Prairie Pines Golf Club | Sun Prairie, WI | Par 71

Prairie Pines has revamped the Sun Prairie Country Club, making its biggest mark on several new green complexes. There are a handful of these large, severely sloped greens on the front nine that make accuracy with your approach shot that much more important. Outside of the greens, there is a good amount of elevation change throughout the course. It starts with the first hole – a medium par-4 that is basically a blind tee shot. Those blind tee shots pop up in a few more places, so understanding your lines is a key component. While the course isn’t overly tight, failure to stay online bring some of the many large trees into play. The elevation change, along with several doglegs (both right and left) challenges the player to keep the ball in the fairway. You can tell that a lot of trees have been taken out, meaning you might still have a window to play towards the green after a crooked tee shot. While there are several blind tee shots on par-4s and par-5s, downhill par-3s is a theme throughout the course, including a pair that play up and over 200 yards. There isn’t a lot of trouble outside of the trees, however the finishing holes of both sides bring water features into play.

I have to break the course into two sections when discussing condition. It is obvious that a lot of effort and money has gone into developing several new greens, and they are wonderful. They remind me of Sand Valley with all their ridges and slopes. The areas around the greens are also very nice, with a mixture of rough and mown areas that allow a player some options when tackling some of the more challenging greens. Outside of the greens, there is a still a lot of work to be done, and much of it is being worked on now. Areas with severe wear, large gouges and little to no grass aren’t hard to find. Aesthetically, that takes away from the course, and can often leave you with a very poor lie. The fairways were fine, certainly not great, but if you can stay in them, you’ll have a better experience. Another feature that I think negatively impacts the course condition is the lack of signage and documentation of the course. There is very little way of knowing the layout of a hole, the preferred lines and distances, and where trouble might be since the hole signs are minimal at best. On top of that, there aren’t any pictures on the scorecard. If you’re unfamiliar with this course, there are enough blind shots that make not having this information a problem. One thing I did like were a few plaques in the teeing area that said how far away the water feature on that hole was. More information like that would be helpful.

There is a nice little chipping/putting green just outside the clubhouse. On my visit, this green was quite a bit quicker than what I found on the course. I have heard there are plans to build a larger short-game area that mimics some of the newer green structures on the front nine, and that would be an excellent addition. If you have played Golf Glen in Madison, a big, undulated chipping and putting area adds a lot. There is a range up the hill towards the road, and I really question the layout of it. As someone that can hit a high, dramatic hook, I fear for the people driving on Happy Valley Rd. Those nets are nowhere near high enough. The range also borders the 9th hole, so you’re definitely in range from people hitting from up there, and it might lead to difficulty finding your golf ball. It’s nice that there is a range, but this one needs some improvement. Update June 2025 – Prairie Pines has moved their range from right off the road. A smart decision, for sure, as this felt like an accident waiting to happen. Their new location isn’t great – it comes into play on multiple holes on the course – but at least it shouldn’t cause a multi-car pile-up.

A brand-new clubhouse was completed mid-summer 2026. Within that is a new pro shop, separated from the dining area/bar. I will look to provide further updates on my next visit.

I understand that the carts are pretty new, but man, they are a jerky ride. Both carts in my group had the same impending-whiplash characteristics, which makes the ride a little less enjoyable. There’s also no club washer, cooler or GPS, which would be very helpful with how visual documentation of the course is basically non-existent.

The staff was a big bright spot at Prairie Pines. I received three smiling welcomes upon entering the clubhouse. The young man running the desk was very helpful, as we had a schedule issue on a Sunday (normally certain doom these days). He made sure we got out and I appreciated his help. The beverage cart was also on its A-game. Despite the tee sheet being full, we saw the bev cart every three or four holes, which is just about perfect. Finally, while I had no interaction with him, head pro Jeff Ellingson’s reputation proceeds itself, so it seems like Prairie Pines is in very good hands.

I have to keep reminding myself what the norm is for a weekend round of golf in the Madison area, and that everyone is raising prices. That said, Prairie Pines was in line with what I’d expect to play in the area on the weekend – $63 for 18 with a cart. If you can get out for less than $60 anymore, it’s a steal. It’s obvious that a lot of money has been put into the property, so I can appreciate them trying to recoup some of that while improving the product they offer.

Prairie Pines doesn’t put major demands on any part of your game. It’s not overly long or tight, though keeping it in the fairway is helpful. The most challenging part of the course are those new greens. Being on the wrong side of a ridge or misjudging the speed/line can be an automatic three-putt. Also, some of the blin tee shots make it tougher to know exactly where you want to go, though that really only applies if you haven’t played the course much. The course is fun and allows you to move around pretty easily. If you’re really offline on a consistent basis, you will spend time punching out, in which case scoring becomes very difficult.

Prairie Pines is a fun track, one that I enjoyed. Fairways are generally wide and greens are mostly large. There is a good amount of variety throughout the course and some enjoyable views. While the course overall isn’t especially long – there are a couple of par-5s that can be had in two – there are also a few holes that play plenty long, so you can put your game to the test without feel like you’re getting beaten up.

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Hole #17 jumped out as the most difficult hole on the course, though hole #2 is no cake walk. It’s easily the longest par-4 on the course, and the water that splits the hole in half can make it really tough. If you lay back, you’re looking at 200+ yards into an elevated green. If you try to cover the creek and miss small strip of fairway, you’re likely dropping with a long, uphill shot still to come.

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Prairie Pines continues to rise on my list of local courses to play. It’s got a lot going for it, and they are clearly putting money into. This was my first visit since the new clubhouse was completed. There’s still a pretty big mess to clean up in the parking lot and around the clubhouse, but you can see the positives. Hole #9 continues its makeover, too, but it will take some time before it’s truly done. If you haven’t played Prairie Pines, you are definitely in for a treat with some of the amazing green complexes. I had a beautiful day on this visit, and I finished strong, parring the last three, including an impressive two-putt par on #17. This is a course I can see myself playing several times a season.