March 16, 2021
Through a donation from Michael and Jocelyn Keiser, the City of Madison expects to have a new and improved Glenway Golf Course by the end of 2021. According to the project webpage, “Michael Keiser, who draws his eco-centric inspiration from renowned naturalists as well as age-old public courses in Scotland and Ireland, approached Madison Parks and the Madison Parks Foundation, to redesign and reconstruct the 9-hole Glenway Golf Course.”
Proposed Improvements to Glenway Golf Course
The golf course would experience a 20% decrease in maintained open space, a 50% increase in playability, and a 1400% increase in native landscape restoration compared to current conditions. The project would also enhance a sense of community by offering multi-use opportunities. Some proposed options include morning yoga, community walking trails, and a public putting green. The City of Madison has a project webpage with links to public presentations, memos, and other resources for more specifics.
Connection to Lake Wingra’s Watershed
On March 10, 2021, the Board of Parks Commissioners adopted the master plan for the golf course. We (Friends of Lake Wingra) are generally excited about this opportunity. We expect it to enhance the quality of stormwater management in our watershed. To help increase infiltration in the watershed, the Wingra Watershed Management Plan identified opportunities for Glenway Golf Course. The Wingra Watershed Management Plan has a goal to restores 25% of infiltration lost due to development. Infiltration helps restore Wingra’s spring flow.
Springs make up about 35% of Lake Wingra’s water budget. They provide habitat to wildlife and native plants and help provide a source of cool water to Lake Wingra. Urban development has decreased the amount of infiltration and caused some springs to stop providing groundwater flow to the lake. To emphasize the golf course’s connection to the Wingra Watershed Management Plan, we submitted public comments that go into a bit more detail on that particular topic.
Featured photo from City of Madison