Lawsonia, the new "Low Price Leader"?!

[Brad Swanson]

   I am always looking for bargains in golf.  Great golf courses that are affordable are my holy grail.  I've espoused the greatness of Wild Horse when evaluating golf value.  Yesterday, I may have experienced the best (non-rater/friend comp) value for me to date.  
   I have the great pleasure of touring Lawsonia for the first time with none other than our own Dick Daley.  We had the first twilight tee time (which start surprisingly early at 2:30) and my fee (without cart) was a laughable $22.  We had the course to ourselves on a picture perfect evening to boot.  The greens were a little rough in spots due to an unuasually high degree of winterkill from some odd winter weather, but it didn't diminish the experience one bit.  This Langford track is a great course, and one that should not be missed if you are in the area.  Ran's course write-up is spot on as usual, as this course is certainly not a ball-buster, but is exceptionally fun to play, and the setting is quintissential, pastoral Wisconsin.  The amazing sweeping panorama of the course viewed after finishing the 18th reminded me of the view from the clubhouse at Shinnecock, with the large earth features appearing even more foreboding from the shadows they cast in the evening light.
   The only other Langford course I have played is Wakonda CC in Des Moines, IA, and the largest contrast of the 2 are in the size/scale of the ground-features and the expansive openness Lawsonia vs the claustrophobia of Wakonda.  Anyone that is planning to make the trip up to Greywalls this fall should definitely make their best effort to head down to Green Lake to  play an absolute treat!

Cheers,
Brad Swanson        

[RJ_Daley]

Brad, a laughable $22 to play a twilight round is not laughable at all to many of us cheeseheads... it is about what we expect to pay here in a land of affordable golf and ubiquitous brats, beer, and dairy.

One of the fun aspects over the years of participating on GCA is meeting and getting to play with some knowledgeable and talented golfers.  Brad certainly fits that bill.  And, whilst we here on GCA always pay tribute to the clever and strategic striker of the ball who tacts his way around some GCA masterpiece designs (in part perhaps because we everyday hackers can't hit the darn thing all that far ) it is a thrill to see a fellow who can hit them very far and sure.  If I told you some of the numbers for drives and second shots, you'd not believe me anyway.  I kept looking at the scorecard yardage and what he was playing into the greens and had a hard time processing it, when it was right there before my eyes.  And, shot of the day on the 12th par 3, a scary two tiered fall away green requiring precision and power to a pin that was tucked and deceptive, into the wind about 185, sticking his 4 iron to hold at about 12 inches.  Yikes!!!  He followed with a tee ball on 13 only about 355!  (of course that was wind aided wafting about 8mph )  What kills me about this fellow Brad is he only played a few (2) rounds this year, and sight unseen on a bumpy-hard to putt extremely contoured greens shot a very respectable mid 70s.

Brad must love his profession very much because I know if I could play like him, the only place you'd find me would be on a golf course, probably making a decent living.  Brad doesn't start his new job in Madison for a few weeks.  After the round and at dinner, I could see his wheels turning about a fast return to Lawsonia to take advantage of the twilight deal, and an itching to see what he could really do with a score, now that he saw the course once...

[Ken Bramlett]

Great story.

If Brad can get his handicap to 9 or 10 I could use him in a Charlotte area member guest on the fall.

Cheers.

[RJ_Daley]

If Brad gets his handicap to 9 or 10, I'm putting my entire wad on him...

[Ken_Cotner]

If Brad gets his handicap to 9 or 10, I'm putting my entire wad on him...

Dick,

If Bramlett's his partner, I wouldn't bet the ranch.  Brad would have to hit a LOT of irons to 12 inches!  

Ken

[RJ_Daley]

Well Ken, I guess I didn't factor in the unlikelyhood that Mr. Bramlett may play something like me!  But not to worry, my entire wad consists of a hidden C-note in the secret compartment of my very old wallet...

[Matt_Ward]

Lawsonia / Langford layout is a marvelous design -- put it in Jersey and the green fees would likely be tripled in a blink of an eye.

For those going to Wisconsin a visit to Lawsonia is a must proposition because such bargains are fast becoming more of a dream than reality.

How Digest failed to honor Lawsonia in either the top 100 public or in the top 10 state listings simply makes me shake my head.

[Jeff Shelman]

I completely agree with Lawsonia being about as good as it gets when it comes to value. I made a detour there on a trip to Milwaukee two summers ago and played the great twilight rate. There was nobody there and I zipped around alone in just under three hours. When I got done and saw the golf shop was closed, I went out and played nine more holes before dark.

