Glen Erin Golf Club

Glen Erin Golf Club is on the south side of Janesville, bordering the south side of the airport, exit 177 off I-39, then west to US 51, then south a mile to the course. It was designed by Greg Martin, and the course tips out at 6,849 yards played to a par of 71 (rating 72.4/slope 126). It’s 6,342 yards from the whites (70.3/121) and 5,786 yards (67.7/116) from the green tees. It has sharply contoured greens and the interesting layout over its rolling terrain. For my money, Glen Erin is a significant notch or two better than the Oaks. The greens are the most interesting feature of the course, most of them have significant slopes and contours that provide for multiple pin positions and prove difficult to negotiate on long putts. The course lays on the Irish motif pretty thick; each hole has an Irish-sounding name, and the tee markers are orange (tips), white (regular), and green (forward), in honor of the Irish national flag colors. The clubhouse is modeled after an Irish cottage, and they pour Guinness at the bar (along with the very good, locally produced Gray’s beer). The fairways have plenty of width, but little room on several holes between the fairway, the rough, and deep trouble (in the form of woods or thick hay). Also, the club utilizes four-foot flags (as opposed to the six- or seven-foot flags found on most courses), which can initially make depth perception a bit tricky.