Odana Hills Golf Course, Park & Bike Path

What is the scope of the Odana Hills Golf Course Improvement Project?

According to the adopted Odana Hills Golf Course Master Plan, the proposed baseline improvements at Odana Hills Golf Course include several components designed to enhance both the golf course and the surrounding park amenities. The golf course improvement project will focus on renovating tees, greens, and surrounding areas to improve playability and long-term course conditions. Some re-routing of existing holes, relocation of the existing driving range and the construction of new putting and chipping practice facilities is anticipated as part of the project, with exact scope dependent upon available private funding. 

In addition to the course work, the City is planning to include stormwater management improvements and a multimodal path connection along Odana Road to strengthen bike and pedestrian access through the area. 
 

Can you explain more about the partnership with Michael and Jocelyn Keiser and the Madison Parks Foundation? 

The City of Madison Parks Division is excited to announce a new partnership with Michael and Jocelyn Keiser and the Madison Parks Foundation. Through the Keisers' philanthropic vision and generous donation, we have an opportunity to reimagine, redesign and reconstruct Odana Hills Golf Course. The community may recognize the Keiser name, as this new partnership builds on the proven successful collaboration to transform The Glen Golf Park. The proposed Odana Hills project would follow a similar model but be more comprehensive than The Glen project. The course redesign and construction project, involving tees, greens and surrounds and some course routing, would be supported entirely through private donations. However, there would need to be a significantly larger investment in City and Golf Enterprise Program funding resources to achieve the best possible outcomes for the golf course and park. 

How will the golf project be leveraged to create opportunities for other much needed City projects?

The project presents great potential for the City to leverage the private donation and take advantage of the course disruption in a way that would allow for public infrastructure improvements that would otherwise be delayed for years. The Odana Hills project creates an opportunity to implement recommendations from the adopted Wingra Watershed Study that will address stormwater management and flood mitigation improvements. Likewise, the project has the potential to explore implementing recommendations from the Madison in Motion plan that could create improved bike path connections, while enhancing the overall park experience. Along with the course work, the potential for redesign and redevelopment of the eastern portion of Odana Hills, including the clubhouse, parking lot and park area (Odana Hills East Park). Each of these improvements together will result in a more resilient and sustainable activity hub that will better serve the needs of the community and park users. 

What is the scope of the Odana Hills East Park Improvements Project?

Improvements to the park and clubhouse will be guided by the adopted Odana Hills East Park Master Plan. The top priority for the Park Master Plan is the replacement of the existing clubhouse with a year-round facility that meets the broader needs of the community beyond golf. As such, the first phase of the project will include replacing the existing clubhouse, addressing transportation safety concerns by realigning driveway and bike path connection, replacing the parking lot, and replacing the playground. Project design will be refined as design development, public input and planning continue. 

Additional park improvements to be completed in future phases include replacement of the existing tennis courts to include two dedicated pickleball courts, and replacement of basketball court. The timing of future improvements will be dependent upon available funding. 

What is the project timeline?

Construction is anticipated to occur in phases. Golf course renovation work is expected to begin in the fall of 2026. Clubhouse construction, driveway, parking lot, and park amenity upgrades are expected to follow in 2027. It is expected that Odana Hills Golf Course will be closed for the 2027 season. Our goal is to reopen the fully renovated course, along with the new clubhouse and updated park amenities, to the public in 2028, pending final approvals and construction progress.

Why is this project needed?

Odana Hills Golf Course is the most popular and most profitable golf course of the City of Madison's four municipal courses.  Unfortunately, key elements of the golf course infrastructure require long-term reinvestment to ensure sustainability and quality playing conditions for years to come.  The existing clubhouse is one of the lowest-quality facilities in the Madison Parks system and does not currently meet the needs of the broader community. The parking areas and Odana Hills East Park amenities are at or near the end of their useful life. There is a demonstrable need for improved biking facilities to connect the surrounding neighborhood to and through the golf course, as well as to address safety concerns that have been identified by the neighborhood.  This project provides an opportunity to modernize the facility while preserving Odana Hills as an accessible public course, and also creating a better, more functional park that serves the broader community and expands opportunities for recreation beyond golf. 

