Long Bridge Golf Course

Long Bridge Golf Course sits just north of Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport outside Springfield, Illinois, overlooking the Sangamon River Valley. Designed and built by Merle Buerkett, it opened in 1998 and occupies a natural setting that feels removed from the city, with stands of timber and surrounding tall grasses that shelter birds and other wildlife.

The layout routes around two six-acre ponds. Fairways and tee boxes are bluegrass, the greens bentgrass, and the rough a bluegrass-fescue mix, creating wide, playable corridors. Greens are moderately generous and roll true, though their undulation and speed reward a careful read. Choosing the right angle for approach shots is a central part of the challenge, making the course a test of course management as much as ball-striking for golfers of varied ability.