Best Golf Courses in Wisconsin for 2026
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Wisconsin public golf covers a wider range than almost any state in our directory. The same list can hold a municipal course in Appleton charging $18 and a destination resort course on Lake Michigan charging $360, and both are genuinely public.
We sorted our Wisconsin public records by slope rating, which measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch player. The national average is 113, and every course below rates 133 or higher. That gives a list of the state’s demanding public golf across the full price range rather than a ranking of its most famous names.
A note on what this list is not. Wisconsin has 301 public courses in our records, 295 of which permit walking, so this is not a walkability list. One course below does not permit walking and we have said so in its entry.
How we picked: These selections come from our course directory records: slope rating, yardage, course rating, posted green fees, and the scorecard detail our records hold. They are not based on subjective play impressions. We have not played all eight. Everything stated below is drawn from the directory data, and every course links through to its full record. Conditions and policies change, so call the clubhouse before you drive out.
This is part of our 2026 state series, alongside Best Golf Courses in Minnesota and Best Golf Courses in Arizona. Jump to the comparison table if you just want the shortlist.
Looking for the earlier list? Our original best golf courses in Wisconsin post covers the state from a different angle.
Wisconsin Public Courses Comparison Table
| Course | Location | Par | Yardage | Slope | Green Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reid Golf Course | Appleton | 71 | 5,942 | 144 | $ |
| Irish at Whistling Straits | Sheboygan | 72 | 5,992 | 137 | $$$$ |
| Blue Spruce | Kansasville | 72 | 6,382 | 137 | $ |
| Morningstar | Waukesha | 72 | 6,785 | 137 | $ |
| Cathedral Pines | Suring | 71 | 5,799 | 136 | $ |
| The Bull | Sheboygan Falls | 72 | 6,027 | 135 | $$$ |
| Straits at Whistling Straits | Sheboygan | 72 | 6,162 | 134 | $$$$ |
| Troy Burne | Hudson | 71 | 6,505 | 133 | $$ |
1. Reid Golf Course
Location: Appleton, WI Holes: 18 · Par: 71 · Length: 5,942 yards · Slope: 144
The hardest public course in our Wisconsin records by slope, and it costs $25 to $29. That combination does not turn up often anywhere.
The numbers are worth reading carefully, because they point in different directions. Slope 144 is the highest here, but the course rating of 67.6 is the lowest, more than three shots under par. That gap is the whole story: a scratch golfer is expected to shoot under par, while a bogey golfer finds this one of the hardest courses in the state. The trouble punishes the miss without threatening the good player.
Opened in 1936, the oldest course on this list. Bent grass greens with bluegrass fairways, water in play, between 41 and 50 bunkers. Junior and senior discounts listed. This is an Appleton city course.
Who should skip it: Low handicappers looking for a test. The course rating says a good player scores here comfortably. The slope says everyone else does not.
Full details: Reid Golf Course
2. Irish Course at Whistling Straits
Location: Sheboygan, WI Holes: 18 · Par: 72 · Length: 5,992 yards · Slope: 137
The second course at Whistling Straits, and the one most golfers can actually get a tee time on. Green fees of $185 are steep by any normal measure and about half what the Straits course asks.
Slope 137 with a course rating of 75.2 against par 72 is a harder combination than the Straits course itself posts, which is the sort of thing our directory data surfaces and reputations obscure. At 5,992 yards it is also one of the shorter courses on this list, so the difficulty is in the design rather than the distance.
Bent grass greens and fairways, water in play, opened in 1993. A senior discount is listed, which is unexpected at this price. Homes line the course.
Who should skip it: Anyone booking for the famous holes. The Straits course is the one on television, and this is a different golf course next door.
Full details: Irish Course at Whistling Straits
3. Blue Spruce at Brighton Dale Links
Location: Kansasville, WI Holes: 18 · Par: 72 · Length: 6,382 yards · Slope: 137
The best value on this list. Green fees of $18 to $49 for a slope of 137 across 6,382 yards, at a Kenosha County course between Milwaukee and the Illinois border.
The course rating of 70.7 against par 72 is over a shot under par, so like Reid this is a course that lets a good player score while making life hard for everyone else. Between 31 and 40 bunkers, water in play, opened in 1971.
One unusual detail in our record: bermuda greens with bluegrass fairways. Bermuda is a warm-season grass and rare this far north, so that pairing is worth confirming with the pro shop if the putting surface matters to your booking.
Full practice facilities, a pro shop and a snack bar, with a senior discount on top of the low fee.
Who should skip it: Golfers wanting a quiet round. County courses at this price fill up, particularly on weekends within reach of two metro areas.
Full details: Blue Spruce at Brighton Dale Links
4. Morningstar Golfers Club
Location: Waukesha, WI Holes: 18 · Par: 72 · Length: 6,785 yards · Slope: 137
The second-longest course on this list at 6,785 yards, with a course rating of 72.4 against par 72 that sits almost exactly at par.
Our records list this course as not permitting walking, the only one of the eight here. If you are looking for a walking round in Wisconsin, this is the entry to skip, and we have included it because the golf course itself rates among the state’s hardest public layouts.
