2020 Platinum Passport - Wisconsin Golf Book FAQ's By Brian Weis

2020 Platinum Passport - Wisconsin Golf Book FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions For A Great Wisconsin Golf Experience

By Brian Weis

The Platinum Passport is a joint venture between the GCOW (Golf Course Owners of Wisconsin) and the WSGA (Wisconsin State Golf Association). More than $350,000 has been raised over the years, which went to the WSGA Foundation and the GCOW was able to establish scholarships and also funded tourism and legislative efforts.

When you buy the Platinum Passport for $369 you will pay NO GREENS FEES at 63 courses and enjoy 114 free rounds of greens fees. THAT'S RIGHT - ZERO GREENS FEES.

Jeff Schwister, Executive Director at the Golf Course Owners of Wisconsin, shares commonly asked questions about the program.

The Platinum Passport Sounds to Good to Be True - What is the Catch?
No catch!! The Passport is the best deal in golf and what you see listed is exactly the deal you will get!

You get FREE greens fees at 63 courses - how is that true?
It is TRUE! We have received great working relationships with many of the courses in the state through the GCOW and the WSGA and these courses are offering the greens fees for FREE for this program

What does 114 FREE rounds exactly mean?
It means that since most of these golf courses are offering a FREE TWOSOME that the owner of the Platinum Passport at most courses can bring a guest and that there are FREE greens fees for TWO (2) people.

FREE Golf? Do we have to pay for carts?
In most cases yes. Since this golf is 100% DONATED to us, the only revenue the course receives is in cart fees, through their pro shop, food, etc. If you have TWO (2) golfers, both will have to pay the cart fee.

Are their restrictions?
YES. Most courses have different restrictions, while some may have none. Some have day of the week, time of the day, etc restrictions. Again, since they DONATE this too us, some of their blackout times are when they are busy with regular tee times.

Can I golf a course more than one time with the Platinum Passport?
No. The Platinum Passport is a booklet with "Tear-out" pages for each of the 63 courses. So once that "Page" is used, it is done. However, if you and a friend each buy a passport, you could use your Passport at a course once and then go to the same course with his Passport another day.

If I cannot get to a course, can I let my friend take the Passport book to use with someone.
YES. Although we don't always promote that you can share the book, in reality you can. If you cannot get to a course up north like Stevens Point CC, you may give someone the book to use. HOWEVER - DO NOT tear out the course page, give them the entire Passport book. If page is torn out of the book before turned in at the Pro Shop, they can refuse to accept it, so keep book, and pages intact.

Can I buy more than one Platinum Passport and is there a discount if I do?
YES. For every Passport you buy after one, we will take $40 off the next books up to FOUR. So 2 books (-$40), 3 books (-$80), 4 books (-$120).

Can I take more than one person with the Passport?
Of course, you can have a foursome if you want. However ONLY TWO (2) people get FREE greens fees, if that is the restriction. The other members of their group would just have to pay the courses regular rate for tee times. That is why many groups buy TWO (2) Passports so they get FOUR (4) FREE greens fees!

Where can I buy the passport
http://www.gcow.org/platinum-passport/

Revised: 02/10/2020 - Article Viewed 20,853 Times

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.