How is this project funded?

The Odana Hills Golf Park project will be funded through a combination of private philanthropic contributions and targeted public investment by the City of Madison. The golf-specific improvements will be entirely funded by private donations through the Madison Parks Foundation, with Michael and Jocelyn Keiser generously funding improvements to the greens and approaches.  The replacement of the clubhouse will be funded by a combination of Golf Enterprise Program funding, including revenue reserves and borrowing, as well as additional City funding resources in recognition of the broader public purpose the new facility will serve. In addition, park, parking lot, and biking improvements will be funded through a combination of City funding sources from the Parks Division and Transportation capital budgets.  The new relief stormwater sewer will be funded by the Stormwater Utility capital budget. This blended approach allows the project to leverage private generosity while ensuring public resources are directed toward broader park and community needs. 

How can I support the Odana Hills Project?

We'd love your support! Your gift to the project through the Madison Parks Foundation directly supports the Odana Hills Golf Park renovation, helping make this beloved community space even better for generations of Madison residents. MPF is the official nonprofit partner to Madison Parks, and your tax-deductible donation goes to work right here in our community. Give today! Visit Madison Parks Foundation for more information or contact MPF directly to learn about giving opportunities.

Who will complete the design and construction of the golf course work?

The Odana Hills Golf Course Redesign project is expected to be a larger scale project similar to the The Glen Golf Park renovation project in 2021-2022.  The design work and construction processes will be conducted by Michael Keiser and his talented team of experts in golf course design and construction. To ensure success, they will also incorporate input from the golf staff and other key stakeholders with subject matter expertise. From start to finish, all construction will be handled by the design team. 

Who will operate and maintain the course upon completion?

Upon completion of the project the City of Madison's Golf Enterprise Program will resume operation and maintenance of the facility. 

Will greens fees increase because of this project?

Greens fees have not yet been determined for when the course re-opens. The Madison Parks Golf Program is committed to continuing to provide public golf and recreation at an exceptional value in a sustainable manner. We must remain competitive with the local market. As an enterprise program, we must also be able to cover our operating expenses with the revenue earned, while also ensuring that our fund remains healthy and viable. The Golf Enterprise has historically operated as a 72-hole program, but with the permanent closure of 18 holes at Yahara Hills, the program will operate with 54 holes going forward. To protect the long-term health of the Golf Enterprise, further analysis is needed. 

How will this project impact leagues, lessons and junior golf?

Golf staff are working with all 2026 leagues scheduled at Odana Hills to determine their needs for the 2027 season.  Based on the number of leagues that wish to temporarily relocate, the number of participants in those leagues and the number of available tee times across the 36 holes of golf we will have in 2027, golf staff will do everything we can to try to accommodate Odana Hills league play on the remaining three courses. We anticipate some adjustments may be necessary to accommodate all current leagues. Instruction and classes will continue to be offered through Change Golf Instruction at Monona Golf Course. Junior golf, run through our partners at First Tee – South Central Wisconsin, will remain at The Glen Golf Park, Yahara Hills and Monona golf courses during the 2027 season. Regular play in 2027 will continue at the three open courses. Some level of disruption is anticipated to continue into the 2028 season. Plans for the 2028 season will be determined by the fall of 2027 as the project progresses. 

How will the project impact the trees?

Some tree removal is anticipated to accommodate construction of a new clubhouse as well as to improve the natural ecosystem within the golf course. According to the adopted master plan, we anticipate approximately 250 trees will need to be removed.  The project will focus on preserving individual mature hardwood trees to the greatest extent possible, as well as preserving and restoring mature old wood lots. Odana Hills has a large number of mature trees, many are spruce species that are not native to the Wisconsin landscape and have reached the end of their lifespans in the local climate. Following the improvement project, a planting plan that emphasizes native tree species will be developed to ensure the long-term tree canopy of the course is diverse, thriving and supports a healthy natural ecosystem. 

