University Ridge golf course well worth drive, expense

MADISON, Wis. -- University Ridge really caught a break when the Wisconsin Glacier halted thousands of years ago just southwest of Madison. Otherwise, Barneveld would be home to one very fine golf course.

In a word, the course is amazing. University Ridge has been ranked among the “Top 100 courses you can play” by Golf magazine and received a 4 1/2-star rating by Golf Digest.

The yardage book included this bit of overcooked copy, “It took nature 1,990,000 years to sculpt and Robert Trent Jones Jr. two years to finish.” But hey, it's forgivable.

The front nine is fairly open with touches of links style, but Jones added plenty of heat in his design with trademark risk-reward shots, super bunkering and interesting combinations of par 3s, 4s and 5s. The course includes 80 bunkers with 70 clustered near the greens.

The back nine is an about-face, carving a parkland feel through thick forest. The generous landing areas you see on the front are replaced by runways with forest right and left. It's not as tight as it looks, but it's quite a departure.

“The Ridge,” 225 acres of sprawling meadows, deep woods and oak, maple and cherry trees, also includes a giant range where I spent about 45 minutes before my round.

Turkeys trotted up to the back green and into range, but I refrained. Closer to Thanksgiving, I might have given it a shot.

The closing stretch is memorable, especially if you live through it.

No. 16 is a 514-yard (from the white tees) par-5 featuring 16 bunkers, most of them clustered around the green. No. 17 is a 164-yard par-3 over water with really nowhere to bail. No. 18 is a stern 371-yard uphill par-4 with a green that is 40 yards deep.

On 16, I left a 7-wood on my second shot just a few yards off the green and finished with par. Took a bogey on 17 after a decent 8-iron and three-putted the giant 18 green. Overall, not a bad finish on the Nos. 2, 16 and 6 handicapped holes.

Yes, the round was $79, steep for public access, but the service was impeccable.

The starter was friendly and told us what was up. The beverage cart was there when you needed it. The clubhouse and restaurant staff were terrific. The ranger parked next to us on 10, the beginning of the parklands nine, and noticed us slapping away mosquitoes. He broke out some Off and recommended the buffalo chicken wrap in the clubhouse.

I might have left out the most important part for folks from these parts. “The Ridge” is owned and operated by the University of Wisconsin. It's home to the men's and women's teams. The place is plastered with “W” and Bucky logos.

Your Herky headcovers might clash, but University Ridge is so worth it.

If you play

• What: University Ridge Golf Course
• Where: 9002 County Road PD, Madison, Wis., 53593
• Phone: (608) 845-7700
• Online: www.universityridge.com

The lowdown on University Ridge

Toughest hole - No. 6, a 534-yard par 5, is listed as University Ridge's No. 1 handicap. There's water off the tee, but not really off the tee. If you get it wet, you've badly missed. The big danger is losing the ball right and into prairie grass. It goes there, it's a goner. The long narrow fairway drops at the green, leaving an uphill chip if you've missed. My 3-wood was a stink bomb and I ended up chipping from a steep drop just off the green. I took a bogey.

Easiest hole - No. 12 is a 154-yard par 3 from the white tees. This is a rare green at The Ridge because it has only two bunkers. From the tee, you drop maybe 60 feet to the green, which is guarded by bunkers on both sides. I thought the drop was enough that I could get away with a pitching wedge. I was wrong. I left it short and missed on the chip for a bogey.

Overall impression - I tried not to let the fact that I played one of my best rounds of the summer (86) cloud my judgment. Even if I would have finished at 108, I'd still call University Ridge one of the most beautiful and challenging courses I've ever played. Yes, the drive is a tad less than three hours and some of you die-hard Hawkeye fans might not be able to handle all of the Bucky. Go for the golf. You won't regret it.

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