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The 5 Best Golf Courses In and Near Janesville Wisconsin

If you’re heading for Janesville, Wisconsin, with your clubs ready to go, you’ll need to know about the best golf courses in the Rock County area. Lucky for you, I’ve done all the research and can point you in the right direction to the best golf courses near Janesville, Wisconsin!

Janesville Wi is conveniently located just over an hour southwest of Milwaukee and about 45-minutes from Rockville, Illinois, to the South, and Madison, Wisconsin, to the North. Janesville has much to offer the golfer in the Midwest’s gorgeous summer season, so whether you’re a local or just passing through, you won’t be disappointed with the options in the Janesville area. So, let’s get to the top five golf courses (in no particular order) to schedule your next round of golf!

Riverside Golf Course

Riverside Golf course is located on the northwest side of Janesville and close to the scenic Rock River. Rated one of southern Wisconsin’s best public golf courses, this course boasts beautifully manicured, lush fairways that are challenging for the expert player but accessible enough for the weekend golfer. Greens are smooth and provide a perfect roll for your putting pleasure.

Renowned architect Robert Bruce Harris designed Riverside Golf Course and opened for play in 1924. That many years of success makes this fantastic course a longtime fixture in the area! They’ve been around for a while and know how to host a good golf day! Riverside annually plays proud host of the Ray Fischer Tournament, one of golf’s prestigious amateur events. You may recognize some former winners who have become well-known PGA tour stars. Does Steve Stricker or Skip Kendall sound familiar?

You will enjoy the beautiful mature trees as you golf through this excellent course. Large Pine, Oak, Basswood, and Hickory trees make up the landscape. You might even catch a glimpse of some of the local wildlife while you’re there.

Riverside is highly acclaimed, having received a rating of 3.5 stars in the acclaimed Golf Digest publication. This course has also been listed in the US’s top 50 best values for public golf. Even Google reviewers get in on the action giving 4.4 out of 5 stars. It’s no surprise that this fun and challenging course is considered one of the best public golf courses in south Wisconsin!

Riverside Golf Course at a Glance

18 holes
Par 72 Championship layout plays from 5069 yards to 6508 yards
Traditional golf attire is encouraged for men and women. Athletic shorts and collarless tees are discouraged.
Golf pro shop on site
Lessons available
Season Passes available
Café on site

Blackhawk Golf Course

Punny quote "My doctor told me to take my iron everyday and live on greens." with a golf bag on a course in the background

Blackhawk Golf Course is perfect for the golfer looking for a leisurely morning or afternoon of course time. Located near the Rotary Botanical Gardens at 2100 Palmer Drive in Janesville, this is one of the popular nine-hole facilities in Janesville. This public course offers 9-holes of fun for beginner and experienced golfers.

The course here is well-loved and scores an excellent 4.4-star rating on Google. Note that Blackhawk has no sand traps but has a good variety of pars and distance. Plenty of mature Oak trees line the fairways, and the course is well-maintained and always in great shape.

Be sure to reserve your tee time in advance if possible because this course has a dedicated following and may be difficult to walk on.

I also found it interesting that this course allows FootGolf. Footgolf is a combination of soccer and golf and has become quite popular in recent years.

Blackhawk Golf Course at a Glance

9 holes
2857 yards from the back tees to 2196 from the forward tees
Footgolf allowed
No dress code, although appropriate dress is always encouraged.
Golf shop on site
Lessons available
Season Pass available
No on-site restaurant

Janesville Country Club

The Janesville Country Club is an established private golf and social club located just outside the Northwest city limits of Janesville.

Not just a golf club, this country club is also known as an elegant location for event rentals. But since we’re focusing on golf in this article, let’s discuss the available accommodations and courses.

Janesville Country Club opened for play in 1894, one of the country’s oldest 18-hole championship courses. The course is beautifully manicured and maintained to the highest standards. Golf is available by membership only, and that membership comes with many perks, including a complimentary driving range, on-site storage for your clubs, private lessons, and an on-site golf shop. You won’t need to go anywhere else once you’ve joined this club!

League players will love the availability of league play for couples, men, women, and even Junior leagues.

Pink background with "Hip Grandma Merch" available on front

Janesville Country Club at a Glance

Membership only
18-hole championship course
Pool
Fitness Center
On-site club storage
Social events and dining calendar
Child care is sometimes available

Glen Erin Golf Club

Located at 1417 W Airport Road in Janesville, the Glen Erin Golf Club is a beautiful and well-maintained public Janesville golf course designed in the style of the courses in Ireland, with few trees on the front nine and more on the back. The course is challenging, reasonably long, and features smooth greens at the end of undulating fairways. You will also find sandy waste areas and pot bunkers along the course. Mature trees and native fescues abound along the outer rough.

A popular daily fee golf course among the locals, Glen Erin scores a whopping 4.6 stars from Google Reviewers. Reviewers also love this course’s food, the staff, and the overall atmosphere!

Glen Erin Golf Club at a Glance

18 holes
Driving range on site
Relaxed dress code encouraging comfort—sleeves on non-collared shirts for men, no holey denim, no metal spikes.
Golf lessons are available
Limited annual memberships available
Golf shop on site
Pub Dining Room on site

Bass Creek Golf Club

The Bass Creek Golf Club is located at 1303 S. Murphy Road, within 12 miles of Janesville to the West. This newer course opened for play much more recently in 2003. The short distance is a lovely scenic countryside drive, and Bass Creek offers plenty of amenities when you arrive, including a driving range, full-service golf shop, on-site bar and grill, and practice green.

This public course’s playable layout winds through bunkers, water hazards, and mature trees and has plenty of elevation change along the 3,188 yards of play. Google Reviews favor this course with a whopping 4.6 stars out of 5! Golfers rave about the fantastic staff, the delicious food, and the well-groomed course.

Bass Creek Golf Club at a Glance

9 holes, par 36
Memberships available
Golf shop on site
Leagues available
Bar & Grill on site
Range and practice green available

multi-colored background with the words "let's be friends" printed on top with "click here to join the facebook group"

Wrapping It All Up

You will indeed find beautiful courses, scenic walks, delicious food, and challenging and fun golf at any of these courses. But Janesville, Wisconsin, has more than just these five courses. If one of these doesn’t work for you, look at the Krueger-Haskell Golf Course, Prairie Woods Golf Course, or CeCelia’s Golf Course, all in the area and all highly-rated. And if you need to hone your skills in the winter, look into Riley’s On the Green indoor golf facility, where you can practice your swing. And for those who need some putting practice, check out the TeeShack, the local home of Minigolf in Janesville. Finally – Lustig Park offers some fantastic Disc Golf opportunities.

Janesville, Wisconsin, has so many beautiful outdoor options to spend your leisure time. You will want to make a stop if you’re passing through!

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