Milwaukee Country Club

Golf in Wisconsin dates back to circa 1890 and the Milwaukee Country Club is one of the oldest in the State. Although Milwaukee was founded in 1894, golf in those days was played to the northeast of the city before moving in 1910 to River Hills, its present location, on the Milwaukee River.

The current Milwaukee layout was fashioned by the hand of Charles Hugh Alison in 1929. Robert Trent Jones made some minor revisions to the layout ahead of the 1969 Walker Cup matches.

Host venue for the 1988 USGA Senior Amateur, Milwaukee Country Club is a demanding course that requires accuracy from the tee. This is epitomised by the outstanding par four 9th which has a narrow landing area from the tee followed by an intimidating uphill approach shot to a green which is protected by a cavernous bunker set short and right of the green.

Milwaukee Country Club was once more under the spotlight when the club played host to the 2008 Mid-Amateur Championship. Steve Wilson of Mississippi lifted the Robert T. Jones Jr. Trophy at Milwaukee and earned an invitation to the 2009 Masters Tournament in the process.

Tom Doak commented as follows in his January 2020 newsletter:

“Don Placek and Brian Schneider are in the home straight of restoring C.H. Alison’s design, which began when Don and I visited the club in the fall of 2004. We won’t put back the old 9th green, because there’s a swimming pool in the way, but once we get the 11th through 15th holes back in shape this fall, it will be a wrap.”