Grafton Golf: A 9-Hole Club and a River Island

Grafton golf comes down to two courses with completely different personalities: a mature nine-hole club whose restaurant draws people who are not even playing, and a free three-hole par-3 on an island in the Milwaukee River that might be the most charming little course in the county. Whether you want a proper round and a fish fry afterward or a free, low-stakes outing with the kids, here is what each one actually is and which to pick.

Edgewater Golf Club

Edgewater Golf Club is Grafton's full-service course, and it is as much a local gathering spot as a place to play. It is a mature nine-hole regulation course, par 36 over roughly 3,045 yards, designed by Howie Atton and opened in 1963, with two par-5 holes, tree-lined fairways and bent-grass greens; a second set of tees lets you play a full eighteen by going around twice. David and Jeannie Hubacek have run it since 1978, keeping it open to the public with a relaxed, almost private feel. It sits about a mile and a half west of Interstate 43 on Cedar Creek Road, a short drive from downtown. It is a genuinely good course for beginners to mid-handicappers, challenging enough to be interesting without being punishing.

The course is nearly as well known for The Bunkers, its on-site restaurant, which turns out a Friday fish fry that regularly gets named among the county's best, a Saturday prime rib, and a full sandwich and dinner menu to golfers and walk-ins alike. That makes Edgewater an easy pick for a round with a proper meal built into the day, or just lunch or dinner if you are not playing at all.

River Island Park Golf Course

River Island Park Golf Course is the town's other option, and a genuinely one-of-a-kind one: a free three-hole par-3 set on an island in the Milwaukee River, at 1650 Nancy Lynn Court in a quiet subdivision. It is not a full course and does not pretend to be, and that is the whole appeal. The story locals tell is that a resident named Bob Monnot built it on his own land near his house and donated it to the parks department after he died, on the condition that it stay free and open to everyone. The first tee sits in the middle of a cul-de-sac, in the grass at the centre of the road; the opening hole plays about a hundred yards over the pavement and the river, and the remaining two run down and back along a field.

It is short, walkable, free, and completely low-pressure, which makes it perfect for kids, beginners, or anyone who wants to hit a few balls after work without a tee time or a green fee. Bring your own clubs and balls, expect a rough-and-ready setup rather than manicured greens, and take it for what it is: a quirky, free, three-hole novelty that a lot of towns would love to have.

Which to play

Pick Edgewater when you want a real round of nine (or eighteen the long way) and a meal to go with it, especially on a Friday when the fish fry is on. Pick River Island when you want a free, quick, walkable few holes in a genuinely unusual riverside setting, or when you are handing a club to a child or a first-timer. Between them, Grafton covers both a proper golf outing and a free after-work novelty without leaving town.

If the round turns into a full day out, the town's taprooms and brewpub are the natural stop for a pint afterward.

And the rest of the town's parks, shops and blues history are only a few minutes away when you are done.