Midlane Exceeds Resort Course Expectations

The Midlane Golf Resort is located in the tiny town of Wadsworth, whose 3,815 residents live in the shadow of Waukegan near the far north suburban Lake Michigan shore.  My first encounter with Wadsworth was a stop at The Shanty for an after round burger on one of my north shore golfing excursions, and a little research uncovered that the "Village of Country Living" is also known for the Lipizzan horses at Tempel Farms and the Pyramid House, the world's largest gold plated object.  But golf was on the agenda on this Saturday afternoon, and a super deal of $30 with cart on the Midlane website lured me back toward the Wisconsin border.

The course dates back to the early 60's, with respected mid-century architect Robert Bruce Harris credited with the current front nine, while designer Bob Lohmann routed the back side.  The par 71 course has a distinctly different feel to each nine.  The "Out" is relatively flat and is contained within a sub-division and, with the exception of the 7th green to the 8th tee, the distance between holes is kept at a walker friendly minimum.  The "In" weaves through the housing development and streets are crossed to reach the 12th and 18th tees, and a few rolling hills and mature hardwoods add to the visual interest.  What both nines do share is an abundance of water, as ponds of various shapes and sizes are in play on every hole from #'s 3 through 15, then prominently returns for the last two holes.

The rating / slope tops out at 73.4 / 138 from the 6,800 yard tips, a significant distance for a par 71 layout, and we took our chances with the 6,500 yard Blue tees, which still sported a testy 71.8 / 134.  The first hole is a fair distance from the clubhouse, and the backyards to the left off the tee on the 421 yard dogleg right par 4 had thoughts of a close encounter with an irate neighbor dancing in my head.  I left my often erratic driver in the bag and found the fairway with my reliable 3 wood, and the homes turned out to be mere afterthoughts on the balance of the front nine.  An early three on the 181 yard 2nd hole had me off to a encouraging start, but it wasn't until the 13th hole that I unearthed my next par.

I avoided the pond that runs the length of the right side on the dogleg left par four 3rd and a second bogey had me standing on the next tee at 2 over, but my round quickly unraveled on the next 3 holes.  The wide fairway on the par five 4th is bordered on both sides by ponds, and it then swings to the right the last 75 yards as it funnels through a narrow opening between the waters, with the left largely out of view and the right fronting the green for a very intimidating approach.  A second shot pushed into the pond near the green on #5 and a weak chip shot led to a triple bogey on the 419 yard par four, but the wheels came off on the 400 yard 6th hole.  The green is tucked closely behind the water, and two drowned yellow Noodles later and a dreaded snowman appeared on the scorecard for a double, triple, quadruple bogey blowup.  I survived the 378 yard 7th and the scenic par three 8th with bogeys, but another double on the long (430 yards) 9th had me staggering with a front side half a hundred.

The par 36 back nine delivers the visual drama that is largely missing on the front side.  #10 has a small pond hidden to the right and in play off the tee, and beware of the out of bounds (and homes) to the left.  The 378 yard 11th features a blind uphill tee shot between decades old hardwoods,  with another water hazard sitting below right of the elevated green.  The 12th hole is the longest par four at 460 yards from the Gold tees, and dense woods line both sides to the green, but the tee area is horseshoed by the homes, close enough where a woman attending a backyard barbeque was comfortably seated on the bench next to the ball washer.  The fairway angles to a manageable width, but a slice drive into the trees had me scrambling for a six. 

Back to back pars on the tough par five 13th and the par three 14th left hope for a solid finish.  The 13th, the #1 handicap on the back, has water the length of the hole on the left, with a carry over an inlet on the 2nd shot and then up to an elevated putting surface, and the view behind the green of the vast marshland was an unexpected treat.  A par on the downhill 173 yard 17th (a replica of the famous 12th hole at Augusta National) had me feeling good on the tee of the double dogleg 18th, but my driver, which had served me well most of the day, failed on the final swing as the ball sailed left and disappeared into the wetlands.  The hole continues with a turn right over the crest of a hill, and the view of the fairway curling around the last water hazard to the well protected green is an inspiring end to a fine nine, and the triple bogey 8 was the biggest blemish on an otherwise acceptable one over bogey for this 20 handicap.

Midlane has a fair sized driving range on the way to the 10th tee, and the tiny one cup putting green behind the first tee is a unique, quirky touch.  The clubhouse, however, has an outdated 80's vibe that's begging for a facelift.  But the golf course is king at this far north suburban resort, as the "danger at every turn" layout proved to be worthy of the lofty rating / slope.  The well conditioned greens, sand traps and fairways were far better than one might expect from a course with a top rate under $60.  I wish I could wave a magic wand and make the at times intrusive homes disappear, but as is, Midlane is still a very good course that I enthusiastically recommend for north suburban golfers.

Mr Z Rating

Layout (20%) - 8
Playability (20%) - 7.5
Conditioning (15%) - 9
Aesthetics (15%) - 8
Amenities (10%) - 7.5
Value (20%) - 9.5

Total Score - 83

Midlane Golf Resort
4555 W. Yorkhouse Road, Wadsworth
847-623-GOLF   www.midlaneresort.com
4 tees, 6,848 / 5,021 yds, par 71
73.4/138 - 70.1/125 rating/slope
M-F - $23 walk / $41 ride
SA-SU $40 walk / $58 ride
Driving Range Onsite
9 minute tee time intervals