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4.4
91 Reviews (91)
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4
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1
Conditions
3.9
Value
4.2
Layout
4.5
Friendliness
4.3
Pace
4.0
Amenities
4.0
90.1%
Recommend this course
82 out of 91 reviews
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About

Holes 18
Type Public
Style Woodland
Par 72
Length 6586 yards
Slope 132
Rating 71.9

There are two 18-hole courses available at Lawsonia Golf Course in Green Lake, the Woodlands and the Links. As their names would suggest, the courses have a completely different character from the other. Unlike the wide-open, nearly treeless Links, the Woodlands is enclosed by forests of mature hardwoods. The stands of oak, maple, pine, elm, and walnut trees carry not only the course's beauty but they also provide a home to an abundance of wildlife including whitetail deer, hawks, eagles, and wild turkeys. The fairways are densely lined with trees and are made even tighter thanks to the help of 80 strategically placed traps. The layout is considered a modern target golf course with dramatic elevation changes and large, fast greens that are heavily guarded. The second hole is memorable for the historic landmark that serves as its centerpiece. This par 4 plays around a 90-year-old quarry donned with the historic Judson Tower.

Course Details

Year Built 1983
Fairways Bent Grass
Greens Blue Grass
Golf Season Open: 4/01 Closed: 11/01
Architect Rocky Roquemore

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - included in green fees
Clubs Yes
GPS Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School Academy Yes
Golf Simulator Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Indoor Practice Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Discover Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed No
Dress code Appropriate Golf Attire is required at all times, no cut off shorts, tank tops or gym shorts. Collared shirts are required.

Food & Beverage

Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Conference Facilities, Banquet Facilities

Reviews

4.4
91 Reviews (91)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 8
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 20
Elevation Changes 17
Undulating Greens 10
This course/club is great for:
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 22
A Weekend Splurge 18
Advanced Golfers 16
This Course's Location is:
Worth the Drive 24

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Golf Advisor
Perfect weather
Used cart

The underappreciated play at Lawsonia

Coming into my round, I had low expectations of the Woodlands, a course I knew nothing about. The strength of the main course (the Links) makes the Woodlands almost an afterthought, but that shouldn't be the case. It's a nice track, one that's thoroughly enjoyable to play. The only knock was the bunkers were in poor shape.
There are no bad holes, and quite a few good ones, especially all the downhill par 3s. Many of the holes are tree-lined, although they're not narrow enough to feel claustrophobic. There aren't many 36-hole facilities in the Midwest with a contrast as good as Lawsonia.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 448
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Illinois Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

A very nice morning on Woodlands

Woodlands was in very good shape and cleaned up/renovated a bit from my last play at least 3 years ago now. Has some really nice challenges.....many approach shots require at least a club or two extra....numerous uphill approach shots. With the famous Links course next door many don't even bother to get a round in on Woodlands. They are really missing out.....Woodlands is so different it makes for a great 36 hole day - recommend playing here in the morning/have lunch/a couple Spotted Cows on draft in the clubhouse....then go tackle the Links. Woodlands is a really solid tree lined golf course overshadowed by Links old school perfection. The 2nd quarry hole - what would be the right part of a larger second green still is growing in...they really should consider posting a sign on the tee box informing that you should play as far as you dare down the right side of the fairway left of the quarry as any ball that's left off the tee or short in the fairway will be blocked by a large tree left....you have to hit under it...so large and obtrusive of a tree near the left side of the green - any short iron shot will go right into its canopy and likely kick into penalty shot trouble. Par 5 18th still has the original green in play which is a ridiculous two tier with way too much slope to it - 3 and 4 putts galore. When they open the new 18th green appears the finishing hole will be shortened considerably eliminating the hard right uphill dogleg 3rd shot to the green. I'll probably be really disappointed. What they should do and strongly recommend is open the new green up and then renovate and redesign the current 18th green site and put a fair slope on it. The slope of 17th green is pretty out of hand as well. 4 stars. Recommend play wholeheartedly - definitely make the time to play Woodlands when you visit Lawsonia.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 126
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Iowa Advisor
Top 100 Contributor
Previously Played

Much Improved

I last reviewed The Woodlands Course at Lawsonia in 2019. Since that time, the course has undergone significant changes, which includes filling in bunkers, removing trees, and cleaning out underbrush. Soon there will be a new 18th green too!

