Brown Deer Park Golf Course – Played July 2024
- Rankings: None of my four lists
- Location: 7625 N Range Line Road, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Year: 1929
- Original Architect: George Hansen
- Additional Work By: Bruce Matthews III, Andy North, & Roger Packard
- Course Access: Municipal
- Walking Rules: Carts Available
Score Card Information:
- Black: 5,829 yards, Par 71, 72.9 Rating/133 Slope (Men’s), 74.2 Rating/141 Slope (Women’s)
- Blue: 5,279 yards, Par 71, 70.6 Rating/129 Slope (Men’s), 70.8 Rating/129 Slope (Women’s)
- White: 4,777 yards, Par 71, 68.5 Rating/124 Slope (Men’s), 74.0 Rating/132 Slope (Women’s)
- Gold: 4,528 yards, Par 71, 64.7 Rating/115 Slope (Men’s), 69.2 Rating/126 Slope (Women’s)
On the back end of another wonderful trip to Wisconsin this past summer, I got to check out Brown Deer Park Golf Course. This course is famous because it is was where Tiger Woods made his professional golf debut with the “Hello World” press conference. The event is commemorated with the plaque see below.
Municipal golf courses are the backbone of golf in America. Sure, I love seeing the wonderful private courses all across this country, but golfers everyday are playing on munis. They also serve as an awesome gateway for kids getting into the game. Lower costs and access are a good thing for the game and I hope the health of municipal courses stays strong.
It’s not hard to find some Tiger memorabilia around here.
I’m a huge Tiger fan for sure, but I also ardently follow Lauren Coughlin. She got a win here at Brown Deer that was instrumental to her career. Her husband, John, went over her inspirational story on the No Laying Up podcast and it turns out that Milwaukee was a special place in that journey. It’s cool to see that they are honoring her victory.
Once you take in all the memorabilia and pay your green fee, it’s off to the course. I was playing a casual round with a friend, so the pictures were kept to a minimum. Even still, these photos should give you an idea of what the course is about.
The layout is a traditional parkland style with mature trees all around the property. It’s what you would expect from a 1920s-era golf course.
I wouldn’t say that the course screams Golden Age architecture but it is in phenomenal shape and provides for an immensely enjoyable round of golf.
Brown Deer Park is the crown jewel of the Milwaukee Park’s golf lineup and it’s easy to see why. Go check it out and when you’re done, have a beer in the clubhouse that is a registered historic landmark!