5Mike113

The golf course at Dellwood Country Club, formerly Dellwood Hills Golf Club, is situated in a low-lying mostly marshy tract of land. As a result, the course is fairly flat, with no major elevation changes, and many watery penalty areas throughout. There are six sets of tees ranging from 7,028 to 5,371 yards, so players of all skill levels can choose an appropriate yardage. The Gold (middle men’s) tees are 6,439 yards, and provide plenty of challenge. Tree coverage is fairly sparse on most holes. When we played, the rough was high enough to cover any balls that left the fairway, making them difficult to find. Fairways are comfortably wide but, possibly due to a high water table, several of them have furrows that run across them, giving them the appearance of a washboard. Balls landing in these areas will leave you difficult downhill or uphill lies. Greens are smooth and fast, most of them with a definite slope but with no severe undulations. Judge the speed correctly and every GIR becomes a birdie opportunity. Holes present a good variety of looks, with both right and left doglegs, long and short holes, and some very interesting par 3 holes. One of the more interesting holes is the dogleg left 390 yard par 4 seventh. A pond guards the inside corner of the almost ninety degree dogleg. You can challenge the pond and be left with a short iron or middle iron to the hole or play safe by going right of the pond, but choosing the safe route can have an undesirable result if the tee shot is hit too well and goes through the fairway and into the rough or trees on the other side. The eleventh hole is a 408 yard par 4 that is fairly straight, but has ponds right and left that are connected by a channel that cuts across the fairway about 250 yards from the Gold tees. Stay in the fairway and you’ll have a good chance of making par or better on the second handicap hole on the course. The par 5 thirteenth hole is 475 yards from the gold tees. This dogleg left hole has water running across the fairway about 90 yards short of the green, giving you a choice on your second shot of “going for it” or laying up to a preferred yardage for a wedge or short iron to the slightly elevated green. All in our foursome had played Dellwood before and all enjoyed the round, lamenting that as a private course we had few chances to play here except for charity events or MGA tournaments.

Creeks Bend Golf Course is set on what was formerly farmland with lots of marshy areas and a creek meandering through the property. The course isn’t long, 6,293 yards from the back tees. Three additional sets of tees range down to 4,866 yards. The routing of the front nine takes you up the side of a hill and then back down. The back nine starts out on gently rolling terrain, but then holes 14 through 17 are routed around a marshy area and are fairly flat. Fairways are generously wide and there is sparse tree cover throughout the course. We played on opening day of the 2019 season so the course was “walking only”. There were piles of snow throughout the course and many fairways were quite squishy, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to make any judgements about the quality of the greens, fairways, and rough. No doubt things would be quite different in normal conditions. A proper warmup is advised before heading to the first tee, because your round will start off with two of the three most difficult holes on the course. On the first hole, a 374 yard par 4, a creek runs along the left side of the fairway before angling across in front of the green. The green is set at an angle to the fairway, paralleling the creek and increasing the difficulty of the approach shot. A par here will be well-earned. The second hole is a 431 yard par 4, with the fairway sloping from right to left. The green is elevated above the fairway, making the hole play longer. After playing the front nine, those in our group were impressed by the variety of the hole layouts. This variety continued throughout the second nine as well. The 380 yard par 4 twelfth has a pond on the left about 220 yards from the tee, and additional water running crosswise will require a 250 yard carry to clear. A landing area short and right of the water will set up a long but safe approach shot. The 14th is a 474 yard par 5. There is a large landing area for the first shot, but tee balls that are longer than 260 yards or so will run out of the fairway and into the marsh, especially on the right. A straight shot to the green is discouraged by a stand of trees directly on the target line. A safer shot to the right of the trees will leave a wedge shot to the green and a chance at birdie. This was the first time at Creeks Bend for all in our foursome, but all agreed that a summer round at this course would be welcome.

Kilkarney Hills Golf Course is set in the middle of rolling farmland, with no houses adjoining the course to distract from the experience. The course has four sets of tees ranging from 6,500 yards to 4,960 yards, so can be enjoyed by golfers of varying skill levels and abilities. We played the middle (white) tees at 6,091 yards. Driving onto the grounds of the course and up the hill to the clubhouse, you have the anticipation of a round of golf full of ups and downs on rolling terrain. Then you hit the reality of the first six holes of the course, which are set on a flat plateau-like piece of land. These holes are fairly straight and fairly flat, and really nothing special. Tree coverage on this part of the course is fairly sparse, except around a few of the greens. The green on the 482 yard par 5 third hole is an example of this, as a large oak tree guards the front right of the green. Going left is no bargain, however, because a water hazard runs all the way from the front left of the green to the back right and there is very little room for error. The promised hills finally come into play on the seventh hole, a 302 yard par 4 that doglegs slightly to the right. The tee is considerably elevated above the fairway, but trees on the inside of the dogleg hide the green so long hitters may think twice before trying to go for it. An iron or hybrid is probably the best shot off the tee and should lead to an easy par or birdie. The 547 yard eleventh is one of the most difficult par 5 holes I’ve ever played. The fairway curls uphill and to the right all the way to a green that is tilted from left to right. It takes a better than average tee shot and a well-placed second shot to be able to reach the green in three. Once on, if you’re above the hole you’ll do well to avoid a three-putt. A really difficult hole! The back nine has two very short par 4 holes that some players may call quirky and not like. The 248 yard twelfth and the 262 yard fifteenth will tempt some longer hitters to go for the green, but doing so will require carrying some fairly high trees. A better play is to go for the middle of the fairway to a good wedge distance, remembering to allow for the considerably elevated greens. The finishing hole is a 416 yard par 4 that plays quite a bit longer because it runs uphill all the way. Make a par here and you’ll deserve a cold beverage in the very inviting bar and grill in the clubhouse. Despite the disappointment with the opening holes, I really enjoyed playing this course. The greens are smooth, fast, and run true. Mostly disc-shaped, they have none of the undulations you’ll find on other courses, so if you’re on in regulation you’ll have a good chance of making birdie. I didn’t make as many as I would have liked, so I will be back to try again.

