Milwaukee Country Club – Played May 2019
- Rankings: Golf Digest #53, Golf Magazine #77
- Location: 8000 N Range Line Road, River Hills, Wisconsin
- Year: 1927
- Original Architects: Tom BendelowC.H. Alison & H.S. Colt
- Additional Work By: Walter Travis, C.H. Alison, H.S. Colt, Robert Trent Jones, Roger Rulewich, Arthur Hills, Tom Doak, & Don Placek
- Course Access: Private
- Walking Rules: Carts & Caddies Available
Score Card Information:
- Black: 7,097 yards, Par 72, 74.0 Rating/132 Slope
- Blue: 6,883 yards, Par 72, 72.9 Rating/130 Slope
- White: 6,393 yards, Par 72, 70.7 Rating/126 Slope (Men’s), 76.5 Rating/135 Slope (Women’s)
- White/Green: 6,028 yards, Par 72, 69.0 Rating/122 Slope
- Green: 5,628 yards, Par 72, 67.2 Rating/118 Slope (Men’s), 72.4 Rating/125 Slope (Women’s)
- Green/Gold: 5,406 yards, Par 72, 66.1 Rating/115 Slope (Men’s), 71.0 Rating/122 Slope (Women’s)
- Gold: 5,004 yards, Par 72, 64.3 Rating/112 Slope (Men’s), 68.8 Rating/118 Slope
My final round in Wisconsin was slated to be at the venerable Milwaukee Country Club. Upon looking at the weather forecast, I was seriously concerned that we wouldn’t be able to get the round completed.
Despite the 100% chance of rain, I headed out to the course to meet up with the head professional who would be my host for the day. He asked that I not share pictures of the course online. So the entrance sign below is all I’m able to show you.
We got lucky and caught a dry window and finished the whole round with only a bit of drizzly rain.
Now for some history of the course. The club was founded in 1894 but didn’t include golf at the time. A nine-hole course was designed soon after but in 1909 their land lease was not renewed. As such, the club moved to the present-day location where they opened the H.S. Colt and C.H. Alison design. The course has hosted high-level amateur events such as the 1969 Walker Cup, 1988 US Senior Amateur, and the 2008 US Mid-Amateur.
The golf course is very close to the Milwaukee River. Because of that proximity, the course floods quite often. Skip, the head pro, showed us wide swaths of land that had been underwater in the prior years.
The day we played the course was wet due to the weather and it being early in their season. I’d love to get back and see it when it plays firmer because the contouring would be so fun to play.
I liked the entire course. It has large bunkers and greens with ample slope to challenge golfers. They are currently doing a lot of work on the course to get back to the original intent. I think those efforts will be well received.
That being said, a few holes stood out to me.
The short par-four ninth plays down and back up towards the clubhouse. It is fronted by a huge, deep bunker.
The par-five tenth has undergone tree removal to open up river views and is really spectacular. The hole bends to the right and the green is elevated. A solid hole from tee to green.
The par-three twelfth plays over the river and is in a cool setting. The par-four thirteenth features a unique bunker with a wall of sand underneath an elevated section of the green.
Finally, the last hole plays uphill but the real fun is at the sloping green that sits very close to the clubhouse. It’s a great setting.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the locker room at Milwaukee Country Club. It is delightfully old school and the opposite of over the top. A small bar along with tables make it a great place to hang out before or after your round. I thoroughly enjoyed it after we played. Be sure to carve out some time for this spot.
After a quick tour of the clubhouse, I was on my way to the car when the skies opened up. We were lucky to get the round in and I am so thankful we did. This course is so good!