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.

Lost Spur GC-May 2010

Not far from the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport lies one of the nicest nine-hole courses in the Twin Cities area. It’s in Eagan, and the course is known as Lost Spur. Formerly a private course that was available for use only by the Shriners, Lost Spur has become a very popular course for all area golfers, whether they are just beginning in the game, or whether they have been playing for years. Lost Spur is also home to one of the largest practice ranges around, as well, with a huge driving range, target greens, a practice bunker, and multiple chipping and putting greens. There also are great banquet facilities on the premises, making Lost Spur a very popular place for weddings and other festive occasions. But let’s take a look at the course, shall we?
    Lost Spur is a 9-hole track that has a par of 34. It is made up of five par-4s, three par-3s, and a single par-5. Several holes are built on and around a very large hill that gives golfers beautiful views of the nearby Minnesota River valley, as well as the MSP Airport and Mall of America off in the distance. The first hole is a lovely tree-lined par-4 of about 350 yards that plays slightly uphill. A small pond, which shouldn’t pose much of a threat to most golfers, sits right in front of the tee box on this first hole. This pond is just big enough to make some golfers nervous, and I suppose if a golfer hasn’t stretched enough prior to his or her round, this pond might grab an errant shot or two. After the pond has been traversed, the only obstacles on this hole are the stately oak and maple trees that line the fairway. The green is fairly flat, and the greens always run true and quick at Lost Spur, so your putts should be pretty straightforward on this hole.
        After the relatively flat first hole, the second hole is quite the change, as it heads up the very steep hill to a plateau where the green sits. The fairway falls away on the left side of the fairway, so many tee shots will roll towards the left. Because of this, many approach shots will need to be hit from an awkward sidehill lie. This is not a long hole, measuring just a tad over 250 yards from the tips, but the extreme elevation change definitely adds some length to the hole. Try to aim as far to the right as you can, so that your golf ball doesn’t roll into the grove of trees to the left of the fairway.
    We’ll stay on top of the hill for the par-3 third hole, which is a relatively benign 160-yard hole. The only danger lies right in front of the green, in the form of a medium-sized sand trap. The short par-4 fourth hole is capable of bringing much more drama to your round. At least it did during my round! Teeing off from high up on the hill, this hole heads straight down, where it curves around a little creek, and then takes a pretty hard right towards the green. The entire hole is a little under 300 yards long, but the twists and turns along the way can make it seem much longer. Don’t follow my example if you want to play this hole correctly: I laid up with an iron off the tee, but pushed my ball too far right, and it ended up somewhere in the creek. After taking a drop, since it’s a lateral hazard, I crushed my third shot way over the green, and had several huge pine trees between me and the putting surface. After several more shots, I was about ready to trudge back up to the tee box and start this hole over, but I muddled my way through, and ended up with a triple bogey 7. Really, this hole shouldn’t be so difficult – I will probably hit my driver off the tee next time and try to take the creek out of play. I can’t imagine this strategy being any worse than the way I already played it!
    After the straight and short par-4 fifth hole, golfers have to make another trek up the steep hill to the sixth tee box. Better bring an oxygen tank with you, since this is quite the ascent. Okay, so it’s not quite like golfing on Mt. McKinley or anything, but it’s still a very exhilarating climb. The reward for making this climb is a beautiful view of the metro area, most specifically the photogenic skyline, and the expansive Minnesota River valley that is just a short distance from the course. After checking out the lovely view, you’ll also see the sixth green sitting far below you. It’s about 210 yards from the tee box, but the drop in elevation helps to shorten it quite a bit. A lone sand trap sits to the right of the green, expertly placed to grab any sliced tee shots from right-handed golfers. If you like scenic golf holes, this one is sure to please.
    The final three holes at Lost Spur are comprised of the short par-5 7th which is bisected by the same creek that gave me so much trouble on hole number 4; the mid-length par-3 8th, which seems to be completely surrounded by trees; and the short par-4 9th. Overall, Lost Spur is a well laid-out and wonderfully groomed 9-hole course that can test all golfers’ abilities, as well as give some wonderful views of the natural beauty that is within the Twin Cities metro area.