How could the project impact stormwater?

Odana Hills is part of the West Wingra Watershed. Much of the stormwater from the west side of Madison flows through the storm ponds and existing infrastructure that are on the course. The course is naturally prone to flooding, as is the surrounding neighborhood. The course improvement project presents a very real opportunity to make much needed improvements in stormwater infrastructure without disrupting normal play. Parks Division staff are collaborating with City Engineering Stormwater staff to move forward with plans for installing a relief sewer as recommended by the adopted Watershed Study and reflected in the adopted master plan for the course. 

How could the project impact multimodal path?

The City's Madison in Motion, transportation and pedestrian network access plan shows a long-standing demonstrable need for an east-west bike path connection that would connect the Southwest Bike path with the West Towne Mall area. This will be a critical connection to promoting safe multimodal transportation. Parks Division staff are collaborating with City Engineering and Transportation Engineering to move forward with planning for biking improvements along Odana Road to connect with the Southwest bike path and surrounding neighborhood in a way that complement the course layout and improves the path experience for both golfers and path users. 

The City of Madison is planning to construct a shared-use path, with lighting, along the south side of Odana Road from Wedgewood Way to Charles Lane. The proposed off-street asphalt shared-use path will replace the existing eastbound parking/bike lane, resulting in a narrowed roadway and a terrace between the new curb alignment and the shared-use path. Along with the new curb, there will be partial asphalt replacement on Odana Road as well as storm sewer work.  The design team is also proposing new medians to facilitate pedestrian crossings at Orchard Drive and Hilltop Drive, as well as improvements to the existing median at Charles Lane. The first alternative restricts left turn movements in and out of Charles Lane, reducing bike/ped/vehicular conflicts by utilization of a new median. The second alternative allows left turn movements. Both alternatives remove the existing left turn lanes at Charles Lane to allow for a wider refuge island and utilize Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons at Charles Lane to enhance safety at the crossing.

The design team anticipates traffic impacts on Odana Road during the storm sewer, shared-use path, curb, and asphalt work. Additional details regarding traffic impacts and construction staging will be provided as the design is finalized.

For questions regarding Odana Road Shared-Use Path design contact Christopher Ross - cross@cityofmadison.com, Project Manager. 

The proposed project also provides a significant opportunity to secure a stronger financial future for the Golf Enterprise Fund (GEF). The GEF has the goal of operating independently of tax levy support, including both operating and capital costs. The GEF struggled significantly to meet this goal over the 2000-2019 period, with both fund position and condition continuing to weaken. By 2019, liabilities exceeded assets and the GEF regularly had negative operating income. Since 2020, the GEF has improved significantly with both a strengthening of net position and annual operating income being positive each year. There are a number of factors that have contributed to this, but certainly a significant contributor has been the privately supported capital contribution to the GEF’s assets through The Glen project. Replicating that model will allow the GEF to grow its assets by millions of dollars and have a more secure future revenue stream to support long-term operational success. 

The Task Force on Municipal Golf in Madison Parks final report that was adopted by Common Council in 2021 created a future vision that continues to guide the work of the Golf Program. These recommendations set the table for this unique collaboration. Building from the momentum of The Glen project, this project will strive to directly address at least half of the 10 recommendations set forth by the Task Force. 

