Baker National - July2010

Baker National Golf Course is a championship-caliber course that is nestled within the expansive Baker Park Reserve about a half hour west of downtown Minneapolis. The Park Reserve is home to Spurzem Lake, Half Moon Lake, and Lake Katrina, and borders the shores of tranquil Lake Independence, a popular place for fishing and other water sports. You can hike, bike, picnic, camp, and pretty much anything else you might want to do in the 2,700 acre Park Reserve, but we are going to focus our attention on the section of the Park that contains Baker National Golf Course, a beautiful course that will test anybody’s game.
    Probably the most famous landmark at Baker National is located directly behind the first green: the famous red barn. This barn, which is a replica of a barn that the original landowners had on the premises, sits just a few feet off the putting surface on this first hole. Though the barn is not visible as you tee off, as soon as you make your way over the hill in the middle of the fairway, there isn’t much else you will notice. I thought the barn might be distracting, but actually it frames the green nicely, and actually helped me to stay focused on where I wanted to hit my approach shot. If the barn had actually helped me to avoid the two big bunkers guarding the front of the green, then I would really love it. Aside from having the barn located here, this par-4 is a very strong test of golf, measuring 466 yards from the back tees. The second half of the hole definitely plays downhill, though, so that should help a lot of people reach it in two.
    The 3rd hole is another difficult one, as witnessed by the fact that it is the #1 handicap hole at Baker National. Measuring 446 yards, this is another long par-4, however golfers are helped by the fact that it heads quickly downhill. The peril of this hole comes from the fact that the fairway is exaggeratedly skinny, especially as you get closer to the hole. Not only does the fairway get skinnier, it also curves around a grove of five mid-sized hardwoods that seem to have popped up out of thin air in the right rough. Even a well-struck drive that somehow finds this thin fairway has a good chance of having a blind shot at the hole because of these five evil trees. Throw in a huge sandtrap situated in front of the green, and it can seem as though there is no good place to aim.
    The 5th hole is the start of three straight holes that are either butted up against the shore of the aforementioned Spurzem Lake, or just a few short yards away. The 5th is a short par-4 measuring 348 yards from the back, and with the lake looming dangerously close to the right fairway, I’m thinking an iron or fairway wood off the tee might be a good choice. A fairly large fairway bunker guards the left side of the fairway, so you may want to tee off with a shorter iron than you previously considered. Another big bunker fronts the left side of the green, which is elevated a few feet above the landing area.
    The 6th hole has a ribbon-like fairway that sneaks first to the right and then back to the left along the shore of Spurzem Lake, which is on the right. A steep slope and thick rough border the left side of the fairway all the way to the hole, making this very skinny par-5 much more difficult than the 468-yard length would have you believe. The landing area for your tee shot looks very small, especially with the lake jutting into view so prominently. If you know you can hit a straight shot with a club that will go about 200 yards, that might be a prudent choice. Or if you are confident in your driver, you can try to cut off some of the hole by hitting over the water. You better hit that driver as straight as an arrow, though, or you could be in some deep trouble. I just love short par-5s that really make you think about how you want to play them. This is one of the best.
    The 7th is not actually located on Spurzem Lake, but the lake is very visible just a few yards away. And, just because the lake doesn’t come into play does not mean that there isn’t any water to contend with. A big, lovely pond sits midway between the teeing grounds and the green, with a picturesque fountain gurgling in the middle of it. The green sits at about the same elevation as the tee box, 162 yards away. This green is a fiendish two-tiered monster that doesn’t seem to have a flat putt on it. Throw in a couple of small-to-medium sized bunkers around the green, and you have a very photogenic hole that has the ability to cause panic attacks in even the best golfers.
    The back nine at Baker National does not have any lakes to add to the scenery, but it is chock full of wetlands, sandtraps, and great golf holes, just like the front. The fun starts right away at the 10th hole, a 512-yard par-5 that heads downhill at about the halfway point. This is a warning for anyone playing this hole for the first time: do not aim at the green on your second shot unless you are sure you can reach the green. That’s because the green is tucked directly behind three very large fairway bunkers that reach from about 125 yards out to right in front of the green. Aim a little to the left if you want to lay up and hit the fairway. Two more giant bunkers flank the green on either side. This hole alone is proof that there is a lot of sand on the back nine at Baker National.
    The 13th hole is the first on the back that utilizes wetlands as a hazard. This is a 538-yard par-5 that curves ever-so-slightly to the right around a pretty good sized wetland. The wetland sits several yards off the fairway on this hole, so it probably doesn’t cause too much trouble for most players, but it is much more threatening on the 14th hole, in which golfers are forced to hit over it twice. The tee shot on this 422-yard par-4 must be hit over an arm of the wetland to a pretty wide, but not very deep, landing area, but then another arm of the same wetland must be traversed on the way to the green. The key to this hole is to make sure you hit the wide landing area on your tee shot. If you pick a club that will get you to the 150-yard marker from the tee box, you should be OK.
    The 18th hole at Baker National is a tough finishing hole. The tee box is high up on one side of a ravine, and the fairway heads down to the bottom of the ravine, and then back up the other side. Your tee shot on this 425-yard par-4 has to travel about 275 yards in the air if you want to find a flat spot to hit your second shot. If you don’t, an uphill lie will face you as you try to reach the green, which is still another 10-15 feet above your head. Three big fairway bunkers add to the difficulty of hitting your tee shot in a good place, and two more big bunkers sit next to the green, making approach shots difficult. This is a tough hole, and a good one to end your round on.
    Baker National is a wonderful, yet tough, course in a beautiful setting, and is sure to be a great test for all golfers. If you don’t think you are ready for such a tough test, there is also the Evergreen Course on the premises, which is a par-30 executive course that is a lot of fun. Baker National is a full-service golf facility that is sure to become a favorite for everyone. Check it out!

