“Hidden gem” might be one of the most overused terms in golf. Used to describe a wide range of unheralded properties, “hidden gem” can encompass many different elements of the golf experience, including value, conditioning, location, topography and challenge.
But what’s the purest definition of a hidden gem? To me, a true hidden gem is a place that checks all of these boxes, offering affordable greens fees and excellent course conditions, residing in a remote location and possessing a unique routing over interesting land.
Perhaps most importantly, though, a hidden gem is a place I’ve barely heard of, one that’s brimming with original character and charm.
I can report that I’ve found a track in Southern Wisconsin that checks all the boxes for a hidden gem in the purest sense. In a small, rural community just 30 minutes to the south of Madison, this layout shines with rolling topography, quick and undulating greens, challenging, quirky design elements and unadulterated countryside charm – Evansville Golf Club.
When I visited in late May, I had virtually no familiarity with Evansville. It was essentially my first round here, save for a sole trip in my early youth that I was too young to remember.
I’ve been focused on visiting, reviewing and photographing as many greater Madison-area courses as possible these past few years, though, and after hearing rave reviews from my golf buddy Jason who plays Evansville quite often, I made it a priority project this season.
Set to glacially-carved hummocks and valleys, the course offers supreme variety with no two holes alike and creative design throughout. A bevy of doglegs varying in severity make course knowledge essential to plot your way around and find optimal angles into greens.
To that point, perhaps the most crucial ingredient to Evansville’s charm is something I value very much – a heavy dose of quirk.
Evansville is heavily-wooded, with mature trees hanging over playing lines and fairways often cutting through miniscule corridors. Navigating through the trees is tricky enough, but small, elevated and well-protected greens set to firm and fast turf encourage creative shotmaking on approach (often in the form of a punch shot).
It’s these types of layouts that usually bring out my best as I grew up playing courses around Madison with similar features, crafting an ability to play around, over and under trees and keep pars on the table after wayward drives.
It’s somewhat surprising, then, that my play at Evansville has been rather mediocre after two rounds this summer, carding 83-89 even in the midst of a strong season.
I think those were run-of-the-mill off days though, and I’m confident I can perform much better in my next outing.
The morning of my visit at the outset of summer was everything I could hope for as a photographer, with clear skies and a vibrant sunrise casting soft light over the property. The air had yet to transition to higher humidity and the landscape still offered ample contrast before the monochromatic greens (and that pesky Canadian wildfire smoke) of mid-summer set in.
The well-conditioned property basked in the glow of this glorious dawn and was without a doubt the best lighting I’ve seen in Wisconsin all year.
A hailstorm had pummeled Evansville just a couple weeks earlier, pounding the golf course with 2″ hail. Amazingly, I never even noticed a trace of the storm damage. This is a testament to an incredible job done by the greens crew to restore the property to normal condition in such a short timeframe. The greens rolled true all day while fairway and tee conditions were exemplary.
The course opened in 1964 under the purview of architect Robert Graves, known for a wealth of public-access Pacific Northwest designs cut out of dense forests. This background proved valuable on an unusual property like Evansville, as he worked his craft to find nine compelling holes on the rolling, wooded terrain.
Following a similar arc as other Wisconsin “town courses,” Evansville would quickly expand to 18 holes to meet community demand, leveraging new land in what is now its northern half. You’ll notice a slight change in the foliage and design in the newer section, with trees only moderately mature and the terrain somewhat flatter. That said, it remains a cohesive experience with the newer holes fitting in almost seamlessly with the classic section.
Course Overview
Evansville Golf Club
Evansville, WI
Architect: Robert Graves (1964)
Yardage/Course/Slope Rating: Blue – 6552/71.2/126; White – 6249/69.9/121; Gold – 5583/66.0/113
Hole-by-Hole Rundown
#1 – Par 4, 351/342/283 Yards
At the first you’ll be thrown headfirst into the quirks of this golf course, descending down a hill and doglegging heavily to the left short of driver distance. In fact, iron or hybrid off the tee is almost essential, as tall trees block nearly all hope of cutting the dogleg. Be sure to lay back far enough, as the fairway runs steeply out into trees that can easily block the sightline to the green.
A small and well-guarded elevated green is a fitting introduction to what you’ll find throughout a round here, requiring a precise short iron shot to start the day on the right footing.
#2 – Par 5, 463/450/405 Yards
While shorter in length, the second is plenty challenging, playing uphill through a narrow chute. Two fairway traps pinch the landing zone off the tee even more, making a three-shot approach a wise strategy.
