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Reviews
River Falls Golf Club
Played On 05/05/2014happily revising my previous review
When I played on May 5th I expected the typical early spring conditions you'd find at any course. River Falls' fairways wintered very well, & while they were soft enough that day to yield mud on the ball in places due to all the rain we'd had, overall they were superb. The grounds crew has done an terrific job of cleaning out all the debris normally left from a hard winter. But the big news is the quality of the greens--healthy, green, smooth, & already firm & quick. Outstanding!!
Amery Golf Club
Played On 11/3/2013worthwhile trip
I played in chin-strap wind Sunday Nov.3 with 2 friends. The course had immaculate tee boxes, carpet for fairways, & really healthy rough that was thankfully cut down. Amery features rolling ground with a nice variety of looks from the tee. Greens are large with nice movement. Bunkers are well-placed, but the big defense is the reeds & water on the 5-pars. The course seemed very walkable, but It was good to have a cart to drive ahead for a look-see on our 2nd (or 3rd or 4th!) shots. No cheap home-in-twos at Amery! There was quite a discrepancy between the scorecard & the WGA markers from the 6250 yard tips (much longer according to the WGA). The only reason I didn't give the course a 4th star today was that the greens were quite slow & still bumpy from aeration. I have little doubt that next year when the greens have some speed that Amery will be a terrific destination. The members seemed to be interested in playing fast & can be justifiably proud of their course.
Mississippi Dunes Golf Links
Played On 11/1/2013nothing like it
I ran into the owner on the first tee & we were able to chat about the evolution on Miss.Dunes over the years. Even though he was down on the overall state of golf, he had big plans for the coming year. Even more trees & brush will be cleared away, the 9s will be switched back to the original order, & a new range will be built beyond what is now the 10th tee. The course was in pristine condition tee-to-green, & the pins were extra-tough (evidently a late season tradition), so Doc's not skimping on maintenance this late in the year. As ever, Miss.Dunes is "resistant to scoring" & actually kinda fun if you don't worry about what you shoot. There are not many Minnesota courses where you consistently have to bump-n-run & play for bogey when you miss a green. My only quibble is that I had a dog for a cart--on its last legs for sure. Maybe next year we'll see a fleet of quiet electrics too!
Pheasant Hills Golf Course
Played On 10/9/2013pick your tee
I've played this course multiple times this year & have always found it a challenge to post a good score (my idea of fun)...the rough around the greens is lush & thick, & the greens themselves are huge & have a lot of movement...I can hit more greens in reg. from the blues than the black tees but that doesn't necessarily translate into a much better score because the greens are so sporty...it's easy to drop shots whether you're chipping or lagging from distance...it's pretty wide-open with plenty of room to swing away off the tee...it's always been wind-swept when I've played & that adds to the exhilaration...I agree with a previous poster that there a lot of unrepaired ball marks, but cutting the greens higher would only make those marks deeper...keep 'em low 'n fast!... if anything dry them out to firm them up!!...in the meantime, fix every ballmark you can find when you take on Pheasant Hills
River Falls Golf Club
Played On 8/15/2013early aeration!!
I was looking forward to the grooming improvements made to River Fall CC since going daily-fee only. The new façade & layout of the clubhouse are real nice, but I was surprised after my opening tee shot to find a punched fairway & really disappointed to find all the greens heavily aerated. River Falls is known for its fast, difficult greens, so a lot of the fun was missing for me. Nevertheless, you can see a lot of good things are happening: particularly widening the landing area left on #1, extending the back tee on #3, & clearing the brush that obscured your view of #17. They also added a much-needed driving range. I hate to say "stay away," but do so until the greens have recovered. Think of it this way: they got the jump on the normal post-Labor Day aeration other courses do, so fall golf at River Falls should be terrific.
Golf at the Legacy
Played On 8/14/2013very nice course
I was fortunate to be paired with someone familiar with the course because the look from many tees is deceiving. The Legacy plays short even from the tips, so its major defense is large, undulating greens surrounded by subtle mounding. The front nine is pretty open, while the back 9 is more parkland style. On a windy day I expect the course would be even more "resistant to scoring." The turf was lush from tee-to-green & the greens were smooth & quick. Worth a trip at least once.
New Richmond Golf Club - Old Course
Played On 8/8/2013country club quality
It's been a few years since I last played New Richmond CC (& then only in tournament situations) but I must say I was really impressed with the everyday condition of the course. The turf tee-to-green was excellent, & the greens ran smooth & fast with a number of testy pin placements. It was well-worth a long, nostalgic trip for a recreational round. Highly recommended!
Clifton Highlands Golf Course
Played On 7/15/2013always tough to score
beautifully maintained w/ the best fairways I've played this year (my 8th round)...speedy, undulating greens make for tough chipping & testy putting...hard 90* doglegs on #8, 11, & 12 will take some getting used to... played behind a 4-some of first-timers & the greens wore 'em out!
