
Old Hickory Course
Old Hickory Country Club


About this course
Old Hickory Country Club in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, was designed by Tom Bendelow, the prolific Scottish-born architect who laid out hundreds of courses across the American Midwest in the early twentieth century. Bendelow, who worked for A.G. Spalding and later independently, typically created straightforward, playable designs suited to modest budgets and rolling agricultural terrain. His courses often featured strategic bunkering and greens that rewarded accurate approach play without requiring extensive earthmoving. The course occupies land characteristic of southern Wisconsin's glacial topography, with gentle rolls and mature tree growth framing the holes. Bendelow's routing philosophy emphasized variety in hole length and direction while maintaining walkability, a practical consideration for clubs serving local membership. The layout reflects the design sensibilities of its era, when courses were built to accommodate players of varying skill levels and to integrate naturally into the existing landscape. Old Hickory serves as a traditional community club in Beaver Dam, a small city situated between Madison and Fond du Lac. The facility provides a classic example of early American golf architecture adapted to the upper Midwest, where courses balanced competitive interest with accessibility. Like many Bendelow designs, it has likely seen modifications over the decades to accommodate modern equipment and maintenance practices while retaining the fundamental character of its original routing and strategic concepts.
Quick facts
- Location
- Beaver Dam, WI, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1920
- Holes
- 18
- Designer
- Tom Bendelow
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 6,707 yards
- Difficulty
- 72.8/130
- Course Vaults score
- 6.8
Getting there
Old Hickory Country Club is reached most directly via General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, roughly an hour's drive to the northeast, though Chicago's O'Hare serves as a viable alternative for those approaching from the south. The route north from Milwaukee traces the edge of Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine region before settling into the gently rolling farmland and glacial terrain that defines Dodge County. As Highway 151 gives way to quieter state routes, the landscape opens into a patchwork of cornfields and dairy country, and the final turn toward Beaver Dam reveals Old Hickory's tree-lined fairways rising from the prairie - a classic Midwestern club arrival, understated and welcoming in equal measure.

FAQ
Common questions about Old Hickory
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Old Hickory has a Course Vaults score of 6.8 out of 10 based on 10 logged golfers.
Old Hickory was designed by Tom Bendelow.
Yes. Old Hickory is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Old Hickory is 72.
Old Hickory plays 6,707 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Old Hickory is 130.



