Golden Valley Golf & Country Club

The Good: Golden Valley CC in the greater Twin Cities area was my first A.W. Tillinghast design, and boy was it a doozy! We were fortunate that the rain stayed away and the clouds eventually parted, which was a similar experience to the course. The old school design (originally a 1914 Tom Bendelow that Tilly completely redid) uniquely starts with two fairly straightaway Par-5’s and then really kicks into gear. A beautiful parkland track with distinctive, artful bunkering and very fair, fun green complexes. Excellent conditions and greens that putt so true! Superb Par-5’s, especially on the closing half and as strong of Par-3 variety that I’ve played all year. The closing stretch and walking up to see the expansive, long clubhouse the entire side of the 18th hole is one of the more memorable finishes I’ve had in years. The staff, from the moment you walk onto the property until you have drinks in the locker room, are absolutely first class. The halfway house between the 4th and 5th hole is a nice touch.

The Bad: There are some excellent individual Par-4’s, but they lack the variety compared to the Par-3’s and Par-5’s. The club was completing some outdoor renovations so was a bit under construction which was a slight bummer. The course could afford to cut down a few big trees (especially on the left of the fairway on the 10th hole) and it would be even more spectacular.

The Verdict: Of the 10 rounds I’ve played this year, Golden Valley is the best overall experience and as fun of a golf course I’ve played in a long time. It’s a poster child for what an old school private club should be: rooted in its history without significant changes to its 100+ year old course, yet no pretention or snobby feel.

Best Hole: I’m a huge fan of the short Par-5 6th, with a semi-blind tee shot to a landing area that must navigate a creek that run through the fairway, large trees that overhang and obstruct views, and a demanding approach to a very long, skinny green.

The clubhouse and amenities are fabulous. But the course is quite gimmicky and unforgiving. There are better private courses around.

If you're looking for a well laid out course with challenging greens, this is your gem. I've played this course a number of times and have never gotten sick of it. Stretching out to over 7,000 yards you can get challenged with length, accuracy, and some of the deepest bunkers in the state.

Make sure you hit the 19th hole after, because it has some great food and overlooks the 18th green.