I didn’t see any gophers, but there are definitely hills at Gopher Hills Golf Course. Rolling topography and significant elevation changes from fairways to greens make the course seem to play longer than the posted yardages. The course names its front and back nines The Heath and The Glen respectively. True to its name, the Heath is wide open, with very sparse tree coverage, mostly immature evergreens, and quite a few areas of native grass. These grassy areas present the major hazards to be avoided on this nine, as there are very few bunkers and what little water there is on the course is really not in play. The third hole is 349 yards from the White tees, but plays longer because the green is elevated quite a bit above the fairway. In addition, the green is raised, with a false front and sloping sides that don’t seem to want to hold approach shots. Par here is well earned. From the ekevated tees, the landing area on the ninth fairway, set at an angle to the direction of the tee shot, seems very narrow, with OB on the left and a lateral hazard on the right. Luckily, the tee ball doesn’t have to be very long, as the hole is only 349 yards from the White tees and this green is one of the few that is not elevated. The Glen has elevation changes similar to The Heath, but has more hardwood tree coverage on several holes. In addition, there are a few water hazards that must be avoided, most notably on the approach shot of the par 5 11th hole. The dogleg left par 4 10th is short at 284 yards from the White tees, but there are two large trees like goalposts framing the approach to the green. These trees will block the approach from a tee shot that is short left or too long right. The 460 yard par 5 17th hole doglegs left and then slightly right, running uphill all the way. The approach shot is blind, and golfers are asked to ring a bell by the green when they have finished putting out. The fairways at Gopher Hills were generously wide, with a few exceptions. The rough just off the fairway on The Glen seemed to our group to be thicker and longer than what we saw on The Heath. This may have been due to our losing a few balls on the back nine. Our group didn’t score as well as we would have liked, but we all enjoyed playing the course and vowed that next time we play this course we will definitely take more club on those uphill approaches.

What a beautiful course! Dutch Legacy at Cragun’s Resort is an excellent example of northwoods Minnesota golf. Wide, expansive undulating fairways, stands of mature trees, and lots of marshy areas that you will have to carry either off the tee or on the approach to the green. The view from almost every tee is picture-worthy. And some views make you want to be the last in your group to tee off. Those marshy carries can be intimidating, especially the many cape-like holes where you can take on as much of the marsh as you dare in order to have a shorter second shot. The other danger, of course, is going through the fairway if you choose a shorter carry and ending up in the marsh or woods on the other side of the fairway. Luckily, there are six sets of tees, so you can choose the one that best suits your game and your length off the tee. Don’t let false pride cost you too many balls! Once you’re on the green, the fun is just beginning. The greens aren’t overly fast, but just moderately speedy. Most of them have a back to front slope, and you definitely don’t want to be above the hole. The GPS units on the riding carts can be very helpful, because they show the exact distance to the pin. If you find yourself with a relatively straight putt, the greens run very true, so get it to the cup with a confident stroke. One of those “don’t be above the pin” holes is the short par 3 eighth, which is only 120 yards from the “combo” tees. Standing on the tee box you see nothing but a sea of sand fronting the green on both sides. You don’t want to be short in the sand, so the tendency is to go long, and then you’ll be above the pin. Try for a two-putt and move on. The par 4 fourteenth hole is interesting because it has two greens. Depending on which one you’re playing you’ll either have a dicey approach shot over a marsh (380 yards total) or a much easier and shorter shot (318 yards total) over land to the green. The 492 yard par 5 sixteenth features two fairway approaches separated by a marshy area. The right fairway is shorter, but the second shot must fit into a very narrow area to set up an approach shot over the marsh to the green. The left fairway is “safer” but a little longer. The clubhouse at the course is first-rate, with a very well stocked pro shot and an excellent bar and grill operation with lots of seating both inside and outside where one can enjoy the view. This was my second time playing this course. The first time I was just overwhelmed by the whole experience and so missed out on many of the nuances of the course and the beauty of the design and strategy that Robert Trent Jones, Jr. built into the course. I will definitely be back when I can.

