Evansville Golf Club | Evansville, WI | Par 72

Evansville Golf Club has the feeling of an old Wisconsin club, and you notice it right away. A big bending par-4 that is framed by large trees on both sides that leaves a lot of doubt about the club to hit and the line to take. This will be one of the themes of your round as you try to plot your way around the course. Greens aren’t quite as small as I’d expect on this style of course, but they’re far from big. They also feature subtle break more than undulation or big ridges. I know in past rounds, the greens were tricky and sneaky quick. I played half of my most-recent round in a spitting rain, so that slowed them down a bit. Many of the par-4s and par-5s will force you to contend with trees, and many have a lot of bend to them. We’re talking near 90-degree angles of dogleg on multiple holes. That makes it tough to figure out how to attack, because a good shot on a poor line will leave you punching out to get back in play. The back nine offers a little more int he way of elevation change, and a few holes that are more open, but there are trees everywhere. They are the primary defense, as there isn’t much in the way of penalty boundaries or water. Typical of an older course, there aren’t many tee options, even with the course only maxing out around 6,500 yards. There could certainly be another set of tees, because distance isn’t the biggest concern. Evansville uses a traditional setup, with two par-5s and two par-3s on each side, leading to a par of 72. One of the oddest things you’ll see on a course layout is on hole #2. The entrance to the course is down the left side, then about halfway down the hole, the road cuts right through the fairway and towards the clubhouse. It’s concerning for both players and drivers and something I am sure they’d love to remove.

Evansville is a bit of a hidden gem in the Madison area, mostly because it’s always in excellent condition and the cost to play a course that’s in such nice condition. I’ll start with the greens, which I found to be very consistent. They were quick, but certainly not too quick, but I was playing in a light mist, which had some effect. Around the greens, there’s an intermediate cut outside of the fringe that was very nice, allowing the ball to sit up on a sort of sponge. Outside of that, the true rough began, and there were some areas of patchiness that could cause some difficulties. In general, though, the rough was fair and consistent, especially when you consider the number of trees throughout. There were a few spots where the grass was very worn, but that’s something to expect with so many areas of shade. I found the fairways to be in great shape, and don’t recall a poor lie.

There is a practice green, but you have to walk past the first tee to get to it, and it is one of the most extreme practice greens I can recall, with the small, narrow green on such a pitch that it’s nearly impossible to keep any shots that aren’t into the slope on the green. It’s also not far off the #9 fairway, so keep your ears open while chipping, because a shot doesn’t have to be that far off-line to put you in danger. There is a range, but it’s a little ways away from the clubhouse.

.The clubhouse has definitely been around a while. The pro shop is the closest part of the lower level of the building, and it’s pretty tiny with your basic offerings. From there, you can access the locker rooms, which are also pretty dated. The bar/grill offers a good variety of snacks, including excellent hot dogs. There is an upstairs that I believe is used for events or receptions that I have yet to see, so there’s potential for a little more than meets the eye. There’s also a deck portion on the top level that would be a nice place to relax after a round.

Your basic, run-of-the-mill golf carts. The one I got in my last round was in good shape and ran pretty well, but in my previous visits, I have seen the lower side of the spectrum. Carts in disrepair and carts that shut down (multiple times). I didn’t see anything like that in 2024, so I am hoping those bad carts got retired. There’s no GPS, no club cleaner, no cooler. Just literally some wheels to move you around the course.

My first impression of the staff was that they were friendly. However, they left a little to be desired in the professional sense. Some of the communication was definitely lacking, as there was a good amount of confusion about my tee time and the twosome that was being paired up with me. In the bar/grill area, again I saw smiles, but it took a long time to get someone to help me. They were busy, but an acknowledgement of me or anything would have been appreciated.

Evansville offers excellent value, especially int he Madison area. The course is usually less crowded, and you’re always going to get your round on a course in very nice shape. The value really ramps up on non-peak days, and they offer coupons in the Bucky Book. The course feels like a step back in time a bit, and that applies to the price, too, which is a nice change from the surging prices I am seeing all over.

Evansville isn’t a particularly long course, but that doesn’t make it easy. Shot-making and control will be at a premium, because getting out of position can be a real problem. You won’t be able to bomb driver all day, so that takes away what might seem like a short course when you look at the scorecard. There’s not a lot of water, but there is some. Trees – very LARGE trees – are going to be your biggest obstacle. Greens range from tame to diabolical, but the speed usually runs pretty quickly, so your touch will be challenged. Posting a good score is tough at Evansville, especially if you don’t know the course very well.

I enjoy Evansville because of all the positive things I have written, most notably condition and value. But this is a tough course and not what I would consider a “fun” course. This is much more strategic, target golf that puts an emphasis on precision. If you haven’t played it, you definitely should. I just know that when I come here, my handicap is probably going up.

The par-4 14th hole is kind of my prototypical favorite golf hole. It’s a blind tee shot leaves a little indecision on the line you should take, but basically it’s a dogleg left, downhill hole. My most reliable shot is a right-to-left shot with my driver, and I know I can aim at the right bunker and swing away. It’s one of the few holes on the course where you can really bomb it without too much worry. The second half of the hole is downhill, so if you hit a good one, you’ll catch the slope and have a wedge in. It’s a comforting hole on a course full of uncomfortable shots.

Some very good options to choose from. My first thought was the par-18th, but I settled on the par-4 3rd. First off, it’s a long hole, measuring over 410 from all tees, and the first half of the hole is uphill. With that kind of distance, laying back to promote accuracy doesn’t work for most golfers. The fairway has trees on each side, and the fairway pinches in around 200-250 yards. That pinch could leave a tee shot in the fairway with a severely uneven lie, and with likely a mid- to long-iron in, that’s a tough ask. The approach shot is much more level and the green is open in front. There is some slight mounding around the green, but once you’re to the green, the hardest work is over.

The par-5 6th hole is a difficult hole, first off. OB on the left, water on the right. It’s a triple bogey waiting to happen. I am fine with that. I think it’s the worst hole simply because of the layout, though I wouldn’t mind a little more forgiveness off the tee. With OB all down the left side, players will have a tendency to miss to the right. The problem is that there’s another tee box in range down the right. You can miss over there, but it’s really just a safety issue. There are some trees around for some protection, but I am curious to know if anyone has been hit on that tee box by a wayward shot from the #6 tee. Once you get past that, it’s still a tough hole that will really challenge you.

I went into my latest visit to Evansville GC playing some of the best golf of my life. I also know that I have often struggled to score there. So, I was curious to see what would happen. Turns out, it was a little bit of both, but mostly because of my putter. I got fooled by the speed of a couple long putts early on and never could really calibrate. That resulted in some three-putts and eventually some short misses. I hit the ball fairly well on the back nine, but it’s tough when putts don’t go in. I did manage to end the round with a bang on 18. After a perfect drive, I stuck a 9 iron to two feet to end my day with a birdie.