GolferJake78

The Links Course at Lawsonia is one of my favorite courses I've played. It truly gets better every single time I play it. I last reviewed the Links in 2019, and I wanted to post an update with current thoughts.

The conditions at Lawsonia Links are the best I've ever seen. The course is playing fast and firm, and the greens are rolling really true.

The greens are incredibly interesting with so many possible pin placements. On the day we played they had an event on the course, so we were challenged with some very difficult pins. But this only made the course more fun!

I can't recommend Lawsonia Links highly enough. It's a great value, especially the All-Day rate. I will continue to go back as often as I can!

I last reviewed The Woodlands Course at Lawsonia in 2019. Since that time, the course has undergone significant changes, which includes filling in bunkers, removing trees, and cleaning out underbrush. Soon there will be a new 18th green too!

The updated Woodlands is so much better now, and I highly recommend it! The layout is much more playable, while still presenting a challenge and a beautiful setting with views of Green Lake. It will only get better when the new 18th green opens up.

The Woodlands course is never going to be the superstar at Lawsonia. It's sister-course, The Links, is one of the best courses you'll find anywhere. But, with the updates, The Woodlands is now a great Robin to The Links Batman, and is definitely a must-play in Wisconsin!

This is the 3rd time I've reviewed Hunters Ridge. You can read my prior reviews from 2018 and 2020 for a more complete picture on my thoughts about this course.

I wanted to give an update on the course for 2021. As most know, this has been a dry year in Eastern Iowa, and Hunters Ridge has suffered because of it. The course is in the poorest condition I've seen it. Brown around the edges is okay, but there are areas of the course that have been lost, or are close to lost.

I still recommend playing it, especially with some of the deals to be had online, but don't expect pristine conditions when you go play.

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!

A friend of mine won a round of golf at Hazeltine for himself and two others. I was lucky enough to be selected to play along with him. What a fantastic day I had at Hazeltine National!

I want to start this review with the practice facilities, which are really good at Hazeltine. They have a tremendous driving range, a large putting green, and a nice short game area. Of course all of this is stocked with Titleist practice balls.

The golf course itself is one of the most challenging I've played. The first hole is a bit of a breather but after that it gets really challenging. The greens are firm and very fast, which makes both putting and chipping a challenge. That said, the greens were some of the best I've ever putted. If you got your ball started online, it always found the bottom of the cup.

The difficulty in Hazeltine comes from it's rough, and its many bunkers. I wasn't controlling my ball very well, so I got to experience a lot of the rough and too many of the bunkers. While both were well maintained, it's easily a half stroke penalty if you miss the fairway.

Perhaps my favorite part of the entire experience was getting to spend time in the clubhouse, and the locker room. There is so much history around the club that you can't help think about the greats that have played there. I got goosebumps looking at the major championship trophies on display in their Hall of Fame.

If you ever get a chance to play Hazeltine and experience the place, you definitely should. I would never turn down and invite to go back!

Deer Run Golf Club isn't a course that I had on my radar, and I mainly chose to play here because of convenience. I am really glad I picked this course. What I found was a quirky, but really fun, layout with excellent condition.

The first thing you'll notice driving into Deer Run is that this course is in a neighborhood. But the nice thing is, while there are many houses on the course, you never feel like they intrude on play. This is something most neighborhood golf communities get wrong but Deer Run gets right.

The conditions of Deer Run are really good. The fairways are firm and fast, the rough is not overly penal, and the greens are a nice speed and roll very true.

The layout really makes you think. I was fortunate to play with a regular who was able to advise me on the proper play for the different holes. You can hit driver on most every hole, but it is not always the prudent play. I found several times that laying up made for an easier second shot with a flatter lie.

My one complaint is that the course almost seems to run itself. There is very little on course staff to get you started or help players on the course. The local that I played with said that the staff seems to be about half the size of what it used to be.

One final comment is that I love the pace of play. On their website Deer Run advertises a guaranteed 4 hour round. We finished in just under 4 hours and never waited once. I wish more courses would follow this philosophy.

I highly recommend adding Deer Run to your Twin Cities golf itinerary. I think you'll really enjoy your round, and might enjoy sitting on the patio after the round with your buddies..

Over the last several years I've played Amana Colonies quite a few times. My original review of this course is from 2018, so I wanted to post an updated review.

Every time I play Amana, I have one or two moments where I tell myself that I'm never playing it again. It's is a very challenging golf course that, unfortunately, has opportunities to lose golf balls on every single hole. Making it even more difficult is the extreme slopes you will deal with both on the fairways and on the greens. A good rule of thumb is try to land your golf ball where you can see the landing area. That will be your best bet for finding your ball and getting a level lie.

