The Lido - Lost & Found
The Lost Legend: The Journey of The Lido
Few courses in golf's rich tapestry have achieved such mythical status as The Lido - a masterpiece that emerged from the marshlands of Long Island in 1917, only to disappear during World War II. The course represented the pinnacle of architectural ambition, where C.B. Macdonald moved an astounding 2 million cubic yards of sand to craft what many considered the finest course in America.
The tale of The Lido's disappearance adds to its mystique. As the Great Depression cast its shadow across the nation, this architectural marvel began to fade. When World War II arrived, the U.S. Navy claimed the land, and bulldozers erased what golf writers had dubbed "the finest course in the world." Today, where legendary golfers once carved shots through ocean breezes, you'll find condominiums and a senior center - a profound reminder of how even the greatest achievements can slip away into the mists of time.
Engineering a Dream: The Original Marvel
The original Lido wasn't just built - it was manufactured from scratch in an era when heavy machinery was in its infancy. Picture massive dredges pumping endless streams of sand from the ocean floor, creating America's first truly "man-made" golf course. The price tag of $800,000 in 1917 represented an almost unthinkable investment, but the result was nothing short of revolutionary. Each hole was crafted with strategic brilliance, offering multiple playing options that rewarded both power and finesse.
What made The Lido truly special was its combination of strategic design and natural beauty. The course featured sixteen "template" holes - designs that Macdonald had studied during his time in Scotland with Old Tom Morris. These weren't simple copies but rather refined interpretations that many argued improved upon their inspirations. The remaining two holes came from a design competition in Country Life magazine, with one winner being none other than Alister MacKenzie, who would later design Augusta National and Cypress Point.
The Wisconsin Renaissance: From Pixels to Reality
The rebirth of The Lido in Wisconsin represents one of golf's most ambitious restoration projects. The Keiser family, known for developing some of America's finest modern courses, partnered with architect Tom Doak to recreate this lost masterpiece in the sand barrens of central Wisconsin at Sand Valley. The project began with an unlikely source - a detailed digital recreation by Peter Flory, who spent three years researching every available photograph, drawing, and written account of the original course. His painstaking work using a golf video game provided the blueprint for what would become an exact recreation.
The attention to detail in this resurrection borders on obsessive. GPS-guided tractors shape the land down to the millimeter, ensuring every contour matches Macdonald's original vision. Even the course's orientation matches the original, with similar wind patterns to those that once swept in from the Atlantic. The project required moving 700,000 cubic yards of sand, creating an inland links that captures the spirit and strategy of its predecessor. While redesigns and renovations are common in golf, nothing of this scale and precision has ever been attempted - it's as if historians discovered the lost blueprints of a masterpiece and decided to bring it back to life.
A Modern Twist on a Timeless Tale
The new Lido represents more than just a recreation - it's a bridge between golf's golden age and its future. While the Atlantic Ocean might be missing, everything else has been meticulously reproduced. Each hole tells a story, from the demanding Redan to the deceptive Punch Bowl. The "Channel" hole, perhaps the course's most dramatic statement, presents golfers with an island fairway that feels like a fortress surrounded by sand - a design so bold it would make modern architects pause. The "Strategy" hole, born from a design contest entry by Tom Simpson, stretches across an impossibly wide fairway that narrows like an hourglass as you approach the elevated green.
Walking The Lido is like stepping through golf's greatest hits album. The Biarritz green provides enough undulation to make your head spin, while the Alps hole demands both courage and creativity. Perhaps most intriguing is the 18th hole, designed by a young Alister MacKenzie before he would go on to create Augusta National. It offers multiple playing corridors that reward both the bold and the prudent - a fitting finale to a course that celebrates the art of strategic golf.
As the Wisconsin landscape embraces this reborn legend, The Lido stands as testament to golf's enduring soul. It's more than a recreation - it's a time capsule brought to life, where every bunker edge and green contour tells a story of innovation, ambition, and the timeless pursuit of golfing excellence. In an age of modern golf technology and evolving course design, The Lido reminds us that the game's greatest challenges - and its deepest pleasures - remain rooted in the creative genius of its pioneering architects.
