Water-dominated properties are not my cup of tea. While I’m typically quite good at target golf, give me a hole with water on both sides and I’ll promptly start spraying tee shots.
It’s all mental, of course, but the anxiety over potential penalty strokes wears on me and leads to rushed tempo – a recipe for losing sleeves of balls.
My hometown, Madison, is no stranger to water, a city that’s inexorably linked to the network of lakes, rivers and marshes in which it resides.
Naturally, several local golf courses reside within or adjacent to the area’s watersheds, built to challenge golfers with dramatic, intimidating holes routed through the ecosystem.
TPC Wisconsin, The Bridges and Lake Windsor are but a few examples of tracks built in Madison-area marshland – at these venues, bring lots of balls and your best swing in hopes of not having to use them.
There is one layout in the Madison area, however, that occupies a wetland-rich property, but I’ve actually found it to be playable, fun and engaging thanks to a thoughtful design and the overall quality of the golf experience.
Despite having water in play on 15 holes, The Meadows of Sixmile Creek in the northern suburb of Waunakee has always presented an enjoyable round of golf – it’s a place where I can usually score well and leave with a smile on my face.
In high school, The Meadows of Sixmile Creek (or “Sixmile” as locals call it) was one of my go-to courses, especially on days when Nakoma and University Ridge, my other two local haunts, weren’t available for play. It’s always been one of the best-conditioned public layouts in Dane County at a great price point – back in my youth, greens fees were just north of $20 for juniors, and to this day the value of this property is excellent, offering peak walking rates of around $50.
Crucially, the course challenges my game while remaining fun, thanks to a great routing and savvy placement of hazards.
I have many great memories from rounds here, including a then-career best 74 (with a missed five-footer on 18, argh!) and several other sub-80 rounds. Since moving back to Madison in 2016, however, I’ve only had a couple chances to visit the property.
I’ve had Sixmile on my radar to photograph and review, so when the opporunity arose this summer I jumped on it.
On an overcast mid-June morning, while photography didn’t pan out, the golf was excellent and my history with the property paid off as I carded a 79 to rekindle fond memories of great rounds past.
The nice thing about photographing local properties is the ease of returning to capture them on ideal days, and in the case of Sixmile I was able to find a crystal clear morning the next week to get it done.
Built in 1997 as part of a residential development in rapidly-growing Dane County, established architect Ken Killian was selected for the design. With extensive history designing economical daily-fee courses that included partnership with like-minded architects Robert Bruce Harris and Dick Nugent, Killian (also an original architect of Tuckaway Country Club and Kemper Lakes Golf Club) was an excellent choice for the job.
Previously a tract of farmland, the development of the golf course presented an opportunity to restore the natural habitat of the Sixmile Creek watershed. Over half of of the property winds through a beautiful natural landscape, free from views of neighboring houses or other trappings of civilization and complete with frequent heron, swan, crane and turtle sightings.
I’m still not quite sure how Killian found so many compelling holes in this alluring yet challenging landscape, but somehow he pulled it off and the result is one of the most fun courses in the Madison area.
Doglegs are used heavily in the design, often with lateral hazards guarding the corners to create risk/reward tee shots. Penalty areas usually only line one side of the fairway, though, with the other side available as a bailout zone.
While playing conservatively to the safe sides tends to lengthen the approach shots, the presence of a bailout area helps me relax and execute my swing. And for that reason, even though water hazards define the layout, I usually have a great golf experience at Sixmile.
Course Overview
The Meadows of Sixmile Creek
Waunakee, WI
Architect: Ken Killian (1997)
Yardage/Course Rating/Slope: Black – 6955/73.3/128; Blue – 6585/71.6/125; Warrior – 6326/70.4/123; White – 6115/69.5/121
Hole-by-Hole Rundown
This property is divided into two sections by a railroad that cuts straight through Waunakee, with six holes (1, 7-10 and 18) residing in the home section and the other 12 sprawling over open marshland across the tracks.
