Stillwater Country Club

I didn't know what to expect when I got an invitation to play Stillwater Country Club. I assumed it would be nice, as most country clubs in the Twin Cities are. But I didn't think I would find one of my new favorite courses!

Stillwater Country Club is an old school design that has held up to modern equipment. Opened in 1924 with nine holes originally constructed by Tom Vardon, and later renovated to add an additional nine holes in 1959, Stillwater presents an interesting challenge on every hole. There are plenty of slopes to challenge the player while still providing ample room to play.

The conditions at Stillwater our top notch. The greens have a nice pace to them and roll true, the bent grass fairways are well maintained and play firm, and the sand while not perfect, presents a great playing surface.

Our round took less than 4 hours to complete, and I'm told this is the norm for pace of play. When I finished I had several favorite holes to look back on. The short par 4 7th, and the long par four 15th are probably my two favorite.

I loved every second of my round at Stillwater Country Club, and hope to get an invitation to go back and play soon!

Stillwater Country Club is a visually appealing parkland style course that is a genuine pleasure to play. With five sets of tees ranging from 6,800 yards and a 73.1 rating to 5,271 yards the course is playable for a variety of skill levels. The fairways are almost all sloped either right or left with significant undulation, meaning that a flat lie is hard to find. You'll be hitting shots with the ball below your feet, above your feet, uphill and downhill. And you better be in the fairway. The rough is high enough to be truly punitive. Balls that miss the fairway will often settle down into the grass and will be hard to find. If you're lucky enough to find the ball, hitting a wedge back into the fairway will usually be the prudent play. Almost all of the greens are well bunkered and will have a significant drop-off on one side or the other, so it's important to hit the green or miss on the correct side. Fortunately, there is a course tour on the club's website that provides tips on where to place your tee shot and how to approach each of the greens. Studying this course tour and making some notes will make your round easier and more enjoyable. One of our foursome commented that there isn't a hole on the entire course that is not truly visually appealing, so that it's difficult to pick out a favorite out of the eighteen. Probably two of the most memorable are the par 3 13th and the par 5 11th. As designed, the 13th plays to 175 yards from an elevated tee over a valley hazard to a severely sloped green protected by a deep bunker on the left. Unfortunately, when we played the back tee was being renovated so we had to play from an alternate tee which required a tee shot over that bunker. The 11th fairway requires a lengthy and well placed tee shot in order to avoid a downhill second shot as there is a deep valley that must be cleared. Reaching the green in regulation does not guarantee par, as the green is large, undulating, and fast. Playing at most private country clubs is almost impossible unless you're a member or know a member. However, this is not the case at the Stillwater Country Club, as the club sponsors the annual Lyle Cran Shortstop Tournament which is open to anyone. One hundred dollars will get you a qualifying round the first day and at least two 9-hole matches the second day. With a course as special as this is, that one hundred dollars is a great bargain.

I'm still new to the area and had never played the course but was invited by a friend who knows good golf. If you appreciate classic golf, you will really enjoy this course. The course tips out at 6800 and it's a solid test. Great mix of short and longer par 4s, subtle greens with plenty of speed. Hard to pick a favorite hole but #18 is fun par 5 with a fair chance to make birdie. If you get the chance to play here, you won't be disappointed.