Weekend Getaways: College Football & Golf

If you want to pair big-time college football with great golf, here are 10 towns to consider

By Alex Myers

Follow on Twitter: @AlexMyers3

August 2012

Want to tailgate and tee it up? The college football season is here and we're here to help if you're thinking of planning a trip to any of the NCAA's best spots to watch a game. Using our new Course Finder, we've discovered the best golf courses in these areas based on their Golf Digest Places to Play rating (with five stars being the best). Not an alumni of one of college football's powerhouses? Never fear. Use the Course Finder to locate the best layouts wherever your alma mater takes you for a big game.

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Madison, Wisconsin

One of the most consistent teams in the country, the Badgers have won back-to-back Big Ten titles. Camp Randall Stadium may be a sea of red come Saturdays in the fall, but there's also plenty of nearby green for golfers visiting the area, starting with the college's course, (University Ridge Golf Course), designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Hawks Landing Golf Club (4.5 stars) is just seven miles from campus, and Madison expert and Badgers fanatic Steve Stricker also suggests Odana Hills Golf Course ($50 on the weekends) and the Andy North-designed The Legend At Bergamont. Of course, if you feel like taking a two-hour drive, Whistling Straits (Straits Course, left, is No. 3 in Golf Digest's 100 Greatest Public Courses and Irish Course is No. 35) and Blackwolf Run (River, No. 15, Meadows Valley No. 60) are two of the finest golf resorts in the country. Plus, Erin Hills, site of the 2017 U.S. Open, is about 60 miles east.

Dom Furore (top)
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