To test their mettle every once in a while, the WSGA annually conducts tournaments and championships throughout the state including the most prestigious, the Wisconsin State Amateur Championship.

The 121st edition of the event, sponsored by West Bend Mutual Insurance, was held this past week at two of the top courses in the state - Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes at the Sand Valley Resort in Rome, Wisconsin.

Many towns throughout Wisconsin have traditional town centers that grew out of time more so than a predetermined, comprehensive plan. As time marched on, they grew bit by bit until, almost by happenstance, they developed their own personality. The personality that in essence determined the personality of the town itself.

But what if it could happen in reverse? What if the personality of the town could influence what the town center looks and feels like? What if town planners could identify the current needs and wants of the townspeople and research what the future holds? And what if the planners could develop a business plan that delivers on everything they’ve uncovered?

We all have fond memories of the last day of school and the beginning of the long summer break.

The bell would ring. You and your friends would spill out of the building as if you had been held prisoner for the last nine months, because to you, that’s what it felt like.

But on this day, the sun was inevitably shining, the air was fresh, and the whole summer was stretched out in front of you with endless possibilities. Three months of doing whatever you wanted. You were gonna have a blast…

After I take my human through the double-gated security gate, she relaxes on one of the many benches while I run free on nearly ten acres of grass and clover. Sure, it’s all fenced in, but it feels like I could run forever and ever.

I have a great time playing with my friends too, especially Bobo. She’s a Springer Spaniel. I met Bobo at one of the cocktails and hors d’oeuvres nights. They do that sometimes. I think they do it for the humans, but I like it too. All my friends do.

There’s no place like Lake Arrowhead.

Some come for the fun and excitement they get from the 300-acre lake. They can’t get enough swimming, boating, or fishing. Or how about skiing, tubing, wake surfing, kayaking, canoeing, or paddle boarding. And so on, and so on, and so on.

She toed the line in her first ever trapshooting tournament. Her shotgun loaded with two Winchester AA 12-gauge rounds.

Rigid in her stance, mentally focused, but for some reason, totally at ease, the 14-year-old farm girl from northern Wisconsin, pulled the trigger once, then without hesitation, a second time. Exploding into the clear blue sky was yet another pair of bright orange clay targets.

Whether it’s on a dirt bike, ATV, UTV, or a three-wheeler, Dyracuse offers some of the best off-roading you’ll find anywhere. In fact, at a full 700 acres of dirt, sand, and mud, Dyracuse is the largest off-road park in the Midwest.

Dyracuse has something to offer for everyone’s riding ability.

The Rome Farmers’ Market, located at the Rome Town Center in Rome, Wisconsin, has been serving locals and visitors since 2009. That’s when Ruthann Spiegelhof and Judy McCormick organized six vendors to come together for a weekend to sell their produce, never dreaming that it would grow to more than 95 vendors today.

"Kwik Trip Representatives April Hoesly & Jessica Kramer met with Jacki Koll & Lydell Capritta from Visit Rome and Michael Carbiener from Sand Valley on March 28th, 2022"

It may have been a few centuries ago when this patron saint of Italy made this observation, but it holds true today and undoubtedly will for the rest of time. And it’s this simple truth that inspired Dave Rozek and Sherry Light to open the Bison Trading Company in Rome, Wisconsin.

The Town of Rome, at the geographic center of Wisconsin, has an abundance of natural resources combined with modern amenities, making it an exceptional place to visit - for a day, for a while, or for a lifetime. It’s these natural resources that play a significant role in Rome’s commercial and recreational identity.

No, not the one with all the crumbly buildings, the Pope’s house, and some pretty good pasta.

Nope, I’m talking about Rome, Wisconsin. That’s right, Rome, Wisconsin.

Sometimes I wonder who the first person was to try ice fishing. Was it someone who was hungry, looking for food in the heart of the long, cold winter? Probably. Or was it someone who was simply bored and again, growing tired of the long, cold winter?

You probably know people who hide out all winter complaining about the weather and pining for summer. If they only knew what you’re about to discover, they would not only tolerate, but maybe, just maybe, they might like winter as much, if not more than summer.

Congratulations to Richard Wagner, local resident and avid birder, for setting a birding milestone this 2020 season in Adams County! Read more about the Town of Rome’s birding destination and Wagner’s record-setting birding season.

In 2020, the Shermalot Show Team celebrated their 45th Anniversary of providing exciting entertainment to local community members and visitors. Read more to learn about the third longest continuous running water ski show in the State of Wisconsin.

Read the History of Rome Timeline to learn more about the background and story of Rome, WI.

The Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship is a full tuition and housing college scholarship for golf caddies that is renewable for up to four years.  Selected applicants must have a strong caddie record, excellent grades, outstanding character and demonstrated financial need. This opportunity became a reality for some of Sand Valley’s junior caddies this 2019-2020 season.

The Sand Valley Restoration Trust is a large scale restoration project located in Adams County. Their mission is to implement and promote conservation and restoration of historic and natural habitats in the Central Sands of Wisconsin. Read more about the SVRT in this guest blog post by Sand Valley’s Field and Operations Manager, Chelsea Sorbo.

Pritzl’s Trading Post is an iconic Town of Rome business that provides locals and visitors essential products, along with high-quality customer service. Owner, Lori Pritzl-O’Keefe, purchased the business from her parents in 2002; however, she continues her parents’ business model of accommodating the community based on valued customers’ needs.