Hidden Greens - July2010

Hidden Greens in Hastings, Minnesota has long had a reputation of being one of the most beautiful, yet also most difficult, courses in all of Minnesota. For years, I had heard the same things over and over from people who had just played at Hidden Greens: “Man, that’s a hard course!” or “There are trees everywhere!” or “I lost all of my golf balls in those woods!” I was even told once that there didn’t seem to be an open shot at any of the greens – all of them had trees growing up directly in front of them! That last one seemed a little far-fetched to me. I mean, why would a golf course purposefully have trees guarding the fronts of every green? Golf course owners usually want their customers to have a good time, don’t they? And maybe even enjoy themselves so much that they come back again and again? I found it difficult to believe that the superintendent at Hidden Greens would be so maniacal as to guard each and every green with groves of trees. Still, it is called “Hidden” Greens…maybe the stories were all true. I guess I had no other option but to go down to Hastings and find out for myself.
Hastings is a fun and historical river town right on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River. It is also very near the Mississippi’s confluence with the St. Croix River, and has the lovely little Vermillion River, an up-and-coming trout stream, running right through town. Although the historic downtown area along Main Street has helped Hastings keep its small-town charm, the city is always expanding outwards, and is now home to an estimated 22,000+ people. Hidden Greens is located a few miles south of downtown Hastings, just off of Highway 61. As I made my way down to Hidden Greens for the first time, I noticed that a majority of the area along Highway 61, south of town, is made up of agricultural land, with not many trees to be seen. I wondered if all of the rumors of endless trees on the course were blatant lies. Had everyone that I had ever talked to about Hidden Greens been in on a giant plot to deceive me? I highly doubted it. When I made the turn off of the highway, I could tell that the stories about trees were at least mostly true: Hidden Greens backs up to a very wooded state game refuge, with big stately trees looming in every direction. Whether or not there were actually trees guarding every green on the course was still to be determined, though.
    Looking down the fairway of the 1st hole at Hidden Greens, there did seem to be an abnormal number of trees around. And although the fairway seemed to be quite wide in most places, down in the landing area of this dogleg-right, 390-yard hole, two great big trees seemed to have broken away from the rest of the forest, and found their way to either side of the narrow elbow where the hole turned to the right. Visually, it made it look like the fairway just stopped about 250 yards in front of me. Luckily I had been paired with three regulars at Hidden Greens, and they assured me that the hole actually did continue past the mirage of trees at the bend, and they told me that there actually is quite an opening to the green once we reached that point in the fairway. I hit a pretty big hook off the tee, and thought I would find my ball deep in the woods, if I found it at all. But, lo and behold, the trees did open up quite a bit down there, I had a decent shot at the green from the left rough, and, no, there weren’t trees guarding the front of the green. In fact, it was wide open in front of the green, and a player could even play a bump-and-run to this green if he chose to do so. I also noticed that, even though there are a lot of trees on this course, the fairways are quite wide and forgiving, the trees are a good distance from the fairways, even though they might be visually deceiving some times, and even if you do hit into the trees, the underbrush has been removed in most cases, and you should at least be able to find your ball and punch back out into the fairway most of the time.
    The 3rd hole is a beautiful par-5, playing to almost 540 yards from the tips. The landing area for the tee shot is very wide and forgiving, but from there a player must be more accurate, and should try to get their second shot to the right side of the fairway, which will give them the best angle to go at the green, which is long and skinny, and guarded by a couple of big oak trees in the front left. I guess if you find yourself in the left rough after your second shot, then these two big trees will seem to be directly in front of the green on your approach shot. But, really they aren’t, and if you position yourself anywhere in the right 2/3 of the fairway, these trees shouldn’t come into play at all.
    After a couple of par-4s and another par-5, you will come to the lovely par-3 7th hole. Teeing off from a well-manicured, elevated tee box, players are forced to hit their tee shot downhill to a green that is situated inside the bend of a meandering creek, meaning that the creek must be carried on the tee shot, but it also grabs errant shots that are hit over the green. You must select your club carefully on this hole, which also has two bunkers in front waiting to torment you. At least this hole isn’t all that long, playing to 152 yards from the back tee box. A wonderfully devious little hole that has the ability to drive anyone crazy. Awesome!
      That same creek comes into play again on the tantalizing 8th hole, a short dogleg left par-4 that maxes out at 291 yards. Cutting across the fairway from the right, the creek makes players hit their tee shots at least 185 yards to reach the landing area in the fairway, which is heavily canted from right to left. Don’t hit your tee shot too far, though, since the tilted fairway will send your ball down in to the creek, which now has turned right, snaking its way along the left edge of the fairway, crossing directly in front of the tiny green. A short wedge shot is all that is needed, if you were fortunate enough to find the fairway with your tee shot, but make sure you take enough club to get over the water, which has gobbled up thousands of shots that weren’t hit with enough gusto. I have forever had a love-hate relationship with short par-4s, and although I truly admire the design of this short 8th hole at Hidden Greens, I left this hole with a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, since I ruined a wonderful tee shot with a hideous chip, and ended up with a double bogey. Ah, but that only gives me more reason to go back and try it again soon!
    The back nine at Hidden Greens starts with a short par-5 of less than 500 yards. The fairway angles to the left about 280 yards from the tee box, so if you’re a big hitter, be wary of driving your ball through the fairway. Even if you do, you should be able to punch out to the fairway, and leave yourself a short iron on your approach, since this hole is not very long. Try to take advantage of this hole with a birdie, and start your back nine on a high note.
    The signature hole at Hidden Greens is the 413-yard par-4 16th hole. One of the lengthier par-4s at Hidden Greens, the real trouble isn’t necessarily caused by the length, but instead by the hazards and trees that are so prevalent. From the tee box, it isn’t obvious that there is a large pond looming directly in front of you, about 280 yards away, but be forewarned: there is. The fairway heads straight at this impoundment, but then heads to the right just at the last minute, and curves back around to the green sitting on the far bank. A smart tee shot would be a slight fade for a right-hander, which should follow the fairway around the hazard. Or you could go straight at the pond, and hope that your ball doesn’t roll into the water, but if you do that, you won’t be guaranteed to avoid the grove of trees growing up by the water’s edge. Yes, this is the one hole where a nice straight tee shot might still end up blocked out by trees. But, you can’t have everything, and this 16th hole is a very picturesque hole that will be sure to elicit some deep discussions amongst your foursome.  Personally, I like this hole, but if my tee shot ends up behind the trees the next time I play it, and I don’t have a clear shot at the green because of it, my feelings may change. That’s probably the way it is with most people who play this hole.
    Hidden Greens is a beautifully conditioned course that is lined from tee to green with mature hardwood trees, but the forest is not so thick that it will cause an endless amount of lost balls. You should be able to find most any shot that strays off the fairway, and a manageable punch out should always be an option. I think you will really enjoy playing at Hidden Greens. The course is a beautiful layout, the conditions are superb, and it really is a nice challenge. Next time you’re in the Hastings area, check it out!

