I believe most golf enthusiasts would agree that playing a course with dialed in conditioning is one of the game’s greatest joys. There’s nothing like experiencing Tour-caliber greens, carpet-like fairways, perfectly tended sand and level, tightly cut tee boxes.

In the great state of Wisconsin, we’re lucky to have a wealth of courses that invest heavily in providing such exemplary conditions, and not just the big-name destinations like Sand Valley, Kohler, SentryWorld and Erin Hills. A handful of other public and private facilities alike feature superb conditions – Milwaukee Country Club, Minocqua Country Club, Washington County and my home course Nakoma Golf Club to name only a few that I’ve played in recent seasons. And I haven’t even visited Blue Mound yet, which I hear is spectacular in its own right.

Yet the best of the bunch may well be Hawks Landing Golf Club in Verona, next-door neighbor to University Ridge at the start of the Wisconsin Driftless Region. This modern private layout is a mainstay among the Madison area’s most elite golf properties, a club that takes great pride in yielding only the best conditions for its members and guests.

Case-in-point, as I got ready to play Hawks Landing this summer, Head Golf Professional Evan Holewinski “apologized” to me for the greens rolling a bit slower than normal that day – and they were still running at a 12!

With peak summer conditions typically yielding green speeds closer to a 14 under Head Superintendent Neil Radatz’s expert watch, these are some of the purest and slickest putting surfaces you’ll find in the state.

Playing over rollicking hills with long views of Madison’s far west side throughout, this private club features some of the most beautiful yet intimidating shots you’ll find in the area, with holes winding through open prairie land, around ponds and next to woods.

My first visit to Hawks Landing was a memorable one, a high school varsity golf meet where I broke 80 on a cold, windy spring day and managed to place second, my best-ever finish in a true competitive golf event.

That was a long time ago, though, and whatever I had going that day I haven’t been able to rekindle in more recent rounds, usually succumbing to the intimidating setup (especially on the front nine) and its blazing fast greens. I tend to play well at Madison area private clubs, but Hawks Landing is definitely the exception.

This summer, I visited the property on a clear morning for aerial captures of the course followed by a round of golf set to perfect summer weather. Wow, the course shone spectacularly that day, with unimpeded sunlight illuminating its perfectly-curated playing corridors, setting the stage for a superb day of photography and golf (even though I barely broke 90).

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Course Summary

Hawk’s Landing Golf Club

Verona, WI

Architect: John Harbottle III (2001)

7243/6788/6340/5966/5650/5304 Yards

Course/Slope Rating: 75.1/136; 73.1/131; 71.1/127; 69.4/124; 67.9/121; 66.3/1118

Course Website: https://www.hawkslandinggolfclub.com

Course Highlights

Par threes and fives are the spice of golf, and Hawks Landing does them as well as any golf course in the Madison area. In particular, its par fives are all standouts with varying degrees of drama, challenge and risk/reward opportunities. With big numbers and birdies both in play, these par fives can make or break your day.

The fifth hole is one that usually breaks my round. Playing dramatically downhill it should be a great scoring opportunity, but I always seem to get derailed by the tee shot. With OB right and the fairway tilting towards deep woods left, this is the worst possible spot to hit a loose drive, and indeed I’ve blocked tee shots OB the past couple times I’ve played it.

After a successful drive, mid-to-long hitters should be able to get home in two, but an array of trouble and a diabolical green make this anything but an easy approach. I’ve seen plenty of longer hitters make double or worse from the middle of the fairway because they got too aggressive and found themselves out of position for the ensuing pitch shot. The best play is to the right where the contours will funnel the ball towards the hole and leave more green to work with.

The ninth is one of the hardest golf holes I’ve ever played, a true three-shotter ascending a steep hill back towards the clubhouse into the prevailing wind. Trouble lurks everywhere here, first with fescue and woods on both sides stalking the tee shot. A creek crosses the fairway at a distance that will make long hitters uncomfortable, encouraging an iron off the tee.

