Every year, as chilly air descends upon the Midwest, leaves start turning and the golf season inevitably winds down, I look forward to my favorite golf event of the year on one of my most cherished golf courses: the Langford Shield at Lawsonia Links.

Organized by Oliphant Golf Management, the exceptional golf construction and management services company that boasts many of Wisconsin’s finest courses on its resume (including my home club, Nakoma), the annual outing is a celebration of the work of revered Golden Age architect William Langford.

For me, the Langford Shield is a great opportunity to play one of my all-time favorite courses, Lawsonia Links, ensuring I get a crack at this masterpiece at least once a year even if I can’t make it up to Green Lake for a regular round during the season.

Somehow, every time I play this course, I love it even more. Its brilliant and dramatic Langford/Moreau Golden Age architecture and majestic open setting combine to make it a public golf experience like no other in the state.

Lawsonia Links holds a special place in my heart; it’s a golf course that speaks to me.

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As a matter of fact, Lawsonia Links was the subject of my first ever course review for WiscoGolfAddict, a golf experience so enthralling that it inspired me to pick up the pen in 2022. That previous fall, I had rediscovered the magic of this place after the exceptional work by Craig Haltom and Oliphant Golf Management over the past decade-plus had restored the property to L&M’s original grand vision from 1930, and I was absolutely stunned at the results.

On the morning of this year’s Shield, I decided to trek up in the wee hours to capture a mid-fall sunrise over the course, and was rewarded with one of the best photo shoots of the season.

The golf course was shining in all its glory that morning, making me even more excited to play it later that day.

The Langford Shield features my favorite format for a golf outing: the two-person scramble.

I’ve never been a fan of a traditional four-person scramble; as a golf addict I love to play my own ball and find that scrambles can devolve into silly golf filled with meaningless tee shots, “bought” mulligans, five-hour rounds and, of course, that one group of hackers that somehow shoots in the low-50’s.

The two-person scramble, however, is a much more engaging format for the golf-enthused, not a far cry from playing your own ball and also a chance to form some tight camaraderie with your partner.

This year, my lifelong friend, John, paired up with me. We proved to be a good team with just the right mix of strengths and weaknesses – me being a shorter hitter with solid control off the tee and a good short game, and John who hits the ball further off the tee and plays more of a power game.

We got off to a blazing start, birdieing four of our first five holes and ultimately carding -2 for the round (our team handicap was 5 so we beat that considerably).

Our hot start kicked off on the short 14th, where my short iron challenged the pin and settled five feet beyond the hole. John sank the birdie putt and we were off to the races!

Later in the round, I picked a great place to hit my best shot of the day: the iconic 7th. After striking a laser 6-iron to within a foot, I secured my first-ever closest to the pin prize at this event. What a thrill to do that on such an amazing par three!

Even though we were unable to keep up the blistering pace and fell short of winning low net, it was still a great golf experience made even better by its legendary venue. Lawsonia was in terrific shape that day and the weather was perfect – it was fall golf at its best.

Oliphant Golf Management pays close attention to the details to make this an A-list outing, with solid giveaways stocked in everyone’s cart (typically a Lawsonia hat and a mini-whiskey bottle from Journeyman Distillery), ample prizes and the company of like-minded golf enthusiasts. It’s a celebration of golf excellence, with Oliphant showcasing the potential of our great sport.

After golf, I always look forward to the dinner and awards ceremony in Lawsonia’s event tent. It’s a wonderful forum to catch up with other avid golfers, including the handful of fellow Nakoma members and staff that usually make the trip.

Following dinner, we’re all treated to a presentation by Oliphant’s management, including President Craig Haltom and VP Brian Jensen, on the current state of various projects under their purview. It’s truly amazing how many great things Oliphant has in the hopper that will make this game better.

This year’s Langford Shield turned out to be everything I remembered from past events – fun, engaging golf with like-minded people who love the game at one of the state’s best classic gems, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.

The Golf Courses of Lawsonia Website