Siren National - July2010

You may remember hearing about the small town of Siren, Wisconsin, because of the severe tornado that leveled a large part of the town and killed three people in 2001. More than 175 buildings were destroyed in that tornado, and countless trees were uprooted in the surrounding forests. This town of less than 1,000 people was forever changed by that storm. But now, more than nine years later, the townspeople have pretty much eradicated any signs of the damage, and Siren is once again a sleepy little tourist town.
    Although there are lots of outdoorsy things to do in and around Siren, including hiking the Gandy Dancer Trail, fishing in one of the area lakes, or even getting married (Siren touts itself as being a wonderful wedding destination), I think the best thing to do is play a round of golf at the fascinating Siren National Golf Course. Located just a couple miles west of downtown, Siren National should be on everyone’s list of must-plays. Siren is an easy hour-and-a-half drive northeast from the Twin Cities, so if you are reading this in the Twin Cities, or if you’re already in the northwestern part of Wisconsin, and you are looking for a fun course with an interesting layout, I wouldn’t hesitate to advise you to check out Siren National. Let’s take a quick tour of this neat course.
    Siren National starts out with a par-5 that looks menacing from the tee box, but turns out to be not too tough. From the tee, golfers are required to hit their tee shot over a small gulch that is filled with trees and shrubs, to the fairway that heads up a hill and around a corner to the right. The fairway is quite wide, and once you reach it, you’ll notice that the trees and shrubs disappear, and there really isn’t much in the way of hazards for the rest of the hole. Like I said, this 1st hole at Siren National isn’t all that tough.
    Things get a little tougher, or at least there is more potential for danger, on the par-4 2nd hole. Measuring 363 yards from the back, the length of this hole isn’t too frightening, but there are two ponds in the fairway lurking like thieves. Be especially wary of the pond on the right side, since it is mostly hidden from the tee box, even though it is the more sizeable of the two ponds. It juts out about halfway into the fairway, so it might be prudent to play a lay-up shot off the tee. I’ve never been known to be prudent, so that’s just a guess on my part. From the landing area, the fairway heads up slightly to an elevated green that’s not very deep. If you go over this green, there’s a lot of room to maneuver, so you should have a pretty easy chip shot.
    Earlier in this article, I called Siren National a “fascinating” golf course, and one of the most fascinating holes is the harrowing 3rd hole. The 3rd is a long par-3 that measures 206 yards from the back, and you better make sure you use enough club to get your ball to the green in the air, because running your ball up to the green is definitely not an option. First of all, right in front of the tee box sits a mid-sized pond, but that’s probably going to be the least of your worries. That’s because the green is fronted by a steep rock wall that will knock a golf ball in unforeseen directions. There is some green grass at the bottom of the wall, but you’ll have a tough chip shot up to the green, which sits almost 20 feet up. This is a visually stunning hole that is bound to cause fits for a lot of golfers. I love unique holes like this.
    The 7th hole is the longest at Siren National, measuring almost 590 yards. This is a long, undulating dogleg-right that seems to snake up and down about a dozen small hills on its way to the green. That is a bit of an exaggeration, but it does go up and down several times before reaching the elevated green. The water on the left is quite a distance from the fairway, so it’s possible to hit a big, nasty hook on your second shot, like me, and still not go far enough left to reach the water. For that reason, alone, I would consider this a good golf hole.
    The 9th hole is another of what I would call a “fascinating” hole. On the scorecard, this looks like it should be an easy par-5. After all, it measures only 456 yards, and that’s from the tips. Once you play it, you won’t think it’s all that easy any more. The difficulty arrives at about 300 yards out in the fairway, or to be more accurate, the marshy bog arrives when you get about 300 yards out in the fairway. That’s right, the fairway abruptly ends just passed the 150 yard markers, and a bog takes its place. The fairway starts up again on the other side of the bog, about 50 yards away, and then heads way up to a very elevated green that’s tucked in the hillside. It seems to me that there are two good ways to play this hole: hit your drive exactly 300 yards right down the middle, so you can go at the green from behind the bog; or play two 150-yard shots, then go at the green from just behind the bog. There are thick woods framing the fairway from the bog on up to the green, so you better have a good angle when you are aiming for the putting surface. Now that I know exactly how this hole is laid out, I think I know which strategy I will use next time I play it. That doesn’t mean I will play it well, but at least I’ll have a strategy.
    I really like both the 11th and the 13th holes at Siren National, both of which are medium-length par-4s. They also share the characteristic of having a creek crossing through the fairway, although the 389-yard 11th has its creek directly in front of the tee box, and the 375-yard 13th has its creek dissecting the hole immediately in front of the green. The 11th is a sweeping dogleg up and to the right that you can try to cut the corner on, and the 13th is a rare find at Siren National because it does not have an elevated green. If you aim your tee shot on this 13th hole at the lonely oak tree that sits just off the right side of the fairway, you should have an excellent angle to attack the pin from. Actually the best angle would occur if you pushed your drive a few yards into the rough. If you’re comfortable doing that, I say go for it.
    Siren National is a really neat layout, is not very spendy, and is in immaculate condition. And for most people on the eastern side of Minnesota and western Wisconsin, it’s not a long drive at all. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun new place to play. You could even hang out in Siren for a few days and do some hiking or some fishing, or heck, maybe you’ll even get married!

