Andy North Returns To Trappers Turn To Restore The Hole He Always Envisioned — And The Result Exceeded Everyone's Expectations
Wisconsin's most dramatic par-3 is about to become even more unforgettable. Canyon #7 reopens May 19.
Trappers Turn Golf Club has always occupied a special place in Wisconsin golf. Designed by two-time U.S. Open champion Andy North and renowned golf architect Roger Packard, the club sits just one mile from downtown Wisconsin Dells and features three distinct nine-hole layouts — Arbor, Canyon, and Lake — each with its own character and challenges. But among all the holes across all three nines, Canyon #7 was always the one people talked about.
It was the signature hole. The one that defined the course.
And now, after a major renovation that has transformed it beyond what anyone imagined possible, it is about to reopen on May 19, 2026.
A Hole That Always Had Problems
Canyon #7 was special from the beginning — but it had a fundamental flaw. The hole sat deep inside a natural sandstone canyon, and over the years, trees had grown up all around it. The canyon walls that made the hole dramatic were hidden. The canopy blocked sunlight and airflow. The green, starved of both, struggled to stay in good shape.
“It was always our signature hole,” says Todd Nelson, Founder and Owner of Trappers Turn Golf Club and Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. “But the problem was it was in a deep canyon and it was all trees grown up and all around, and we couldn’t get any air in it. And so the green was always in kind of rougher shape.”
The bones of something extraordinary were always there. They just needed to be uncovered.
Five Years of Continuous Investment
The Canyon #7 renovation is the latest chapter in a sustained period of growth and reinvestment at Trappers Turn. Nelson is proud of the trajectory the club has taken.
“The growth over Trappers over the last five years has been phenomenal,” he says. “First we built 12 North, which is a 12-hole beautiful par-3 designed by Andy North. Then we built a 13-hole putting course along with regular putting. Then this last year we did the practice facility, which is really nice — it’s a chipping and putting practice area. And now we’re doing this fantastic project out here on Canyon 7.”
Each project has added a new dimension to what Trappers Turn offers its guests. The Canyon #7 renovation, however, is different in scale and ambition. It is not a new addition — it is a transformation of the hole that was already the heart of the course.
What the Renovation Involved
Andy North Returns To Trappers Turn To Restore The Hole He Always Envisioned — And The Result Exceeded Everyone’s Expectations
The scope of the project was significant. The team cleared all of the trees and brush that had accumulated around the hole over the decades, immediately opening up the canyon and restoring the airflow and sunlight the green had always lacked.
But the clearing work revealed something that surprised even the people who knew the property best.
“We cleaned it all out,” says Nelson. “We got rid of all of the trees and all the brush, added waterfalls, and we’re unearthing all those sandstone. Oh my god, it is so beautiful — it’s beyond belief.”
The sandstone canyon walls, shaped by glaciers over thousands of years, are a defining feature of the Wisconsin Dells landscape. At Canyon #7, they had been largely hidden. Now they are the centerpiece of the hole.
The renovation also included a nearly doubled putting green, now approaching 6,000 square feet, expanded tee boxes, and enhanced water features including a waterfall behind the green.
Back to What Was Always Intended
For Andy North, the renovation is deeply personal. He designed this hole. He walked this property before a single drawing was made or a single piece of dirt was moved. And he always knew what Canyon #7 could be.
“It’s a very unique piece of property with all the valleys and canyons and the rock formations,” North says. “I was really excited about getting a chance to put a golf course in here. Spent a lot of time on the property, just walking the property before we actually put drawings together and started moving dirt, and it was really enjoyable.”
When he sees what the renovation has produced, North sees the original vision finally realized.
“This is what we had in mind when we first built this hole,” he says. “And now it looks like you’re playing into a box canyon, and it’s really cool.”
North also describes the particular satisfaction of seeing the hole in its current state — cleared, shaped, and ready for grass — before the final transformation is complete.
“I love it when it’s in the dirt before you actually put the grass on it because you can really kind of see what’s all there. But it’s gonna be fun to see this in May or June when it’s matured and people are out here playing it. It’s a beautiful hole and it’s a unique place to put a green.”
A Result That Surprised Everyone
Craig Haltom, President of Oliphant Golf Management, has been close to this project throughout. He is candid about the fact that what they found exceeded expectations — even high ones.
“I think we had a sense of what it might look like when we uncovered some of the sides of the hole, but no one expected for the rock work to be so beautiful,” Haltom says. “We thought it would be very pretty, but we didn’t understand that it would fit so naturally.”
From a playing perspective, Canyon #7 now offers something genuinely rare.
“You don’t really very often hit into the middle of a kind of a canyon, into a green that sits like that,” Haltom explains. “There’s neat bunkering, and there’s a different way that you access the green that brings you by the rock walls, and then there’s this beautiful waterfall work behind the green.”
The verdict from the man who will be overseeing its operation is unambiguous.
“I would say that this version of the hole is as dramatic as anything else out here,” Haltom says. “I think it’ll be very memorable.”
A Destination Course Ready for Its Next Chapter
Trappers Turn has always been more than a golf course. The club’s culinary offering is a significant part of its identity, with year-round dining that includes a Friday Night Fish Fry, Saturday Night Prime Rib, and Sunday Brunch that has become a local favorite.
The course also features 12 North, the 12-hole par-3 layout designed by Andy North that opened as part of the club’s recent expansion — a course within a course that offers a different kind of experience to players of all skill levels.
With three full nine-hole championship layouts, 12 North, and now a fully renovated Canyon #7 that has exceeded every expectation, Trappers Turn is entering the 2026 season in the strongest position in its history.
Canyon #7 reopens May 19, 2026.
For tee times and more information, visit trappersturn.com.