This feature is the first of a series of reviews for golf courses in the Kosciusko County area.

SYRACUSE – If it had been a foggy morning, you may have been able to hear the bagpipes along the rolling hills of Maxwelton Golf Club. Placed on the northern border of Kosciusko County with a peek of Syracuse Lake to the south, the old gem of an 18-hole course plays between 5,728 and 6,490 yards.

The view from the tee on No. 5 in scenic, but trouble lurks in the distance.

Maxwelton, named from the inspiration of the old Scottish ballad, “Maxwelton By The Sea”, has not only been a great public course for several decades, but is the home to numerous annual golf outings and the host course for Wawasee and West Noble high school golf. The course is home this season to over 15 corporate outings, including Junior Achievement, the Syracuse/Wawasee Chamber of Commerce, the Wawasee Warrior Open and the Sleepy Owl fundraising event, which benefits several local children’s charities.

“This season has been very good,” said Maxwelton owner and golf pro Bob Carlson. “We are very pleased with how the course came together after the rough winter. We did not need to make any changes, which is good for everyone. The course is right where it needs to be.”

Day Played: June 10, 2014 in overcast and cool conditions. Nick and Mike golfed the front nine.

Debris gave us trouble on the second green.

Best Hole: For whatever reason, the 426-yard fourth hole afforded us the most success. It’s relatively straight except for a gradual dogleg to the right and didn’t have much in the way of hazards or difficulty on the greens. Pin was fairly placed and both of us two-putted. Both of us were golfing for the first time this season at Maxwelton and we took bogey and double bogey on the hole, but felt confident with the result.

The par-three eighth is also one of those tempting holes that, if smart, driving to the left of the pin will keep you alive. To the right, the green slopes away from the pin and also has quite a bit of rough edges. Also, overdriving the 194-yard hole can be a disaster given the slope of the green down and away from the pin placement. We both liked the hole, but fell victim to multiple putts.

Worst Hole: Hole two gave us the most trouble. And we’ve seen several others unfamiliar with the course that fall victim to its surprises. The sharp dogleg to the right on the 370-yard par four can be easily navigated for those with a natural slice, or just lay up down the middle of the fairway about 200 yards down. But those unfamiliar with the layout may find themselves overshooting the fairway and into the rough on the left edge (or right edge), where big maple trees await. The green also had seasonal issues with debris from the leaves coming in littering the entire expanse. It made for very tricky putting, to which we combined to seven-putt the obstacle course.

Major Hazards: The debris on two was frustrating, but without an employee standing on guard with a broom or leaf blower, there really isn’t anything that could have been done. Everyone had to deal with it. Hole five has a major water hazard on the green’s left edge. The beautiful weeping willow that accompanied the pond, however, is gone after weather got the best of it last November. There is water to the front of the hill on eight and the back nine features some water, as well.

Maxwelton Golf Club
5721 E. Elkhart County Line Road, Syracuse
(574) 457-3504
www.maxweltongolf.com