Invitation & Access · Kenosha
Kenosha Country ClubKenosha
A private Donald Ross course from 1922, laid out along the Pike River in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Par
70
Yardage
6,750
Rating · Slope
72.8 · 132
Holes
18
Green Fee
Members only
The Course
About Kenosha Country Club
Members and their guests play a Donald Ross course here that its restoration architect, Drew Rogers, counts as one of only two Ross designs in Wisconsin. Kenosha Country Club is a private, family-oriented club, and its par-70 layout crosses the winding Pike River with elevated, undulating greens and well-placed bunkers. There is a caddie program. On the course, men wear tucked collared shirts with slacks or Bermuda-length shorts, and denim is not allowed.
History
Kenosha Country Club — History
Founded in 1896 as a golf club on Kenosha's south lakeshore, the club bought three farms totaling 175 acres in 1920. Donald Ross visited that September and returned in March 1921 with Walter Hatch to lay out the holes and greens, and the course opened in 1922. Architect Drew Rogers has guided a restoration since the mid-2010s: reclaimed green surfaces, 27 new tees, 33 reinstalled bunkers, new bridges and irrigation, and bunker work in 2023.
Design
Kenosha Country Club — Design
Drew Rogers, the club's restoration architect, describes the ground as two flat plains, one along the Pike River and one about 20 feet above the floodplain, and says Ross used interesting forms to give the corridors definition, many later buried by tree planting. The restoration has thinned trees, reopened corridors, added fescue and recovered original green shapes and hole locations. The club highlights elevated, undulating greens and the quality of its original Ross greens.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Kenosha Country Club
One of only two Donald Ross courses in Wisconsin, per architect Drew Rogers, and one whose features he says have endured for more than a century essentially in their original state.
The Round
The Journey at Kenosha Country Club
I.
The Opening
Two 415-yard par 4s open the round, the 1st rated the fourth-hardest hole on the card. The par-3 3rd is the shortest hole at 160 yards, and the 525-yard 4th is the first of only two par 5s. The 380-yard 5th and 365-yard 6th complete an opening stretch where no par 4 exceeds 415 yards from the Blue tees.
II.
The Middle
By handicap the 350-yard 7th is the easiest hole, but the 225-yard 8th is the longest par 3 and the 460-yard 9th, the longest par 4 and No. 2 handicap, closes a 3,295-yard outward nine, par 35. The 375-yard 10th and 410-yard 11th lead to the 590-yard 12th, the longest hole on the course and the No. 3 handicap.
III.
The Finish
The greens of the 390-yard 13th and the 190-yard par-3 17th are the two Drew Rogers singled out in 2024 as supporting only one or two hole locations, with reworking planned for 2025. Between them come the 220-yard 14th, the 455-yard 15th, rated the hardest hole, and the 420-yard 16th. The 405-yard 18th finishes a 3,455-yard inward nine, also par 35.
How to Play It
Kenosha Country Club — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
From the Blue tees the course is 6,750 yards, rated 72.8 with a 132 slope, so a forward tee keeps the long par 4s manageable. With only two par 5s, birdie chances are scarce; bogey is a fair result on the 9th and 15th, and the 7th, the easiest hole on the card, is the place to make par.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
Par 70 with four par 3s, three of them 190 yards or longer, makes long irons and hybrids matter. On elevated, undulating greens, approaches that finish below the hole leave the easier putts. The 590-yard 12th is a three-shot hole, so place the layup where you want to hit the third from.
Advanced / Low Handicap
The second nine carries the length: the 15th at 455, 16th at 420 and 18th at 405 follow the 220-yard 14th. With original green shapes and hole locations recovered in the restoration, reading Ross's slopes matters more than raw distance on a 6,750-yard card, and the two par 5s, the 4th and 12th, are the scoring chances.
Signature Holes
Kenosha Country Club — Signature Holes
The Card
Kenosha Country Club Scorecard
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 70 |
| Yards | 415 | 415 | 160 | 525 | 380 | 365 | 350 | 225 | 460 | 3,295 | 375 | 410 | 590 | 390 | 220 | 455 | 420 | 190 | 405 | 3,455 | 6,750 |
| Handicap | 4 | 8 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 18 | 14 | 2 | — | 7 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 13 | — | — |
Good to Know
Kenosha Country Club — questions answered
- How do I get on Kenosha Country Club?
- Kenosha Country Club is a private club — play is reserved for members and their guests. The only way on is a membership or a member's invitation; there is no public tee sheet.
- Who designed Kenosha Country Club?
- Kenosha Country Club was designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1922.
- What is the par and yardage at Kenosha Country Club?
- Kenosha Country Club plays to a par of 70 over 6,750 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 72.8 and a slope of 132.
- Is Kenosha Country Club public or private?
- Kenosha Country Club is a private member club — not open to public play. Access is by membership or a member's invitation; there is no public tee sheet.
- Where is Kenosha Country Club located?
- Kenosha Country Club is located at 500 13th Ave, Kenosha, WI 53141, in the Kenosha area of Chicagoland.
More in Kenosha
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Ed Ault · Kansasville
Brighton Dale Links — White Birch
The original Ed Ault 18 at Brighton Dale Links, Kenosha County's 45-hole public complex in Kansasville.
How to Play It
How to Play Kenosha Country Club.
Kenosha Country Club is a private club — play is reserved for members and their guests, with no public tee sheet. The only way on is a membership or a member's invitation.
Golf in CHI is an independent guide — we don’t sell tee times or mark them up. We map the exact way on.
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