A Bit of Humor About Bert the Ball-Finder - May2010

My friend Bert is a notorious ball-finder. You would think that he is part bloodhound, the way he can sniff out lost golf balls. Next time you lose your ball in some tall, thick rough, or deep in the middle of a hardwood forest, you will wish you were playing with Bert. Bert would find your ball for you, no doubt about it. One time, I hit my tee shot so far into the woods on a par-4, I figured I would need a battalion of Green Berets to help me bushwhack in far enough to find it. I gave up without even looking for it, and was ready to take a drop, when out from the forest trudged Bert, not only with the ball I just hit in there, but an armful of other formerly-lost balls, as well. Bert is also a notorious ball-seller-backer, and he instantly came over and tried to sell me back the ball I just lost for the not-so-cheap price of $3. Can you believe he would try sell me back my golf ball for $3? What a jerk! I told him to take a hike, which he did, right back into the woods where he found another couple dozen lost balls. Once, I actually had to pay Bert the ransom that he wanted for my lost ball, since I didn’t have any other balls in my bag. But I have since learned better, so now before I play with Bert I make sure to shovel enough golf balls in my bag to last several lifetimes. I will never give him the satisfaction of making me pay for my own golf ball again!
    One time, Bert’s zeal for finding lost golf balls almost cost him dearly. We were playing in a charity tournament at a ritzy resort course high up in the Adirondacks. Several holes seemed to be perched on the side of sheer cliffs – we could look out from several vantage points on the course and seem to be looking face-to-face with fluffy white clouds and pointy treetops. Bert spent much of the day scrambling up and down the jagged mountainsides, gathering up golf balls that others had hit, but were too scared to climb down and retrieve. Bert wasn’t going to let a little thing like gravity get between him and somebody else’s lost golf ball, that’s for sure. He took great pride in going where no others dared to tread in search of lost balls.
    One particular hole placement was especially precarious, with the green situated a mere foot or two from the side of the cliff. On his way up the fairway on that hole, Bert had found a veritable mother lode of  hiding places for lost balls: a huge, scraggly bush that was planted right on the edge of the cliff, presumably to catch golf balls before they plummeted over the edge to their death. This bush must have been 50 feet in diameter, with thorny branches reaching in all directions. Dozens of golf balls were visible deep within the scraggly bush’s inner diameter. Obviously this bush was doing a wonderful job of catching golf balls before they flew into oblivion, but the thorns and incessant tangles of branches had kept most golfers from retrieving their ball. Bert merely looked at this as an interesting challenge. He had never let a bush beat him before, and he wasn’t going to start now. Ten minutes, and a couple hundred thorny puncture wounds later, Bert had extricated at least 30 or 40 golf balls from this lone bush. Since I was tired of watching him search for other people’s lost golf balls, I had taken our golf cart and moved towards the green. Without a cart around to dump his newfound golf ball treasure, Bert decided to stuff them all in the pockets on his cargo shorts for the time being.
    We got up to the green, and Bert’s own golf ball sat about 75 feet from the pin, in the miniscule amount of rough that sat between the green and the cliff. Between Bert’s ball and the cup sat four or five large mounds, meaning once Bert’s ball started rolling on the green, it would break right and then left and then back to the right so many times we would lose count. It would be a miracle if he was able to get the ball to rest within 15 feet of the hole. Bert took out his trusty 6-iron, his chipping club of choice, lined up his shot, took a few practice swings, and made a smooth swing on the ball, which flew about 15 feet in the air, bounced sideways off of one of the mounds, started rolling left, then right, then back to the left again as it maneuvered around the other mounds, and plopped directly in to the hole for a birdie 3. Bert started jumping around and whooping and hollering out of pure joy, but he forgot all of the golf balls packed into his pockets. One of his back pockets, which held about 20 golf balls itself, contained so much weight that when Bert started jumping around, the mass of golf balls got moving so quickly from side to side that it created a sort of fulcrum effect that pulled Bert and his weighted-down shorts right over the edge of the cliff. I would love to be able to put into words how I felt when I saw my old friend go from a look of utter elation after making that chip shot, to a look of total panic as he went sailing over the edge of the cliff. It’s hard to remember exactly how to describe something, though, when you’re watching it with tears in your eyes – tears from laughing so hard you almost got sick. Needless to say, Bert was fine, except maybe for his pride, which was slightly bruised. He only fell about 5 feet before he landed in the branches of a small pine tree. He was able to climb back up to safety, and I think he only dropped two or three golf balls in the process. You’d think an episode like this would have taught Bert a lesson, but no, he’s still up to his old tricks, and he even tries to sell me my own golf ball every once in a while. Hmmm, maybe I should take him back out to the Adirondacks again some time….

