Chocolate Drops: Lawsonia Links and the Virtues of Incremental Renovations

Howdy, FEGC. Thanks for being here.

Today, my colleague Will Knights chimes in with some thoughts on the most recent renovation work at Lawsonia Links, where we recently held the sixth edition of our Steamshovel event.

→ When I first traveled to the Golf Courses at Lawsonia in Green Lake, Wisconsin, in 2019, William Langford and Theodore Moreau’s Links was clearly spectacular but a little rough around the edges. Lawsonia had already done a lot of work on the course, including tree removal and drainage improvements, but there was plenty of room for improvement. The fairways and greens both needed expansions, and many original Langford & Moreau bunkers had been grassed over for ease of maintenance. These were understandable changes, given that Lawsonia is a low-cost operation in small-town Wisconsin, but they undeniably held the course back from its full potential. The Links just needed a little TLC.

Over the last six years, business has picked up at Lawsonia, and smartly the owners have put some of that money back into their two golf courses. They have overhauled significant portions of the Woodlands Course and worked on maximizing the potential of the Links.

Here are a few changes Lawsonia has recently made to Langford & Moreau’s Links (along with some further adjustments I’d like to see):

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Second and third fairways

Every fairway on the front nine at Lawsonia Links has been widened in recent years, but most noticeable is the combining of the second and third fairways. The new double fairway gives that whole section of the property a cohesive feel. While not really in play for most hitters, the additional short grass does allow longer tee shots to run all the way down the hill on a firm day. That can leave a semi-blind approach shot for anyone who finds themselves down the hill.

I would love to see the fairway line on the right side of No. 2 expanded to the right so that it merges with the bunkers about 50 yards short of the green. This is the aggressive line off the tee, and those who know about it should be rewarded with a better lie.

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No. 6

Lawsonia has made three main changes to its all-world par-4 sixth hole: 1) the right greenside bunker, which wasn’t original, was taken out; 2) the fairway bunkers were filled in with sand after being left as grass hollows for many years; and 3) the fairway was widened substantially on both sides. The fairway expansion on the left side brings the left fairway bunkers more into play but also creates room for a good angle into the green.

I’d love to see a more natural-looking fairway line down the right side of this hole. It’s great to be able to see the fairway right of the bunker off the tee, but the straight line feels a bit contrived.

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No. 15

The first of two bruising, uphill par 4s, No. 15 now offers a wider landing zone for those who can’t carry the hill and more room for those who do hit a bigger tee shot.

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No. 16

The long par-4 16th hole now has additional fairway on both sides of the corridor. The left side offers a view of the green for those who take on the aggressive line off the tee, at the risk of finding the heather left of the fairway. 

Like the fairway line on No. 6, I’d love to see the ones on No. 16 blend in a little better with the land. This is a nitpick but a relatively simple fix.

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No. 17

A wider fairway on No. 17 now allows players to chase an angle off the tee on this wonderful short par 4. This island-like green demands an accurate wedge shot, and those who play right off the tee are more likely to be successful. This hole plays way better than it did five years ago.

With fairway widening well underway, I hope Lawsonia Links begins to focus on green expansions. Many pin positions could be recaptured if the greens pushed out to the edges of their pads, notably on Nos. 4-6. This is already one of my favorite stretches on the course, but all three holes would be even better with bigger greens.

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All in all, it’s wonderful to see a course making such an effort to improve its architecture. Lawsonia Links is an absolute must-see, and it’s only getting better. -Will Knights

→ Mossy Oak Golf Club, designed by Gil Hanse in 2016, has reopened after a renovation by Jerry Pate. The West Point, Mississippi, course now boasts reconstructed bunkers, new back tees, regrassed greens (TifEagle Bermuda), and upgraded cart paths.

Mossy Oak, an excellent course that we’ve written about a few times, has had a rough go in its first nine years of existence. It was developed as a daily-fee sister course to neighboring Old Waverly Golf Club, host of the 1999 U.S. Women’s Open and 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur. For several years in the late 2010s and early 2020s, both courses were accessible to the public, and Mossy Oak was downright affordable. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a sign that the owners were struggling financially. Last year, a new ownership group—with Pate, the co-designer of Old Waverly, serving as chairman—purchased the two courses and turned them private. Now the group is investing in the facilities to create a more upscale experience.

Welcome to the golf course industry in the 2020s.

→ Social roundup:

• This fall, Brian Schneider has continued his work on the back nine of Silver Spring Country Club in Connecticut.
• Mike Nuzzo has been offering tantalizing glimpses of his redesign of Club Walden outside of Cleveland, Ohio.
• Tyler Rae is leading an overhaul of Crag Burn Golf Club near Buffalo, New York.
• Rae is also in the midst of a restoration of Hyde Park Golf and Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio.‍
• Links Magazine has shots of Andrew Green’s new build at Firefly outside of Nashville, Tennessee.