Established in 1915, Red Wing Golf Club is one of the oldest courses in Minnesota. Happily, it retains the old-style parkland look, having relatively narrow fairways lined with large old oaks and cottonwoods. As is common with older courses, many of the fairways run adjacent to each other, but because of the heavy tree coverage, mishit balls will catch wood and drop, instead of running into another fairway. Set in the bluffs overlooking the city, the terrain is sloped in most places and several holes have significant elevation changes from tee to green. The greens are very well conditioned, with gentle contours that make reading putts quite difficult. They are mostly moderately fast, but the speed of some downhill putts may be surprising. Rough is high enough to make finding a ball difficult. The total yardage indicated on the scorecard doesn’t seem excessive, at 6,206 yards from the tips and 5,848 yards from the middle men’s (White) tees. But holes that run uphill play quite a bit longer than the indicated yardage. One good example of this is the 309 yard (from the White tees) par 4 ninth hole. This sounds like driver and wedge, but our foursome found that our drives didn’t go nearly as far uphill as we thought they would, and then only two of us took enough club on our second shot to reach the green. Holes that run downhill are the other side of the coin. The par 3 tenth hole is 163 yards from the White tees, but the green is about 40 feet below the tee. My 9-iron, which I generally hit 120 to 125 yards, settled in the middle of the green. The 160 yard par 3 thirteenth is just the opposite, playing more like 190 or even 200 yards uphill. The course has a lot of memorable holes, starting with the first, a 415 yard par 4. Standing on the tee box, you’ll see a downhill slope in front of you to a fairway lined with oaks and the green in the distance. Your tee ball will seem to take forever to land and you’ll be happy with your distance due to the drop from tee to fairway. The tee box on the par 4 dogleg left sixteenth hole is similarly elevated quite a lot above the fairway. Take time to look at the view above and beyond the turn of the dogleg as well as behind you to the bluff overlooking the tee box. Really nice! The finishing hole is a bear, a 372 yard dogleg right par 4. Your tee shot needs to end up on the left side of the fairway, because a large tree protects the green on the right side. By now you’ll know to take enough club to reach the elevated green. A par on this hole is well-earned. Whatever score you make on your round, you’ll be able to enjoy a cold beverage and a good lunch in the clubhouse grill as you make plans to return and take this course on again.

Highland National Golf Course is a parkland style municipal course, and like many other similar courses has many fairways running parallel to each other. Unfortunately, over the last few years the course has lost a significant number of trees, so that it is not unusual to see balls from other holes landing in the fairway you’re playing. The property has a significant slope from west to east, so on about half of the holes you’re either hitting to a green elevated above the fairway, or hitting from an elevated tee down to the fairway. Fairways are in good condition, and will give you lots of roll. The rough is not very high, but is quite thick, so in many cases your best option off the fairway is to hit a wedge back to the short grass. The most difficult part of playing the course for our foursome was the greens. They are smooth, gently contoured, moderately fast, and very difficult to read. Our foursome kept hitting putts that looked good until they got to about six inches from the cup, at which point they turned to miss going in. Very frustrating! One commented that he had never seen so many putts from two to four feet missed by one foursome. It had been a year or two since I had last played this course, and was pleasantly surprised to see that the greens had greatly improved in that time. Previously, they had been marred by many unrepaired ball marks, leaving many bare spots on the green. It appears that regulars have learned to fix their ball marks, making a great difference. The course provides a guidebook which is a great help to players in visualizing the holes and provides tips on playing each hole. Our foursome enjoyed playing the course, even though our putting led to scoring higher than we liked. About the only shortcoming to the course was the system of signaling pin placement on the green. Instead of the usual red, white and blue flags, the course uses flags that are red and white, blue and white and black and white. The problem is that it is difficult from a distance to distinguish between the blue and black flags, leading to mistakes in club selection on several holes. Management may want to consider using different color flags. Nevertheless, our experience this round makes us want to play the course again.

Short hitters who can hit their ball where they aim it and stay in the fairway will enjoy playing Victory Links. Longer hitters who spray the ball will have a more difficult time. The course has six sets of tees ranging from a championship-length 7,048 yards down to a beginning junior length of 2,834 yards. The tips play to a rating of 75.0 and slope of 134. Pick the correct tees for your ability. The fairways and greens are carved out of a mostly flat, marshy piece of land. Lateral hazards are a feature of almost every hole, but it should be noted that there are three distinct types of grassy or marshy areas on the course. In addition to the red or yellow-staked lateral and direct hazards, there are environmentally sensitive grassy areas marked with green-topped white stakes and there are also unmarked grassy areas. You are asked not to enter the environmentally sensitive areas and just take a free drop, but a ball in the unmarked areas must be played with the usual stroke and distance penalty if not found. Avoiding all of these areas should not be terribly difficult, as the fairways are generously wide and in most cases the preferred landing areas can be seen from the tees. The greens tend to be fairly large, and are very smooth, rolling true but not particularly fast. They are gently contoured without the severe breaks found on many links-style greens. Most of the greens are protected by at least one fairly deep bunker. The sand in these bunkers is nicely compacted, so it’s easy to thump the ball onto the green. The 18th green has something different, sand bunkers on the right and grass bunkers, deep swales with long grass, on the left. The flat terrain might lead one to think that this course will be easy to walk. However, in several instances there are very long distances between a green and the next tee, so I would recommend that the first-time player take a cart and then decide on walking subsequent rounds. My playing partners and I, none of whom had played the course previously, really enjoyed this course even though we lost quite a few balls and didn’t score as well as we’d hoped. We will definitely be back.

