Turtleback Golf Course | Rice Lake, WI | Par 71

Turtleback Golf Course feels like your prototypical Northwoods venue. There are plenty of large trees, lots of water and a lot of space to play around with. Within that setting, there’s a lot of variety, which makes it an enjoyable course to play and one that can be tackled by different strategies. The course isn’t overly long, as the tips stay below 6,700 for this par-71 layout. The course also tends to favor a fader of the golf ball, as half of the 14 non-par-3s have some degree of dogleg right, with some being rather extreme. The front nine has just one par-5, the second hole, but makes up for it with some shorter par-4s and two short par-3s that make birdie a more realistic outcome. Mounding off the fairways and around the greens is present throughout the course, and some more elevation change is introduced on the back. Overall, the back is more difficult, too, and it starts right away with #10. Tee shots get more demanding and managing distance gets more important. The three most difficult holes on the course, in my opinion, are on the back – #10, #16 and #18 – though the handicaps disagree. In all, Turtleback has five sets of tees, so there are options for players to help make the course playable and enjoyable.

Turtleback regularly has some of the best turf conditions I play, and that’s pretty impressive for a public course. Fairways are soft, yet still tight, allowing for a little extra confidence, especially on shorter shots around the greens. Visually, it’s tough to find a lot of issues with any of the grass, minus a few lighter areas under trees, but that’s to be expected. Turtleback has outstanding cart paths, helping take extra wear and tear off the turf. Areas around trees are nicely maintained, given you a much better chance to successfully get out of trouble if you happen to find it. The greens are typically in excellent condition, too, though they were slower than I expected in my latest round. The tee boxes were solid, without any glaring issues or funny business. Lastly, the bunkers at Turtleback were also top notch. I like a firmer sand in bunkers, and that’s what you’ll find here, along with good consistency throughout the course. All in all, you’ll struggle to find anything that stands out as being less than above average.

Turtleback has a full driving range away from the clubhouse and the practice green. The range uses a code system, so you have to purchase a code from the pro shop, then you can enter it right at the range. There are a couple different sections on the range, so there’s room to spread out. The short game area is right next to the first tee, and it can inflict some fear, as the greens is on a bit of a slant, making downhill or sidehill putts very difficult to manage. One thing that I have noticed through the years is that the practice green seems quicker than the greens on the course, so making quick adjustments once your round starts is a must.

The clubhouse got a major renovation between my last visit and this most recent one, adding new locker rooms with much-improved bathroom space. The pro shop was moved from just off the parking lot to have everything in one building, allowing for more retail space, though maybe a touch less convenient. The bar offers all the drinks you’d expect, along with plenty of quick food options, including hot dogs and sandwiches. The building itself isn’t flashy, but the changes that have been made definitely improves things.

The carts are basic, nothing special, but they run well. No GPS, no club washer. Basic.

The Turtleback staff was friendly the day I played, both in the clubhouse, the bar and on the course. They were also very responsive to an email I sent, which is always nice to see.

Value is getting tougher and tougher for me to rate highly when greens fees continue to rise. Turtleback is not immune to that, as peak rates are now $75 for 18 with a cart. This course is worth $75, and if it were in a more urban area like Madison or Milwaukee, it’d be a $100 course. But it’s a bit off the beaten trail, so I expect prices to be a little lower. Also, Turtleback has a weird schedule for their peak fee, including Wednesday and Thursday into what is typically a weekend rate. Again, I always enjoy Turtleback and thinks it’s a wonderful course to play, but a few things like no GPS on the cart leads a slight ding on the value rating.

As you’re playing Turtleback, you’ll feel like you’re being eased into your round. A short, downhill par-4 greets you, leading you into a front side without a lot of real danger. Fairways are pretty wide and the greens are manageable. The challenge ramps up once you make the turn. It’s still very playable, but tee shots get a little more demanding on the back. There are more chances to card a big number, and the final four-hole stretch can be pretty daunting. 18 is a great risk/reward par-5 that has water in play from tee to green.

Turtleback has several things going for it when I think of a fun golf course. First off, it’s always in excellent condition. Second, it’s very playable, especially off the tee. You’re not going to get too beat up if you are a little crooked with the driver. There’s a good mixture of distances on both the par-3s and the par-4s, including the drivable par-4 9th hole. A good tee shot there can be the boost you need to make the turn and play the more difficult second nine. It’s going to be a little more demanding, but there’s still plenty of opportunities to score, including on the two par-5s.

Turtleback is a strange course, in that I really like it and I’ve played it several times, but I don’t have any holes that really standout as a favorite. I like all the par-3s on the course, especially #13. 13 is a downhill par-3 that usually play as a low iron to a wedge for me, so the distance isn’t demanding. And the hole is all there in front of you. You just have to make sure you’re on the right half of the green, and not in one of the greenside bunkers. If you can manage that, making par shouldn’t be too bad. Either way, just enjoy the view from the elevated tee and play closer to the yardage then you think.

A tough decision for toughest hole, but I know it will be on the back. It really comes down to which shot you put the emphasis on. If it’s the tee shot, then I have to go with the par-4 16th. It’s visually daunting from the teeing area, even though the dogleg left generally fits my eye pretty well. It’s not an overly long hole (it measures under 400 yards from all tees), but with trees on both sides, it puts a lot of pressure on keeping it in play. If you manage to find the short grass, the work isn’t over, as this is the most difficult green on the course. If you find yourself on the wrong side of the green, you could be begging for a three-putt. I have seen some hole locations that are nearly impossible to contend with unless you are directly below the hole. Just a tough all-around hole. Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the par-5 18th, a hole that I can admit owns my soul. I’d be curious to know how others feel about this hole, but it’s one that requires smart, precise shots that get tougher the closer you get to the hole.

This is simply a personal preference, but I just don’t like the par-4 7th. It’s a hole you can play conservatively and handle without too much issue, but once you start trying to get aggressive, the sightlines and angles of the hole mess with my head.

An absolutely gorgeous day made my latest visit to Turtleback that much better. It is one of my favorite courses in the state, and the course was in wonderful condition, as usual. The greens, however, weren’t quite up to snuff. They were definitely a little on the slow side, which would be fine on its own, but they were also pretty bumpy. A number of times my group noticed putts bouncing along, or being re-routed as they rolled. It happens, and it doesn’t change my overall opinion or my willingness to go back, but it was a little disappointing. I played pretty well after an inauspicious start, especially on the back, which I think is the tougher of the two sides. It would have been nice if I could have gotten any of the really good putts I hit had dropped.