5Mike113

Rush Creek Golf Club is first class all the way. From the time you leave your clubs at the bag drop until you return and have your clubs cleaned and taken to your car, you'll feel like a member of an exclusive private club. The starter at the first tee even offered us apples that he had in a cooler. Oh, yes, there's also the course. Did I say first class? The fairways are wide, undulating, smooth, and in great condition, possibly due to the fact that most riders adhere to the 90 degree rule that is standing course policy. The greens are also in excellent condition, smooth and true, with subtle breaks that are not easily read. You may lip out more than your usual share of putts. The holes are a mix of wide open, links-style holes and several more traditional holes with tree-lined fairways and significant elevation changes, so you won't get bored. Having five sets of tees ranging from 7,305 yards to 5,405 yards the course is playable for players of varying abilities. Several par 4's of 400 or more yards will challenge many golfers, but there are also some shorter par 4's of about 320 yards that require precise tee shot placement in order to avoid bogey- or worse. Rush Creek is not cheap, but the golf experience is worth a splurge at least a couple of times a year. And the nice thing is that you can get a free round (paying for a golf cart) within one week of your birthday by creating an account and signing up for their e-specials. First class.

Columbia Golf Course is almost one hundred years old, and is a fine example of the traditional American golf course, featuring rolling fairways lined with mature trees. The course is in the middle of an urban area, but with all the trees and hills you don't notice much traffic or industrial noise. The course is relatively short and has four sets of tees ranging from 6,371 yards to 5,152 yards. However, there are three holes of 400 or more yards from the middle tees, so short hitters may have to rely on their short game to score well. Although there were quite a few walkers on the course, riding may be a better option for many golfers. The elevation changes and long distances between a few greens and tees may be a challenge for walkers. I played the course the first week of May, and was glad to see that the fairways were in very good condition. Unfortunately, the greens were very slow. Everyone in my foursome, having played other courses this spring with faster greens, had difficulty getting the ball to the hole. This may be due to the early season, and hopefully the greens will be faster in the summer. This would make Columbia a much more enjoyable experience.

One hundred and fifty-eight bunkers amounting to 14.2 acres of sand. Unless you're very lucky, or very good, you will find the beach when you play StoneRidge Gold Club. The good thing is that the bunkers are well kept, with good quality sand, so a well-played shot will get you out with no problem. The rest of the course is a golfer's dream, with wide, undulating fairways and large, fast, true greens. Don't stray too far from the fairway, or you'll find yourself in tall fescue and possibly taking a lost ball penalty. Four sets of tees give golfers the opportunity to select the course length that suits their game. But be careful, because several holes play longer than the indicated yardage. The par 5 fourth hole, for example, is listed at 580 yards from the back tees, but an elevated green that is guarded in front by a massive bunker makes it play like at least 600 yards. Similarly, the par 4 eighth hole plays significantly uphill to a very deep green, so you'll want to take at least one more club on your approach shot. And speaking of the eighth hole, StoneRidge is a little quirky in that “the turn” is after this hole, not after the ninth. Plan accordingly. One of the most interesting holes on the course is the par 5 eleventh. You'll need to play your tee shot between a circa 1875 barn on the left and a large tree on the right. The beverage cart girl advised me that the barn was a ball magnet. Sure enough, my ball found the barn and I was forced to take an unplayable lie. I don't play StoneRidge as often as I'd like, because it is a bit pricier than other courses in the area. However, it is a good value and a great golfing experience.

The Links at Northfork provides an enjoyable, challenging golfing experience, but possibly not a complete “true” links test of golf. Holes 1 through 14 are what you might expect on a links-style course- a relatively flat layout, few or no trees to contend with, and tall grass to swallow your ball if you get too far off the fairway. The next three holes have elevation changes and trees to contend with on either the tee shot or the approach. The last hole is back to links-style, with tall grass left and undulating mounds right. You won't find railroad ties lining the bunkers, and you won't have to deal with deep pot bunkers at The Links. Fairway bunkers are generally benign, with low lips that allow you to use a mid-iron or hybrid to escape. Part of the enjoyment of playing this course is that several of the holes give different options in how to play them. Long hitters have the option of trying for an ace on the par 4 fifth hole, site of the longest hole in one ever made in Minnesota. But if you don't reach the green, you'll pay the price. Split or double fairways on some holes make you think about how you want to approach the pin. One of the par 3's has two greens, and another has two sets of tee boxes separated by about fifty yards, giving you very different looks depending on the tee box and pin placement. The net result is a fun round that makes you think about how you might have played some holes differently and makes you want to come back to try again.

Chaska Town Course is a muni with a country club feel, and is probably the classiest municipal course in the Twin Cities. From the well stocked and well staffed pro shop, to the electric carts with onboard GPS, to the wide, undulating, well manicured fairways, to the fast, smooth and true greens, and finally to the 19th hole, the course is first class all the way. The course plays to 6,817 from the tips, but with six tees and tee combinations, the course is playable for a broad spectrum of golfers. Course ratings range from 73.4 to 69.5 and slope from 141 to 118, so you can pick your poison. As a senior golfer with a 15.8 GHIN, I played the white tees at 5,968 yards and a slope of 132. The course gave me all I could ask for. Proper placement of your tee shot (or your second shot on the par 5's) is imperative on most holes. As this was my first time playing this course, I often found myself out of position and paid the price. No worries- the course is a real value for the price, and I'll be back to play here again.

This is a course with beautiful views. There are significant elevation changes on almost every hole, with either elevated tees or greens that are elevated above the fairway. The fairways and greens were in very good condition. The major drawback to the course is that there are a number of blind tee shots with no way to tell where the group in front of you is, until you see them by the green. On at least one hole even that is not possible because of the dogleg. You just wait until you think they have moved ahead. Still, it is a nice course and I'll be back.

From the white tees, this is an interesting course that combines very short holes, like a par 4 that is less than 300 yards, with some holes that are hard to reach, like a 433 yard par 4 and a 190 yard par 3. The fairways are fairly wide and are generally flat, without the undulations that many other links courses have. You won't lose any balls unless you go far off line on a few of the holes.

This course provides a real North Woods feel just a few minutes from the Twin Cities. Elevation changes, undulating fairways, and fast greens. For a senior golfer, the carries required from the white tees on a few holes may be a bit too much.

The course was in surprisingly good condition for early April. The greens were smooth and fast. The fairways were decent, but I wish people would replace their divots, especially early in the season. I played in a threesome behind several foursomes and it seemed like the pace of play was a bit slow, but the round was just slightly over four hours. If you haven't played this course, you will find it fun and challenging.