Menomonie Golf & Country Club: Classic Executive Golf

Classic Executive Golf Set Among the Western Wisconsin Pines

There is something special about playing an early morning round of golf on a summer morning in the northern half of Wisconsin. Watching the sunrise peek through the ever-present trees, smelling the fresh cut grass, tracking putts through the dew, and relishing a warm cup of coffee as you walk.

This summer my round at Menomonie Golf & Country Club (G&CC) in Menomonie, Wisconsin, was an awesome opportunity to get out early and beat the coming heat. I had a wonderful morning of golf, dropping just a few bucks to cruise around a course that I had almost completely to myself.

Overview

Menomonie G&CC features a beautiful executive-length course, set on mostly flat ground. Originally built in 1924, this is a classic layout that requires precise shot making to score. The course’s main defenses are its small, target-style greens, along with a few tight playing corridors.

Menomonie G&CC was originally designed as a par 36 layout. In its early days, this was a place held in high esteem. There are stories of traveling professionals stopping by to fine-tune their games while touring the Midwest. However, a fire burned down the original club house, which resulted in the selling off of some of the property.

The remaining course was reconfigured closer to its current executive-length layout. Some of the original target greens remain, and those putting surfaces are still a challenge to hit, especially on the longer par 3s sprinkled throughout the layout.

While my younger, more bullish self might have passed on playing Menomonie G&CC, these days I relish taking on precision courses like this one.

Built on relatively flat land, Menomonie G&CC is easy, quick stroll on a well-conditioned track. I played my early morning walk in just over an hour. Plus the course offers one of the best bangs for your buck for golf in Wisconsin.

Menomonie Golf & Country Club

Menomonie, WI

Tees: Blue – 2,047/30.7/101 (par 31); White – 1,889/29.7/90 (Par 30); Red – 1,602/29.7/87

Highlights and Favorite Holes

Menomonie G&CC’s showstopper is the 84-yard 8^th hole. It is a wicked little par 3 played to a small island green. While the target is tiny, it is still just a knockdown wedge shot even for a short hitter. From the blue tees I carved a sand wedge to six feet and sank the putt.

Even at such a short distance, the penultimate hole offers a thrilling shot. For my second try from the whites, I was more in between clubs. Unfortunately, my fat swing ended with an appropriate splash.

The best of the longer holes at Menomonie was the 343-yard 2^nd. The course’s first par 4 plays as a hard dogleg to the right. The smart play is to lay back to around 200 yards off the tee, finding the corner of the sharp turn. From that garden spot you have a short approach to a green tucked into a little nook of the property.

With a strong, high cut off the tee you could take the bold line more directly toward the green. However, it’s a very risky shot, considering the forest guarding the corner.

Much like the 8^th hole, the short 3^rd at Menomonie is also postcard worthy. This par 3 plays just 140 yards cut through a chute in the Northwoods pines. Once a bit of a longer hole, the back tees are no longer in play due to the changing of property lines and the presence of a cul-de-sac.

The 4^th at Menomonie G&CC was another solid hole, playing as a tough 180-yard par 3 to a well-guarded green. The hole played slightly uphill, bringing the front right bunker into play.

A couple of unique back tees make both the 1^st and 9^th holes at Menomonie G&CC play significantly tougher from the blue tee versus their white tee counterparts. From the blues, the 1st hole plays 220 yards across the practice putting area to a small green guarded by a deep frontal bunker. It’s a much shorter shot from the straightforward 148-yard whites.

The blue tee for the 9^th hole is tucked to the right of the 8^th green, making the 440-yard hole a very tough challenge (the 18th is a par 5 on the scorecard). But even from the 355-yard whites the finishing hole is a quality par 4 that ends at a pretty crescendo.

The Lowlights

Overall, I really enjoyed Menomonie G&CC for its value, but I felt the stretch of holes of 5 through 7 were a bit bland overall. All three holes move in the same direction. That doesn’t mean they are bad holes, but it feels like these holes serve to get you from one edge of the property at the 4^th green to another edge at the 8^th tee.

However, there are fun shots to be played on each of these holes. The 155-yard 5^th plays to a small, raised green with a steep back-to-front tilt.

The 6^th tips out at a difficult 210 yards, making it a full-throated 3-wood shot for me. At that yardage, the green isn’t a very large target.

Final Thoughts

For a lot of Wisconsin travelers, the Menomonie, Wisconsin area gets overlooked. Nearby Eau Claire is the more likely stop on Interstate 94 when you are driving west from Chicago, Milwaukee, or Madison on your way to the Twin Cities or vice versa. But if you haven’t been to Menomonie, it is a beautiful lakeside community worth checking out.

Menomonie is the home of the University of Wisconsin-Stout, and much of the downtown city center is located on bluff overlooking scenic Lake Menomin. This is a fun college town with a nice amount of history and character. It is a great place to take a relaxing walk around, or to grab a bite to eat at the Waterfront Bar & Grill, famous for its views and brews.

Nearby to Menomonie G&CC, there is more enjoyable and inexpensive golf to be played in Dunn County. Tanglewood Greens has one of the best comeback stories of any course in Wisconsin, while Pinewood Golf Course is another fun executive course that can be enjoyed for a quick round.

20 minutes east of Menomonie is Eau Claire, home of Wild Ridge, one of Western Wisconsin’s best public tracks. Just a little further east is Eau Claire Golf & Country Club – an excellent private venue.

But if you are looking for a quick, inexpensive round of golf on a great course in Menomonie, check out Menomonie Golf & Country Club. My morning round there was one of my favorite walks of the year.

Menomonie Golf & Country Club’s website

Related