For people living in the upper Midwest, the Wisconsin Dells is like the Poconos or Catskills for those living in the Northeastern seaboard. It’s a huge and, until recently, quite wild and natural network of lakes, rivers, and rocky woodlands.

And, within only the last eight years or so, golf courses, water parks, and Indian casinos have sprung up like morels in springtime on the shores of the peaceful lakes.

Recent torrential rains have created havoc, though, washing away half-million-dollar vacation homes (videos here) on the shores of Lake Delton. When the shores of the lake couldn’t handle the water, they burst, and rather violently and eerily, the entire lake drained away.

Needless to say, this disastrous event has left resorts on the banks of the lake up the proverbial – and dangerously swollen – poop creek without a paddle (or even a canoe). Summer reservations are being cancelled in droves, and it is unclear what the long-term effects will be on the area. No one knows when the lake will be re-filled.

I received word however, from the folks at Wild Rock Golf Club in the Dells that the course has weathered the storms just fine, and that roads in and out of the Dells are all open. All of the clubs sister properties – Wilderness Hotel and Golf Resort, Glacier Canyon Lodge, and Wilderness on the Lake – are also unscathed. At least for now.

As a native Minnesotan, my heart goes out to the people in the Dells – lots of good memories there from my childhood. We at WorldGolf.com and TravelGolf.com wish you all a speedy recovery.

A lake home splits in half before falling into Lake Delton

Another home lost in the Lake Delton flood

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