The Course
Originally a vast swath of rich farmland, the acres that now make up Butte des Morts Golf Course were reimagined and meticulously designed by the renowned Chicago golf course architect W.C. Jackson. Upon completion and approval of the course design in spring of 1924, longtime greenskeeper, Jack Taylor, spread the first grass seed on what would evolve into one of the state’s finest courses.
Set against sloping hills, wooded terrain, and a picturesque landscape, BDM’s private golf course offers 18 of the most stimulating holes, challenging golfers of every age and skill level.
Decades of Tradition
Butte des Morts CC has had its share of golf legends grace the course.
Frank Andrew Walsh was our first Head Golf Professional and was the runner-up in the 1932 PGA Championship. Walsh was born in Chicago, Illinois. A number of his brothers were professional golfers, including his elder brother, Tom, who was president of the PGA of America in 1940 and 1941.
Of course, who can forget Walter Hagen, Billy Sixty, Ken Dickinson, and Head Golf Professional Frank Walsh playing an exhibition match on Sunday, September 20, 1925, at the Butte Des Morts? Hagen and Sixty won the match after Sixty’s hole-in-one on 17 to close out Walsh and Dickinson 2 and 1. The historic photo below shows Hagan putting out on the 9th green.
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After the match, Hagen and Walsh traveled to Olympia Fields in Chicago, IL, to compete in the PGA Championship, where Hagen went on to win. Fun fact: Hagen actually lost the Wanamaker trophy on September 27, 1925, and needed to win the next two PGA Championships before confessing he did not know where the trophy was after not successfully defending his crown in 1928. The trophy was found years later in the basement of the company that made Hagen’s clubs.
Billy Sixty, actually William Soechting, is a Wisconsin Legend. He had a significant impact on Wisconsin sports, both as a champion golfer and bowler, and as a sportswriter for the Milwaukee Journal. Soechting means “60” in Dutch, so Billy was known as Sixty by the time he was playing in major golf tournaments as a young man in the 1920s. Sixty qualified for the State Amateur golf tourney 20 times and reached the finals four times. He captained the renowned Milwaukee Heilman bowling team, which won five national titles and the world championship in 1930. Sixty recorded nine holes-in-one in golf and nine 300 games in bowling.
Member Events
Combining Fun and Friendly Competition.
Click here for the 2025 BDM Golf Tournament Event Information Booklet, which highlights the various golf events available to members throughout the season. If you would like to receive additional information about golf membership at Butte des Morts, please click here to submit an inquiry form.
Lessons & Clinics
2024 Professional Golf Instruction Overview
Golf Professional Tony Searl is a Class A PGA Professional with over 15 years of experience in professional golf instruction. Tony led Golf Instruction programs at The Country Club of Indianapolis and Toledo Country Club before his time at Butte des Morts. Tony believes that no two golfers are alike. Therefore, no two golf swings are alike. He tailors his instruction to each student and works to refine their current golf swing before making changes. Tony places a special emphasis on short game and Golf Course Management. The staff at Butte des Morts utilizes the Flightscope Launch Monitor for club fittings and lessons.
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The Professional Staff at Butte des Morts put together an extensive instructional program for our members that offers something for everyone:
• Individual Private Lessons tailored to each student
• Adult and Junior Season Long Coaching Program
• Golf Course Management Lessons
• Clinics catered for various groups, including women, men, juniors and couples
• Winter Lessons with the Flightscope Launch Monitor in the Golf Shop
Junior Program
Introduce your youngsters to the great game of golf with Butte des Morts’ Junior Golf Program held in early June and July. The Butte des Morts Junior Golf Program is available for any children or grandchildren of Golf Members and Social Members.
Junior Golf Program
The 8-week Junior Golf Program is held on Tuesday mornings and is designed for all Junior Golfers at Butte des Morts interested in learning the game. Our program is designed for Juniors ages 5-17, and each Junior Golfer will be placed in a hole designation based on their age and skill level. The hole designations range from our “no-holers” to more advanced 9-hole players. A chaperone will accompany each Junior group to ensure safety, etiquette, and the proper pace of play.
We take pride in offering a Junior program that is unmatched locally. In addition to our 8-week summer instructional program, our Juniors participate in:
Junior Elite Program
Junior Clinics
PGA Junior League Teams
Junior Club Championship
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The Junior Golf Program will include the following for each Junior Golfer: Golf Shoes, Golf Glove, Golf Shirt, Golf Balls, Golf Cap and Junior Medals and trophies that are presented at the year-end banquet.
Junior Elite Program
The 6-week program that is designed for Junior Golfers who want to pursue the competitive side of golf. This could mean playing in some local Junior events or trying to make and compete for your high school or college golf team. The Junior Elite Program will be held on Friday mornings this summer.
The Junior Elite Program includes:
Group Clinics
4 private lessons for each Junior Elite participant
Organized practice Sessions
Ryder Cup Style Match between the participants
Spring and Fall Junior Clinics: A series of 5 clinics solely designed for Junior Golfers (boys and girls) that will focus on 5 different aspects of the game.
PGA Junior League: Butte des Morts Country Club will again be participating in the PGA Junior League in 2022. We have had enjoyed fantastic support of this growing nationwide program in years past and we look to continue that in future years.
Click here for more information on PGA Junior League.
Golf Shop
Top of the Line Merchandise with Professional Service.
The golf professional staff at Butte des Morts Country Club takes pride in providing their members and guests with excellent customer service and a first-class golfing experience. This carries over to the Professional Merchandising of the Golf Shop.
Our golf shop is well-stocked with the latest in golf fashion and clothing for Men, Ladies, and Juniors that include:
The Golf Shop carries the latest club offerings from Titleist, TaylorMade, Callaway, Ping, and Cobra. We offer fitting systems from Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade, and Ping, in addition to ensuring that you are correctly fitted before making your purchase.
Meet Our Pros
From personalized Golf Instruction, Complete Professional Golf Shop Services, and Professional Member services.
As a member at Butte des Morts Country Club, we want your golf experience to be the best possible. Our experienced golf professional, Tony Searl, a Class A PGA Professional, offers a full complement of golf Instruction services and a complete Golf Shop to meet and exceed all your needs. Tony strives to put together the best professional staff possible to serve the members of Butte des Morts Country Club.
Click below to learn more about all our Golf Professionals.
TONY SEARL
TONY SEARL
Head Golf Professional, Tony Searl, is a Class A PGA Professional with over 15 years of experience.
tsearl@buttedesmortscc.org
COLE BEST
COLE BEST
Second Assistant