Dubuque Golf & Country Club

I played in the "Little Poison" Dubuque Amateur, held at Dubuque Golf & Country Club. I asked why they called it "Little Poison" and they explained that, although the course looks easy and short on the card, you better have a strong short game and great putting to play well, and hence the nickname, little poison.

I definitely found that to be true over my 36 holes at Dubuque Golf & Country Club. The fairways are tree lined, heavily sloped and generally pretty narrow. Even small misses can be punished, though you can almost always find your ball and have a chance to recover.

The greens at Dubuque Golf & Country Club are some of the fastest I've played. They are smaller, older greens, and generally slope in one direction, but it's important to understand the direction of the slope and try to be below the hole. I found the greens to be fairly forgiving if you're below the hole, but tremendously difficult from above the hole.

I do think the greens could be better by being a little slower. These greens were obviously designed for slower speeds than they currently roll, and this leads to a lot of defensive putting, which is less fun for me at least.

The layout is very hilly, but given that the course is short, it's not a difficult walk. I know if this were my regular course I would walk all of my rounds.

Overall I really enjoyed my 36 holes at Dubuque Golf & CC. I felt every hole was unique and challenging in its own way. The conditioning is very good and the course definitely holds its own despite its short length.

My favorite hole is the par 4 second. At only 269 yards, it should be easy, but it's definitely a traditional risk/reward par 4. Hit a good tee shot and you'll have a chance at birdie. Miss, even by a little, and you'll be struggling for par.