The second shot plays blind, crossing the entrance road to a small target of fairway beyond. Be sure to check for crossing cars or carts headed back to the driving range before pulling the trigger on this shot!
#3 – Par 4, 422/411/328 Yards
Playing down a half-pipe corridor with cascading slopes on its flanks, the third will challenge with length and the potential for awkward sidehill lies. I found the left edge of the fairway in my most recent round here, only to find myself blocked out by trees and needing to execute a severe hook. This is one of many examples where dynamic shot-shaping ability is necessary to avoid tough situations around the greens.
#4 – Par 4, 422/397/334 Yards
Another tough, long dogleg par four, the fourth at least opens up a bit off the tee, as it’s situated in the newer section of the property with only moderately mature trees lining the fairway. The obvious play is directly to the corner of the dogleg to set up a ~150 yard shot to a small green protected by sand short-left.
#5 – Par 3, 192/180/174 Yards
Easily the most straightforward hole you’ll find on this course, the fifth is a mid-iron shot over level ground to a somewhat narrow and deep green. Flanked by only one bunker and with minimal contouring around the green, this is a simple shot where flush contact will be rewarded.
#6 – Par 5, 546/527/438 Yards
Narrow, long and filled with trouble, the sixth is target golf at its finest. With OB closely stalking the fairway down the left side, it may be tempting to bailout right. That would be a mistake, though, as trees and bushes on that side will likely block the route to recovery.
The left half of the fairway will offer a glimpse at the greensite, even if fleeting. However, the fairway wraps to the right around a pond with trees hanging ominously over the corner, making a layup the decisively optimal play. The second shot still needs to favor the left side to maximize the angle to the green, which is cornered on the front-right by sand.
This is a true three-shot challenge requiring precision the whole way through. I was lucky enough to make a routine par in my last round, a true relief as disaster is certainly in the cards.
#7 – Par 3, 162/151/130 Yards
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a par three like Evansville’s seventh.
Short and playing through a claustrophobic window, this unique gem features a 10-yard wide, 40-yard deep green, a wicked set of proportions demanding the squarest of short-iron contact. Perched on a side slope, the green also tumbles severely back-to-front, making front-center the only reasonable spot to miss.
This one shotter has my number, as lateral misses doomed me to doubles in both of my rounds this year.
This was my favorite hole to photograph, though, with the angle of the rising sun perfectly aligned with the orientation of the treelines and putting surface. Golden hour rays beamed through the corridor, brilliantly spotlighting this truly fascinating green.
#8 – Par 4, 421/403/327 Yards
Yet another quirky treasure, the eighth is a 90-degree dogleg, spilling downhill around towering oaks and maples. The fairway cuts off merely 200 yards at the corner, and in my experience it’s worth booming a high drive down the left side over the timber.
That strategy paid off for me in my first round at Evansville, as a well-struck driver worked its way over the trees and into wedge range. Approaching with short iron carries significant advantage as the small green is sternly protected on its front-right by sand.
#9 – Par 4, 376/296/267 Yards
Perhaps the best-known hole on the course, the 9th is a shorter par four with stout challenge on both the drive and approach. The back tees are set atop a hill some 80 yards behind the whites, peering down over a large pond that shorter hitters may have trouble carrying. It’s 200+ to reach the fairway beyond, but the carry is shorter the further left you go.
A covered bridge ushers players past the pond, one of Evansville’s greatest countryside charms. I love unusual landmarks like bridges, barns and silos and other such landmarks on golf courses as they provide a great visual anchor and add to the memory of a place. I’ve only seen a few others of the covered bridge variety, though (Hawk’s View and Boyne Mountain are the only other properties I can recall having one).
Semi-blind and uphill, the approach plays to a small, heavily sloping green in the clubhouse’s shadow. Stay below the hole at all costs, as the severity of the slope will make downhill or sidehill putts nearly impossible.
I’ve been above the hole two out of two times, and the green ate me alive on both occasions.
#10 – Par 3, 140/132/117 Yards
The “home hole” par three is one of the greatest joys in golf. It’s a natural gathering point for fellow golfers to watch ongoing play and makes for the perfect playoff hole in a match.
Evansville’s 10th is particularly a gem, just a short wedge shot hopping down a gentle slope. Normally I expect a small, diabolically protected green on a short shot, but this surface is moderately proportioned with only one bunker skirting its front-right side.
