Woodlands at Lawsonia Golf Course
About
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.
| Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | 72 | 6586 yards | 71.9 | 132 |
| White | 72 | 6186 yards | 70.1 | 128 |
| Gold | 72 | 5782 yards | 68.0 | 124 |
| Gold (W) | 72 | 5782 yards | 74.0 | 127 |
| Red (W) | 72 | 5023 yards | 70.5 | 120 |
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue M: 71.6/131 | 510 | 342 | 170 | 384 | 336 | 161 | 520 | 391 | 394 | 3208 | 316 | 475 | 357 | 183 | 442 | 402 | 185 | 379 | 472 | 3211 | 6419 |
| White M: 70.2/128 W: 75.9/137 | 494 | 330 | 162 | 368 | 328 | 152 | 500 | 353 | 375 | 3062 | 301 | 466 | 346 | 162 | 422 | 371 | 161 | 354 | 456 | 3039 | 6101 |
| Gold M: 68.7/120 W: 73.7/128 | 395 | 318 | 144 | 352 | 320 | 143 | 481 | 334 | 355 | 2842 | 301 | 457 | 335 | 145 | 377 | 359 | 146 | 329 | 456 | 2905 | 5747 |
| Hybrid M: 66.8/115 W: 71.6/122 | 395 | 318 | 103 | 352 | 320 | 98 | 422 | 334 | 295 | 2637 | 301 | 408 | 335 | 145 | 377 | 359 | 146 | 329 | 362 | 2762 | 5399 |
| Green M: 65.0/105 W: 68.9/119 | 395 | 318 | 103 | 244 | 274 | 98 | 422 | 253 | 295 | 2402 | 252 | 408 | 269 | 145 | 377 | 288 | 124 | 329 | 362 | 2554 | 4956 |
| Handicap | 3 | 9 | 17 | 13 | 7 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 14 | 2 | 12 | 18 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 10 | 4 | |||
| Par | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
| Handicap (W) | 3 | 5 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 15 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 14 | 2 | 12 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 4 |
Course Details
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Clubhouse, Conference Facilities, Banquet FacilitiesReviews
Reviewer Photos
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The downhill 13th is a stunning hole. Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 08/21/2021
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The par 5 7th has had the fairway widened to entice players to hit driver. Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 08/21/2021
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The signature downhill 3rd. Look to the right to see a great view of Green Lake. Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 08/21/2021
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The approach to #2 is much improved with tree removal. Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 08/21/2021
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Hole 1 used to be a brute of a start. It is a much more welcoming start now. Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 08/21/2021
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Woodlands #5 - one of the best views of Green Lake you get. Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 06/30/2019
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Woodlands #2 - the bell tower in the background plays music every hour Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 06/30/2019
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Hole #5 The Woodlands at Lawsonia Photo submitted by Brad2816478 on 05/08/2016
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Hole #17 The Woodlands at Lawsonia Photo submitted by Brad2816478 on 05/08/2016
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Photo submitted by lovesgolf88 on 08/16/2013
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Photo submitted by lovesgolf88 on 08/16/2013
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The par four second hole Photo submitted by u000006909652 on 04/07/2013
Amazing Course! GPS not good
Course is in amazing shape! The people were all amazing and friendly! The Golf Marshal made sure the groups stayed ahead of pace. The GPS systems were terrible. One cart didnt work, and didnt update until a hole or two later so we had to old school alot of shots. The pins were not correct in the system. Took away from the experience but the course was the saving grace and is well worth the money!
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.
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!
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The downhill 13th is a stunning hole. Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 08/21/2021
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The par 5 7th has had the fairway widened to entice players to hit driver. Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 08/21/2021
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The signature downhill 3rd. Look to the right to see a great view of Green Lake. Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 08/21/2021
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The approach to #2 is much improved with tree removal. Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 08/21/2021
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Hole 1 used to be a brute of a start. It is a much more welcoming start now. Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 08/21/2021
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
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.