Golf Courses In Janesville, WI

Janesville, a city in southern Wisconsin, is tucked beside the Rock River some 75 miles southwest of Milwaukee. The city calls itself “Wisconsin’s Great Outside,” which is a tipoff that golfers will have plenty of options for tee times. Topping the list among 18-hole layouts is Glen Erin, a Golf Advisor top-25 Wisconsin course that exudes an Irish flare with its wide, undulating fairways defended by pot bunkers, sandy waste areas, native fescue and immense greens. Riverside Golf Course, which dates back to 1924, is a classic muni with rolling tree-lined fairways and strategic bunkering that has secured its reputation as one of southern Wisconsin’s premier public layouts. Notable nine-hole courses in Janesville include picturesque Bass Creek Golf Club, which Golf Advisor rates as both the #5 top short course in the U.S. and a top course in Wisconsin, and Blackhawk Golf Course, a favorite among locals who love its mature trees and fairways that meander alongside a creek.

Whereas Janesville was long identified with GM truck assembly lines, it’s now known as a city of numerous parks and a revitalized downtown. Traxler Park is the scene of twice-weekly water ski shows by the Rock Aqua Jays, the world’s most successful water ski team. Downtown is full of attractions, from the Rotary Botanical Gardens, which explores the gardening traditions of various peoples and countries, to a performing arts center, historical society, and a fine array of shops and restaurants. Day trips to explore Madison, about a 40 mile drive, and Milwaukee, which is a 75-minute drive, are always options, but you may just prefer to enjoy “Wisconsin’s Great Outside” on its golf courses.