Delafield, Wis., golf course on a par with world-class sites

How long does it take to create a world-class golf course -- the likes of St. Andrews and Augusta National, for example?

In the case of newcomer Erin Hills Golf Course, which occupies a 580-acre site near the town of Delafield in southeastern Wisconsin (a course that already seems destined for national prominence), the answer is a few years and several thousand years.

How did it become so good so quickly?

"It is because we were able to take advantage of the natural contours of land shaped by glaciers thousands of years ago," says Bob Lang, founder and owner. Work began on the course in 2004 and it opened for play on Aug. 1, 2006.

Remarkably, the course was awarded a USGA-sanctioned tournament -- the 2008 Women's Amateur Public Links -- before the course had even been seeded. Its owners currently are crossing their collective fingers as USGA decision-makers have Erin Hills under consideration to host the U.S. Amateur Championship of 2011.

Meanwhile, greens fees at this wannabe are $150, way less than half of those at Wisconsin's prestigious Whistling Straits course.

Considering its name, it is not surprising that Erin Hills was inspired by the classic Scottish and Irish courses that once were built by horse-drawn plows. It was designed to be environmentally friendly, with minimal land development aside from the course itself.

Course characteristics include dramatic vistas, natural contours and undulations, punch-bowl greens, five demanding 400-to-500-yard par-four holes, two drivable par-four holes and back-to-back par-three holes that include "The Dell Hole," inspired by the original Dell at Lahinch in Ireland. Three of the four par-five holes top 600 yards and offer risk-reward for bold strikers willing to accept the challenge.

The fieldstone clubhouse provides magnificent views of the course and houses a pro shop, pub and overnight lodging. Ten guest rooms, all with private bathrooms, will be available when the course opens for the 2008 season in May. They are furnished with antiques and outfitted with luxurious linens.

If this course seems too daunting, there's a more manageable option in Delafield at St. John's Northwestern Military Academy. It dates back to 1922 when a group of 13 cadets created a pitch-and-putt course. Today, that course is open to the public, along with rentals of pull carts, riding carts and clubs. It's ideal for sharpening your short game around the greens. The price is right, too: $11-$15 to play the nine-hole course, $16-$20 to play 18.

Consider a tour of the military academy, a boarding school for boys, where cadets wear crisp uniforms and receive college prep and leadership training. Interestingly, while 100 percent of grads go on to college, only a slim 2 percent choose a military career.

Delafield (pop. 8,204) is set amid nine square miles of gently rolling terrain in the Kettle Moraine hills 30 miles west of Milwaukee. Nearby are plenty of outdoor attractions and opportunities to enjoy the brilliance of fall foliage.

Miles of trails take hikers and bikers through gorgeously colored autumnal forest. These include the Ice Age Trail, reaching 600 miles across Wisconsin (and destined to be 1,000 miles long). It traces the last glacier to cover Wisconsin, about 15,000 years ago, and is one of only eight National Scenic Trails in the U.S.

Rails-to-trails projects include the 52-mile-long Glacial Drumlin Trail, developed on abandoned railroad grade. Its surface, mostly packed with crushed limestone, provides smooth passage.

Spanning more than 1,000 acres and featuring the highest point in Waukesha County, Lapham Peak offers a 45-foot-tall observation tower, 21 miles of hiking trails (including a portion of the Ice Age Trail) and a five-mile mountain bike trail.

With emphasis on Colonial-style architecture, Delafield has an early-American flavor reminiscent of Williamsburg. In fact, the Delafield Hotel, with its redbrick facade and white steeple, displays a sideboard that once belonged to Benjamin Franklin.

Opened in March 2006, this handsome 38-room hostelry is the first Midwest hotel to become a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Richly paneled dark wood walls are decorated with a mix of original portraits and 18th- and 19th-century reproductions. Two originals are by Rembrandt Peale, widely known for his portraits of George Washington.

Dining out is a major preoccupation at Delafield, which has an interesting mix of eateries, ranging from large brewpubs and small French-flavored cafes and bakeries to a German-style gasthaus. For Cajun and Creole fare, try Fishbone's, where a popular pre-dining cocktail is a Bloody Mary garnished with a skewered blackened shrimp.

Fishbone's funky decor is heavy on abstract art in bright primary colors, with a sprinkling of Mardi Gras beads and masks. Sit at a gaudily painted 12-seat bar and look out onto the wooded shores of Lake Nagawicka. Order up Junk Yard Gumbo with chicken, andouille sausage "and everything but the kitchen sink," or start with boiled shrimp or Cajun-dusted fried calamari. Entrees include jambalaya, sweet-potato-crusted catfish and shrimp-and-crawfish ravioli.

Seven Seas, on the shore of Lake Nagawicka, is a fun dining destination that hosts Tapas Night & Wine Club on Thursdays and a piano bar on Friday and Saturday nights. The restaurant has an acclaimed wine list and offers seafood and steaks, a few German specialties (including wiener schnitzel) and sensational sunsets.

If you go

Information: City of Delafield Tourism, (888) 294-1082, www.delafield-wi.org; Wisconsin Department of Tourism, (800) 432-8747, www.travelwisconsin.com.

Mileage: Delafield is about 115 miles northwest of Chicago.

Mike Michaelson is a travelwriter based in Chicago andthe author of the guidebook"Chicagoâ#128;™s Best-Kept Secrets."