Troy Burne Golf Club – Hudson, WI

Course Details

• Architect: Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry, & Tom Lehman (1999)
• Course Type: Public
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,034
• Rating: 74.3
• Slope: 136

Course Accolades

• Golf Digest: #69 Pulblic USA & #10 in Wisconsin
• Golf Magazine: #9 in Wisconsin
• Golf Week: #9 in Wisconsin
• Top100Courses: #11 in Wisconsin

Course Score

• Course Conditions: 7
• Green Complexes: 8
• Amenities: 8
• Practice Facilities: 7
• Service: 8
• Course Design: 8
• Value: 7

Total Score: 7.56

Course Review

The Good: This Hurdzan/Fry design along with consultant Tom Lehman from the late 90’s is a quintessential quasi-upscale residential public golf experience right at the Wisconsin/Minnesota border. Very similar in style and aesthetics to WeaverRidge in Peoria, IL, Troy Burne utilizes a vast canvas that is painted with huge, elaborate sand traps and sprinkled with strategic streams and ponds to torment the errant shot. Much like many Hurdzan tracks, the front nine is more Prairie setting with exposure to wind, while the back nine weavers through more woodlands and requires target golf. Excellent design variety across the board and there are particularly some interesting Par 4’s on the back. Pretty good fairway conditions despite significant play in previous weeks and large, moderately flat greens hold well and putt very true. Very nice clubhouse and full comfort station sandwiched between the 1st and 10th holes that is very convenient. Excellent staff, including one of the best PGA schools in the Midwest (so I’m told). Appropriate practice facility given the other off-course amenities. I was able to start on the back nine as a single when a large outing was supposed to go out in front of me, thus pace of play was excellent! Solid value under $100 peak season for quality of course in the Twin Cities area.

The Bad: While conditions were above average, I was expecting a more pristine golf experience. There were a HUGE number of divots in the fairways and there were maintenance staff making repairs throughout the round during the middle of the afternoon. It appears that the carts once utilized a GPS system but it either wasn’t working or the course doesn’t sanction it anymore. For this reason, the course was poorly marked and I spent too much time walking around the fairways looking for my yardages. Other than the Par-4 2nd on the front, the Par 4’s are fairly unmemorable on the outward half.

The Verdict: Troy Burne is another notch to the great Wisconsin public golf toolbelt and one of the most complete public facilities in the greater Twin Cities. A very fun, playable golf course with spectacular holes on the closing nine.

Best Hole: The Par-4 17th is, without question, the best hole on the course and one of the prettiest holes in the state of Wisconsin. A medium-length hole that requires a precise drive to a fairway that juts in with water on the entire right side. The green carves into the pond and is guarded by a stadium of trees behind.