Gopher Hills - May2010

Cannon Falls is a sleepy little town on the banks of the Cannon River, about 30 miles south of the Twin Cities. Home to three distinct public golf courses, Cannon Falls is a wonderful place to spend a weekend-long golf trip. One of those courses is Gopher Hills, a 27 hole complex carved into the rolling hills north of town. Originally named Elmdale Hills, at that time it was a 9-hole course most famous because of the odd creatures that golfers could rent as caddies. It’s the only course I’ve ever heard of that had used llamas as caddies. Apparently golfers would strap their bag on to the side of a llama, and then lead the furry creature around the course. I am not really sure what the ultimate downfall of Elmdale Hills was, but the course has since changed owners, changed names, and gotten rid of the llama caddies. Hopefully nothing bad happened to the llamas, and they are all spending the rest of their lives hanging out at some local farm. Since the name change, Gopher Hills has expanded to a total of 27 holes, 18 holes comprising the championship course, and 9 holes making up an executive course. The original 9 holes (which now make up the back nine of the championship course, known as The Glen Nine) were designed by the late Dr. Gordon Emerson, the most prolific golf course designer in Wisconsin history. The front nine, known as The Heath Nine, and the executive nine were added to Gopher Hills in 1999 by golf course architect Garrett Gill. When playing the championship course, it really is a tale of two very different nines. The newer Heath Nine is routed through very hilly prairie land, with hardly a tree in sight. The lack of trees does not mean that you will have an easy round, though. There are tricky undulations everywhere, and many holes that seem to go straight uphill. The extra-tall and thick heather-like rough makes it almost impossible to find your ball if you miss the fairway. The lack of trees also means that the wind plays a major factor. The day we played at Gopher Hills the wind was gusting at about 30 miles per hour, making for some very treacherous playing conditions. Consider yourself lucky if you can manage a good score on the front nine at Gopher Hills.
    The Glen Nine is more of a traditional parkland setting, although the hilly topography from the front nine is still in effect. There are many more mature trees on The Glen than there are on the Heath Nine, but not as much of the extra-long rough, so things kind of even themselves out. There are a multitude of great holes at Gopher Hills, but for the sake of this article, I’ll just highlight a few from both The Heath and The Glen. When standing on the 1st tee at Gopher Hills, you can get a real sense of how hilly the course is. You can see almost the entire Heath Nine from this vantage point, and with the lack of trees, it seems as though you can see every nook and cranny. The 1st hole quickly heads downhill, and then takes a hard turn to the right before it heads back up another steep hill towards the green. The lack of trees seemed to affect my depth perception, since I thought I could easily cut off some of the fairway and give myself a shorter approach shot to the elevated green, but when my well-struck drive came up far short of the fairway, buried in the deep rough, I knew I was mistaken. If you attempt to go the same route that I tried by cutting the corner, watch out for the wet drainage area at the bottom of the swale. And remember to take an extra club when hitting back up the hill.
    The 4th hole, nicknamed “Grande”, is the longest hole at Gopher Hills, measuring 537 yards. The tee shot heads up a sloping ridge, so if your tee shot is on the left side of the fairway, there is a good chance the slope will take it into the left rough. If your tee shot is in the left rough, there’s a good chance the slope will take it into the deeper rough that borders the hole. You don’t want to go too far right, though, either, since there are several large trees guarding the right side. Once you maneuver through this part of the hole, the fairway heads a little left, and flattens out on the top of the ridge. The green is isolated on a peninsula of level ground, with both sides falling away into an abyss. If you miss this green with your approach shot, you’ll probably have an uphill chip shot, so be ready for that.