Bristol Ridge Golf Course is a rural track located on a beautiful piece of rolling terrain with a few ponds and lots of trees. Most of the fairways are generously wide, although there are a few that are pretty tight and unforgiving. If you do stray from the short grass, the rough is not very high, so finding the ball and getting a club on it is generally not a problem. About half of the holes are pretty wide open, with scattered trees along the sides of the fairway. However, on a few holes, woody areas marked as lateral hazards run almost the entire length of the fairway. A few holes, beginning with the 3rd, feature a tee shot through a tree-lined chute. First-time players may not be aware that the hole opens up quite a bit in the landing area, so these holes aren’t as tight as they might appear from the tee. Greens are fairly large, smooth, and fast, not very undulating, but gently contoured. First-time players will be surprised at how much some putts break and how fast the downhill putts are. There are a number of memorable holes on the course, beginning with the picturesque par 3 fourth, 172 yards from the White (middle men’s) tees, an elevated tee box to a green with water short right and a bunker on the left. There was no wind when we played, but a regular that we were playing with noted that a windy day could really play havoc with a tee shot on this hole. The par 5 fifth hole features a tricky fairway that slopes severely in places from right to left, so that a ball hitting the middle of the fairway may end up in the rough or even in the woods past the rough. Best to aim for the extreme right side of the fairway on the tee shot and go from there. Another very pretty hole is the par 3 eleventh, short at 124 yards from the White tees. A water hazard almost surrounds the green, beginning short right and continuing around the back and long right. However, the green is quite large, so par here should not be too difficult. The 12th is a dogleg right par 5 that can present problems for longer hitters who can’t fade the ball to keep it in the fairway. One of our long hitters went through the dogleg and into the fairway of the adjacent 18th hole. However, the hole is only 480 yards from the White tees, so salvaging par should not be a problem. The dogleg left 16th hole is a long hitter’s delight, only 320 yards from an elevated tee box. The only problem is avoiding going through the fairway and into the woods that line the fairway on both sides. One of our foursome put his tee shot about 20 yards from the green, and a guy in the group behind us was about two yards short of driving the green- while we were still putting! Our round was very enjoyable and the only shortcoming I could find with the course was the condition of many of the tee areas. These were very scruffy and bare, and there were no sand fill bins to be found. Bristol Ridge is only a forty-five minute drive from the Twin Cities, and totally worth the drive. We will definitely be back.

Clifton Highlands Golf Club provides an outstanding golf experience throughout 18 holes with generously wide lush smooth fairways and well-conditioned fast, undulating greens. The course has four sets of tees ranging from 6,644 to 5,197 yards, accommodating golfers of varying abilities. Tree coverage is moderate on the parkland-style front nine and the first few holes on the back nine. Beginning with hole 14, the course starts to look more like a northern woodlands course, with heavy tree growth lining the fairways and some significant elevation changes. The rough is not very high, so balls that miss the fairway are easily found. Variety in the hole layouts makes the course especially interesting. There are right and left doglegs, uphill and downhill tee shots and approach shots, and short and long holes. From the middle men’s tees (white) the par 5 holes range from 457 to 539 yards and the par 4 holes vary from 302 to 407 yards. You’ll probably use every club in the bag during your round. As stated earlier, the greens are fairly quick, and most of them slope quite a bit from back to front, so you’ll definitely want to stay below the hole. Two members of our group managed to putt completely off the green on separate holes. One notable exception to the back to front sloping tendency is the turtle-back green on the par 4 5th hole. Approach shots hitting the right or left sides of this green are likely to bounce completely off. Best to disregard the pin position and just go for the center and hope your shot holds the green. The front nine ends with a short (457 yards from the white tees) par 5 that provides an opportunity for a birdie, or par at least, to finish the front in a positive frame of mind. Opening the back nine is another fairly short hole, a 307 yard par 4. However, the green is fronted by both a water hazard and a bunker that must be carried in order to have a chance at birdie. The finishing hole seems long on the scorecard at 539 yards from the white tees. But because the tee box is somewhat elevated, the distance is manageable for the average golfer. Your second shot will be somewhat blind, but aiming at the flagpole in the distance will get you to the dogleg, setting up your approach shot. Remember to try to stay below the pin, and you’ll have a chance to finish your round with a birdie. After the round, the Highlands Grill provides a very comfortable place to enjoy a cold beverage. Clifton Highlands is about a 45 minute drive from central locations in the Twin Cities, but it is well worth the drive.

