Brown County Golf Course | Oneida, WI | Par 72

Brown County Golf Course is a wonderful example of the Northwoods style, just west of Green Bay in the town of Oneida. Generally, you have room to miss, both off the tee and on approach shots. Large trees are prominent, but allow to play from around (and under) them if you happen to stray offline. There’s a good amount of water, with Trout Creek and Duck Creek weaving in and around the course, and areas where it impacts the hole are often sloped towards trouble. The course is a traditional par 36-36-72 setup (35-36-71 for ladies). The course eases you into your round, with a generous par-4 to start, then a shorter par-5 with a wide-open driving area to follow. One of two short par-3s on the course is up next before Brown County cranks up the challenge. Most of the longer holes have a slight bend one or way or the other, but there are some bigger doglegs that make understanding your target much more important. There is a mix of dogleg left and dogleg right holes, so the course requires more than one shot shape. One thing that is lacking is a shorter par-4, which I think are always welcome additions. All but one of the par-4s start over 350 yards from the white tees. And while the course doesn’t feel overly long, it’s just fun to have that par-4 that you can get close to off the tee. There are only four sets of tees, and there really needs to be a tee setup between White and Gold. That is way too big of a gap in yardage, in a place where that player level would appreciate it. There are a few areas of routing confusion, where sides of the courses overlap, making it unclear where to go next. Another interesting feature is the proximity to a dog park. Prepare to have a vocal audience once you get to the east side of the property.

The condition of Brown County Golf Course rivaled that of a private country club. The greens were near perfect – firm and fast, while remaining fair and playable. The length of the rough was not much a factor when missing the fairway, however, there were areas of a spongy turf that saw the ball sink to the bottom, making crisp contact nearly impossible. The fairways were nice, and not super tight. While that may have impacted some roll you would get off the tee, it was definitely a plus on shots around the greens. The bunkers were very nice, and consistent. I know, because I was in a handful of them, and I thought they were very playable. The property was very well-maintained, as a whole, and when you have as many big trees as this course has, that’s not always the easiest thing to do. Areas off the fairway around trees were in good shape and allowed you to find your ball. Of course I cannot speak to every spot, but overall, I was very pleased with how nice the grass was throughout.

There are three practice areas, and they are each in separate spots around the clubhouse. This is nice if you’ve got a good amount of time, or you’re there to practice something specific. The putting green is front and center, and it is an excellent representation of what you’ll see on the course. There’s a ridge through the middle and is moderately sloped. It is also very quick, and you can tell how firm it is when you first step on it. The chipping green is back behind the 9th green and is a little smaller, but gives you a place to exclusively hit chip shots. There are no bunkers available, which would be a nice addition. The range is to the left of the first tee, which I always find as a strange location for a range. It impacts the people on the range and the players on the first hole.

The clubhouse gives a private club vibe, both with the patio area and the dining room. The pro shop is a medium-sized space with some cool Green Bay Packer pieces on the wall, combining golf and Wisconsin’s true love. I didn’t ask, but I saw that Jimmy O’s is the demo king as I walked through. Sounds like if you want to try out a new driver on the course, that is easy to do. Something to keep in mind if you’re looking in upgrading your equipment and want real-world results.

The carts are very basic, with no frills at all. There’s no GPS, there’s no club washer, there’s no cooler. There’s not even a windshield, in case of inclement weather. But they work just fine and will get you where you need to get to.

From the check-in desk, to getting drinks at the bar, the staff at Brown County was friendly. There was a beverage cart on the course, and we saw it twice throughout the round, which is a little low on a Saturday afternoon.

I wasn’t sure what the round would cost when I checked in at Brown County, and I am pleasantly surprised by the value for a course in such wonderful condition. I remembered the solid reputation it had from playing there over a decade before, and it still applied. I liked the touch of the signage asking players to help keep the course in the condition that has it ranked among the best public courses. Playing anywhere for under $70 on a weekend feels like a good deal, so Brown County definitely applies. I am pretty sure there’s a discount for residents, too, so take advantage of the local rate.

I would classify Brown County as a fair, but challenging course. The fairways aren’t overly tight in most places, though there are some places where both sides are framed by trees, making accuracy more important. The course doesn’t feel overly long, but it’s not really short from the whites. There’s a variety of hole shapes, ranging from a few straight ones, to some severe doglegs, both right and left. It makes having multiple shot shapes in your bag a real bonus. There are no monster par-3s, which is nice (though hole 17 is certainly intimidating). If you can keep it relatively straight off the tee, you’ll be in good shape. That brings me to the greens. They were wonderful, but they were quick. They will roll out on you on putts and chips, so if you’re not used to that, get there early to get used to them. They will reward good putts, but punish bad ones. Be below the hole whenever you can.

I enjoyed playing Brown County after not being there in over a decade. I wouldn’t say the course is overly creative in its design, but it is in very, very good shape. Trees and water can cause havoc, so there are some stressful shots and positions. Not remembering the course too well definitely had an impact in understanding how to play some of the holes. Punching out is likely something you’ll have to do, and that’s never the most enjoyable, but if you can limit that, you’ll have a chance to score. I thoroughly enjoyed the greens, even though their speed got the best of me in a few places. I left knowing that I wanted to play the course again.

Consider me a sucker for dramatic par-3s, and the 17th hole at Brown County is that thanks to elevation change and danger all around. Ranging from 126 yards at the forward tees to 188 yards from the tips, the hole isn’t daunting due to its length. The problem is that a good portion of that yardage is carry. There’s first long grass, followed by water all across the green. Two bunkers guard the right side of the green, too. It’s one of those holes that you know you can pull off, and feel good about it when you do. It’s also a beautiful hole to enjoy from its elevated tee.

After a relatively tame start to the course, hole #4 is a rude awakening. It’s a dogleg-left par-4 that is framed by large trees on both sides of the fairway, and a large drop-off to a stream all down the left side of the hole. Anything headed left will have to get very lucky to stop short of the water. On top of that, it’s one of the longer holes on the course, making laying up on the tee shot a less reasonable play. The green is rather large and pretty tame, but usually the damage will be done before you get to the green.

The shortest par-4 on the course is also the oddest one, in my opinion. With more experience playing the 13th hole, maybe I’d feel differently, but I am just not a fan of a par-4 that encourages you to hit a short iron off the tee. The length of the hole, along with trees and water make it the “smart” play. The rough on the 13th, both to the left of the fairway and around the green, is something different. It’s spongy and the ball sits down deep in it, making crisp shots a real challenge.

I made a point of getting back to Brown County Golf Course after not playing there in well over 10 years. It was a place I used to get to about once a year, so I was excited to get back. The course is beautiful, and the first thing you notice is the fast greens as you prepare for your tee time. You can see them dripping with speed as you drop your ball on the practice green. I had a little bit of everything in my round, including an almost that I have never achieved. I birdied holes 1 and 2, then just missed my birdie putt on #3. That would have put me at 3-under through three holes for the first time in my life. Of course, reality set back in and I had plenty of struggles over the next 15 holes.