    What I would call the “signature” hole of The Heath would probably be the 7th hole, which has been named “Ichabod” by the course owners. Ichabod is a 501-yard par-5 that probably wouldn’t cause too much concern for better players if they were just going by the length of the hole. The problems start when looking at the hole from the tee box, which is perched high up on a hill. The fairway sits 25-30 feet below, but at about 250 yards out, danger seems to pinch in from both sides, making the landing area look like it’s about 10 yards wide. The hole is set up so that golfers hit towards a gravel road that angles back towards the clubhouse, and there is an out-of-bounds fence running along the road. But a grove of trees, some of the few trees that are on The Heath nine, slashes in to the right side, so, visually speaking, it looks as though the trees and the road are going to converge and completely snuff out the fairway altogether. This is a very intimidating hole, especially when looking from the tee box. Once I got down to the fairway, I realized the fairway is not actually 10 yards wide; it’s probably more like 25 yards wide, but it’s true there isn’t any extra room for error, so the best way to play this hole might be to make sure to lay up off the tee, so that you don’t have to worry about the skinniness of the fairway. From the landing area, the hole parallels the road on the left, and is guarded by a hill on the right side. The green is quite skinny, to go along with the rest of the hole. This hole has the potential to give you nightmares, so it is wise to play it conservatively, which should help minimize any problems.
    The Glen has several holes that could be considered the signature hole. The double fairway par-5 “Vale” (Hole 11) is the first that comes to mind. On this 505-yard hole, golfers can choose to aim for the right fairway, which stays on top of a plateau, and is cut off from the second section of fairway at the bottom of the hill. Or the left fairway can be utilized off the tee, which heads steeply downhill at about 250 yards out, and can really add some significant roll to well-aimed, and well-struck, tee shots. Problems can result from poor tee shots, though, since the fairway is so narrow heading down the hill, and really thick rough is grown perilously close to the fairway. I hit what I thought was a perfect tee shot to this left fairway, and it looked to me like my ball was heading right down the middle and far down the hill. But I must have been off by a couple feet. Luckily, I was able to find my ball a foot or two into the heather, chop it out with an 8-iron, and have a good shot at the green for my third. I wasn’t home free, though, since a lovely pond fronts the green on this devilish hole. What a great par-5!
    The picturesque par-3 “Ledge” (Hole 13) measures just 147 yards from the back, and doesn’t seem that intimidating from the tee box. But, let me tell you, if you miss this kidney-shaped green to the right, you could be in for a world of hurt. Just a foot or two from the edge of the green the ground falls away, and your ball will, too, if you hit it over there. Your ball could very easily end up 75 to 100 feet down the hill, or more, requiring a very tough chip shot back up the hill and under some thick tree branches. When you do get on the green, you’ll need to navigate around a very slippery putting surface that is sloped from back to front. Another great hole!
    The last hole we’ll discuss on the Glen Nine at Gopher Hills is the 192 yard par-3 “Gorge” hole, otherwise known as the 16th hole. This is an absolutely treacherous looking hole that might have you quaking in your boots while you’re trying to hit your tee shot. The tee boxes are perched on the side of a steep hill. The green sits on top of another hill, and in between the two is a deep gorge that is sure to swallow up a lot of golf balls. If a tee shot is not struck with enough gusto to reach the green, it is sure to roll back down the steep descent to the bottom of the gorge. This is a beautiful, yet daunting, hole, that will cause nightmares, possible phobias, and maybe even a case of the screaming willies in golfers who find their golf ball lying at the bottom of the gorge.