The new ownership has made significant investments in updating and renovating the course. I have seen several improvements with removal of trees and bunkers, as well as cleaning out some brush areas to make finding golf balls easier. They are also updating the cart paths, which is much needed.

A nice change from the last time I played is the greens have been slowed down a little bit. This helps pace of play by reducing the number of 3 putts. This doesn't mean they are slow though. My best guess is they still run 9.5-10 on that stimp meter.

I still recommend everyone try Amana at least once. The best way to play Amana is in one of their regular best shot events, which provides a chance to take on some holes you might otherwise play conservatively.

This was my 5th trip around TPC Deere Run, but my first visit in several years. As always, I was treated with an impeccably manicured course that is also a really great design.

First off, you'll notice this isn't a resort golf course. The fairways are plenty wide, but if you miss them, you'll be faced with PGA Tour level rough! The agronomy team really nails the tour experience in terms of playing conditions.

The greens are fast and true, but aren't overly sloped, relying more on general gradients and subtle movement. This doesn't mean they are easy, but putts can definitely be made!

After the round, my friends and I were discussing the course and we concluded there aren't any bad holes on the property. No two holes feel the same!

I have two favorite holes, though I could pick several more. The downhill 14th is a short par that the really long hitters can reach. For the rest of us, it's a matter of deciding how aggressive we dare to be. Anything from birdie to triple is possible here. My other favorite hole is the 17th, which is a shortish par 5 with great bunkering to challenge you, whether you go for the green or lay up.

I can't recommend TPC Deere Run highly enough. It's really fun, and presents a strong challenge. My only complaint/warning is that the food and beverage sold on course is very expensive. But that is only a minor detraction from a great overall golf experience.

Finkbine is the home course of the Iowa Hawkeyes men's and women's golf team. As the home of a Big 10 school, Finkbine comes complete with fantastic conditions, a nice practice area, and a really well done new clubhouse.

The most positive aspect of Finkbine is the condition of the golf course. I would describe it as Pure! The fairways are perfectly manicured, the rough is penal, but playable, and the greens are fast and true.

The greens at Finkbine are some of the trickiest in Iowa. They are very sloped, and if the speed is up, it can be a very difficult putting day. On the day I played they were probably running 10/11, which was enough to make you think, but not enough for putts to get too away from you.

The layout of Finkbine is just okay. It's a typical parkland style course. The holes are a bit repetitive, but a few are memorable. The par 5 6th, with it's snaking fairway, and the par 4 12th with it's uphill approach are very memorable. The signature hole is the double green par 3, number 13. I've played both greens, and definitely prefer when the left green is used.

My favorite hole is the aforementioned 6th hole. With a good drive, it can be reached in 2. However, less than precise shots bring big numbers into play.

Overall Finkbine is a well maintained, great test of golf. It's fun to play such a well manicured track.

Airport National is billed as fast, family friendly and fun golf. It will never win any best of awards, but it's good for what it is, which is a short course, with very few penalty areas, and forgiving tee shots.

The pace of play is fantastic at Twilight. We tee'd off at 6:30 pm and finished 18 holes by 9 pm. We played a couple of bonus holes to hit 20 for the night. The staff was really cool with us playing so late.

One caution to anyone playing Airport National is the holes run really close together, so some care has to be taken to be aware of what is happening around you.

I definitely recommend Airport National for a quick, fun round with buddies or family.

Crow Valley is a course that has been on my radar to play for a couple of years, so I jumped at the chance when I got an invite. While less famous than nearby TPC Deere Run and Davenport Country Club, Crow Valley offers an excellent challenge and some of the best greens I've putted on in Iowa.

The first thing you'll notice when you pull into Crow Valley is that it is an immaculately maintained, tree-lined, parkland style golf course. I found the fairways to be quite generous in width, with a good amount of run out. The rough is fair, but can be penal so it's best to be in the fairway.

The star of the show at Crow Valley is the greens. They roll fast and true, with quite a few slopes, humps and bumps to challenge even the best putters. Staying below the hole is a must if you want to be able to stroke a putt confidently.

There are a few quirky holes that could use some updates. The 18th hole is a particularly demanding finishing hole that really falls flat, after a great stretch from 11-17. Another hole that looks inviting on the card, but isn't is the par 5 seventh. Even with a good tee shot, the green is perched and the reward isn't there to go for the green in two.

One feature I loved is many of the greens are open, at least partly, in the front. This allows for recovery shots to run on the greens. This makes the course more playable for all handicap levels.

My favorite hole on the property is the par 4 fourth hole. It's less than driver off the tee, then a short iron approach to a green guarded by multiple bunkers.

Crow Valley is a must play if you're lucky enough to get an invitation. It's a fun round of golf, on a walkable course, with several memorable holes and really fun greens.

