The Lido at Sand Valley Golf Resort

The Lido stands as one of golf's most remarkable resurrections. The original course, designed by Charles Blair Macdonald in 1914-1917 on Long Island, was heralded as one of the greatest courses ever built before being demolished by the U.S. Navy during World War II. For over 80 years, it remained a legendary lost wonder of the golf world, studied obsessively by historians and architects alike. In 2021, Michael and Chris Keiser undertook an audacious mission: recreate The Lido with precise, inch-by-inch accuracy in central Wisconsin, adjacent to their Sand Valley Resort. Using cutting-edge technology—including detailed 3D computer modeling by golf historian Peter Flory, GPS topographical mapping, and laser-guided earth movers—architect Tom Doak and his team brought this masterpiece back to life in 2023. What makes The Lido extraordinary is that it captures Macdonald's original vision virtually unchanged, featuring nearly every classic template hole he pioneered: the Alps, Redan, Eden, Cape, Biarritz, Punchbowl, and more. The course sprawls across 850 acres of treeless sand hills, presenting deceptive sightlines, massive bunkers that seem randomly placed but demand strategic thinking, and enormous greens averaging over 12,000 square feet. The experience is deliberately disorienting—from the shuttle ride you can see the entire course, yet once you step into play, the land forms rise up to confound you at every turn. Playing The Lido feels like traveling back to golf's Golden Age while walking across an alien landscape that demands both respect and imagination.