. Rates range from $149 to $199. Fontana Spa packages range from $397 to $1,210. ((800) 709-1323, www.theabbeyresort.com)

Lake Lawn Resort sits on 275 acres on the shore of Lake Delavan, a short drive west on Route 50 from Lake Geneva. The resort offers an 18-hole golf course, indoor and outdoor pools, lakeside trails, mini-golf, basketball, tennis, volleyball, boat rentals, full- service spa, fitness center, restaurant and cross-country skiing. Lake Lawn is renovating all its guest rooms and expects the first new rooms to open in November. Other resort improvements, including new restaurants and a water park, will begin construction in the spring. Midweek rates range from $69 to $350. Weekend rates $99 to $350. ((800) 338-5253, www.lakelawnresort.com)

Dining: At Grand Geneva Resort, the Geneva ChopHouse offers an intimate atmosphere and views of the golf course. The menu includes large steaks and chops, wild-caught seafood, a raw bar and decadent desserts. Try the warm carrot cake with rum raisin ice cream. Ristorante Brissago features Italian cuisine in a romantic setting. Reservations recommended, (800) 558-3417.

The Abbey Resort in Fontana offers an impressive Sunday brunch at Fontana Grill, where performer Tom Stanfield entertains with popular songs on the piano - sometimes accompanying himself with the flugel in one hand. The restaurant also serves steaks, chops, seafood, salads and a children's menu for dinner. Reservations suggested, (262) 275-1815. The Abbey also offers the Mediterranean- style Porto, with a menu inspired by the cuisines of Northern Italy, Greece, Spain and Southern France. Reservations suggested, (262) 275- 9035.

In Lake Geneva, Scuttlebutt's Restaurant, 831 Wrigley Drive, offers a casual setting and fabulous lakeside view. Breakfast specialties include Swedish pancakes, (262) 248-1111.

Attractions: The 21-mile Geneva Lake Shore Path completely circles the lake and offers a peek at the mansions along the way. Public fountains, restrooms and restaurants are available. Pick up the $5 booklet, Touring the Geneva Lake Shore Path, available at many local gift shops, which describes the route and the history behind the major estates.

Narrated boat tours offer another way to see the lake, and some offer luncheon, champagne brunch or dinner cruise packages. For a unique experience, check out tours available on the U.S. Mailboat, where a letter carrier leaps off the bow of the ship, places mail in the box, then jumps back on board. Adult rates start at $16 for a tour of Geneva Bay, $19.95 for a Mailboat tour. Contact Lake Geneva Cruise Line at (800) 558-5911 or visit www.cruiselakegeneva.com.

Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wis., houses the world's largest refracting telescope and five smaller telescopes in a building designed by architect Henry Ives Cobb. Owned by the University of Chicago, Yerkes Observatory is open to public tours at 10 and 11 a.m. and noon every Saturday. Call for nighttime programs, (262) 245-5555, astro.uchicago.edu/yerkes.

- Susan Stevens

Source: Daily Herald; Arlington Heights, Ill.

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