Hiawatha Golf Course is an old parkland-style muni that has seen better days. Established in the 1930’s, the course was partially flooded in 2014 and its future is currently being debated by the Minneapolis Parks Board. It is likely that the course will close or be reduced to a nine-hole track. With that background, I decided to play the course while I could. Unfortunately, my overall impression was not very positive. The fairways are sketchy at best, with many bare spots. The greens are in fairly good condition, but relatively slow on the day I played. My playing partner, a regular at the course, said that they are usually slow. Tree coverage is moderately light, and it looks as though a lot of trees have been removed over the years. Water is prominent, with large and small ponds and a creek that meanders through the course coming into play on many holes. The course is mostly flat, with minimal elevation changes. There weren’t any truly memorable holes, although several were fairly challenging, requiring a tee shot to avoid ponds both right and left of the fairway. Once that was done, however, the rest was fairly straightforward. Greenside bunkers were not too deep and not hard to escape, but many had weeds growing in them. I was disappointed with my experience, because I really wanted to like the course. But when there are other Minneapolis munis in much better condition, playing the course again is not very likely.

Whispering Pines Golf Course presents an unassuming appearance upon arrival at the parking lot. The clubhouse is small and not very well stocked. A small bar and grill provides a limited menu. The golf is a totally different story- a full menu of interesting and challenging holes. The front nine is fairly wide open, with few trees and broad fairways. There are some gentle elevations changes, but nothing too dramatic. Right and left dogleg holes require accurate placement of your tee shot after studying your options. The rough is tall enough to make finding a ball challenging, but real trouble arises only if you stray quite far from the fairway into the taller grass or lateral hazards. Greens are generally sloped from back to front and surprisingly fast. The par 3 fifth hole, 174 yards from the white tees, features a large two-tiered green set at an angle to the tee shot so that the lower tier is to the left and farther from the tee. A hole cut on the extreme left will be protected by trees, making it difficult to attack the pin. Unfortunately, a putt to that location from the right side of the green will gather speed down the slope and probably go off the green. A par is a very good score on this hole. The tee shot on the dogleg right 311 yard par 4 eighth hole requires a carry over a marshy area to a fairway that angles away from the tee to the right. Going farther right will leave a shorter approach, but raises the risk of dropping in the marsh. On the other hand, a too-well struck shot farther left might go through the fairway into a bunker or tall rough. A good tee shot will leave a short iron or wedge to an elevated green protected by a bunker on the front right. The back nine is quite different, with narrower fairways, most lined with large mature oak trees. This part of the course might better be named Clattering Oaks, rather than Whispering Pines, because our foursome heard many balls hitting wood on other fairways. We hit some, too. The 405 yard par 4 twelfth requires a tee shot favoring the right side of the fairway in order to avoid trees on the left that might hamper the approach. The green slopes severely from back to front so staying below the hole is imperative in order to par this hole. The finishing hole is a 210 yard par 3 with a green that is very wide but not very deep. A bunker protects the left side of the green, and two trees set so that the farthest one is obscured by the nearest make it almost impossible to hit a pin set on the extreme right of the green. Best strategy might be to lay up short of the green, chip on, and hope for a one-putt par. This was the first time playing this course for all in our foursome, and all of us agreed that it is definitely a course we would like to play again

Eagle Ridge golf course is playable for all skill levels, having tees ranging from 6,772 yards down to 4,000 yards. The fairways are exceptionally wide and the rough is just high enough to obscure the ball while still letting you get a club on it. The only problem is that dense woods line almost every fairway, so if you do go astray you can count on losing a stroke or a ball or both. The fairways have a great deal of variety, some relatively flat and others rolling, while still others have significant elevation changes. Greens are moderately fast and roll true, and most of them slope quite a bit from back to front so you definitely don’t want to be putting from above the hole. The first fourteen holes on the course are truly scenic, so take a moment on the tee to take in the view before hitting your shot. One example is the par 3 fourth hole, 154 yards from the middle (white) men’s tees. Looking down from an elevated tee you’ll see a large green framed by bunkers on the left and a steep drop-off on the right. A large solitary specimen evergreen overlooks the green from the back left and should be out of play. On the sixth hole, a 503 yard dogleg left par 5, the spectacular view comes on the approach shot. A steep drop-off looks over the green flanked by a pond on the right and a lateral hazard on the left. Choose your club carefully to account for the downhill shot and the fairly deep green. As you approach the tee box for the 14th hole, be sure to take in the view of Trout Lake. This view can be a distraction from the two longer tees, but your tee shot on this 559 yard (from the back tees) par 5 must be well struck in order to reach the green in regulation. After playing the first fourteen holes on this course, the last four were a definite let-down. Holes 15 through 18 are routed away from the woods and around the driving/practice area, a wide open, fairly flat piece of ground with no trees to speak of. It seemed somewhat anticlimactic. The course management might consider switching the nines so that these holes come more in the middle of the round so that the golf experience begins and ends on a high note. Other than that, I really enjoyed playing the course and would highly recommend it.