The updated Woodlands is so much better now, and I highly recommend it! The layout is much more playable, while still presenting a challenge and a beautiful setting with views of Green Lake. It will only get better when the new 18th green opens up.

The Woodlands course is never going to be the superstar at Lawsonia. It's sister-course, The Links, is one of the best courses you'll find anywhere. But, with the updates, The Woodlands is now a great Robin to The Links Batman, and is definitely a must-play in Wisconsin!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 57
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Top 1000 Contributor
First Time Playing

Not worth the Hype

Not worth the price they charge, Definitely not even close to number 4 Wisconsin rated golf courses. Construction going on on almost all the Woodlands course greens bunkers rock hard, don’t buy into the hype here. Very average at best

Conditions Fair
Value Poor
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser

Not bad

Fairly tight course, but playable. Links course is maintained better.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart

Worth the trip but make a day of it

I was a 45 minute drive away and had a morning to kill so booked a single round on the Woodlands course. Great feel to the venue, very welcoming and helpful staff and somewhere i would return. I kept getting glimpses of the Links course as i made my way around the Woodlands. It was a windy day so i was grateful for the tree shelter but the Links course looked great and gives me reason to come back for a 36-hole, day-long, two-course outing. The Woodlands course was in good shape (yes a couple of the bunkers need a bit more sand) and makes you think your way around with some interesting risk-reward holes.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
2.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Rough shape

You pay the same for the links and woodlands. So you would think the courses would be in similar shape. But they aren't. The woodlands is in rough shape. Tee boxes are beaten up. They are removing some bunkers, but the existing bunkers had big rocks in them and were unraked prior to my 9am round. On a couple of the greens I had to pull up some smaller rocks that were ingrained in the green. Obviously, golf the links if you have the choice. Woodlands should be at least half off.

Conditions Fair
Value Poor
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 20
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0

Undergoing a Lot of Changes

The Woodlands course definitely plays second fiddle to the Links course at Lawsonia. With that being said it is not a bad course by any means. The course has a few very dramatic and demanding holes along with several that are very awkward and not in the best way. The course is also in the process of grassing in just about every fairway bunker on the course because they have been difficult to maintain over the years. I believe this will help the course overall as it still contains enough intrigue with sharp doglegs to maintain interest throughout the round. I always tell people that it would probably have a better reputation if it didn't have the Links course right next door, but alas it does and often gets overlooked. I do think it's a bit overpriced if you play a stand alone round, but you can find rates to make the cost more manageable through GolfNow. It's worth the play if you live in the area, but if you are traveling from somewhere else, I would advise sticking to the Links course.

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played

Disappointed

I’d like to start off by saying I believe this is a top 5 36 hole facility in Wisconsin. I was very disappointed with my last round here. As a nice quality course, I believe it’s your responsibility to make sure people are abiding by pace of play. We were stuck behind a group of drunk people who were absolutely pitiful( I can guarantee you no one in the group shot under a 110) not only were they screaming every swear you could think of on every (yea, not just 1.. this was an every hole thing and I mean screaming) hole they also left clubs behind more than 4 times and would not let us play through. It honestly wrecked one of my more enjoyable rounds typically. Also, I’m not sure what’s going on with the bunkers but they were in awful shape. More mud than bunker and it seemed like they’re getting rid of a lot of them? Overall a great facility but that was unacceptable imo and if I experience it again I will not be going back. There are plenty of other courses that are high quality and low on shenanigans.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played

Good Day, but...

Woodlands course was undergoing renavations of all bunkers. No sand. Should have reduced Green Fees.

Aside from that course was in great shape and staff extremely friendly!

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 8
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Amazing experience.

