Grand Geneva Resort & Spa Announces Wee Nip TM, a New 11-Hole Short-Course Set to Open Spring 2026 By Brian Weis

Grand Geneva Resort & Spa Announces Wee Nip TM, a New 11-Hole Short-Course Set to Open Spring 2026

The new golf course will offer a playful atmosphere suitable for new and experienced players

By Brian Weis

Lake Geneva, Wis. – February 2025 – Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, one of the premier golf resorts in the Midwest, has announced the upcoming addition of its new short-course golf course, Wee Nip, which is set to welcome players in the 2026 season. A significant addition to the resort’s extensive golf offerings, the new course is designed to cater to individual golfers of all skill levels, as well as groups, providing a fun, challenging and engaging environment for seasoned players and novice golfers alike.

The term “wee nip” derives from the Scottish phrase that means a small drink or a quick sip, reflecting the playful spirit of the course. The new course is intended to offer a relaxed golfing experience, where players can enjoy a friendly round without the pressures of a traditional long course. It also offers seasoned golfers a fun opportunity to embrace creativity, challenge, and strategy.

Designed by Matt Dusenberry with the award-winning Dusenberry Design, Wee Nip will feature 11 holes averaging around 90 yards, with rounds expected to take approximately 90 minutes to complete. The course will also include music speakers with a viewing area offering food and beverage service with to-go options.

“Grand Geneva’s golf courses are among the best in Wisconsin, and Wee Nip will further enhance the resort’s reputation as an ideal golf getaway,” shared Skip Harless, Managing Director of Grand Geneva Resort & Spa. “Our existing golf courses already appeal to golfers of all skill levels, but Wee Nip will encourage casual play, making it perfect for novice golfers and players of all ages. The course will foster creativity for advanced golfers, providing opportunities to enhance their skills and experiment with different swings and strategies. It will also be an exciting new experience for our many corporate, incentive, association and social events.”

While the new short course is planned to open in spring 2026, the resort will unveil its new golf practice facility in June of this year. The new facility will feature a short game area with multiple putting, chipping, pitching and bunker practice greens. Situated on Grand Geneva’s former airport area, the new practice area will also offer a variety of target greens with distances ranging from 50 to 360 yards.
Grand Geneva’s golf courses are scheduled to open in late March 2025, weather permitting. The resort is currently home to two championship golf courses: The Brute and The Highlands, both of which have earned accolades for their stunning landscapes and challenging layouts.

The Brute, a mid-century modern gem, is a par-72 course. At over 7,000 yards, it is known as one of the most challenging layouts in the Midwest with its 68 bunkers and huge rolling greens. The Highlands, a Scottish-inspired, links-style course, was originally designed by Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus, and transformed in 1996 by Bob Cupp.

The 2025 season also introduces new programming and offerings through the resort’s Golf Academy instruction program, which provides high-quality instruction for golfers of all skill levels and features state-of-the-art equipment, experienced PGA professionals and personalized programs. Grand Geneva is also known for its exceptional private golf lessons and group outing programming and packages.

“Golf continues to gain popularity, especially among younger generations and diverse demographics,” said Ryan Brown, Director of Golf & Ski at Grand Geneva. “The addition of Wee Nip reinforces Grand Geneva’s commitment to enhancing the guest experience and supporting the growth of golf. With a variety of golf clinics, programs for all skill levels, championship courses, and an upcoming new short course, Grand Geneva is one of the best destinations for both seasoned golfers and newcomers to the sport.”

To learn more about golf at Grand Geneva and its new programs, events, and packages, visit grandgeneva.com/golf.

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Revised: 09/25/2025 - Article Viewed 763 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.