Spring Valley Country Club – Salem, WI

Course Details:

Architect: William B. Langford & Theodore Moreau (1926)
Course Type: Public
Par: 70
Rating: 70.1
Slope: 119

Course Score

Course Conditions: 6
Green Complexes: 9
Amenities: 4
Practice Facilities: 3
Service: 5
Course Design: 6
Value: 9

Total Score: 6.18

Course Review

The Good: Spring Valley CC is a public-access Langford + Moreau collaboration just north of the IL/WI border. Much of the original design, other than keeping all of the 65 planned sand traps as grass, has remained in tact over the years and it is one of the most cost-effective golden-age tracks that you can play in the Midwest. L&M are known for blind tee-shots & large grass knolls to add to shot strategy and both are very prevalent. Excellent, tough Par 3’s & good mixture of risk/reward Par 5’s. Good variety of Par 4’s that range from 460-278 yards. Modest in both amenities and conditioning, yet the small, devilish greens are in great shape even despite 4-inches of rain just a few days prior. One of the best values in the state of Wisconsin at under $50 during peak season with cart.

The Bad: Spring Valley’s charm is its old school golf course, not its amenities. The fairway conditions were only fair, and tee-boxes were expectedly in pretty rough shape. Limited practice area with small putting green and “bring your own balls” driving range. Given the current Covid-19 situation, there was limited service and no clubhouse open, but I suspect it is a fun, raucous environment when in normal state. I am not a huge fan of blind tee-shots and smallish greens, so a few long Par-4’s with greens the size of a conversion fan were an annoyance.

The Verdict: Fans of Lanford & Moreau’s Lawsonia Links in Green Lake, WI will eat this place for dessert. “Lil’ Links” is a fun track that harkens back to a time when the game was simpler and just about golf, nothing more and nothing less. While I won’t have as high on my “Best in State” lists as some, it’s one of the best ways to spend as little of your hard-earned money in the greater Chicago area as possible.

Best Hole(s): The double punch of the Par-5 4th and the long Par-3 5th hole is dynamite. The 4th is a long, downhill Par-5 with a huge pond in front of green unbeknownst you’re a regular. The 5th is a 230-yard tee-shot with water short and left.