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Exploring golf outside the Twin Cities Metro area this summer I made the drive to Spooner for a round of golf. The course is in excellent condition from tee to green. There is a driving range complete with a bunker and chipping green to warm up before the round or get in some or get in some practice.

Definitely worth the drive.

First off as a single I was finished in 2 1/2 hours so I can’t attest to the place of play.

A 9 hole parkland course, 40 minutes outside Des Moines.

I played 18 on an over cast afternoon following another rainy morning. The course handled the past three days of rain quite well. Fairways were wet but not muddy. There was not much roll on tee shots so the course played a little longer than normal. Fairly wide open and the rough was not difficult despite the wet conditions.

Signature hole is the 7th hole which is a down hill par 3 about 130 yards. Protected by bunkers, OB for long or right shots and a little stream in the front to capture any topped tee shots. I couldn’t find the green on two tries. Once long and the other time short.

Greens were in excellent shape and the hole placements were being moved as we played so the second 9 was entirely different from the first 9.

Being the only two players on the course we played 18 in a little over 2 hours. Scored well and had fun. Would definitely recommend a round.

The drive into the course takes you past the shuttered hotel that was once the Playboy Club. It’s an odd sight. Signs direct you to the club drop which is a good idea here since it is a walk from the parking to the club house.

We played the Quarry and Rail 9’s. Lake 9 was not in use due to the recent rain.

We had an 8 am tee time and we got to the par 3 first tee on the Quarry 9 only to wait. That was the theme for the entire round which took 4:45. No ranger ever appeared and given there were not a lot of groups ahead of us the problem was solvable if the course wanted to speed up play.The course is not overly long which means that there is a tendency to play from the back tees when you shouldn’t.

The course has a combination of elevation changes, narrow fairways and wide fairways. Water comes into play on a number of holes and stray shots disappear into the rocks and trees if you stray too far. The rocky terrain in this part of NJ gives the course a unique look and feel similar to Crystal Springs.

The second hole has a old silo on the left side of the fairway that’s an unusual look. Stay to the right are the instructions. The tin roof on the silo makes a great sound if your tee shot lands on it and veers into the woods.

The par 3 railroad hole has a bunker with remains of and old concrete railroad trestle. Hit in there and you may have no shot at the green.

With all the rain we were limited to the cart path on some holes and there was a fair amount of water damage in some fairways. Greens and bunkers were in good shape.

There was no drinking water on the course and we saw the beverage cart three times which was not enough on a hot day.

At $51 with a cart I thought this was a fair value if the course played faster. I would play again only if the course was dry and I had an earlier tee time.

This is a parkland course that is in need of a weed control and fertilizer program. Weedy bunkers and fairways.

I enjoyed my round but it’s not the same quality as other courses near by right now. It’s not just the amount of rain before I played.

I played an early Monday morning round in a threesome.

Lots and lots of heavy rain the days before we arrived made the course soggy in places and we were fortunate that the 90 degree rule was in force and we weren’t restricted to the cart path.

On the par 4 and 5’s I was accurate and 200 to 220 off the tee on all but two holes so that’s the basis for my comments. The front 9 has two short par 4’s which should present birdie opportunities. The second of these is the seventh hole which has a landing area beyond the bunker that you really can’t see from the tee and makes the yardage a little tricky.

There is water in play on 10 holes but only the 10th and 15th really were a factor from the white tees on the second shot for me because I hadn’t hit
good tee shots in those holes.

The big bunker on 14 looks intimidating and without a long drive it will be hard to avoid it. The sand isn’t deep so you should be able to play out of it easily unless you’re up against the edges or the grass mounds in the bunker.

I really enjoyed my round despite the wet conditions.

I played Sunday afternoon at 2:30 and at $69 it doesn’t get much lower unless you wait until 4 pm.

I played as a single from the white tees and even restricted to the cart path I made good time. The course was wet and soft but didn’t seem to slow down the greens. I found myself on the wrong tier each time there was a tiered green which didn’t help my putting woes. Greens are fast.

Other than the water logged areas the course is in generally good condition - tees, fairways and greens.

Water comes into play on 7 holes off the tee and while I didn’t find it to be a problem from the white tees you can easily have some blow up holes. On 3 and 18 water can be a factor on your approach shot too.

