University Ridge Golf Course
About
University Ridge Golf Course is just 15 minutes from the University of Wisconsin campus and downtown Madison. The course's name comes from the defining feature of the landscape, a remnant of the last retreating glacier. The course is perched right where the Wisconsin Glacier stopped, providing the backbone of the ridge that divides the terrain into clusters of hills and valleys. Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed the golf course with distinctly different front and back nines that make it feel like you are playing two courses in one. The front nine plays across grassy meadows, featuring contoured fairways and generous landing areas. Wind will definitely be a challenge on this more open nine. In contrast, mature trees frame most of the holes on the back nine. The golf course finishes with two of its toughest holes: a long par 3 over water and then another long hole, a par 4 that plays uphill.
Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|---|
Black | 72 | 7286 yards | 75.8 | 142 |
Blue | 72 | 6718 yards | 73.4 | 139 |
Green | 72 | 6245 yards | 70.4 | 134 |
Green (W) | 72 | 6245 yards | 76.7 | 139 |
White | 72 | 5752 yards | 68.6 | 129 |
White (W) | 72 | 5752 yards | 73.8 | 134 |
Red | 72 | 5005 yards | 65.3 | 116 |
Red (W) | 72 | 5005 yards | 69.5 | 124 |
Junior | 72 | 3813 yards | 61.3 | 103 |
Junior (W) | 72 | 3813 yards | 62.9 | 110 |
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black M: 75.8/142 | 396 | 555 | 242 | 467 | 198 | 623 | 429 | 207 | 587 | 3704 | 483 | 569 | 200 | 336 | 398 | 352 | 554 | 250 | 440 | 3582 | 7286 |
Blue M: 73.4/139 | 376 | 546 | 195 | 398 | 172 | 608 | 379 | 162 | 554 | 3390 | 456 | 537 | 174 | 330 | 377 | 321 | 533 | 192 | 408 | 3328 | 6718 |
Green M: 70.4/134 W: 76.7/138 | 370 | 515 | 174 | 354 | 169 | 570 | 345 | 151 | 475 | 3123 | 424 | 504 | 159 | 316 | 358 | 312 | 514 | 164 | 371 | 3122 | 6245 |
White M: 68.6/129 W: 73.8/134 | 355 | 461 | 170 | 332 | 140 | 534 | 325 | 144 | 442 | 2903 | 375 | 462 | 124 | 294 | 322 | 280 | 471 | 155 | 366 | 2849 | 5752 |
Red M: 65.3/116 W: 69.5/124 | 293 | 428 | 135 | 304 | 126 | 442 | 298 | 83 | 421 | 2530 | 342 | 412 | 95 | 222 | 309 | 245 | 434 | 130 | 286 | 2475 | 5005 |
Junior M: 61.3/103 W: 62.9/110 | 228 | 305 | 118 | 233 | 124 | 311 | 229 | 79 | 328 | 1955 | 241 | 330 | 78 | 171 | 205 | 173 | 296 | 124 | 240 | 1858 | 3813 |
Handicap | 11 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 18 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 4 | 14 | 2 | |||
Par | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
Course Details
Rentals/Services
Practice/Instruction
Policies
Food & Beverage
SnacksAvailable Facilities
ClubhouseAccolades
Reviews
Reviewer Photos
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Photo submitted by Back9Ben on 09/24/2020
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Photo submitted by Back9Ben on 09/24/2020
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Photo submitted by Back9Ben on 09/24/2020
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Photo submitted by Back9Ben on 09/24/2020
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Hole 14 - So much sand Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 09/02/2020
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Hole 12 - downhill par 3 to a tough green Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 09/02/2020
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Hole 11 - one of the 5 really good par 5s Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 09/02/2020
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Hole 10 - My favorite hole on the course Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 09/02/2020
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Hole 8 - my favorite of the five par 3s Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 09/02/2020
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Hole 4 - a challenging up-hill par 4 Photo submitted by GolferJake78 on 09/02/2020
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Photo submitted by mccordgricegolf on 08/27/2019
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Photo submitted by sorenj on 05/29/2017
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Photo submitted by sorenj on 05/29/2017
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Photo submitted by sorenj on 05/29/2017
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Photo submitted by sorenj on 05/29/2017
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Photo submitted by sorenj on 05/29/2017
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Photo submitted by sorenj on 05/29/2017
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Photo submitted by DavidLaDuke on 08/14/2015
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Photo submitted by DavidLaDuke on 08/14/2015
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Photo submitted by DavidLaDuke on 08/14/2015
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Photo submitted by DavidLaDuke on 08/14/2015
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Photo submitted by DavidLaDuke on 08/14/2015
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Photo submitted by DavidLaDuke on 08/14/2015
A great day of golf
Everything about the day was a great experience. The staff was friendly and the course was in great shape. Grabbed a burger and fries at the turn. It was delicious. Thanks for a wonderful day.
