Silver Spring Country Club
Le Par Restaurant
“We enjoy going to the Sunday brunch buffet at the Silver Spring Country Club in Menomonee Falls. The staff is excellent with children, and the food is excellent.” The restaurant also offers Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday lunch buffets; the restaurant is open to non-members. Le Par Restaurant , Silver Spring Country Club, Menomonee Falls
The Silver Spring Country Club , Menomonee Falls, has named Image Makers Advertising Inc., Elm Grove, as its agency of record. source: Business around Wisconsin, Milwaukee Sentinel – Friday, November 16, 1990
La Par scores high on atmosphere
Milwaukee Sentinel – Friday, May 31, 1991
In the spring our fancy lightly turns to thoughts of . . . golf. And one of the best spots to enjoy the surroundings of the game is La Par, the restaurant in the Silver Spring Country Club in Menomonee Falls, which is open to the public year-round. The restaurant is located in the clubhouse and is situated on a hillside with sweeping views of the golf course and countryside.
When we arrived on a recent Wednesday evening, we were immediately shown to a corner table in the large, airy dining room overlooking the treacherously inclined 9th green. Because of the rainy weather only a few golfers were anguishing over their final putts of the evening.
We each ordered a glass of wine. Donald had the Black Opal Chardonnay ($4.25), and I tried the Robert Mondavi Woodbridge Chardonnay ($3). Our server said the wine list was a new one, and she was interested in our comments about the wines we had chosen. Unfortunately, the wine was served in frosted glasses, which made the chardonnay seem too warm by comparison. A second round, served in unfrosted glasses, tasted better. The Black Opal was a nicely balanced chardonnay, crisp and dry. The Woodbridge was fine as a dinner wine.
After taking our orders, our server brought a basket of cheese spread and crackers. The cheese was a very light whipped cheddar with sliced almonds sprinkled on top. There were bacon-flavored crackers and crouton-like toasted bread chunks. We thought the intense artificial bacon flavoring in the crackers overwhelmed the light cheese spread’s pleasant taste. The croutons were much better because they tasted (and were) homemade. When we asked our server about the cheese spread, she candidly commented that we were the first people who said we liked it. She preferred a port wine cheese.
La Par’s dinner menu offers standard American fare, such asCountry Style Chicken Breast ($9.25), Jumbo Shrimp ($15.95) and Prime Rib ($11.75, $14.25). There are appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches and dinners. The dinners include a choice of house salad or soup; vegetable; choice of baked potato, steak fries, mashed potatoes, onion rings or pasta; bread and honey butter.
A note on the dinner menu said, “We are still in the planning stage, so please let us know what you would like to see featured at your country club .”
There is a separate lunch menu and a Friday evening menu, featuring an all-you-can-eat fish fry that includes breaded or beer-batter fried cod or perch, or baked cod and other selections. There is also a Sunday champagne brunch buffet. The restaurant caters to golfers as well as casual diners. Wednesdays are blackjack nights. The game tables set up near the bar area on the evening we were there were all busy.
According to Risa Ray, the general manager, the restaurant aims to offer the amenities of a private club without membership fees or cover charges. They call it “the public’s country club ” and treat the guests as if they were members.
The Silver Spring Country Club is operated by a family corporation headed by Ronald and Dale Kuhlman. It opened in 1986 on the site of a former farm estate. Banquet facilities were added in 1988.
Our comments on the food, service and ambience follow:
Donald: The appetizers we ordered were disappointing. The potato skins ($2.95) tasted soggy, as if they had been held too long in the refrigerator before being reheated. They seemed like mushy baked potatoes covered with cheddar, bacon and chives. I prefer a crisper texture. The french fried onion ring `haystack’ ($2.50) was much better. The onion rings tasted fresh and were thinly sliced so the sweetness of the onion came through, although the dried parsley flakes on top did nothing for t he flavor.
Mary: I didn’t think the potato skins were mushy, but they weren’t very flavorful. I agree that they were probably reheated. The onion rings were good, but seemed a little greasy to me, as if they should have been blotted to absorb some of excess oil.
Donald: My dinner salad was very good. Bits of cauliflower and broccoli, canned white asparagus spears and clover sprouts in an iceberg and leaf lettuce base offered an interesting combination. The pepper Parmesan dressing was excellent.