The second shot must carry the creek to a sliver of a fairway with, you guessed it, trouble on both sides. I managed to keep it in play through two shots this summer, but a large tree hanging over the left side of the fairway forced a very difficult punch shot to the green. Lesson learned – favor the right side, even though it won’t feel like you have much room over there.

The approach is the final leg of this murderer’s row of a par five, playing uphill to an extreme back-to-front sloping green with a small pond and waterfall just off the right side. I came so close to surviving this monster but my approach shot came up just short, barely trickling into the pond. Easy double!

This hole is so tough that it was featured on the Milwaukee Uncut podcast, nominated by WiscoGolfAddict’s own Paul Seifert as one of the toughest par fives in the state.

I, for one, am always happy to make a six here.

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The 18th is a memorable closing hole, risk/reward par five finishing over a pond with the clubhouse in the background. As a shorter hitter, I’m always happy to end up on the right side in two with a short wedge in. Taking on the pond leaves very little margin for error, but getting home in two is extra tempting as you’ll be cheered on by patrons from the deck.

Several years ago the club decided to switch the order of the nines, as the (current) 18th presents a much better scoring opportunity compared to the demanding 9th. It also plays with the prevailing wind and ends within earshot of the clubhouse patio. This is indeed a great finish and I think switching the nines was the right move.

The par threes at Hawks Landing blend perfectly into the landscape, playing to four outstanding green sites. Two of them require carries over water tightly bordering the greens, while the other two are nestled within secluded confines of the landscape.

The fourth demands a crisp mid-iron shot to a well-guarded green cut out of the surrounding slopes. With a spine dissecting the surface, we found the back-left pin position to be perilous with front-to-back sloping on that section. My well-struck six-iron at the middle of the green bounded long and nestled into a thick lie, leading to a frustrating bogey.

The 13th features water from tee to green, with the hazard running up the front-right side. Something about this hole reminds me of the fourth at The River Course at Blackwolf Run – slicers beware!

It’s especially important to select the right set of tees at Hawks Landing, lest you’ll find yourself with a handful of long forced carries. Playing 201 yards with water from tee to green, the tips at the 13th should only be considered by the most confident (and able) golfers.

While there is no forced carry at the 16th, it stretches out to a beastly 234 yards making the length alone a stout challenge. You’ll need a great long iron shot to find a narrow green set within a grove of mature foliage and surrounded by deep rough. With much of the layout bounding over open terrain, this is the most secluded spot on site and adds great variety to the setting.

The par fours at Hawks Landing are nothing to sneeze at, either, presenting outstanding variety, challenge and strategic options.

At the 11th, a mature oak stands just yards short of the green, blocking the front-left corner and altering the strategy of the hole considerably. With a wide aiming point off the tee, it’s best to keep the tree in mind to gain optimal position on approach.

The sixth is a dramatic downhill short par four, with OB left and water right. Most players should hit less than driver, as the fairway runs out at about 250 and it’s imperative to hit a straight ball. The approach is equally daunting, with the pond lurking just short and right. A well-executed wedge could set up a nice birdie opportunity, though.

The 17th features a staple of bold modern architecture – a split fairway. Once again, here it’s best to plot out strategy off the tee with the pin position in mind. I’ve found the left fairway to be the preferable route, as it’s elevated and doesn’t require a direct carry over sand, unlike the option to the right.

Closing Thoughts

With best-in-class conditioning, a challenging and dramatic layout, and crisp attention to detail by its outstanding team, Hawks Landing continues to shine as one of the area’s elite golf properties and will place well within the “Madison Top Ten” article I’m working on.

Its large, modern clubhouse and wide array of amenities (including a pool with a huge waterslide) round out an exceptional country club experience, as well. If I didn’t already have a membership at Nakoma, I’d seriously consider joining Hawks Landing.

For more on Hawks Landing, be sure to check out Paul Seifert’s 2021 article and his full course review.

Hawk’s Landing Golf Club Website