Viroqua Hills-May 2010

Viroqua Hills is a fun course to play, and one of the nicest courses in the area between La Crosse and Madison. It is a course with two distinct nines: an older nine in which the holes are straighter, there aren’t as many water hazards or bunkers, and big mature trees lines every hole; and a newer nine which has a few more twists and turns, a healthy amount of sand and water, and fewer trees. That’s not to say that there aren’t any trees on the newer holes, just that they are not quite as prevalent as on the older holes. Both nines share two main features: elevated tee boxes and drastically hilly topography. Personally, I wouldn’t want to walk this course unless I was in training to climb Mt. Everest. Make sure you get a cart. The original nine holes were built in 1941, and the new nine holes were added in 1996.
    The first hole at Viroqua Hills is one of the older holes, and starts right next to the clubhouse, with a lovely view from the high vantage point to the landing area in the valley floor below. Make sure you notice where the flag is on the green while you’re on the tee, since your second shot will have a good chance of being blind. There is quite a hill in the fairway between the landing area and the green, which can totally eliminate the view of the flag. A couple of bunkers short of the green are the only hazards, other than all the trees lining both sides of the fairway.
    The 2nd hole is a short par-5 of just under 500 yards that heads back up the hill, and the 3rd hole is a long par-4 of over 450 yards that, thankfully, heads back down hill. After the 3rd hole, golfers take a trip through a tunnel underneath Highway 61, to the 4th hole, which is the first of the newer holes that golfers get to play. Hole #4, which plays to over 410 yards from the back tees, also has a very elevated tee box, with the fairway sitting about 50 feet below. There are two fairway bunkers lurking in the landing area, but the biggest obstacle that a lot of people may have trouble with is the fact that there is OB just a few yards to the right of the fairway. Righthanders better not hit a slice off this tee, or their ball will end up in the middle of a cornfield. If you do keep your ball inbounds, you’ll be faced with a second shot to a very deep, squarish green that is flanked by water to the left and behind.
    The 5th hole at Viroqua Hills is a nice par-3 that maxes out at 176 yards. The green on this hole is a ticklish two-tiered brute, and is surrounded by sand on all sides, except in the front. If you possibly can, keep your ball below the hole, or you’ll face a very difficult downhill putt. Since there is no sand in front, maybe a good strategy would be to aim for the front edge, which would ensure an uphill putt no matter where the pin is placed. It’s just an idea.
    The 8th hole is a fun par-5 that takes a big turn to the left around a hill and a big grove of birch trees. At the green, the fairway actually turns slightly back to the right, so I guess you could say this was a double dogleg. A stately oak tree guards the right rough, making a narrow chute in which your second shot must travel. A very skinny elevated green awaits your approach shot, so you better be accurate.
    The 11th hole is the signature hole at Viroqua Hills. It is a relatively benign par-5, measuring just a fraction over 500 yards from the tips. There really isn’t all that much danger on this hole either, with just a single fairway bunker placed about 300 yards out, a few small trees in the right rough, and a water hazard.  The water does sit deviously close to the back edge of the green, though, so don’t be long with your approach. What makes this hole the signature hole at Viroqua Hills is the view from the tee box. The tee box was built right on the side of a very steep hill, more than 100 feet above the fairway. It seemed like I could see for miles in all directions from up there. Even though the hole is not that long, the green is so far below the tee box that it seems like it’s miles away. What a beautiful view!
    The 12th hole looks like it should be a pretty easy par-4, measuring just 360 yards. There is much danger lurking on this hole, however, so don’t be fooled. Okay, actually there isn’t all that much danger, other than the fact that it heads straight back up the hill, and the grass in front of the green is mown short enough to allow any shot that comes up short to roll back down the hill about 30 or 40 yards. Take it from me, you need to take at least one extra club on your approach shot to ensure you reach the putting surface. If not, a very arduous chip shot (or several) up the hill will await you.
    The 12th hole concludes our tour of the “new” holes at Viroqua Hills. To reach the last six holes we head back through the tunnel to the other side of Highway 61. As I mentioned earlier, the older holes are a little more straightforward, with not as many twists and turns, and not as many hazards, either, but the constant elevation change and the amount of big, stately trees help to make them an interesting set of holes. I especially like the short 14th hole, a par-4 that measures right at 300 yards from the tips. This hole heads uphill from the tee box, and takes just a diminutive turn to the right around a small grove of big trees. A lot of people (right-handers who slice the ball) will have a difficult second shot from behind these trees, and will have to decide whether to try to go over them, around them, or underneath them. For a short par-4, this could cause a lot of people to pull their hair out.
    The rest of the holes at Viroqua Hills head back up and down the steep slopes, with countless pine trees and stately oak trees causing most of the damage, until you reach the 18th green, which brings you back to the clubhouse. Next time you find yourself vacationing in the Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin, or if you happen to live in the area, remember to bring your clubs and play a round at Viroqua Hills. Make sure you rent a cart, though, because hiking up and down these hills is not for the faint of heart.

