I love April! Spring is coming into bloom. We get together with family over the Easter break and tailgating at the ballpark becomes a weekly thing. I also love April because it signals the beginning of the golf season for me in Milwaukee County. I never thought I’d be saying that. It’s not that I ever disliked golf. I watch the pros hit the ball 330 yards with amazement just like everyone else and golf courses are full of beautiful scenery even if you’re just walking around. I just never really liked golf enough to play regularly until 2 years ago. I had just quit playing softball and my softball buddies said we should play a weekly round at a Milwaukee County course. I told them maybe I could join them monthly but weekly? No thanks.
After a round or two I was hooked! Now we play 9 holes every Tuesday night after work. We play as teams to make sure we’re done within a couple hours and there may be a beer or two and a cigars onboard each cart. There are a lot of bad shots, a few good ones, a lot of ribbing and so much fun. Don’t get me wrong, we have some incredible golf courses in Southeastern Wisconsin but courses in the 4-1-4 are so underrated. My guys all have the county discount card which knocks 5 to 7 bucks off of your round and you can always get a tee time online.
If you haven’t played in Milwaukee County you still know Brown Deer. This course eats me up but it’s still fun to play. Tiger Woods played his first professional tournament here (ever hear of him?) and may have had a better score than me that weekend. Dretzka on the far Northwest side is my favorite county course. There’s beautiful scenery, big hills and a good burger in the clubhouse after your round. Oakwood in Franklin is for big hitters! It’s over 7000 yards which makes it the longest course in the county. Shannen and I played here last year and she consistently outdrove me off the tee. Whitnall is great because it’s matured well with big trees and a peaceful surrounding. You’re most likely to see wildlife here. Grant is just off Lake Michigan in South Milwaukee where it’s always cooler by the lake. Greenfield is not in Greenfield at all but in West Allis and they welcome beginners and hackers like me. You can also play a handful of par 3 courses from the Eastside to the West. We’ll see you out there! Be warned though that if you play on a Tuesday night, I’m not known for my accuracy.