3 is the hole I want to play again. You need an accurate tee shot because of the water and then the approach is over the water to a two tiered green.

I recommend the hot dog at the halfway house which is second only to Mansion Ridge in Monroe NY.

It’s been 25 years since I lived around the corner and played here regularly. It’s still not fancy or lush but at $18 for 18 holes during the week it’s a great value.

Leave the tees in the bag and hit your irons off the tee box. 14 of the holes are under 125 yards so it’s a great spot to work on your short game or for beginners.

I’m sure it still gets backed up after work and on weekends but I breezed around midweek , mid afternoon after 18 holes at a regular course.

When I finished I wanted a replay.

We played on a weekday that was forecast for rain. The rain stayed away and so did all the golfers in CT so we were the only foursome on the course most of our round.

There is a driving range and sand traps to practice before you tee off. The range has various pin placements with some elevation differences so you can practice shots instead of just hitting the ball.

Fairways were in great shape as were all the bunkers we were in. Most of the greens were in excellent condition. The course has a mixture of elevated tees, elevated greens and doglegs so that driver off the tee is not always the best choice but there are also some holes to let it fly. The front and back nines are different styles going from a parkland to somewhat of a links style on the back.

Water comes into play on a number of holes and that’s were some local knowledge is helpful. The creek on 3 is not readily apparent on your second shot if your drive is short. The pond on the 4th hole may not appear in play depending on your choice of tees. If you slice the ball then the pond on 3 will get you again on the 4th hole.

I found the back easier than the front and I was 3 over on the back nine until 3 poor shots on the last three holes destroyed me.

I was a guest so unsure of the cost. I would definitely play again if I have the chance.

The course, and staff are first rate at this Robert Trent Jones design.

This is a shot makers course starting with the opening hole which is a down hill par five where a driver generally is trouble. A mixture of dog legs, elevated tees, elevated greens, water and sand provide plenty of opportunities for trouble.

I visited the sand on several holes and the bunkers were all in very good condition with the right amount of sand.

Greens were very fast when we played and the pin placements were not easy. The penalty for being above the hole was severe (too severe in my opinion) as it was very hard to stop the ball near the hole.

We finished our round with lunch on the patio overlooking the 18 green where we could watch errant shots splash into the pond. I highly recommend the 4 cheese and bacon grilled cheese sandwich with French fries.

If you get the chance to play take it.

The lack of information on the cost to join and play holds back my ratings.

7:40 am tee time on a Saturday and the pace of play was for us was 4:10.

The fairways are a bit narrow and visually are narrow. If you hit a shot into the trees you’ll be playing another ball. The front seemed tighter than the back.

Number two is protected by water in front and in your shot into he green if you go long, left or right you’ll pay the price. Lots of elevation changes on the course and a few blind shots if your tee shot is a little short.

The bunkers were all raked and in good condition. The sand isn’t deep but I found them easy to hit out of. Greens rolled true without being too fast. Several greens have tiers and it helps to have someone who has played the course before.

The difference between the white and blue tees is material for the par 3’s on the front and the par 5’s.

If you spray the ball you’ll need extras and it will be tough to score well.

I had high expectations for this visit and was underwhelmed. This was my 5th round of the week and the only one that was disappointing.

weekday 11:16 tee time and it took 5:45 to play. Open holes two groups ahead of us. No ranger in sight all day.

Proximity of tees to greens meant we had errant tee shots passed through our group 3 times.

Bunkers on 1, 2 and 11 had so much sand that the unraked foot prints were 8 inches deep. Total disregard for other golfers and no understanding of the need to leave and enter a bunker on the low side.

I’m guessing that the greens were deliberately long to prevent heat damage and handle ball damage better. The greens were the slowest I played all summer.

We did see the beverage cart on the 3rd hole but never again.

For non residents it’s not worth the hassle of booking a tee time and getting there. Maybe the Black course is different but no return trip for me for the green course.

I played on Monday when the course is open to non members and the $29 fee includes the cart and lunch. The same special applies on Tuesday.

The staff and members I met were all very friendly.

The course is in very good condition from the tee box through the green. All the bunkers were raked but have less sand than I’m accustomed too. Elevation changes on many holes will make you think about club selection. Bring your A game with the putter.