I first reviewed Pleasant Valley back in 2017, and I wanted to provide an updated review because I’ve noticed some changes upon recent playing that golfers should be aware of.

First off, the greens have gotten very slow. I recall playing this course and being nervous to get above the hole, but that isn’t the case anymore. I am not a fan of lightning fast greens, but I do think greens should run fast enough to make some putts scary. If the Pleasant Valley greens were 1 to 1.5 feet faster, they would be perfect.

Secondly, the trees, which are abundant, have become overgrown in many places. The worst case is on hole 3, where the evergreen trees on the right encroach upon the tee shot from the back tees, really forcing a player to start the ball left off this tee. Another example is how often trees scrape the cart roof while driving on the cart path.

While on the topic of trees, there is a large tree in the middle of the fairway on the par 5 11th hole. This tree has gotten so large that it is even affecting well played shots. It appears to have been planted to keep longer hitters from going for the green, but with current technology, long hitters can still reach in two, but shorter hitters are now being punished on their layup.

Lastly, there are several minor maintenance things which seem to be getting ignored. The entire course could use some weed trimming, and there was a piece of maintenance equipment left on the 14th hole that required one of our players to take a drop.

On the positive side, the bunkers are well maintained and the sand is very consistent.

I still recommend playing this course as it can be fun. But frankly there are better options in the Iowa City area for your money.

The Dye Club at Barefoot Resort was a late addition to my recent Myrtle Beach trip. I'd only played one Pete Dye design previously, so I took the opportunity to add another Pete Dye course to my resume.

While Pete Dye is famous for torturing tour pros at TPC Sawgrass and The Ocean Course (among others), The Dye Club at Barefoot Resort is a kinder and gentler Dye layout. Don't get me wrong, there is still quite a bit of Dye deception, but he gives the golfer a little more room for error on most holes.

The condition of the course is really good, with firm, fast fairways and true greens. The greens were a bit on the slower side the day we played. All of the bunkers are played as waste areas, allowing the player to ground their club and take practice swings.

For a resort course with 8 minute tee times, the pace of play was terrific. We played in under 4 and a half hours, which was unexpected.

I would definitely play this course again on a return trip to Myrtle Beach and I highly recommend that all golfers considering playing the Dye Club at Barefoot resort.

My favorite hole on the course is the 16th, which is a medium length par 5 surrounded by waste bunkers and mounding. On the day I played the pin was up front and two good shots got me on the fringe of the green, where I made eagle. So it has to be my favorite hole.

I was fortunate to secure a tee time at Dunes Golf & Beach Club on my recent trip to Myrtle Beach. I knew the course had a strong reputation, but I didn't realize I was in for one of the best golf experiences of my life!

The Dunes Golf & Beach Club is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. design tracing it's origins back to the late 1940s. The layout is difficult, but scorable if you're hitting your ball well. One of my favorite aspects of this course is that it's really hard to lose a golf ball. If you miss the fairway you may be in the trees, but you can always find your ball and have a chance at a recovery shot.

The greens at Dunes are some of the best greens, possibly the best greens, that I've ever putted on. They are a new version of Bermuda that is less grainy and more tolerant of heat than other area courses, so they are fast and true! Just get your putt started online and it will get there.

The 8th green, 9th hole and 18th green give you ocean views, and the setting on the back deck of the clubhouse is as good of an ocean view as you can get.

I can't recommend this course highly enough. It's a great layout that is well manicured. The staff made me and my friends feel extremely welcomed, almost like members for a day! Lastly, if you go play, take some time to walk through the clubhouse and experience some of the history of the club.

My favorite hole on the course is the par 4 18th. The finish over water is one of the most beautiful approaches you'll find, and you can see the Atlantic Ocean to your left. Just the perfect ending to a nearly perfect golf course.

Unlike it's sister course, True Blue is a full-on Mike Strantz layout, featuring wide fairways, challenging greens and a huge number of waste areas and water hazards.

True Blue gives you a taste of what you're in for on the opening par 5. Even with a good drive you're left with a challenging layup, and then an approach to a perched green. It takes 3 good shots to make par here. You'll continue to find that as you play your round. Good shots are rewarded, but poor shots are punished.

The condition of the course was average when we played. The fairways, tees and rough were similar to other courses in the area, including sister course Caledonia. However, the greens were bumpy and slower than expected. This made putting a bit of a crapshoot.

All of the bunkers are True Blue are treated as waste bunkers, meaning you can ground your club and take practice swings. I highly recommend doing both!

Overall, I really liked True Blue. I believe it's more challenging than Caledonia due to more difficult greens and significantly more penalty areas. If you're a fan of Strantz's work at Tobacco Road, you'll like True Blue. You can see some Tobacco Road flair as you traverse True Blue.