Pokegama Golf Course is relatively short (6,426 yards from the tips), and with six sets of tees and two additional combo tees is a family-friendly track that attracts golfers of all skill levels. The course is set on generally flat terrain, although a few holes do have some gently rolling stretches and slight elevation changes. Tree coverage is sparse and mainly serves to provide separation (and protection!) between adjacent fairways. Fairways are generously wide, and the rough is short enough that it doesn’t cover the entire ball. Our foursome was able to recover every ball that strayed from the fairway without much difficulty. The greens were surprisingly fast, with most of them having a pronounced back to front slope. The course is enjoyable to play, but there really aren’t any of the truly memorable or spectacularly scenic holes that one might expect to find on a northern Minnesota course. The opening hole is a fairly easy 348 yard (from the white tees) par 4, straight and with no bunkers or hazards in sight. The tee shot on the second hole, a 372 yard par 4 requires about a 160 yard carry over a water hazard, which shouldn’t be a problem for most. One of the prettiest holes on the course is the par 3 17th, 141 yards to a green surrounded by three bunkers and with a large tree protecting the right front. If the pin is on the right side of the green, you must carry the tree and avoid the bunker in order to attack the pin. Otherwise, go for the center of the green and take a two putt par. Our foursome found the most difficult hole to be the par 4 14th, 398 yards from the white tees with a slight dogleg to the left. Once you reach your ball after your tee shot, you’ll see a green that slopes severely to the left, with a bunker and lateral hazard on the left. Rather than chancing a hybrid or long iron, two of our foursome chose to lay up in order to have a wedge into the green. The other two opted to hit toward the right side of the green. The first choice turned out to be correct, as the latter left the golfers with a chip from a downhill lie to a green that sloped away from them. Good-bye ball! Our foursome had a pleasant time playing this course, and we all scored well enough to enjoy our post-round beverages. We would be happy to play it again when we’re in the area.

Geneva Golf Club comprises three nine-hole tracks, named Island, Ponds, and Marsh. This review covers only the Island and Ponds nines, although the Marsh nine appears to have a similar layout and course conditions to the other two. The outstanding feature about the course is water. The course is set in a marshy area and you’ll have to contend with water or marshy hazard on at least half of the holes. The fairways were in very good condition despite much recent rain, and none of them seemed to have the spongy feeling underfoot that many marshy courses have. The rough was kept at a playable level, meaning you could get a club on the ball, but not necessarily a fairway wood. The greens for the most part were quite large, with subtle undulations and ran very true. They were moderately fast, but because it had rained overnight they might have been slowed down a bit from their normal speed. The course presents numerous challenges in the form of forced carries either on the tee shot or on the approach, but none of them are really unreasonable with a moderately good tee shot, if the golfer chooses the appropriate tee for his/her skill level. The only complaint our foursome had about the course was the goofy routing. The nines are quite intertwined, running through and past each other. There is quite a bit of directional signage, but sometimes it was not sufficient and many times groups in our tournament found themselves going the wrong way from green to tee. The course architect, Joel Goldstrand, did a very good job of making each hole as distinctive as possible, given the similarity of much of the setting The second Islands hole, a 384 yard (from the White tees) par 4 is a dogleg right with an uphill tee shot and several bunkers guarding the inside of the dogleg. A good tee shot will leave a mid or short iron to a green that looks wide open because there are no greenside bunkers, but there are two deep swales just in front of the left half of the green that will catch any balls that fall short of the green. The last hole on this nine is a par 5 that plays 508 yards from the White tees. A hazard with a tree in the middle of it will make you choose whether to go left or right of it. Choose left and you’ll have an easier second shot, but don’t go long and into the bunker to the left of the fairway. Your approach will have to carry a narrow hazard that goes all the way across the fairway. The fifth hole on the Ponds is a cute short (305 yards from the White tees) par 4. The tee shot is over a pond to a fairway set at almost at a right angle. Leave your driver in the bag because it’s easy to go through the fairway to the hazard on the other side. The seventh on the Ponds nine plays to 168 yards from the White tees to a green set at a diagonal to the left. Club selection is critical here because the green is very long and there could be a three club difference from a pin set front right to one set back left. Although none of us shot as well as we would have liked, all in our foursome enjoyed playing the course, and I would like to have the opportunity to play the Marsh nine that we missed on this visit.

