The Legend at Bergamont | Oregon, WI | Par 72

Riding: Mon-Thurs – 9 holes: $45; 18 holes: $59 | Fri-Sun – 9 holes: $45; 18 holes: $69

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Riding: Mon-Thurs – 9 holes: $45; 18 holes: $64 | Fri-Sun – 9 holes: $45; 18 holes: $72

A feature I know many amateur golfers appreciate is a layout that eases you into your round. There’s nothing worse than a difficult hole or tee shot on the first that immediately puts your score behind the eight ball. Not the case here. A shortish par-4 with a wide target area off the tee allows you to start on a positive note. After that, an excellent assortment of uphill and downhill holes with varying degrees of difficulty, some short par-4s, risk/reward par-5s and very intimidating par-3s follow. Many of the holes are fescue-lined, but the course shouldn’t be confused as tight. Wind will be a prominent feature in your round, as the course is at one of the highest points in Dane County and offers little in the way of protection. If you are there on a day when the wind is down, enjoy it. If it’s up, hold on tight. The big American flag in the parking lot can be seen from a ways away and will let you know what you’re in for. Wind or no wind, there are several places along your round where the best way to play a hole might not be the most obvious, visually. One last comment – a set of tees between Blue and White, or at least some sort of combo setup, would make a lot of sense.

Quite simply, these greens are consistently the best greens you’ll find on a course that offers public access in the Madison area. They’re large and receptive, but they roll quick, and have some subtle deceptiveness to them. Many greens feature ridges that you don’t want to be on the wrong side of. The bunkers were re-done a few years ago, and they are in excellent shape. From tee to green, the turf is outstanding and visually pristine. Again, you definitely feel like you’re on a private course.

I enjoy how the main practice area is pulled away from the clubhouse, though it makes for some issues if you’re arriving at a different time than your cart mate. There’s a nice range with an abundance of targets, plenty of golf balls (included with your greens fee) and quality turf to hit from. There’s a chipping area with an elevated green and two bunkers that allow you to practice some of the difficult short game shots you’ll face on the course. The main putting green by the range is small, but a good representation of what the greens on the course will be. There is also a nice, big putting area between the 10^th tee and the 18^th green.

One of the best clubhouses in the area, with arguably the best views in Dane County. You just feel special walking in and around the grandiose building, which has a beautiful restaurant and bar on the parking lot level. The locker rooms continue the private club vibe and will prepare you for what you’ll see once you hit the course.

The Legend at Bergamont’s carts are, well, legendary. Great seats, fresh and clean and well taken care of. All the carts are equipped with touch screen GPS systems that have always seemed to be very dialed in to the actual pin locations. Each cart has a club cleaner, a small cooler for beverages and a pair of USB ports you can use to charge your phone or speaker.

The staff at the Legend at Bergamont continues the private golf club theme. You can check in at the club’s front entrance, or go around to the more-direct pro shop entrance. There, someone will help setup your bag on a cart and get you ready to roll. There’s a concession window right next to the pro shop entrance that is convenient when making the turn, along with beverage carts on the course.

Bergamont is going to run you almost $100 in peak times, lower on the weekdays thanks to their dynamic pricing. However, the value increases if you can get a foursome together, as you can book four golfers for the price of three. When you consider that and the excellent conditions of the course, especially the greens, it’s a good value. Also, range balls are included.

Depending on the time of year you play, Bergamont is a pretty forgiving course, tee to green. If the fescue is up, that makes things more challenging, but the fairways are still very generous. I will typically play the blue tees, and never feel overwhelmed by the length of the course on a normal day. However, wind will have a major impact on how difficult the course plays, as it can howl, and there are some places where you simply have to change your strategy when playing into it. The course is in excellent condition, across the board, so that helps reward good shots and not overly penalize ones that are off line. The par-3s and the finishing stretch rachet up the level of difficulty. Water is in play on three of the four par-3s, most notably on #7 and #17.

Bergamont is one of the most fun courses I play on a regular basis. It provides a player the chance to score well, and the conditions are always excellent. There are reachable par-5s, and some driveable par-4s, especially if you have a typical Bergamont breeze at your back. The course bows up on the back and offers a very challenging finish, but if you manage to hit quality shots, you’ll leave feeling great. Of course, if the wind is blowing, all bets are off.

A lot of good ones to choose from here, but I will go with hole #9, a risk/reward par-5, whose second shot can’t help but creep into your mind as you finish up the front nine. The first thing you have to figure out is if you can get to the water off the tee. If not, it’s like hitting into a driving range – wide open. Just make a smooth swing and see where you end up. If you managed to get close enough to the water, the real decisions begin. Go for it, or lay up? A play at the green requires a shot over 200 yards that is about a 95% carry over water. It’s not easy, but who doesn’t want to head to the turn with a chance at eagle? Problem is, the lay-up is no gimme either. If you do decide to lay up, do so conservatively so as to not accidentally dump one in the drink. The nice thing is that by the time you get to this shot, you should have a pretty good idea what you’re swinging like that day and which shot makes the most sense.

Hole #3 has always provided a challenge for me. I’ve been playing at the Bergamont since it opened in 2006, and there’s something about the visuals of the tee shot that encourages you to over swing and get yourself into trouble. If you do manage to hit a good one off the tee, the second shot is no picnic, as it’s extremely uphill and often blind to a bunker-protected green. Give me a bogey every time and move on to the next!

There’s not really a lot to dislike about the Bergamont, so the “Worst Hole” moniker has to be taken with a grain of salt. It’s simply the hole I like the least in this case. While the difficult water par-3s might seem like more obvious choices, those are holes I look forward to, hoping I am up to the challenge. Hole #12, however, is one I don’t look forward to. It’s another short par-4 – you really don’t need to hit driver there – that visually messes with you off the tee. A poor or exceedingly conservative tee shot can lead to a tough approach to a difficult green. What looks like it should be an easy one on the card is anything but.

I’ve been blessed to play the Bergamont under nearly ideal conditions most of the time I get there. I feel like I get some of the calmest days. This time, I got a lot more wind, and it definitely makes things more difficult. It was still beautiful early fall weather, but a two- to three-club wind made everything a bit more challenging. I felt like I was hitting the ball well enough, but the putter just wasn’t cooperating, so the score suffered. Even though I was told the greens were a little slower than normal, they rolled so wonderfully. They are some of the best greens around. I just couldn’t adjust to their speed.