My favorite hole on the course is the 18th. It's just a great finishing hole, and caps off a memorable experience.

My first Mike Strantz design was his masterpiece, Tobacco Road. I expected to find some of the Tobacco Road flair at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, but was met with a more subtle Strantz course that took me two playings to appreciate.

The beauty of Caledonia is that you really feel like you're playing golf in a garden. The setting is so beautiful with tall pines, colorful flowers, artful bunkers and wildlife filled marshes. Life at Caledonia is very relaxed and unhurried.

The golf course greets you with a friendly opening 9 holes where you can score, if you keep your ball in front of you. The 9th hole is a 100 yard par 3 to finish out the really nice opening 9.

The back 9 opens with a long par 5, followed by a nice par three. Then the difficulty amps up with a string of par 4s that will test your game. The finishing 4 holes are among the most beautiful and challenging I've played.

I do feel like I need to add that the staff wasn't as friendly as I had hoped they would be. The starter for our first round was surly, and the bag drop crew was very eager to get us off the course after our 2nd round as we were the last group in. While I still rate this course as 5 stars, this did detract from the experience a little bit.

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club is a must play in the Myrtle Beach/Pawley's Island area. If you're a Mike Strantz fan, you need to see this course and experience a more subtle version of his artistry. Also, be sure to slow down and enjoy the drive into the property.

My favorite hole on the property is the par 4 13th hole. It is less than driver off the tee, then an exacting approach to a green perched above a trademark Strantz bunker.

The Palmetto Course at Myrtlewood is a older style Myrtle Beach Course along the Intercoastal Waterway. The layout features multiple water hazards, older pines and solid bunkering. At only $54 for weekend play, the Palmetto Course is an outstanding value on the Grand Strand.

The conditioning of the course is average, to slightly above average. The fairways were very wet, despite there not being significant rain before we played. The greens are on the slower side for Myrtle Beach, but they seem to roll true.

The out and back layout is unique, with 9 tee being about as far from the clubhouse as any point on the property. I liked the back 9 better than the front 9, with the 17th and the 18th being really great holes.

I definitely recommend the Palmetto Course at Myrtlewood for a fun, relaxing round at a strong value.

My favorite hole in the property is hole 18. With the intercoastal waterway down the left, it's a classic finisher.

The Vale course was our "bonus 9" on May 3rd at Echo Valley. The Vale is the 2nd of the three 9s built, and feels like a blend of The Creek and The Ridge. There is a fair amount of water in play, though not as much as The Creek, and there are some elevation changes, though not as much as The Ridge. What it ends up being is a really fun 9 holes!

The conditions of the Vale are really good as well, though it was a little bit of a step down from The Creek and The Ridge. The greens rolled really nicely, but didn't look as nice as the other two 9s. The rough is a bit more rough than either The Creek or The Ridge. The fairways and tees are very good.

I really enjoyed The Vale and highly recommend playing it if you get the opportunity.

My favorite hole on the Vale is the uphill, par 4 9th hole. The tee shot is demanding and the green complex is really fun. I missed the green left and ended up in a runoff area to the left of the green that allowed multiple options for playing a chip shot.

The Ridge was the second 9 holes we played on May 3rd, and I think it's the best of the loops at Echo Valley. There are some fairly sizeable elevation changes throughout this 9 holes, which winds it's way through a newer Norwalk, IA neighborhood. I think this course is the perfect combination of challenging, yet fair.

The condition of the Ridge is excellent. The fairways are firm and fast, the rough is tricky and the greens are perfect. I found the greens on this 9 to be slightly faster than either the Creek or the Vale, but it was relatively easy to adjust.

Overall the Ridge is the must play 9 holes at Echo Valley. If you're lucky enough to get an invite, talk your host member into playing the Ridge. You won't regret it!

My favorite hole is the par 5 18th hole. I played it poorly, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the hole. The view from the tee is stunning, and if you hit a good tee shot this is definitely a par 5 you can reach in two!

I was fortunate enough to play all 3 nine-hole loops at Echo Valley on May 3rd. We started on the Creek 9, and after a breeze of an opening hole, the difficulty ratchets up quite a bit. Water comes into play in the form of a creek or pond on holes 2 through 8, forcing you to think strategically and place your golf ball in the right spots.

In general the conditions are what you'd expect from a nice country club. The fairways and tees are nicely manicured, the rough is well kept and fair, and the greens are firm, run at a nice speed and roll very true.

I would definitely recommend playing Echo Valley Creek if you ever get an opportunity. The setting is nice and the club has a really welcoming feel.

My favorite hole is the par 5 second. It's a 3 shot hole for most golfers that requires you to play strategically around water that is down the right the entire way.