Kestrel Ridge Golf Course | Columbus, WI | Par 70

Definitely a unique layout at Kestrel Ridge. The most obvious feature, which you might notice if you approach the course from the south, is that you have to cross the road to play some of the holes. For the most part, Kestrel Ridge is a wide open, relatively flat course. There are some exceptions, and most of them are on the holes on the other side of the highway. Teeing areas are fairly forgiving, though there are large farm fields prevalent and quite a few houses to navigate through, so you can’t go too far offline. The course is pretty short, even from the back tees, though you might not know it as you step to the first tee and find a 450-yard par-4 waiting. Don’t worry, that’s about it for long par-4s (or par-3s, for that matter). The par-5s – there are only two, and both are on the front of the 36-34 layout – are long, but very manageable. There are a couple of very short par-4s, including the 18th, which is certainly a hole you can go after, as it’s much more wide open than the par-4 13th. Both are well under 300 yards, but should require different strategies. There are a few quirky routing issues throughout the round, and the signage leaves a little be desired if you’re not familiar with the track.

Kestrel Ridge is still a little rough around the edges. It was one of the bumpiest rides in a golf cart that I can remember, as you can tell they’ve done a lot of work recently. The fairways were average, though inconsistent. Same with the rough. There weren’t too many spots that I saw where the rough was especially penal, but that goes along with the theme of the course to maximize playability. The tee boxes were alright, but nothing irks me more than an unlevel teeing area. Like the fairways, they were a little shaggy, but it’s still early in the season and that could improve. The greens looked nice, rolled well, but were just on the slow side. Any putt or chip that was even remotely uphill took quite a bit to get the ball to the hole. That took me a little too long to pick up on. I managed to avoid most of them, but the bunkers looked a little rough, too. Lots of areas with weeds growing in and around the edges. Just a little thing that draws away from the eye appeal. There were a few very pretty holes, including some that were framed by a large pond.

The practice area at Kestrel Ridge is solid. There’s a good-sized chipping and putting green, along with a small greenside bunker. After playing, I can say the practice green was a perfect match in terms of speed to the ones on the course. I didn’t use the range, but it looked nice. There was an old car set up as a target, which I am sure provides hours of fun for range-goers.

The main building at Kestrel has very nice eye appeal, and you can tell that marketing their event space is big. Once inside – the pro shop is in the basement – there’s a bright area that has all the stuff you would need. It looks like there was a bar/grill area, but I didn’t get anything this time. It was a little confusing when I put my clubs down in front of the building, went down to the pro shop to check in and pay, then had to go back to the front and take my clubs around. Learn from my mistake and take your bag all the way around and enter the pro shop from the other side.

My cart at Kestrel Ridge was quite nice. Seems like it wasn’t that old and was in good condition. The seats were well-maintained and comfortable. I had zero issues with how it ran throughout the round. It was missing GPS, which is totally understandable, but also didn’t have a cooler which I always think is a no-brainer.

I didn’t have too many interactions with the staff, but the ones I did, I found the staff to be very friendly. I had a few questions for the man working outside by the carts, and he was quick to get me answers. Kestrel Ridge is owned by the same company that owns the Oaks in Cottage Grove, where I frequent regularly, and I ran into an employee that I often see at the Oaks. He brought the same friendliness and professionalism to Kestrel Ridge as I’ve come to expect at the Oaks. There wasn’t a beverage cart out today, and I’m not sure how normal that is.

The best feature of Kestrel Ridge is the price, especially for cart rentals. With most courses in the Madison area pushing near $75 for a round of 18 with a cart, I paid less than $40 to play on a Friday afternoon. You can’t beat that nowadays. So, while I may have noticed some of the areas the course could improve, I understand that with a price like that, I have to be more understanding. I thought I got excellent value for my money.

For the most part, Kestrel Ridge is a pretty straightforward golf course. There aren’t too many tricks or demanding shots. The course is very playable, which is great. The course is also pretty short, too, so if you’re a long hitter, there may be times when driver isn’t an option. None of this means that you can’t have a great time playing there. One thing that can ramp up the challenge is the wind. There’s not a lot of protection on the generally flat property, so a big wind could make things tougher.

There were enough unique aspects to Kestrel Ridge that I found it to be a fun course to play. There were a few spots where I might do things differently now that I know what’s going on with a hole. I enjoyed the openness of the layout and the fact that I wasn’t facing a bunch of really difficult shots. I really like that the last hole is a drivable par-4. Every course should have one. I do wish there was at least one more par-5, but that’s a minor complaint.

A tough decision, but I think my favorite hole was the one that was most out of character from the rest of the course. Hole #11 was a severe dogleg right that had easily the most elevation change of any hole, climbing up the hill as it turned. The hole is pretty forgiving off the tee, but you’re likely going to have a somewhat blind approach shot. While it wasn’t showing off when I played, my memory says that the field to the left of the hole has a lot of flowers, making it a very pretty hole.

Going strictly by length, hole #1 is a tough way to start the day. Playing around 450 yards, it is easily the longest par-4 on the course. And while it’s not super tight, there is trouble all the way down on each side, so I suggest you go with the long and straight option for your first shot of the day.

I have written a few times how I like short par-4s, but I was not a fan of hole #13, especially since I didn’t know what the best play was. Even if you decide to play the hole cautiously – and you probably should because the entire right side is a penalty area you will not find your ball in – you can still get yourself in trouble with an iron off the tee. I thought this hole was a little too cute for its own good. If you’re going to have a par-4 come in around 250 yards, make going for the green a more attractive option.

A change of pace for my normal golf foursome, as we hadn’t played Kestrel together before. The course was about what I remembered, and despite it being rather windy that day, I played very well. I hit a lot of fairways and a lot of greens. I could never make a putt of any length, failing to make a birdie all day. I will say that I thought the course was in worse shape than the last time I played, namely the bunkers. Many of them were looked to be totally neglected. It’s still a fun course at a very good price, but I hold they either fix the bunkers or just fill them in.