It doesn't get much better than that.

[George Pazin]

Either of you manage to snap any photos?

It's easy to see how Brad hits his irons so far - he uses those cheater irons the pros use. You know, the ones that look like butter knives. It's gotta be the clubs, because he hits it so much further than me, with about half the effort.

I'm always envious of people who have a local treasure like this. I'm not aware of any public ones in western PA - is anyone else?

[Brad Swanson]

George,
   The charger for my camera bettery is in some storage facility until we move into our house here in Madison.    I'll let Dick tell you about his camera mix-up.  I am going up next week to play again and will certainly do what I can to take some pictures in the evening.  The sweeping views of the back 9 looking down towards Green Lake are amazing!  


Cheers,Brad

[Evan Fleisher]

Brad,

What brings you to Madison ?!?!?  You know, Dubuque is only 1.5 hours away...we'll have to be sure to get together somehow.

Me, Jill and the girls are flying out of Madison in about 4 weeks (on the way to Florida), but not sure what time we will have then.

[Ken_Cotner]

Well Ken, I guess I didn't factor in the unlikelyhood that Mr. Bramlett may play something like me!  But not to worry, my entire wad consists of a hidden C-note in the secret compartment of my very old wallet...

Dick, I'm teasing of course.  I thought I was going to see the first albatross at Pine Needles #15 (a newly extended par-5) from Kenny B.  Alas, it ended up being just another routine 2-putt birdie...

Architectural content -- the newly renovated Pine Needles remains a wonderful stroll with many fun shots to play.

KenC

[RJ_Daley]

Hey Ken, do you still have that very special rate with your uncle at PN?  Talk about bargain golf!

Of course your Dad's backyard course isn't exactly priced at an arm and a leg either, with a fairly well known archie...

[RJ_Daley]

Oh yeah, about my camera, mix-ups and other typical oddities in my day...

I got to about the second tee where there is a neat view across to the interesting earthworks, bunkering and green at the 5th, behind the near grass cliff that backs the first green.  I usually slip it into my front pocket and it wasn't there.  I did have a bulge in my rear wallet pocket (and I wasn't even all that happy to see Brad ) and assumed it was my wallet.  I looked in my golf bag pocket, the other place I tend to keep the camera, and it wasn't there either.  So each time we'd get to a neat feature and I would want to get a pic with Brad hitting a shot with the feature in the pic, I'd whine that I left the damn camera in the car.  We finish, which was the first time I sat down during the round, and damn if the bulge in the wallet pocket wasn't the camera. Dahh

Dahh two:  We leave to go see the old DOG of Lawsonia who left to now run a nice eatery two miles down the road.  We get there and it is closed tuesdays.  So, I suggest 5 miles further to go to Micheal's, where I have had a few of you others stop for a 19th hole drink and piece of cow...  As we pull back out onto the road, me in the lead, one of my compatriot boys in blue (brown actually a county mounty) pulls me over.  I see Brad go by.  I was trapped by a zone that I am sure used to be 55, which apparently was reduced to 45, and they only had one flashing yellow light and 45 sign to warn me  

After exchanging some pleasantries with the deputy, and remeniscing about how I used to also work for the outfit that rep'd their contract, he said I was not going to get a ticket for doing 55, nor the actual reason he stopped me which was the big push they have been advertising on TV every night called "click-it or ticket" (I was only going a couple more miles... )

I then proceded to Micheal's where I assumed Brad was headed, as he sure as hell wasn't going to stop and help me talk my way out of a ticket.

I get to Micheal's, which is apparently no longer called Micheals, and no Brad...  But, he did have the good sense to eventually double back to find me leaning against my car, tipically muddled and wondering if I was going to get anything to eat after that fine walk about Lawsonia.  

Now, where was I again and what was my point...

[Craig Van Egmond]

RJ,

   At least this time you left your camera in the car and not in the restaurant like at KP I.  

[RJ_Daley]

And, I forgot that one too Craig.  But, atleast I remember where I left it (the Union Hotel bar in S.D.) because I was distracted trying to convince Gib there really was such a thing as 'hand fishing' for catfish in the bayou's.  I wonder if the guy that has that camera now enjoys all the great photos of the KP I.   They'll probably wind up blackmail material

[Craig Van Egmond]

RJ,

   'Noodling' or 'hand fishing' is very popular here in Oklahoma also, I have a  number of friends who are quite good at it.

[PThomas]

speaking of catfish, som guy in the Chicago area this week just caught a record catfish--134 pounds I think

they were transferring him to somewhere to live in an aquarium thing but the big guy died from the stress, said the paper