#1 – Par 4, 320/310/298 Yards
I love a short par four opener, and Sixmile has one to remember. While a smidge over 300 yards on the card, cutting this dogleg right only calls for about a 280 yard drive to challenge the green.
A well-bunkered approach to an elevated green makes this a risky play, though, and anything short or right will face a very tough angle of approach. Iron or hybrid to the corner is the smarter play for most, setting up a straightforward lob wedge from a preferable angle.
#2 – Par 5, 596/560/510 Yards
Risk/reward drama continues at the par five 2nd, a double dogleg that contends with ponds on both the drive and approach. The tee shot begs you to bite off as much of the pond as you can – shots up the right side face a longer carry but can potentially shorten the hole.
Conservative play to the corners is straightforward and manageable here, offering a chance to start fast even if you’re playing prudently.
#3 – Par 4, 468/440/384 Yards
With stout length and a narrow fairway, the straightaway third is a beast that requires two expert shots to secure a routine par. The green tilts significantly from back-to-front, so you’ll want to be careful not to overswing on approach and leave a tricky downhill putt or chip.
#4 – Par 3, 232/203/160 Yards
I’ve found the fourth to be the toughest par three on property, purely due to its length and a narrow green. While free of bunkers, the green site is flanked by mounds that can create awkward chips.
#5 – Par 5, 542/530/518 Yards
Similar to the second hole, the par five 5th snakes around two ponds, opening the door for heroic shotmaking.
With right-to-left orientation off the tee, a power draw is the preferred shot shape here and can setup a look at the green in two.
The green is closely guarded by water all the way up to its edge, with the front of the surface steeply running off into the hazard. Your approach will need to carry all the way onto the surface, so it’s wise to hit an extra club.
#6 – Par 4, 409/387/347 Yards
The sixth features a challenging tee shot with water and sand up the left side, and a fairway that pinches to miniscule width around driver distance. Longer hitters can challenge the left side and carry the bunkers, while the rest of us will need two excellent shots to reach a narrow green in regulation.
#7 – Par 4, 409/387/347 Yards
This relatively straightforward, mid-length par four offers an open tee shot followed by an uphill approach to a tightly-protected putting surface. It’s a good spot to crank driver and then attack the green with wedge.
This hole will forever remind me of a close call I had back in high school, one that speaks to the importance of proper etiquette.
As my buddies and I walked off the 7th green that day, an impatient group behind us didn’t wait for us to clear and a skulled wedge shot grazed the hair on the back of my head. It came at me from the side like a missile, and if I hadn’t started to duck just before the ball arrived, I might not be here to tell this tale!
Note: there was no Fore! called or apology from the perpetrators
#8 – Par 4, 353/338/328 Yards
Yet another risk/reward proposition, the short par four 8th plays slightly downhill and with the green plainly in sight, aggressive players might be tempted to go for broke and drive one near the surface.
As is the case throughout this course, though, bold play will be met with a challenging entry to the green. A pond snakes up the right side all the way to the edge of the green while sand to the left pinches the aiming point even further, leaving plenty of doubt for an aggressive approach.
I laid back with a 3-wood in my round this summer, which allowed me to attack a front pin with lob wedge and knock it close. After draining the eight-foot birdie putt, I knew I had made the correct decision off the tee.
#9 – Par 3, 179/154/145 Yards
The shorter 9th is a beautiful par three with water short-right dominating the visuals. A solid shot is required to access the slightly elevated green here.
The course recently renovated the pond bank, installing rock formations along the sides – this was a worthwhile investment that elevated the aesthetics of this spot considerably.
#10 – Par 4, 412/402/392 Yards
The back nine kicks off with a longer par four that’s free of water hazards – a rarity on this property. However, a tight, winding fairway calls for a precise tee shot, which is essential to attack the well-bunkered green in regulation.
