By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
BROWN COUNTY – On Aug. 3, the Brown County Golf Course (BCGC) turns 62.
After about 2 1/2 years of construction, the course, which was designed by (Edward) Lawrence Packard, opened in 1958.
“Lawrence designed more than 600 courses and was one of the more prolific golf-course architects in the country,” said Bob Warpinski, an event organizer of the Brown County Amateur golf tournament. “He also designed Copperhead at Innisbrook Resort near Tampa, Florida.”
Warpinski said a lot was happening in Brown County in the 1950s.
“Lambeau Field construction was going on during the same time the course was being built,” he said. “Shortly thereafter, The Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena became a reality.”
To open the course, Warpinski said the Secretary of State in Wisconsin at the time, Robert Zimmerman, golfed in the opening foursome.
The original terrain was used in the design of the course, except for one spot on hole 14.
“The long uphill on 14 was created using dirt from the Lambeau Field project,” Warpinski said.
Terry Inslee, a national course rater since 1984 who has rated more than 3,100 courses, visited the BCGC in 2018.
“There are many municipal courses in the U.S., many of them now managed by professional golf course management companies,” he said in 2018. “Not many are still run by the public sector, and most are not good tests of golf or well maintained. Brown County can be proud of the facility it owns and manages. The Brown County Golf Course is one of the top 20, if not top 10, best true municipal courses in the country.”
Defending champ returns
By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
BROWN COUNTY – Kari Hannula, the 2019 Brown County Amateur (BCA) golf champion, said he will be back to defend his title when the tournament begins Aug. 7.
A former star basketball player from the Appleton area, Hannula also played at St. Norbert College in De Pere and professionally in Europe.
“He came back to the states after his playing days in Europe were over and randomly ran into Todd Westrich, a three-time BCA champ at a party,” said Bob Warpinski, one of the BCA event organizers. “Kari was looking for something competitive to do, so Westrich told him to take up golf.”
Hannula, who was in his mid-20s at the time, took Westrich’s advice.
“Kari is a competitor, so he took the game on full-speed ahead,” Warpinski said. “He found his game on the range and won the tournament last year the first time he entered it. Golf is not easy to get good at so quickly, especially with getting such a late start in life.”
Warpinski said Hannula, now in his early 40s, is arguably the best player at Fox Valley Golf Club in Kaukauna.
“I recently talked to Kari and he said, ‘I’m in,” said Warpinski.