Green fees of $39 to $84 with a twilight discount. Putting green, teaching pro, chipping area, driving range and pro shop on site, with a full restaurant, snack bar and beverage cart. Homes line the course. Waukesha is west of Milwaukee.
Who should skip it: Walkers, straightforwardly. Our record says carts only.
Full details: Morningstar Golfers Club
5. Cathedral Pines Golf Course
Location: Suring, WI Holes: 18 · Par: 71 · Length: 5,799 yards · Slope: 136
The cheapest course on this list at $18 to $22, and the shortest at 5,799 yards. The course rating of 72.2 against par 71 puts it over a shot above par, which on a course this short means the trouble is doing real work.
Between 51 and 60 bunkers on 5,799 yards is heavy bunkering for the length, and water is in play as well. Bent grass greens and fairways, opened in 1960.
Suring is in Oconto County in northeast Wisconsin, well away from Milwaukee or Madison. Putting green, teaching pro and chipping area on site, with a pro shop and snack bar. Junior and senior discounts.
Who should skip it: Long hitters looking for a full test. At 5,799 yards you will be hitting a lot of short irons, and the challenge is accuracy rather than distance.
Full details: Cathedral Pines Golf Course
6. The Bull at Pinehurst Farms
Location: Sheboygan Falls, WI Holes: 18 · Par: 72 · Length: 6,027 yards · Slope: 135
A Jack Nicklaus design near Sheboygan Falls, and the third most expensive course here at $145.
Slope 135 with a course rating of 70.1 against par 72 is the widest gap on this list after Reid. A scratch player is expected to shoot nearly two under, while the slope says a bogey golfer has a hard day. Between 21 and 30 bunkers is the lightest bunkering here, so the difficulty is in the routing and the green complexes rather than sand.
Bent grass greens and fairways, water in play, opened in 2002, the newest course on this list. Full practice facilities including a golf school, and the widest discount range here: twilight, junior, senior and other.
Who should skip it: Good players expecting a fight. The course rating suggests this one gives up shots to a low handicap.
Full details: The Bull at Pinehurst Farms
7. Straits Course at Whistling Straits
Location: Sheboygan, WI Holes: 18 · Par: 72 · Length: 6,162 yards · Slope: 134
The most expensive round in our Wisconsin records at $360, and the most famous golf course in the state. The Straits has hosted major championship golf on the Lake Michigan shoreline.
The directory numbers are more modest than the reputation. Slope 134 and a course rating of 70.5 against par 72 make this the second-easiest course on this list by rating, and our record puts it at 6,162 yards. Championship golf here is played from considerably further back than that, and our record does not say which tees the figure describes.
What our record does capture is the bunkering: 100 or more, the heaviest band we carry, and the feature the course is known for. Fescue fairways with bent grass greens, water in play, opened in 1998. Access is listed as “Path.”
Who should skip it: Anyone whose budget the $360 would strain. This is a bucket-list round, and three courses on this list rate harder for a tenth of the price.
Full details: Straits Course at Whistling Straits
8. Troy Burne Golf Club
Location: Hudson, WI Holes: 18 · Par: 71 · Length: 6,505 yards · Slope: 133
The westernmost course on this list, in Hudson on the Minnesota border just east of the Twin Cities, which makes it more of a St Paul course than a Milwaukee one.
Slope 133 with a course rating of 72.4 against par 71 puts a scratch golfer a shot and a half over. Like Cog Hill and the Straits, our record lists 100 or more bunkers, so this is a sand-defended course rather than a long one.
Bent grass greens and fairways, water in play, opened in 1999. Green fees of $59 to $85 with a twilight discount, full practice facilities including a golf school, and a restaurant, snack bar and beverage cart. Homes line the course.
Who should skip it: Poor bunker players on a budget. At 100-plus bunkers you will be in sand, and at $59 to $85 there are cheaper places to practice.
Full details: Troy Burne Golf Club
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does public golf in Wisconsin actually cost?
The spread on this list runs from $18 to $360, which is close to the full range of American public golf in a single state. Municipal courses in Appleton and Suring sit under $30. The two Whistling Straits courses are destination resort golf priced accordingly. Most of the state sits between those poles.
What does a high slope on a short course tell you?
That the difficulty is not coming from length. Reid Golf Course rates a slope of 144 across 5,942 yards, the highest slope in our Wisconsin public records on one of its shorter layouts. When those two numbers pull apart like that, the trouble is trees, water, bunkering or green complexes rather than the walk to the green.
Can you play Whistling Straits without staying at the resort?
Both the Straits and Irish courses are listed as public in our directory, so access is not restricted to resort guests. The green fees are the barrier rather than the membership. Call ahead about tee time availability, since destination courses book differently from municipal ones.
For most Wisconsin golfers the interesting picks are the cheap ones. Reid at $25 to $29 is the hardest public course in the state by slope, and Blue Spruce gives you a 137 slope for as little as $18. Neither will feel like a compromise.
Whistling Straits is worth the money once if a major championship venue is on your list, and the Irish course rates harder than the Straits while costing about half as much. That is the sort of thing worth knowing before you book.
Browse every course we have on file in our Wisconsin course directory.
Cover image artificially generated for illustrative purposes.