Chicago to Lawsonia - Round in Between

[ldchristopher]

Yeah, I-90 brings a few more options (URidge, Glen Erin, and Abbey Springs) and Washington County did away with 6:00 AM tee times. The earliest is now 7:00 and those have been getting snapped up. This might be the first season in a while that I don’t get there.

[zer0]

 

I don't agree on that last comment about it being a bit of a stretch to call Lawsonia a Links type of course. Sure it's not by a large body of water, but it's built entirely on sand and limestone. It plays as fast and firm as any course in the entire country. It absolutely promotes a ground game on almost all of the holes. I've never been overseas and played real Links golf, but I bet the course conditions at Lawsonia are closer to that than 98% of the courses in the USA that claim to be Links.

[zer0]

I think a lot of people see a course with no trees and lots of fescue and they think Links, but as others have said Prairie is a much more apt term for pretty much all of those courses.

[ode1]

This is what gets me. When I overlook wash co. It has a links feel to it, but after thinking about it and other points made, it's really not! Still love it though!

[ode1]

It's def firm and fast and drains as good as any course I've played. As far as the ground game, while there are a few holes that are run up holes, the majority are not....I know you can run it up, but the wiser play is to fly it on the green. 2, 5, 9, 10, 11, 16, 18....all holes that invite running it on. 1, 3, 4, 12, 14 are run-upable, but IMO very narrow openings and not the percentage play if going high is an option. 6, 7, 8, 13, 15, 17 offer virtually no chance to run up......I guess 7 you could land short of the green and run up but I would not choose that option, and the rest are false fronts that would take jamming one into a hill short in order to get it to stop on the green.

[zer0]

 

I would say the only holes that offer no chance for ground play are 6, 7, 8, 13 and 15. It's narrow on 3 and 17, but I've rolled it up on those holes more often than I've gotten there on the fly. Same with 4. The good news with those holes is even though it's narrow approaching the green, the fairway ground seems to funnel everything towards the green.

 

My favorite ground hole is #2. Depending on how long an iron you are hitting in, you can pretty much land anywhere in the fairway on the other side of the mounds and the ball is going to roll onto the green. There's a shoot along the right side of the fairway where you can land a long iron and it will hit the shoot and end up front center of the green with most likely an uphill putt.

 

So of the 18 you can definitely play the ground game on 13 of the holes. Some easier than others for sure, but the option is always there.

[ode1]

Love talking Lawsonia strategy?, depending on tees and wind.....4 can be a run up hole, at least the more sensible play to be short and by the mouth of the green.....and on 3, being a smaller green (for Lawsonia anyways), if I'm out of position or in the rough it can be a really hard green to hold and playing short is the most sensible play. I really like the shorter par 4,s there as the greens are smaller and harder to hit! I really enjoy #2 with the blind tee shot and run up options.

[Gdane]

Thank you for the input everyone.  We played Washington County on Thursday as we made our way to Green Lake, and what a treat that course is for people in the area.  It turned out to be the highlight of the trip for me, as I finally cracked 80 and shot a personal best 79.

 

Unfortunately after seeing hardly any rain all summer in Chicagoland, it found us in the Green Lake area Thursday night into Friday.  We waited out a hefty delay in the morning on Friday only to get called back into the club house after finding our opening drives on the first hole of the Links at Lawsonia.  After another long wait and the realization that we weren't going to take real advantage of all day golf at Lawsonia, we made the tough decision to cut our trip a day short, and drive back down south to try to at least get some more golf in.  We grabbed our rain checks and drove to Glen Erin.  Cool course with a  ton of elevation changes that is a steal for the $40 we plopped down to play last minute.   The sting of our first golf trip in years being cut short by mother nature hurt, but we were glad to be able to at least get another round of golf in. 

 

Pro tip:  When driving up 41 to Green Lake, Kelley Creamery is a MUST stop.  Perhaps the best ice cream of my lifetime.

 

14th at Washington County

 

18th at Washington County

 

Clubhouse shot from the front 9 at Glen Erin

 

18th at Glen Erin

[PooN]

if you take the i94 through Milwaukee corridor, you should consider Geneva National - Player Course, and/or Hawk's View.  Or Fire Ridge is fun north of Milwaukee in Grafton.  People are suggesting The Bog... that is a nice course and worth a play as well.  I would not do Brown Deer.    

 

If you were thinking of heading up through Wisconsin Dells area a MUST play is Wild Rock.  Trapper's Turn is next on that list.

 

Note: Might be worth a visit to a fun and cheap little course very near Lawsonia (about 20 minutes) called Sondalles Whitelake Golf Course in Montello, WI.  Totally worth a play if you have time.  It's a ain't no 5 star course but has a fun layout and is very easy on the pocket book. 

[Argonne69]

 

Sorry to hear about the weather. You think you'll make it back to Green Lake in the near future?

 

[Gdane]

On 8/29/2020 at 9:37 PM, Argonne69 said:

 

Sorry to hear about the weather. You think you'll make it back to Green Lake in the near future?

 

 

We consolidated our rain checks and plan on going back next summer.  I can't let this be the lasting image I have of Lawsonia: 

[ode1]

5 hours ago, Gdane said:

 

We consolidated our rain checks and plan on going back next summer.  I can't let this be the lasting image I have of Lawsonia: 

What a buzzkill....too bad it did not let up to allow for at least 18.....it drains amazingly well.  Beautiful course and is so much fun!  Look fwd to your review of the course next year.