The Golf Courses of Lawsonia: Links
Green Lake, WI, United States • Public
Overview
A darling of the architecture cognoscenti, Lawsonia Links, designed and built in the 1930s by William Langford and Theodore Moreau, circles through grassy meadows and past an occasional stand of oaks. It’s a purposefully modest and functional design that invites players to rip driver, then buckle down for precise shots into large platform greens perched above deep trench bunkers dug out with pre-modern steam shovels. The par-3 seventh has another explanation entirely. Its green, perched like a birthday cake, was formed by piling dirt over an old railroad boxcar.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
100 Greatest Public: Ranked since 2019.
Highest ranking: 58th.
Previous ranking: 68th.
2023-'24 ranking: No. 62.
Best in State: Ranked 10th in 2019-'24. Not previously ranked.
2023-'24 ranking: 10th.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“7th hole has a rail car buried under the green to create massive contouring....especially for the era in which this course was built. Unique layout that offers five par 5's and five par 3's. Big and bold green complexes and bunkering with dramatic counters. Layout variety suffers due to the design including 7 holes that dogleg to the right versus just one hole that offers a dogleg left.....specifically there are 5 holes that are uphill & dogleg to the right"
Read More2024
Review
“A golden age design from Langford and Moreau, Lawsonia Links is one of the most unique public courses in America with its geometric bunkering and wonderful set of greens. The 6th and 7th holes are real standouts on the front 9, but Lawsonia truly excels when you reach the 11th hole and play the next 8 holes over completely exposed, windswept glacial landforms. The course is extremely generous off the tee and playable for the masses, but relies on uneven lies, strategic bunkering, and tricky greens as its defense. This is one of the best values in America under $100 and is an extremely fun, worthwhile round."
Read More2024
Review
“Great Landford & Moreau course. Fun shaping. Beautiful use of the land. Fun walk."
Read More2024
Review
“Links holes on the back 9 are a wild ride!"
Read More2024
Review
“Where else can you play a course with a buried boxcar full of sand underneath the green. Lawsonia Links’ #7 par 3 is that hole. Just a fun course to play with wide fairways, huge greens and bunkers so deep you can’t see the flag. I want to play it again!"
Read More2024
Review
“Great green complexes with unique slopes around the greens. So fun to watch the ball bounce around the hilly terrain. So much fun to play as an everyday golf course."
Read More2023
Review
“Course played like a MacDonald/Raynor one without the template holes and greens. A fun yet challenging round that if the player is in the area should make every effort to play it. Inexpensive for such a course."
Read More2023
Review
“This a gem and a bargain considering the quality of the course. It is nearly 100 years old and is so much fun to play and any golfer who wants to see what great architecture looks like should play Lawsonia Links."
Read More2023
Review
“Links style is enjoyable and not something you see a lot of in the States. Good stop for any type of group"
Read More2023
Review
“Starting off with 2 blind tee shots isn't a good start, esp when it goes in the wrong place. Easy off the tee, need good irons to score well. Its a better than average round in terms of fun, but not much more than that."
Read More2022
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