Lake Park Golf Course

When I went to Edinburgh in 2019, the free-to-play, 3-6hole pitch-and-putt Bruntsfield Links Short Hole Golf Club offered an example of how golf can be integrated into city life. People strolled the paths and walked their dogs while others toted a wedge, putter and ball across the rumpled terrain.

Milwaukee's Lake Park is a very far cry from the Short Hole Club, but it could get a lot closer with some investment from the County, whose other golf facilities are nicer. It has 18 holes under 80 yards - perfect for beginners or, in my case, golfers wanting to stretch their legs after getting off a plane. Unfortunately, the current poor condition of the greens make Lake Park more of a walk with the opportunity to hit a few wedge shots than an actual scaled-down golfing experience.

I dig the honesty-box approach to paying, but I think for $9 a loop, Lake Park's patrons would appreciate a bit more care being put into the otherwise amusing, often domed greens. It doesn't need to be Augusta - just a bit more playable, and it could be a winner.