After the tough four-hole stretch to end the front nine, the inward loop starts with a reprieve in this excellent birdie opportunity.
#11 – Par 4, 341/331/321 Yards
Evansville’s short fours are exemplary and present unique risk/reward propositions throughout the round.
The tight, dogleg right 11th may be my favorite of the bunch, offering two equally viable options off the tee.
You can play to the corner, but beware the fairway running down a slope into the trees just 200 yards out. On the other hand, cutting the bend with a driver over the trees can carry significant reward, with contours positioned to kick the ball towards a tiny green. Either way, the trees will present a challenge with branches ready to complicate a slight mishit.
#12 – Par 5, 519/508/410 Yards
The straightaway 12th bisects the property, tumbling across hills and ending at the bottom of a slope on a green bordered by water on two sides. The drive and approach alike are blind to semi-blind, favoring course knowledge in a big way. Be sure to peek ahead over the hills on your second and third shots if you’re new to the course, lest you may otherwise choose a poor aiming point.
#13 – Par 3, 145/131/126 Yards
The 13th appears straightforward, playing straight uphill with only one bunker infringing on the far right side. Lean on the slope reading from your rangefinder here as the elevation change accounts for a 1-to-2 club difference. I found it particularly easy to underclub to a front pin in my most recent round as the exact pin position was difficult to assert from the tee. For that reason I’d err slightly long to anything but a back pin.
#14 – Par 4, 384/370/308 Yards
The 14th is a particularly enjoyable mid-length dogleg left, slipping between rolling hills before tumbling downill to a tiny target. I love the aesthetic of the tee shot, playing into the hillsides amidst stately foliage. As is the case on most of Evansville’s doglegs, you’ll want to consider leaving driver in the bag or you might end up through the fairway.
The approach is less downhill than it appears, accounting for only about a half club’s worth of elevation. I underclubbed both times here after perfect drives, so be sure to play to near stock yardage on approach.
#15 – Par 5, 476/471/402 Yards
The double-dogleg 15th is all about the tee shot, a demanding uphill strike to a sliver of fairway with trees seemingly everywhere. Right-to-left shaping will be rewarded in a big way with the fairway perfectly oriented for a baby draw.
Once safely in play, the hole opens up to scoring opportunities, curling back to the right around two fairway traps. Drives positioned in the left half of the fairway will have a clean look at the green in two, while from the other side the trees may force a layup.
#16 – Par 4, 390/369/283 Yards
A small pond to the left dominates the visuals from the tee on the 16th, when in fact it’s merely a sub-200 yard carry and out of play for most golfers. Beyond the water lies one of the more generously wide fairways you’ll find on site, one you’ll want to be extra sure to hit before attacking a narrow, well-protected green.
#17 – Par 4, 410/390/320 Yards
This slight dogleg left offers another relatively wide open tee shot, so let the big dog eat as length alone presents a stiff challenge. Bunkerless, the approach to the 17th is also one of the most straightforward shots at Evansville, playing uphill to a slightly elevated green.
#18 – Par 4, 402/390/330 Yards
This is a stout closer, a near-90 degree dogleg bordered by towering trees from tee to green. While the back nine generally plays over tamer topography compared to the front, the 18th brings you back to the rollicking terrain seen earlier in the round. Less than driver is probably necessary to hold the fairway, setting up a demanding mid-to-long iron over a valley to a plateau green.
Closing Thoughts
What’s the final key ingredient of a hidden gem? Access.
This is especially tough to find in the post-COVID age of packed courses.
Case-in-point, as my buddies and I struggled to find a place to play on a busy summer weekend a few weeks ago, I knew we’d have to venture outside of Madison a bit to find a decent option. Sure enough, Evansville beckoned with tee time availability and a well-priced greens fee, and I was more than happy to book my second round of the summer here.
Evansville is indeed one of the best less-known courses I’ve seen in this part of the state. With a peak rate of just over $60 with cart and excellent course conditions, it’s one of the region’s top value plays, as well.
Its old-school clubhouse exudes a laid-back small town vibe, offering excellent hot dogs and other fare at the turn or following a round, served by cheerful, attentive staff. While the driving range is a decent cart ride past the second hole (watch out for golfers while crossing the fairway!), it’s well-kept with ample room to hit driver and work on all areas of the long game.
With these strengths paired with an excellent, challenging classic-style layout, it all adds up to a fun-filled day on the course at a reasonable price.
This property might not be hidden for long once word gets out, so be sure to pay a visit the next chance you get!
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