A round of golf at Shamrock Heights starts out easily enough with a short par 4 followed by an easy par 3. Then things get a little tougher. Hole # 3 is a hefty (yes, hefty) par 5 measuring 576 yards from the white tees. Follow that with three consecutive dogleg left par 4's, which generally do not fit well with the typical hacker's left-to-right ball flight. Hole # 6 is as beautiful as it is challenging: a dogleg left around a large pond from an elevated tee. Bite off as much of the water hazard as you dare, but staying dry is more important than length, so plan accordingly.

The back nine has a series of holes - 13 through 16 - that are flat and open and offer little in the way of hazards. But be careful on hole # 13 - the fairway slopes down to a hidden creek that crosses the fairway and will swallow any tee shot that doesn't carry at least 210 yards.

The greens for the most part are small and featureless. Most sloped from back to front with little, if any, contour. The speed seemed a bit inconsistent as well; a putt that rolled well past the hole on one green would come up short on the next. Although in relatively good shape - a couple had some brown, dead areas - the greens lacked character and were somewhat of a disappointment.

All of the par 3s have a 'Wall of Fame' where recent hole-in-one achievements were on display, which was a nice touch. A menu located in each golf cart offers golfers the opportunity to call in food orders that can be ready at the turn. We took advantage of this service during our visit and found the food to be excellent and the prices reasonable. The restaurant in the clubhouse has nightly specials and serves meals in a relaxed, casual setting. The golf and restaurant staff was attentive to our needs and added to the enjoyment of our round of golf.

Shamrock Heights is about an hour west of Green Bay and if you're looking for a relaxed golfing experience at an affordable price, you might want to give them a try.

Latest Update: 12/26/2010