I ordered the fresh catch of the day, a baked swordfish steak ($12.95). It had a steak-like texture and was generously sized. It had been simply prepared, buttered and baked to perfection. It was served with fresh green beans, which were good but a little on the dull side. The side dish of pasta fettucine alfredo was disappointing. The small dish of wide fettucine noodles had been prepared in a thin alfredo sauce with more of the dried parsley mixed in. The sauce lacked the creamy texture I anticipated for this dish and was bland.
Mary: Opting for a lighter dinner, I chose the Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken Breast ($6.75). It was exactly what I expected grilled chicken breast strips served on top of spinach leaves and walnuts. There was plenty of chicken an entire breast – and the spinach tasted very fresh. The honey-Dijon dressing was a little too sweet for my taste. I thought the pepper Parmesan on Donald’s salad had more zip.
Our server told us about the dessert selections which included pies, cheesecakes and a schaum torte. We chose the Kahlua Cheesecake, but when we discovered the kitchen was out of that, we tried the Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake ($3.25) a great pick. It had a dark chocolate, Oreo cookie-like crust. The cheese filling had been whipped into a velvety texture that really did taste like chocolate mousse. The slice we were served was more than enough for two. The pie was the highlight of the meal.
Silver Spring Country Club sold to national golf-course operator – KSL Fairways is expected to keep Menomonee Falls course open to public
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Thursday, December 4, 1997
Author:Journal Sentinel staff
KSL Fairways, which owns and operates 29 golf courses in six states, has signed an agreement to buy SilverSpring CountryClub , a public course and restaurant .
KSL is buying SilverSpring from Ronald H. Kuhlman, who developed the 36-hole course several years ago as a public course featuring country – club amenities, said Kyle Ray, attorney for SilverSpring .
Kuhlman called the purchase an acquisition by “a larger organization with similar goals and beliefs.”
Under KSL ownership, SilverSpring CountryClub , N56-W21318Silver Spring Road, will remain open to the public, said Michael C. Dobson, Midwest director of acquisitions for KSL Fairways.
KSL Fairways is the community golf division of KSL Recreation Corp., a Manassas, Va., firm that owns and operates resorts, including PGA West and La Quinta, both near Palm Springs, Calif., and Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami.
KSL owns three other properties in Wisconsin, Willow Run Golf Club in Pewaukee and Lake Windsor GolfClub north of Madison, both of them public, and the private Mequon Country Club .
“We look for successful operations in successful communities,” Dobson said. Dobson said he did not anticipate any major changes at the 280-acre Silver Spring course.
The purchase price was not disclosed.
Nice approach with new ownership
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) – Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Author:GARY DAMATO, Staff: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Menomonee Falls When you bill yourself as “the publics countryclub ” print it on the front of your score card, no less youd better deliver a well-maintained golf course, service your guests and pay attention to detail.
SilverSpringCountryClub passes muster on all counts.
Perhaps that couldnt be said of the 36-hole facility a couple years ago, but the November sale of SilverSpring to Pegasus Golf has infused the operation with capital and enthusiasm from top to bottom.
I played the older Island Course for the first time Monday and came away thoroughly impressed. The course measures 6,912 yards from the back tees and features strong par-5s, a good mix of long and short par-4s, doglegs in both directions and the namesake 174-yard island hole (No. 8).
There is a surprising amount of elevation change, starting with No. 1, a 365-yard par-4 that gets your attention with its high-wire tee shot and water far below on the left. No. 9 is only 340 yards from the back tee but the approach is straight uphill to a semi-blind target.
“Its more up and down than you see on a typical course,” general manager Greg Paydock said. “A lot of the courses around us are flatter. I think the course has a lot of character.”
Aesthetically, the Island Course has the look and feel of a private club , from the way the fairways are mowed in an attractive diamond pattern to tulip plantings to carts equipped with GPS. Blooming crabapple trees added to the natural beauty Monday.
The greens were a bit bumpy and not very fast, but Pegasus has invested in green rollers, which should eliminate that problem. In fact, all the maintenance equipment is brand new, according to Paydock, from the fairway and green mowers to the weed trimmers. Even the beverage carts are new.