#11 – Par 5, 547/532/522 Yards
Like the front nine, the back side crosses the railroad tracks to the main portion of the property which is dominated by marshland. The par five 11th plays parallel to the 2nd and is similar in many ways, except there is no water in play off the tee which makes this a good place to rip driver.
The approach is well-guarded by the marsh up the left side, and in peak season tall cattails and brush make this a blind to semi-blind shot.
#12 – Par 3, 184/156/145 Yards
With a marsh infringing from tee to green, the 12th is an intimidating one-shotter made even more visually daunting by its flat topography – not much of the green is visible from the tee, while the marsh is seemingly everywhere.
The carry shortens the further right you go, making that side a reasonable bailout zone. With the green sloping back-right to front-left towards the hazard area, you’ll also want to take care not to overclub.
#13 – Par 4, 426/401/359 Yards
One of the toughest holes on the course, the dogleg right 13th challenges with length and an abundance of trouble. The safer route to the corner might avoid the lateral hazard up the right side, but it’ll lengthen the approach to about 200 yards.
With water also guarding the green, cutting the dogleg carries the significant reward of approaching with short iron. This route is quite perilous, though, requiring a carry of around 230 yards and offering no room to miss right.
#14 – Par 3, 145/132/117 Yards
The short 14th plays to a peninsula green that slopes heavily from back-to-front. With wedge or short iron in hand, you’ll want to err long here to account for a possible mishit and some backspin down the slope.
#15 – Par 4, 432/409/350 Yards
This longer par four offers some room to miss laterally without incurring a one-stroke penalty, but its narrow, snaking fairway is particularly tough to hit. With mounding lining the fairways, a missed tee shot is almost certain to lead to a tricky, long approach from an awkward lie in the rough.
#16 – Par 5, 533/517/507 Yards
As noted earlier, Sixmile’s signature design feature is the dogleg with trouble lining the corners. This brings risk/reward options naturally into play – the choice between laying up to the corner or bombing it over the hazard prompts strategic decision-making.
The 16th is yet another example of this, a dogleg right par five with marsh butting against the corner. In this case, playing to the corner might only accommodate an iron and will lengthen the hole considerably, so playing aggressively is a bit more enticing here.
Well-bunkered and small in proportions, the green is a challenge to hit with anything but a short iron. However, the layup zone is generously wide, making safe play an easy decision for me on the second shot.
#17 – Par 4, 372/345/337 Yards
The shorter par four 17th doglegs nearly 90 degrees around the marsh, and with a meager landing zone over the corner, driver makes little sense.
The safe play to the corner is no picnic, though, with a tight landing zone calling for expert precision.
#18 – Par 4, 449/424/362 Yards
The closer offers a bit of a reprieve with a more open tee shot, but you’ll want to avoid running through the fairway and into a cluster of fairway traps. Trouble exists to the right, but it’s placed several yards off the green to grant room for aggressive play.
Closing Thoughts
If you’re visiting Madison and are seeking a higher-end public golf experience, options are limited. University Ridge and The Oaks top the list, but The Meadows of Sixmile Creek offers the best value in my opinion with its very well-priced greens fees.
This has always been one of my favorite places to play in the area, and after visiting Sixmile this June, I realized I hadn’t done this property justice in last year’s ranking of Madison’s top ten golf courses, simply due to the fact that I hadn’t played it much in recent years.
Well, I’ve updated my Madison rankings and Sixmile now appears at #9 – a testament to the quality of this golf experience.
My Ranking of Madison’s Top Ten Golf Courses, Updated Through 2025!
Madison’s Top Ten Golf Courses
Looking for a place to play in Madison? Rest assured, the state’s capital offers plenty of great golf that’s sure to whet the appetite of the golf enthusaist.
A beautiful natural setting, challenging yet strategic routing and outstanding course conditions make Sixmile a worthwhile round if you’re visiting the area, and it’s a cherished spot that locals like me enjoy time and time again.
The Meadows of Sixmile Creek Website
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