Note: Course Reviews are in no particular order, but mainly reflect the courses I am playing with my 11-year old son and resident junior golfer.
Peoria Park District’s Madison Golf Course recently celebrated its 100th Anniversary. According to historical reports, the land making up the front 9 at Madison was purchased by the city in 1895 for about $48,000.00, and was used for several years to grow corn to feed the animals at the zoo. Hay was added and used to feed the horses then used by the city. In 1909, the initial 9 holes were built, and it appears the clubhouse still there today was completed around 1916. Around 1925, an additional 32-odd acres were purchased that allowed expansion of the course to 18 holes.
Madison was the course upon which I made my golfing debut sometime in the early 1980s, as a high-schooler that had never swung a golf club before. You will notice, there is no statue of my likeness anywhere on the grounds, and for good reason.
Nonetheless, I have played Madison many times over the years, and most recently with my resident junior golfer, who apparently believes, as he stated in TYB Podcast Episode 1, that the course is hilly. Uh, what?! Kids.
We returned this past weekend and played on one of the first really nice days we’ve had this spring. We found the course in great shape, given its advanced age, and to be honest, the more I’ve played Madison lately, the more I appreciate the layout.
Madison is a par 69, (35 on the front 9, 34 on the back 9). There is only one par 5 on the entire course, hole number 2, and it’s straight forward. Currently, the course offers two sets of tees — red/gold for women, juniors, and seniors, and white for men. On most holes, not much distance separates the tees.
Fairways are generously wide, but most are lined with a variety of mature trees, so you can often find your ball blocked from getting to the green, if you don’t keep it in play off the tee. Three of the par 4s on the front 9 are doglegs left, roughly 45 degrees, which make the tee shot landing area a little more challenging. That is, unless you can consistently carry about 250 yards off the tee, with a 10-yard draw and some precision, sending the ball over or around the edge of the dogleg. The only doglegs on the back 9 are found on number 10 (the only dogleg right), and number 18 (another dogleg left).
The par 3s on both sides are fairly easy, with the exception of number 7, which measures about 210 yards from the white tees (shorter from red/gold tees), and offers one of the smaller greens on the course, protected by a bunker on the left front and side.
The back 9 features shorter par 4s that are all straight forward, and except for numbers 10 and 18, all sit within the course property that lies on the east side of the bisecting S. Sterling Ave. A long hitter can drive the green on several of the back 9 par 4s that are well under 300 yards, but beware the bunkering that protects the front of many of them.
Speaking of bunkers, we found all to be in good shape and containing playable sand, which was a surprise, given the frequent rain we’ve had this spring. Thankfully, the bunkers are all pretty shallow, and do not require expert skills to explode a shot safely onto the green.
Greens are uniformly tended and in very good shape. There are slopes to take into account, but breaks of more than a few feet are pretty rare.
The clubhouse offers drinks and snacks, along with tees, balls, gloves, etc. Staff are always friendly. Both golf carts and pull carts are available for rental.
My junior golfer and I can enthusiastically recommend Madison Golf Course to the seasoned and beginner golfer alike.