Alexandria Golf Club is one of the oldest golf courses in Minnesota, and the look and feel of the course reflects this, especially the front nine which was built many years before the back. The front nine has undulating fairways that are generously wide and lined with old oak trees. The rough is not terribly punitive, and our group managed to find all our balls that wandered from the fairway. The guys in our foursome had played courses all over the state and all agreed that these greens were among the fastest they’d played all year. Subtle breaks and concern about downhill putts screaming past the hole meant that many putts were left short and there were few one-putt greens in our group. Most of the greens slope from back to front, and many of them are built slightly above the fairway with a definite false front. Several chips from off the green ended up rolling back to the feet of the unfortunate golfer. The back nine looks quite different from the front. Evergreen trees, cottonwoods, and other trees dominate and there are few old oak trees. But the fairways and greens are consistent with the front, and the greens are just as smooth and fast. A major novelty of the course is that three greens are shaped as the outlines of Minnesota, Texas, and Oklahoma. Minnesota is understandable, but I had to ask about Oklahoma and Texas and was told by a staff member that several of the early founding members of the club had connections to those states. The seventh hole, a par 3, plays to 138 yards from the member tees. The elevated tees allow you to see the Minnesota-shaped green with water on the left and OB on the right. A sign tells you the placement of the pin by reference to a Minnesota city- Winona would be front right and Thief River Falls would be back left. The rolling terrain on which the course is set means that several holes have an elevated tee shot down to the fairway and then an uphill approach shot to the green. This is a problem on the 16th hole, a 344 yard par 4, which has a blind tee shot over a hill. The hill can hide golfers in the fairway, so be sure the way is clear before hitting that 250 yard tee shot! The finishing hole again has a semi-blind tee shot to the fairway which slopes significantly from right to left. No one in our foursome had played the course before, and we were all surprised when tee shots that seemed to hug the right side of the fairway ended up at the bottom of the slope on the extreme left edge of the fairway. Lesson learned- if you don’t know what’s in front of you, drive up to take a look before teeing off. The golf club is private, but non-members not accompanied by a member are allowed to play for a slightly higher greens fee. There are six sets of tees ranging from 6,540 yards to 5,188 yards, so the course is playable for golfers of all skill levels, including seniors and women. Alexandria is slightly off the beaten path for most golfers in Minnesota, but this golf course is well worth the drive.

The Jewel Golf Club is aptly named. From the time you drive up to the clubhouse and leave your clubs at the bag drop, through 18 holes of superb golf, to the drinks on the patio overlooking the course following the round, this course is truly a gem. The fairways are generously wide, and some of the smoothest you’ll find. You’ll get lots of roll on your drives. If you stray off the fairway, you’ll likely pay the price as the first cut of rough is higher than the ball and if you go farther astray you’ll find native grass that is a foot high or more leading to thick stands of trees. Luckily, the course has a local rule that the native grass or woods may be played as a lateral hazard, so you don’t have to take the lost ball stroke and distance penalty. The greens are undulating, smooth, fast, and true. Accustomed to playing courses with much slower greens, I had great difficulty making the adjustment when chipping from off the green and kept blowing the ball past the hole. About half the holes are set on relatively flat terrain and have a links-style look and feel. The rest wind through scenic bluffs lined with thick woods. There’s lots of variety, as every hole has a different look: long, short, right or left dogleg, uphill, and downhill. Two of the shortest par 4’s on the course really stand out. The 6th measures 286 yards from the middle men’s tees, tempting many golfers to try driving the green. But the woods and high grass on both left and right make many of them rue their decision. Similarly, the 13th is 334 yards from the middle tees, but the there is a steep drop-off to the right of the narrow fairway that doglegs slightly to the right. If you miss right you’ll have a severely uphill approach shot that must carry a bunker and then hold the smallish green. Going left is no bargain either, because if you go through the fairway you’ll find the woods again. The 8th hole is a short (467 yards from the middle tees) par 5. With native grass on both sides of the fairway, you might consider yourself lucky if a stray tee shot finds one of the fairway bunkers instead of running all the way into the junk. The green is elevated and very difficult to hold with a fairway wood or hybrid approach, so it might be better to lay up and have a short iron or wedge approach. The deep bunker on the front right of the green could be difficult to escape, especially if you find the native grass “island” in the middle of it. No one in our foursome scored as well as he would have liked, but all agreed that The Jewel is a golf course we will visit again. It’s about 90 minutes from the Twin Cities, but well worth the drive.

The new Royal Golf Club has been much hyped during the planning and construction phase of the past two years, most notably because of its two designers, Annika Sorenstam and Arnold Palmer. Now that the course is finally open, golfers can judge whether the reality lives up to the hype. Although the course retains some of the look of the Tartan Park golf course that previously occupied the land, there is much that is changed and much that is new. The first two holes on Annika’s nine are much the same as the first two holes of the old White nine of Tartan Park. The round starts out with a shot from an elevated tee to a landing area with water on the left and deep rough on the right. The speed of the green will give you a good indication of the fun in store on subsequent, more difficult, greens. The second hole used to be a par 4 with a tee shot from an elevated tee box to a landing area flanked by a lake on the right and thick evergreens on the left. The approach shot was over the lake to a green protected by thick brush long and right. The hole is now a par 5. The second shot is away from the lake to an elevated green. Long hitters may be able to reach in two, but for most this is a 3-shot hole. The remainder of the front nine has more elevation changes as the course makes full use of the rolling terrain. It seems as though the course has far fewer trees and bushes along the fairways than previously. Water is a concern on several holes, most notably the par 4 fifth, which will require an approach shot over water. The back nine starts out fairly easy, with a 350 yard (from the back tees) par 4. The elevated tee (Have I said that before?) makes the hole play shorter and a par should be easily attainable here. Tree coverage on the back nine is more sparse than on the front. About the only complaint our foursome had about the course was the lack of signage that made finding our tees on the 14th hole difficult. The Royal (back) tees were below and to the right of the white tees, while the gold tees (there was one senior in the foursome) were about a hundred yards ahead and hidden by some evergreens. Probably the cutest hole on the course is the short par 4 15th. From the elevated back tees, the hole measures only 309 yards. The green is guarded by a small pond on the right, so a long hitter going for the green might be tempted to bail out left. Unfortunately, there is a lateral hazard on the left short and OB on the left as well. The shot from the gold tees is much simpler, 150 or so yards off the tee will leave a wedge to the green and another relatively easy par while the long hitters try to scramble for bogey. The finishing hole is a relatively short uphill par 5 with a bunker that splits the right-to-left sloping fairway. A tee shot on the right will make the hole shorter, but risks rolling into the bunker. The fairway is wider on the left, but a tee shot there will make the hole longer and there is also water if you go too far left. A par will be well-earned here. Our foursome concluded that the Royal Golf Club really does live up to the hype. The course is challenging, but fair. No gimmicks. The amenities, including having your bag picked up at the bag drop and loaded on a cart by the putting green, are commensurate with an upscale club. A well-stocked golf shop and a full-service restaurant are also welcome additions. This is a course that I will definitely add to my rota.