• The City should provide Municipal Golf in Madison Parks. 
  • This project would improve the 18-hole Odana Hills Course so that it will be available for generations to come with limited City investment required. Odana has long been the Golf Program’s most successful course, and having it redesigned by a world-class golf course development team will only increase its impact.
• The City should work to promote positive ecological outcomes at the golf courses through reducing reliance on limited natural resources and providing ecological assets. 
  • Utilizing a similar conservationist-inspired model to The Glen and expanding on quality natural areas already present at Odana, the proposed design will emphasize sound active ecological restoration strategies and techniques that will position the course for long-term sustainability by restoring native habitat.
  • The project will correspond with the Golf Program’s plans to install an irrigation well, ending the need to rely on the municipal water services for irrigation.
  • The design will maximize ecological value of the landscape to areas that are no longer manicured turf, increasing biodiversity of flora and fauna, including pollinators.  The design would also promote the long-term health of the landscape through removal and pruning of select trees, replanting of appropriate tree species, restoration of native understory/savannah plantings, and establishment of native prairie areas.  
• The City should work with stakeholders and staff to develop a specific action plan to promote equity and inclusion at all courses. 
  • As proven at The Glen, Michael has extensive knowledge in golf course designs and recognizing that many of today’s courses are geared towards advanced male players. Michael’s design will seek to remove gender biases, making the course more enjoyable for all ages, genders and abilities.
• The City should work with residents, stakeholders, and partners to promote wider utilization by the community of the golf courses to better integrate the courses into the wider park system for uses other than golf.  
  • Inspired by the Scottish principles of municipal golf, where walking and biking coexist alongside the game of golf, the design will seek to connect a variety of members of the public with the natural beauty of the course for purposes other than golf. 
  • The redesign of the clubhouse and park area will allow for a more welcoming and intentionally designed activity hub that greatly increases the potential for golf park programming. 
• The City should ensure that if City resources are used to invest in capital projects at golf courses it is done in an equitable and fiscally responsible manner to reduce negative impact on park services across the system. 
  • Aside from staff involvement, the course improvement project will be fully-funded through private donations led by the Keiser family and Madison Parks Foundation.  
  • The Golf Program is prepared to fund the clubhouse replacement project through golf reserves and golf borrowing. However, the City has an opportunity to leverage resources from various funding sources to make much needed and long-anticipated infrastructure improvements in this area. 
• The City should work with the University of Wisconsin, including the OJ Noer Ag Research Station, to develop Integrated Pest Management protocols that are at the forefront of managing public golf courses. 
  • The Golf Program has a long-standing relationship with OJ Noer and will continue to engage with research staff as the course design moves forward and as the course improvements come on line following construction. 

As of early March 2026, a final timeline has not yet been confirmed, however, this project will need to move forward on an accelerated schedule in order to align partners and funding. If approvals and planning continue as anticipated, course work will begin as early as fall of 2026. A donation of this magnitude will require a formal legal agreement, which is expected to be in place by early summer 2026. Staff will continue to work with the Madison Parks Foundation as well as the Keiser’s to ensure this is completed in a timely manner. An updated conceptual master plan for Odana Hills Golf Course and Park will need to be approved by the Board of Park Commissioners. Common Council and other committees will need to consider and take action any necessary agreements to allow the project to occur. Staff will continue to coordinate with all other City agency stakeholders to advance plans for public infrastructure improvements that will require approval and funding authorized by Common Council as well.

A project of this magnitude will require course closure. It is anticipated that at least a portion of the Odana Golf Course will need to close before the end of the 2026 season. At this point full closure of Odana Hills Golf Course is expected through the 2027 season and early into the 2028 season. The overarching goal is to time all aspects of the course and park improvement projects to be complete at the time of course reopening in 2028. A temporary closure of Odana Hills will have significant impacts on the Golf Program, golfers, as well as park users through the duration of the project. This interruption is necessary to maximize long-term impact and allow for meaningful reinvestment. This interruption will also mean a financial impact through lost revenue for the Golf Enterprise. However, it seems wiser to have a revenue loss and massive capital infrastructure infusion from private support than to have sustaining revenue with a rapidly deteriorating asset generating the revenue. Staff are working on a report regarding the financial condition and position of the Golf Enterprise and will complete that work as the 2025 Audit is completed.

Odana Hills is a well-loved by the community. This project will generate a lot of interest and excitement, and the Parks Division is committed to communicating clearly and regularly as plans are finalized. The Parks Division is committed to ensuring that Odana Hills remains a welcoming, accessible and high-quality public golf course that serves the entire community for generations to come. An informational presentation will be provided to the Board of Park Commissioners at the March 11, 2026 meeting. Staff are planning for public engagement and stakeholder involvement opportunities, as well as preparing a project website. More details will be shared as they become available.