![\"Odana](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/I2QKOUH4O5GCBJGMUA2AFHXHUI.jpg\")
Odana Hills and Monona golf courses open for 2025 season(wmtv)<\/p>\nMADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – The Odana Hills Golf Course on the west side of Madison is slated to get a multi-million dollar makeover, courtesy of a world-renowned golf course designer. <\/p>\n
The 18-hole course opened in 1955, and the city says it\u2019s due for an upgrade. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one of the busiest golf courses in the state, but it needs capital reinvestment,\u201d said City of Madison Parks Superintendent Eric Knepp. <\/p>\n
Odana Hills and Monona golf courses open for 2025 season(wmtv)<\/p>\n
According to Knepp, Michael and Jocelyn Keiser are paying for the multi-million dollar redesign and construction of the course. The Keisers are Madison residents. Michael Keiser is well-known in the golf world for creating, owning, and operating some beautiful courses in his career, including Sand Valley in Adams County Wisconsin. <\/p>\n
\u201cMichael and Jocelyn Keiser are a wonderful couple in our community who have previous supported The Glen Golf Park project with private donations and expertise. That expertise Michael has in golf is renowned. He has an acute sense of high-quality golf course design and the ability to leverage a lot of his wonderful talents into reality,\u201d said Knepp. <\/p>\n
The Keisers were behind a similar project in Madison several years ago. The Glen Golf Park project <\/a>was completed in 2022. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s monumental,\u201d said Ty Beck, president of the Madison Parks Foundation. \u201cTo have the opportunity to do this again, I\u2019m getting chills right now, it\u2019s so monumental for the city.\u201d<\/p>\n Knepp estimates the Odana Hills golf course re-design, including construction, will cost around $4.5 to $5 million. Again, that would be paid for by the Kesiers. However, the other aspects of the project, including building a new clubhouse and parking lot, will be paid for, at least in part, by the city. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really cool to be a part of something that delivers the excellence our community deserves and expects for public spaces,\u201d said Knepp. <\/p>\n \u201cThe level of expertise that Michael and his team bring to the table is beyond compare. As someone who does play golf, his courses are amazing. His attention to every detail and every aspect, not just for golfers, but for other people visiting the park is amazing,\u201d said Beck. <\/p>\n Knepp hopes to break ground on the project sometime this fall. He expects Odana Hills to be closed for all of 2027. If all goes according to plan, golf will begin on the new course sometime in 2028. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really a pretty aggressive timeline for the city but one we think can be done with such an amazing partnership,\u201d said Knepp. <\/p>\n Beck believes the City of Madison is lucky to have the Keisers donating their time, talent, and money for a second time. <\/p>\n \u201cI would say that this is \u2018Mega Millions lotto\u2019 lucky. And even more so, this is not the first time this has happened,\u201d Beck said referring to The Glen project. <\/p>\n The final design for Odana Hills is not yet complete, it\u2019s still relatively early in the process. The City of Madison would have to approve the project, but Knepp believes it will get plenty of support. <\/p>\n \u201cWe are looking at taking something from good to great to next level and we want to be the next NEXT level,\u201d said Beck. \u201cThis isn\u2019t just putting an asset in for now, this is putting an asset to the city forever,\u201d<\/p>\n Knepp says they will listen to the public\u2019s thoughts on the project in the coming weeks and months. <\/p>\n Madison Parks plans to present an outline and timeline of the proposed project at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, during the Board of Plan Commissioners meeting. <\/a><\/p>\n