If you like old-style courses with rolling terrain, smooth fairways that slope right or left, and fast greens with lots of undulations, you’ll love the Midland Hills Country Club golf course. The course was first laid out in 1919, and although it has been modified over the years the course retains many of the original features and original charm, including several “template holes” that incorporate design elements from some of the famous Scottish links courses. Most of the greens are at least slightly elevated and most allow run-up shots to reach the pin. There are no par 4 or 5 holes that require a forced carry approach over water to reach the green. The fairways are not overly wide, but are generous enough. There are few fairway bunkers, but the greenside bunkers are deep and you’ll really want to avoid them. Every hole was fun to play for the first time, but three really stood out for me. The tee shot on the par 4 8th hole is over water and will require a decision as to how much you want to risk in order to have a shorter approach to the green. Left of the tree on the far side of the pond is a good aiming point, resulting in a short iron approach shot. The green is severely elevated, so you will need to take enough club to be sure to get on top because any ball falling short will roll all the way down the hill and you’ll need to repeat the shot. The par 4 14th is a template hole called the Punchbowl. Following a good tee shot you’ll have a blind approach to the green. If the pin is set in the front or middle of the green (indicated by the 150 yard marker), you should hit a shot 10 yards less than the indicated distance to the pin. This is because the punchbowl effect of the terrain will funnel a short shot onto the green and toward the pin. Take your par and move on. The par 3 16th is an excellent Biarritz template hole, 197 yards from the middle tees. If you can’t carry the green on your tee shot, it may be better to hit the tee shot with a lower trajectory that will land short of the swale in front of the green and then run through the swale and onto the green. Otherwise you’ll be trying to putt through, or chipping over, the swale to get to the pin. A really fun hole! Having played at least fifty of the courses in the Twin Cities area, I have to say that this is one of my favorites. I was fortunate to have a member invite me to play and I plan to stay in his good graces so he’ll invite me again!

The golf course at the White Bear Yacht Club was designed by Donald J. Ross in 1915. Like most courses from this era, there are no gimmicks- just pure golf. The course is set on rolling terrain. Looking down the fairway from most tee boxes all you see is undulations and hardly any flat surface to aim for. You will be lucky to draw a flat lie in the fairway, so it’s a good idea to practice hitting uphill and downhill lies with the ball above and below your feet before you come out to play this course. Also like most courses of this era, the course is not overly long, only 6,471 yards from the back tees. You won’t need driver on every hole. With the exception of one par 3 hole, there are no forced carriers over water to a green. Tree coverage on the course is moderate, the rough is not overly long, and there aren’t many water hazards, so you shouldn’t lose any balls during your round. The major obstacles to scoring are the undulating fairways, well-placed bunkers, and greens that are very speedy with subtle breaks that are hard to read. The course is a joy to play, there won’t be a time when you say “This hole looks just like the one a few holes back.” This was my first time playing the course, and three holes really stand out in my memory. The par 3 third requires that you leave your cart (riding or push), climb up a long stairway to an elevated tee, and hit over a deep gully to the green. Then at the green, you once again leave your cart and climb up another stairway to the green. If you miss the green short or left you’ll have a very difficult blind recovery shot. The par 5 seventh features an elevated green with a false front. If your approach doesn’t carry onto the green you’ll be chipping up this false front. Fail to hit your chip squarely and it will fall short and roll all the way back to your feet. Good luck! The finishing hole is a relatively short (337 yards from the middle tees) par 4. The smallish green is protected by a bunker on the left and a small pond on the right. Even though it was early in the season, as we walked up to the pond we could see that quite a few golfers had already surrendered balls to the golf gods. The WBYC is one of the more exclusive clubs in the Twin Cities metro area, so they don’t even publish guest green fees on their website. Look for a charity golf event held at the course and put a foursome together. You’ll be glad you did.