There is no drinking water on the course (other than a couple of holes) so be sure to load up with the ice water provided at the clubhouse.

Caledonia will be on my list for my next visit to the area.

This is another one of the great values south of Rochester NY.

It was 2:00 and 96 degrees when I went off. Less than 3 hours later I was done. Too hot for anyone else at that time. Plenty of cold drinking water on the course so I was fine in the heat.

The course is in excellent condition. Greens were fast and true. Bunkers were all raked and had the right amount of sand.

There are elevation changes, sharp dog legs, narrow holes and some very wide fairways. A good variety of holes and tee shots.

The course is in excellent condition.

The forced carry over water on 1 and 10 will challenge most golfers. More shot making and accuracy is needed on the back 9. The yardage difference between the white and black tees is also a bigger factor on the back 9 than the front.

Grass on the practice range instead of mats is a plus.

The ranger moved the slow foursomes up to keep play moving on the afternoon we played.

At 90 plus degrees there was enough drinking water on the course and the beverage cart came by frequently.

This is two visits in a row where the pace of play was slow and both times there were two foursomes of friends back to back where the bottle neck existed. Afternoon tee times seem to have more relaxed rules.

This week we were on the back nine before we saw the ranger try to move along the two foursomes of friends that seemed to be playing together. The fact they were full of beer and loud probably made them intimidating.

Buy 5 get the 6th beer free needs to end here. Don’t know how many of these guys drive home.

Course is in excellent shape and pricing with the golf now specials makes this worth the visit.

Since my first review on May 28th the course has continued to improve. There are signs now at the forks in the cart path so you get to the right hole. More cart path improvements too.

Due to the threat of rain the course was quiet early in the morning. I had a 6:50 tee time and we finished in just over 3 hours.

Like many course in the area there are too many ball marks that don’t get repaired. That’s on us as golfers to remedy.

I’ll be back again.

It was Fathers Day and there was a complimentary pig roast for us at the turn.

There is a practice area with a sand trap, chipping green and a driving range (irons only) while you wait. 3 guys at the bag drop and a starter at the first tee but only one of the three guys at the bag drop seemed to be doing anything and the tee time spacing was erratic. Pace of play was the slowest I’ve encountered all year in NY/NJ (30 plus rounds on 12 courses). Better management at the start and a ranger could’ve made our 5+ hour round much shorter.

Course is in very good condition. The elevation changes on 9 and 10 are challenging. Make sure you walk over to look at the ninth green after you practice putting so you can see pin placement and tiers on the green.

I think the green fees are high compared to other course in the area that are a little better and play faster. When you’re over $100 per round there are better options. Mansion Ridge and River Vale are better options at the same price point.

Some thinking and club selection off the tee required. Eventually I’ll learn to keep the driver in the bag on a couple of holes and layup on 9 after a bad drive.

Great course in excellent condition.

Sunday afternoon round with some light rain and no ranger to be found when the two groups ahead of us fell behind. I showed the slow group ahead of us on the GPS display how far behind they were and while no one could speak English at that moment they did pickup the pace.

I can understand the lack of a ranger on a $35 muni in these conditions but not at a premium course. Two greens fees pays for a ranger in the afternoon - don’t tell someone not to come in because it’s a little slow.

There is a practice range you can hit irons and chip as much as you want so you don’t go off the first tee cold.

The course is not overly long but there are a couple of forced carriers from the back that can be too far. Long fescue rough on some holes and heavily wooded areas on others make the fairways look narrower than they are.

The course is in great condition and I scored when I stayed out of trouble.

Starter does a good job explaining the rules and there are rangers abound to ensure that the pace of play is maintained. We never waited and no one behind us had to wait.

The hot dog at the turn is highly recommended.

I’ll be back this weekend.

My first round here since early spring and the course is in very good shape. Pace of play is generally slow here since the ranger just seems to drive by. Our round was 4 1/2 hours.

The course has wide fairways and the rough isn’t long so unless your under a tree in the rough the penalty for a stray tee shot is not severe.

The price is a little high but the ability to get a weekend tee time in the morning is what gets me to drive from NJ.

We tried to call the grill on the 8th tee to order lunch but the clubhouse had trouble transferring the call and in the end no one picked up. They really could be more effective at check in and the grill.

I have yet to use the driving range which gets a lot of use.