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For the nearly 30 years that I have lived in this neighborhood and vicinity, I had never been to the Green Lake Pitch & Putt. Oh, yes. I have been to many of the nearby attractions. I have been to the zoo. I have been to a great many of the businesses on the lake’s east side: Super Jock & Jill, Shelter (now Easy Pace Brewing), Nell’s, Greggs Cycles, Jellyfish Brewing. I have walked around Green Lake many times. Of course. I have biked around the lake before the trail was put in on Green Lake Way. And after it was put in. Both clockwise and counter-clockwise. But I had never been to the Pitch & Putt. So perhaps it was the recent addition of beer to their menu of beverages that pushed me to finally round up some fellow duffers to slice a few balls.

I need to say right up front that I am not much of a golfer. The totality of my resumé involves two visits in the past year to the UW Driving Range, and before that, a visit to a mini-golf place sometime in the 2000s. Maybe. So yeah: not much of a golfer. I do realize that what one does at the Pitch & Putt does not actually involve driving the ball. That would require a driver, the really big club. What happens at the Pitch & Putt involves putting (with that really small club) and short hits (pitches) with that club with the angled head (a pitching wedge). So I do know that much. But I couldn’t resist the funny title opportunity for this story.

Pitch & Putt has been in operation on the south side of Green Lake (where East and West Green Lake Way come together) since 1947. At that time, according to their website:

a private concessionaire recognized the potential for a beginner-friendly golf experience within Green Lake Park. They developed our nine-hole, par-three course exclusively for pitching and putting. To complement the course, a modest wood-frame clubhouse was constructed between 1948 and 1949. This building, characterized by its flat roof and rectangular 16 by 24-foot plan, provided a welcoming space for golfers to gather. The clubhouse’s design featured wide cedar siding and Roman brick accents, embodying the architectural sensibilities of the era. That very building is our beloved Pro Shop.

The course consists of nine short holes, which will cost you $16 per person to play Friday through Sunday ($12 if you’re a senior or under 18). A second round is just $6. Monday through Thursday, all these costs are $2 less. Online reservations are available, and a set of two clubs and two balls is available for rent ($4). Or bring your own gear. BUT … no BYOB. No dogs.

I have to admit that I had some trepidations about the proximity of certain features of the urban landscape nearby: pedestrians walking around Green Lake, bicyclists, boaters, cars, children playing soccer at Lower Woodland Park. All seemed within my range. Their website warns, “Play at your own risk. Each player is responsible for any damage to a person or property by errant shots.” Scary.

How We Did

My wife, myself, and some friends of ours met at the Pitch & Putt one sunny day last month with temperatures near 85. Shade is abundant along the course though—especially where we were hitting many of our shots. Beverages were popular. They have a selection of non-alcoholic drinks, and several beer options ($5 to about $7 per can for a good microbrew). One friend remarked at the end of our outing that managing a putter, pitching wedge, two balls, a small backpack, and a canned drink was a bit of a juggling act. And he didn’t even have the pencil and score card!

Beer wasn’t too popular among the members of my group, but despite our relative sobriety, our performance could scarcely have been worse. Pars were a rarity. It appeared that at one point, my friend was able to get a ball lodged in a tree. We all saw it go up there, but it was not to be found on the ground underneath—gravity be damned. Fortunately, my worst fears (cracked windshields, black eyes, broken teeth, etc.) were not realized, thanks to well-placed rows of trees and fairways that have just enough space between them.

But a good time was had by all. And we weren’t alone out there. A steady stream of golfers were making their way to the first hole throughout the two hours we spent on the course—in spite of it being a weekday. It was a nice day, though. If, like me, you have never been to the Pitch & Putt, I would recommend you go. The casual vibe makes for a relaxed outing even for complete novices like my group. And now, there’s beer. Fore!