More than 300 trees have been removed. The bunkers on the Island Course are being redone this year, with the bunkers on the shorter Falls Course (5,582 yards) scheduled for renovation in 2007.
“When you see people that want to own your course and they want the course to be very successful, obviously that makes you excited,” Paydock said.
SilverSpring has a new superintendent and Garrett Mack is in his first year as head golf professional after working as an assistant in 2006.
More than 46,000 rounds were played on the two courses last year and Paydock expects that number to top 50,000 this year. SilverSpring has a large banquet facility and played host to more than 190 outings in 2005.
The Players Club is a hugely successful program. Golfers pay $49.95 to join, which entitles them to one free round of golf and 10%-20% discounts for the rest of the year. Members also get range balls at half price and discounts in the pro shop andrestaurant .
“Last year we had 542 members and this year we already have more than that,” Paydock said. “We think well wind up with more than 1,000. There just isnt a better deal around.”
RATING THE COURSE
SilverSpringCountryClub
(Island Course)
Location: N56 W21318SilverSpring Drive, Menomonee Falls.
Telephone: (262) 252-4666.
Green fees: Thespring rates are $39 for 18 holes from 7 a.m. to noon weekdays, $35 after noon and $25 after 5 p.m. On weekends, the fees are $52 from 7 a.m. to noon, $42 after noon and $33 after 5 p.m. All fees include motorized cart, use of the GPS system and taxes.
Rating
The rating is done on a 10-point scale, with 10 being the highest score in each category and 70 the highest possible total:
Overall course conditions: 8.5
Quality of greens: 8
Aesthetics: 9
Playability: 8
Variety of holes: 8.5
Service: 9
Value: 9
Total: 60
Copyright 2006, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. (Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media.)
Golf center in Falls sold | New owners say renovations are needed
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) – Saturday, December 22, 2012
Author:RICK BARRETT, rbarrett@journalsentinel.com,Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Staff
SilverSpring Golf & Banquet Center in Menomonee Falls has been acquired by two Chicagoarea real estate firms and will be renamedSilverSpring Golf Club . The sale price was not disclosed, but the property was listed for sale at $5.3 million, and public records showed it had a fair-market value of $2.6 million.SilverSpring , N56 W21318 SilverSpring Drive, has 36 holes of golf and the ability to host golf outings or banquets for 500 guests. It covers 278 acres and has amenities including a pro shop, restaurant , banquet hall, snack bar and a two-level driving range.
The new owners are RN Realty LLC and Varin Realty LLC, from the Chicago area. David Nankin, with Varin, is a Milwaukee native who owns Willow Run GolfClub in Pewaukee. The new owners acquired the property from a subsidiary of Utah-based Chapmark Bank, which had taken title as the result of a loan default more than a year ago.
Previous owners included the Carlyle Group, a Washington, D.C. investment firm. “The club ‘s reputation was naturally eroding under bank ownership,” Nankin said in a news release.
The golf course and banquet facility will be managed by Affinity Management of Charlottesville, Va., which manages other golf courses and has a history of turning around distressed properties. SilverSpring needs renovation, said Damon DeVito, Affinity’s managing director. “The bones of this place are good, but the feel of it is very tired,” he said. “Things start to feel dingy when carpet hasn’t been replaced, wallpaper has peeled and things like bathrooms are outdated.”
The golf club and banquet facility will remain open during renovations, according to DeVito, and the new owners will honor events that have already been booked.
“Bank ownership worried event customers, but with new ownership and these renovations, I am confident we’ll be busier than ever,” John Wieschel, sales director, said in the release. North Hills CountryClub of Menomonee Falls was interested in buying SilverSpring , but that deal never came to fruition.
Affinity has experience running public golf courses that have banquet halls, according to DeVito.
Copyright 2012, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. (Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media.)
SilverSpringCountryClub , N56-W21318 SilverSpring Drive, Menomonee Falls. (262) 252-4994 silverspringgolf.com Recommended for the Friday lunchtime seafood buffet that’s $11.95, with beerbattered cod, smoked salmon, shrimp and more, as well as soups, salads and desserts, source: Fish fry heaven | Readers offer a raft of recommendations for out-of-this-world, memorable meals;Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) – Friday, February 15, 2013