The Bridges-May 2010

The Bridges- Hole 2

The Bridges- Holes 17& 18

Winona is a beautiful town in southeastern Minnesota nestled between bluffs on the west and the mighty Mississippi River on the east. Being from the Minneapolis area, I almost called Winona a “little town”, but really, that’s not the case. Winona has a population of right around 30,000, so it’s not all that small. It’s big enough to be the home of two excellent universities, Winona State and St. Mary’s. Winona has an historic downtown area that is filled with a vast array of Victorian architecture. Located right on the banks of the mighty Mississippi is the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, which holds a huge collection of world-class marine art and other maritime artifacts. In other words, there are a lot of things to keep a person occupied in Winona. I believe that one of the best things that can occupy my time is to spend a few hours on a golf course, and one of the nicest courses that I have played in a long time is The Bridges Golf Course located, you guessed it, in Winona. Formerly the private Winona Country Club, The Bridges became a public course in 2005, but the course superintendent has maintained a private club feel nonetheless. Let’s take a quick tour of The Bridges.
    First of all, you may be wondering why the course was given the name “The Bridges”. The course was built in and around a steep valley that contains the lovely little Pleasant Valley Creek, a picturesque little trout stream that flows cold and clear. There are countless creek crossings, so bridges are necessary for cart travel. There are also steep ascents and descents throughout the course, so several unique walking bridges help walking players maneuver more easily, as well. These walking bridges add to the charm of The Bridges.
    The first hole at The Bridges is a fairly benign par-4 of 380 yards. As straight as can be, the biggest obstacles are the two fairway bunkers that really pinch the fairway at about 240 yards out. Make sure you stretch out your muscles so that you are loose enough to blast your drive past these bunkers. Next time I play The Bridges, I will remember to do just that!
    The second hole is a real beauty of a par-3. From the tee boxes, there is a steep descent to the green, which is deviously guarded by Pleasant Valley Creek in the front, a large bunker on the right, and a huge oak tree on the left. This tree stands about 20 feet from the green, but its branches seem to stretch endlessly, and fully envelope the left side of the green. Thankfully, I played this hole in the spring before most of the leaves had popped out, so this tree didn’t pose as big of a problem as it could have. But when you’re perched high up on the hill at the tee box, the green seems exceedingly small and narrow, so it’s difficult to hit no matter what time of year you play it. This is just about a perfect par-3, as far as I’m concerned.
    The next two holes are paralleled by the aforementioned Pleasant Valley Creek. When you hit your ball in the creek, if you sneak up to the bank real quietly, you might get a glimpse of some lovely brown trout checking out your ball. I’m told that some people bring their fly rods to the course and try their hand at catching some trout after their round is done. I’d be afraid of getting hit by wayward golf balls, but there are numerous other streams in the area, as well, so if you like to try to catch the wary trout, make sure you bring your tackle with you when traveling to the Winona area.
    Hole #6 is another lovely par-3 with an elevated tee box, but this time there are no huge trees or trout streams guarding the green. There are a multitude of bunkers surrounding the green, though, so it’s not an easy walk in the park. The green is elevated slightly, so missing it requires a delicate uphill chip. The green itself is quite large, so that helps, but it is canted from back to front, so most putts are slippery downhillers. Just make sure you hit your tee shot below the hole, and everything will be fine.
    I really like the way hole #7 sets up. Another elevated tee box awaits golfers on this 400-yard par-4, but despite its length, the best shot off the tee probably isn’t with a driver. A perfect tee shot is around 240 yards towards the fairway bunker that is straight in front of the tee boxes. A 240-yard tee shot from the back tees will put you right at the point where the fairway curves to the left around a thick grove of trees. The fairway becomes very narrow around the corner, so I wouldn’t advise big hitters to try to cut the corner, but you can try if you want to. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you! From this point the fairway heads downhill slightly to an almost square green, which again is sloped from back to front.     
    The back nine starts out with another interesting par-3, this one playing to 180 yards from the back tees. Instead of playing downhill like the two par-3s on the front, the green and tee box are at about the same elevation, but between the two is a deep chasm that will swallow up any tee shots that are short. I thought I hit a good tee shot, but my ball got batted down by the strong winds blowing at me, landing right in front of the green. Next thing I know it started to roll down in to the chasm. Luckily it found a patch of thick rough that kept it from rolling all the way down to the bottom, but I still had a tough chip shot up the hill, and I was down far enough that I couldn’t see the flagstick. If you make sure you use enough club, you should be okay on this neat little hole.
    Hole 11 is a great par-5 that can be played in multiple ways. There are two fairway options off the tee: the right fairway stays on top of the hill, but ends at a steep drop-off about 200 yards out; the left fairway heads down the hill, but the hillside may kick a well-struck tee shot into the creek at the bottom of the valley. I chose to hit my 5 iron off the tee and lay up on the upper portion of the fairway, but I had an awkward second shot to the extremely-skinny landing area about 150 yards from the green. From that landing area, the fairway heads back uphill to a small, plateau-like green. From my first time playing at The Bridges, I’m not sure I know what the best strategy is on this hole. When I go back, I think I’ll try the other route and see what happens.
    I am not always a fan of short par-4s, probably because I rarely choose the best way to play them. I really like the 13th hole at The Bridges, though, which plays to just a smidge over 300 yards from the blue tees. This is a beautiful dogleg right that just seems to set up perfectly from the elevated tee box. A golfer can either hit a lay-up to just short of the two fairway bunkers about 240 yards out, or you can try to cut off the dogleg by driving over the grove of trees in the right rough. The golfer who can do that successfully can turn this in to an easy birdie hole, but you still have to be wary of all the bunkers that surround the green.
    The 17th hole is another beautiful par-4, but this one isn’t a nice short hole like number 13. No, the 17th plays to 413 yards from the tips, but another elevated tee box helps add some distance to drives, so it probably plays more like 400 yards. When you play this hole, the high tee box gives you a lovely view of most of the course, the river valley, the clubhouse, and a good look at the 18th hole, which heads back towards you. The fairway on this hole is nice and wide, with just a slight turn to the right. Pleasant Valley Creek again comes into play, this time slicing across the fairway right in front of the green, potentially causing all sorts of problems.
    Our trip around The Bridges concludes at the 375-yard dogleg left par-4 18th hole. The wise play off the tee on this hole is a 200-yard shot to the corner of the dogleg. You could probably hit as far as 225 yards, but anything longer than that and you’ll risk hitting through the fairway. A small pond guards the left front corner of the long, narrow green, and a bunker guards the right. This is another lovely hole that fits in beautifully on this excellent course.