Location: 140th and Loomis Road (Highway 36), Muskego.
Telephone: (414) 425-6500.
Green fees: The weekday rates are $14.25 for nine holes and $26 for 18 holes. On weekends, the rates are $17 and $32. Discounts are available for seniors, juniors and early birds.
The rating is done on a 1 to 10 scale, with 10 being the highest in each category and 70 the highest total possible.
Overall course conditions: 7.5
Quality of greens: 8
Aesthetics: 7.5
Playability: 8.5
Variety of holes: 8
Service: 9
Value: 8.5
Total: 57
-- Gary D'Amato
Muskego - Before the golf course building boom in Wisconsin really took off in the early 1990s, Muskego Lakes Country Club was one of my favorite places to play.
It was a hidden gem, close to Milwaukee yet far from the urban surf. The setting was quiet and peaceful, and the course was always in great shape, a throwback to the years when it was a private club (1975 to '81).
It had been 10 years since I last played Muskego Lakes, and during a recent visit I was surprised to discover how much it had changed. First of all, residential development in the southeastern corner of Waukesha County has taken away some of the country charm.
The sixth and seventh holes have been rerouted to accommodate one of those developments. Condominiums are going up on the course.
That's progress, I guess.
Still, there is much to like about Muskego Lakes. Owners Mark, Steve and Chris Krause take pride in the condition of the course, and with good reason. You won't find many facilities in the under-$35 category in better shape.
The 10th hole, a 443-yard monster from the tips, stacks up with the best par-4s in the state. From the white tees (423 yards), the golfer must decide whether to lay up or try to carry a creek that bisects the fairway some 225 yards away. A lay-up leaves about 190 yards to an elevated, well-bunkered green.
The back nine is strong all the way through, and I've always liked the flow and variety of the final five holes.
No. 14 is a short par-4 that doglegs around a pond. It's followed by a relatively easy par-5, a difficult par-3 and two demanding par-4s. Water comes into play on four of the five holes. A 10-handicap golfer could easily play this stretch in even-par. He could just as easily play it in 5-over.
One change on the front nine was a very good one. The seventh hole used to be a nondescript par-4. Though work is still being done on the hole, it will be a good par-5 when finished, with water coming into play off the tee and to the right of the green.
However, I didn't care for some of the other changes on the front.
No. 1 used to be a reasonable par-5, a nice way to start the round. Now, it's a par-4 that doglegs sharply to the left and demands a well-placed draw off the tee - not an easy shot to hit right out of the box. On Nos. 2 and 6, both short par-4s, the landing areas could be more clearly defined.
Also new at Muskego Lakes is a continuous asphalt cart path, which was needed on rainy days. However, I scuffed three brand new balls on the path, and only one of the shots was way off-line. That's a nuisance.
On balance, however, Muskego Lakes remains one of the better bargains in southeastern Wisconsin. It's definitely a step up from most of the public courses in the area.
Appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on April 19, 2000.