Cannon Golf Club
Played On 7/12/2013local knowledge needed
beautifully maintained mix of an original 8 holes w/ 10 new ones...mature trees obscure corners of the doglegs leaving a first-timer w/ a lot of doubt about the proper angle of attack...greens were very smooth w/ nice speed...good-looking clubhouse w/ a small pro shop & a big restaurant & bar...oh, a the carts are really zippy!
Gopher Hills Golf Course - Executive Nine
Played On 11/1/2012first-timers, don't let its name fool you
I played Gopher Hills 11/1/12, when it was 45 with a humming NW wind. From the tips this course is everything you could ask for as a test through the bag. I've played here before, walking, & have finished physically drained, ascribing my poor score to being out of shape. Riding, I wasn't close to being tired & could fully appreciate the challenges the course gives you. Originally a 9-holer (now the back 9), it has been expanded to 18, plus a stand-alone 3rd 9. On this day the low sun REALLY accentuated the many moguls. Gopher Hills is a striking golf course (very pretty vistas) that makes great use of its terrain. The last 5 holes make a clockwise tour of the property's perimeter with woods on the left. Otherwise it is mostly open ground with dramatic ups & downs. Its only drawback is that the greens are usually kept at (shall we say) senior speed, & in the fall the aerated greens are that much tougher. I have toured but not played the final 9 & it looks to offer somewhat shorter versions of the other 18...raised-up, exposed, domed greens on wildly rolling ground. The turnoff on H61 in Miesville is tricky (it's like pulling into a grain elevator) so be sure to googlemap it. It's well-worth the trip, but I advise using balls with a little click to 'em for your chipping & putting sanity.
Hidden Greens Golf Course
Played On 10/31/2012hot deal paradise
I played Hidden Greens twice this summer & on the 16th & again today, the 31st. Most remarkable is how the grounds crew is in command of fallen leaves. On the 16th I brought a friend who'd never played here, describing the course as tree-lined. He thought he was playing in a forest! (country club quality mature oaks all around). I have to say that the greens are getting shaggy & not their normal quickness (I suspect that has to do with the late frosts & cool days lately.) Hidden Greens is a wonderful test: you either need to drive it straight or be able to hit low curving recover shots. The greens are smallish & until today have had very nice speed. Posting a good score is really a challenge. It's very easy to drop shots & get frustrated. Accept the challenge!
Afton Alps Golf Course
Played On 10/22/2012unusual to say the least
Afton Alps really short original 9 (now the back 9) was built on a working ski resort & its holes play down & across existing ski runs & under permanent lift wires...it's a funky 9 to say the least...a cheat sheet is available in the shop & is a definite must-have...do what it says & you'll have fun...I think you have about 15 yards beyond the layup # but you will struggle if you don't hit it the recommended distance... the front 9 is longer (but still short) & much more conventional, but it is built on rolling ground that dips & turns enough to make it no pushover...I first played Oct 8th on a howling day & with the grass desicated from lack of rain...the fairways & greens were firm-n-fast & my initial impression (especially after struggling through the back 9) was that this is not a course for someone who goes ballistic if he doesn't get the results he thinks his shots deserve...I dragged a friend kicking & screaming to play on the 22nd, & in the interim enough rain had fallen to perk up the grass & make the greens more managable...he loved the fact that he could hit so many wedges into greens & was cool-headed enough to see the charm & challenge of the back 9...the lift chairs & snow makers were deployed by then, adding to its distinctiveness...Afton Alps is a must-play for its uniqueness but I wouldn't pay full price to check it out...yea GolfNow!
The Jewel Golf Club
Played On 10/9/2012destination course
it was a spontaneous booking on a misty day & I had the course mostly to myself...the Jewel is a Hale Irwin desigh & he must be of the minimalist school... the greens appear to follow the given terrain with earth moved only the build up certain tees...very sublle...drives can be visually intimidating but the landing areas are actually quite generous so don't try to cut corners...fairways are really tight & the shoulders of the big, flattish greens are shaved so you can use a putter from well off the green...the exceptions to this flatness are #9 & 18 greens which have wild undulations...superior condition & well-worth the trip for the right GolfNow price...the staff is very cordial & the restaurant food looks appetizing (though as a cheapskate I didn't indulge).
Highlands at Mississippi National Golf Links
Played On 9/15/2012Lowlands renamed, reclaimed
warhorse original 18 (now called Tournament Course) finally getting some TLC w/ new forward tees & trees cut back to open up some chutes from the tips...layout uses the rolling terrain well & there is good separation from other holes...opening 3 holes can play tough (& slow) but then the pace picks up & rounds can finish easily under 4 hrs
Pine Island Golf Course
Played On 9/1/2012small town surprise
original 9 well blended w/ new 9...big greens challenging & fun to putt...strong set of 3-pars...room to swing away from the tips (always fun) but shorter holes still require some strategery...definitely NOT a small-town pitch 'n putt... well-worth the extra travel time from the Cities
Thank you for noticing the changes. Yes, in fact we got the jump on aerification for fall play. We anticipate our greens to be some of the fastest in the metro area for September and October golf.