Kestrel Ridge Golf Course

The Oaks Golf Course Adds a Second Property

Kestrel Ridge in Columbus Sells to Local Family Group

By Brian Weis

The Oaks, an award-winning family owned golf course in Cottage Grove, has added a second course, Kestrel Ridge in Columbus to its lineup.

"Kestrel Ridge is the perfect example of a destination course that can be a true community asset," said Jessica Blaska-Grady, general manager of both The Oaks and Kestrel Ridge. "We want to grow our business but at the same time we don't want to be "just another" golf course. We bought Kestrel Ridge be-cause it's the right course that can continue to grow along with the entire Co-lumbus community."

"The Oaks and Kestrel Ridge are similar in that they are about the same age. We want to improve the course and the clubhouse at Kestrel as well and we look forward to creating a second, true destination golf course for families from all over the Midwest."

The Oaks has developed a positive reputation for its unique promotions tar-geting golfing families. "6-After-6" offers families a discount rate if they play together and start after 6pm on summer evenings.

It's also believed The Oaks has Wisconsin's only "no rain outs" guarantee. If a group gets rained out before they reach the 18th tee they'll receive full value rain checks for another round.

"We think golf should be fun," said Blaska-Grady, "and that's a philosophy we'll bring to Kestrel Ridge just like we did at The Oaks. At our courses, we want our players to enjoy first class golf, first class service, and have first class fun."

Revised: 03/04/2019 - Article Viewed 21,533 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.