The Woodlands is an awesome course and is in excellent condition. The staff is very nice. I can’t wait to go back again.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Some good features

It’s been 15 years since I last played. And 15 years ago, the course was unbelievable and I had always wanted to come back. Today, I was impressed with some holes on the woodlands but some tee boxes were rough, and the sand traps, thankfully I didn’t see many, were poorly maintained. For what I am paying, I’d expect more. I was not impressed with the driving range at all. The clubhouse was fully stocked and the staff was incredibly helpful and very kind.

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 126
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Iowa Advisor
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

Tough but Fair

The Woodlands at Lawsonia is the lesser known sister course to Lawsonia Links. While it plays 2nd fiddle to the classic Lawsonia Links, the Woodlands is a worthy addition to the Lawsonia property. The Woodlands is a traditional Midwest parkland style course with some tight corridors, and a few water hazards and many bunkers sprinkled throughout. Overall our group found the Woodlands to be a tough, but fair test of golf.

The Good:
The Woodlands has some of the best views you'll find at Lawsonia. There are a handful of great views of Green Lake, especially hole #5 (pictured). In contrast to the Links course, the treen lined fairways remind you that you are, indeed, in the United States.

The Average:
It's not fair, but when compared to the Links course, the layout of the Woodlands course is just average. It feels very much like a course you will find at any number of lakeside resorts in the Midwest.

The Not So Good:
The conditions are really good, but not immaculate, and numerous bunkers need sand to improve overall consistency of play. I've spoken with others who have played the Woodlands and they had the same complaint about the bunkers, so it seems to be a persistent problem.

My favorite hole is #2 (pictured). The fairway splits off the tee. The further right you can get on the split fairway, the better look you have at the green. Plus it has the bell tower in the distance, which has wonderful music every hour.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 21
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Nice course sand traps need help

The golf course was in decent condition, a couple of dry spots along the Fairway on several holes, overall compared to other courses with lack of rain not a bad course.
I would say the biggest problem on the course are the sand traps. The sand traps need a lot of help. I putted several balls towards the hole and they took a quick left or right turn because of a pebble from the sand traps. The sand traps are filled with rocks.
I had a good breakfast, the staff was friendly helpful and very pleasant.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Worth It

Laswonia is a great golf course. I play it a few times a year with a friend who is a member so we usually play all day and get in 54 holes. We play both courses (Links and Woodlands). Two completely different courses but both are top notch. Greens are to die for on either course. Awesome staff. Just do it and enjoy!

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 18
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
4.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

This place could be so nice.

So, I played both courses at Lawsonia the same weekend for the past three years and they are really amazing from a design perspective. However, it appears that they are making investment decisions that are affecting the playability of these golf courses. The bunkers at Lawsonia are inconsistent, some are ok, others have no sand at all, some only have weeds growing in them. The Links traps are better than the Woodlands. I asked one of the dudes working around the place what the deal was? He intimated that the owners of this place, he called them the Baptists, choose not to invest in sand. Now I know renovating bunkers is a pricey task, but these golf courses demand a pricey fee to play them. Look guys, if you aren't sand buyers then get some grass seed and make them grass bunkers. Otherwise, right now these courses are in good shape, they're mowing, which is a good thing and the greens are all good! To tie this up in a neat little bow, I can see how this place gets so highly rated, but am frustrated that every year the bunkers are the same, not top 100 quality.

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 09/09/2018

I would like to update this comment. I came back again and the same thing remains. This course for some reason does not invest in itself. The traps on the Woodlands course suck!!! They cost me a really good score on Friday. Staff story this year is that it cost $2,500/bunker to fix them. Well they need to think more strategically about these bunkers. They can't, or don't want to maintain the steep faces on them. So redesign them and make them flatter to keep the sand in the bunkers and lower the maintenance costs associated with caring for them. They won't have the eye appeal, but they will save money in the long run. As for now just play the links course, stay away from the woodlands.

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FROM $617 (USD)
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FROM $557 (USD)
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SW Michigan Golf Around Package

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