Still Don't Have Greens Fixed
I will play U Ridge in the spring and fall to get good rates, but it just isn't worth it for the full rates. The greens are bumpy, uneven, and fairly slow. For a course that shut down to fix the greens, this is still not up to par in the competitive Madison golf market. The city courses have better greens in my opinion.
Tough, but beautiful course!
This used to be one of my favorite courses in the area. It's become a bit too expensive in recent years, so it's been a while since I played the course. The staff is very friendly. They re-did the greens last year and they are in nice shape. The rough was entirely too punitive for a course that is already challenging. Our group had trouble finding balls only a few feet off the fairway. The thick and heavy rough was very difficult to hit from.
Great course to play
Fairways are very playable. Second and Third shot can get you into trouble.
Perfect day
Excellent course with many challenges. Course was in excellent condition. Staff were friendly and well organized.
Outstanding
Truly a championship design with a good variety of holes. Aeration had been done recently on the greens, but otherwise in good condition. If you enjoy a challenging and well designed course, it's a must play.
great course
One of the best courses in the region. It was opening day and they didn't cut the greens which made them very slow but they were green. Otherwise it was in good shape for this early in the spring.
Excellent Course
Excellent course, challenging holes without being ridiculous. Course was very well maintained and the staff was very friendly. Will gladly play again.
Championship Course
For someone who can't afford to play at country clubs, this is as close as I can get. The course is very challenging, but playing from the white tees, I was not intimidated. The front nine is more open, and the back nine has more trees and very narrow fairways. There are several holes that have so many sand traps, that it provides many risk/reward moments. Avoiding the traps means pretty much giving up the chance for a par. But landing in the deep traps, especially following a rain could lead to double or triple bogey.
Gorgeous
This course is beautiful. It plays quite long and has plenty of sand traps - so be ready!
U. Ridge
A very fun and challenging golf course. A great variety of holes. One of my favorite in southern Wisconsin. The course is typically in excellent condition.
Shouldn't have waited so long to play it again!
Played here 15 years ago and loved it but was a little pricey. Well it won't be 15 years till the next time. It seems even better than last time. The course was in excellent shape and the green fast and true. At least as good as private clubs. Great mix of holes and with multiple tees I think anyone can enjoy it. As I live near Chicago I'm trying to think of reason to go back this fall. If not then, definitely next year. Sorry I waited so long.
beautiful copurse challenging and very playable provided you pick the correct tees.
greens were redone absolutey georgeous, great conditions , front links style and back totally differant all wooded, lots of elacvation change , i like that,
Good, not great
Played this course 4/5 times since moving to the Madison area from Scotland. Overall, it's a great set up. Fantastic pro shop, clubhouse and practice facilities. I was a little disappointed with the course itself, probably because my friend had built it up to be fantastic. Don't get me wrong, the course is good and is great value if you get a twilight rate, but fantastic? Probably not.
The course itself comprises two very different nines. The front nine is fairly open, almost in a prairie like setting. Highlights are holes 1,2,3 and 7. The back nine has more of a woodland like feel to it with most holes meandering through the trees. As such, accuracy of the tee becomes key. Best holes on the back side in my opinion are 10,14,15 and 17.
Tees and fairways are generally in really good condition. The greens were a little bit of a let down. I find them to be a little bit sandy albeit still running true. I believe all the greens were re-done in the back half of 2012 so perhaps they just need a year or two to fully knit together.
Overall, good course and decent value for money.
Great holes great condition.
This is the UW golf course and it shows in their pride of ownership. Course is in pristine condition!
A must play
One of the nicest courses in this area. The front and back have completely different styles, and each present there own challenges. Fairways are a must if your goal is to post a decent score.
Must play in Madison Area
Staff- Great staff friendly and nice
Range- Top of the line range with nice practice balls
Tee boxes- nicely mowed and level
Fairways- neatly trimmed well maintained
Greens- A+++++ they just replaced all the greens on the course
Pros- Well maintained course
Offers some challenging holes
The course has large industrial size fans that blow leaves off some of the greens which will be great in the fall part of the season.
Cons- The course is a little boring
the course does not have a lot of holes with water obstacles.
Price I paid $60
Conclusion- This course is a must play I drove 2.5 hours and was not disappointed.
Other course in the area I recommend, Legend at Bergamont
Great day.
Very nice course. Really enjoyed the day.
The newer greens are just staring to mature and will only get better.
The Best Madison Has To Offer
Excellent course that is always in top shape. The front 9 is fairly open while the back 9 is heavily wooded. I would rate this the top course in the Madison area due to the excellent conditions and the beautiful piece of property the course is set on.
Course was challenging and in excellent shape.
Excellent time golfing at a very nice course at reasonable rates.