In Wisconsin, we love golf. Although we can’t play year-round, there are ways to enjoy golf courses and their amenities even during the coldest winter spells. Take Pioneer Pointe in the Town of Middleton. It is part of a real estate development located on the former Tumbledown Trails Golf Course, which has been refashioned into a 13-hole short course by Haen Real Estate. The development houses 89 single family lots, intertwined with the golf course. The project also includes a modern 13,800-square-foot clubhouse, designed by Sketchworks Architecture, with a restaurant, golf simulators, outdoor patio, and rooftop deck. A leisure and lap pool and four pickleball and tennis courts round out the recreational opportunities. Adjacent to these features is an activity building that houses locker rooms, a fitness center, and a small kitchen for poolside food and drink service.
Construction was completed by Supreme Structures on the clubhouse in October 2022; Good Co., the restaurant located on-site, opened at that time as well. The eatery’s modern, yet timeless feel doesn’t look like a typical golf course restaurant—a purposeful move.
“The project has the right look and feel to match the energy of its use,” explains Ross Treichel, project manager with Sketchworks. “Its design is refined enough to extend the feeling of the golf course and restaurant, yet simple in its delivery so anyone can feel comfortable there.”
Indeed, an earthy palette permeates the restaurant with warm oak accents throughout, cushy camel-colored leather banquettes, modern globe lighting, sage-colored walls, and planter boxes peppered throughout the space. “The color palette and the materials in the restaurant are a modern play on the classic ’70s and ’80s golf clubhouses,” notes Ross. “[The restaurant owner] wanted a luxurious, yet accessible feeling that brought in the playfulness of the golf course and its surrounding natural beauty.”
Besides the aesthetics, functionality was tantamount in the design of the clubhouse, the building that houses all of the action. “There are many considerations for restaurants,” explains Ross. “For one, there must be an understanding of the type of food that is to be served, which in most cases dictates the size and function of the kitchen and storage areas. Another is how the owner wants the kitchen to be viewed: either an open kitchen, partially open (think pass-thru windows), or completely obscured. In the case of Good Co., they wanted pass-thru windows along with a large viewing window into the kitchen from the dining room so patrons could see all of the action.”
The building’s exterior echoes the modern, yet comfortable feel of the interior spaces. Composite board-and-batten siding is juxtaposed with a natural stone base. Cedar details mimic the warm woods inside the building, and classic black window frames and a dark charcoal roof finish off the refined look.
The place beckons golfers and families alike to visit year-round, whether hitting the links, enjoying a meal, or taking some swings during virtual golf on a chilly night.
“My favorite part of any project is seeing it come to life,” says Ross. “Seeing this constructed over the last year is the most rewarding part of my job. I especially love seeing our renderings become reality.”
Sketchworks Architecture
2501 Parmenter Street
Suite #300A
Middleton, WI 53562
608.836.7570
sketchworksarch.com