Sawmill GC-May2010

I remember playing Sawmill Golf Course back in the early 1990s during a junior tournament that I probably had no right to be in. Luckily there were no requirements to get in to the tournament. Any high school-aged player with a pulse was allowed in. Needless to say, I did not play well enough that day to win a trophy, and probably was nowhere near the top ten finishers, however my exact score remains a long-forgotten mystery. One thing I do remember about that day was the fact that the Stillwater area in which Sawmill is located got a healthy amount of rain the night before, and it continued to rain during the time that the tournament was going on, and the total amount of rainfall was obviously too much for the course to handle: I distinctly remember that at least two, and possibly three, of the greens at Sawmill that day were completely water-logged, with squishy water seeping up from the ground under each footstep. The worst of the water-logged greens had a visible layer of water still sitting on top of the grass, waiting to be absorbed by the already-full ground. The cup on that green that day was filled to the top with rain water, so our golf balls made a nice plop sound when they dropped in. Looking back at it, I wonder why the groundskeepers at Sawmill allowed us to play on those greens. Having 30 to 40 junior golfers loping around on them couldn’t have been good for the grass in those types of conditions. Ah well, at least most of us didn’t weigh as much as full-sized adult men would have. Maybe we didn’t cause as much damage as I imagine.
    Recently I was happy to learn that the owners of Sawmill had changed some of the holes a few years ago and had addressed some of the drainage issues that were such a problem in the past. I wanted to see for myself how these changes had affected the playability of the course, so I made a tee time to play a round there with my friends Mike, Terry, and Paul. We were fortunate enough to get a tee time right at the beginning of the twilight rates on a Monday afternoon. The twilight rates at Sawmill are some of the lowest in the entire Twin Cities metropolitan area, which was nice to see. We played 18 holes with riding carts, and only paid $26 per person. This price is at least $20 less than a majority of the courses in the area, making it an excellent deal.
    Although the price was certainly right, I still wanted to see what kind of shape the course was in. Right from the first tee I could tell that the course was in wonderful shape. Even though the Twin Cities area was in a bit of a drought that summer, every part of Sawmill that I could see from that first tee box looked lush and green. The first hole is a short par-5 that was playing to about 470 yards when we played it. There is a small creek bisecting the fairway at about 250 yards off the tee, and a single large tree right in the middle of the landing area. I guess I was fortunate that I popped my drive up a little more than I usually desire, because it left me short of the creek, and far enough back from the tree that I had no problem choosing the correct path to get around it. The green on this hole is beautifully framed by a clump of mature trees on the right side, and the aforementioned creek bed, which snakes its way up the left side of the fairway. The green itself is fairly flat, but in very good condition and running smooth on the day we were there. All in all, it’s a very nice looking, and fair, hole to start your round at Sawmill.
    The second hole at Sawmill is a short par-4 of about 300 yards, but it is filled with danger. There are 3 sand traps situated directly in the middle of the fairway, just waiting to gobble up tee shots. The good people at Sawmill have given golfers another option that would allow them to bypass the sand, however. There is a newly added second part of the fairway that has been built to the right of the original fairway, giving another landing area option. There is no sand on this new section of fairway, and the golfer who can hit this new landing area is given a much better angle in to the elevated green. The 2nd hole at Sawmill does a nice job of giving players multiple options off the tee, which I think makes it a very good hole.
    The 5th hole is the signature hole at Sawmill, and is a par-3 playing over water. There are a multitude of tee boxes that play from various lengths and angles to the green, making it possible to change the length and the difficulty from day to day. The back tees on the east tee boxes makes the hole measure over 200 yards, which is a difficult par-3 in itself, but that difficulty is multiplied by the fact the there is a long carry over the water to get to the green. If the groundskeepers decide to use the west tee boxes, the entire tee shot is a forced carry over the water. The east tee boxes are situated on the edge of the lake, and bring possible escape routes into play, since players that hit to the right might be able to avoid the water. The forward tees on this hole play to just over 100 yards, but there is still a lot of water directly in front of the tee box that can come in to play on wayward shots. This is a very lovely par 3 with the elevated tee boxes looking down on the green and the lake in front. It is definitely a worthy “signature hole”.
    The 8th hole at Sawmill is another very good par-3. It can play anywhere from 115 yards to 175 yards, depending on which tee box you’re hitting from. What’s interesting about this hole is the fact that there is a long bunker lining the entire right side of the fairway. This bunker must be at least 70 yards long, and while it shouldn’t come into play too often, just having it there surely gets into the mind of some golfers while standing over their tee shot. Right before the green, the sand ends and a small, marshy water hazard sits in front of the right front edge of the putting surface. Standing on the tee box, looking at all the sand lining the entire hole, and the water hazard directly in front of the pin, the desired landing area on the green looks miniscule. But once we got up to the green, it was obvious that the green is actually quite large, and there’s plenty of room to land a golf ball, even if it’s not hit exactly where you’re aiming.
    The back nine begins with a very photogenic par-4 that plays right at 400 yards from the tips. The tee boxes on this hole, like many at Sawmill, are surrounded by beautiful flower beds. The fairway parallels the first hole, and the same creek bed that crisscrosses the first fairway comes into play on number 10. It runs along the right side of this fairway, and has another small rivulet which crosses the fairway from the left and joins the main creek bed. This hole has a large green that is framed by a large stand of trees on three sides. It is a very well-designed hole that is a great start to the second nine.
    The 16th hole is a fantastic par-3 that only measures 140 yards from the tips, but it is fraught with danger. A good-sized pond sits in front of the elevated green, and prodigious trees surround the small green, which is also abutted by a small sand trap in the rear. If your tee shot isn’t accurate, a big number can creep on to your scorecard after playing this photogenic little hole.
    The 18th hole is a fun finishing hole, because it has two fairway options to choose from on your tee shot. The right fairway is the more straightforward option, but the terrain goes up a slight incline, so a golfer deciding to follow this path won’t get much roll on their drive. The left fairway heads downhill, so a drive down this side will get some extra roll, but this route isn’t as straight, so the extra distance on your drive might not be as big of a benefit as you think. This side of the fairway also brings a very deep greenside bunker into play on the approach shot. The bottom of this bunker sits about 15 feet below the level of the green, so a sand save from this bunker can be very difficult to achieve. This is a great finishing hole to a fun round of golf at the scenic Sawmill Golf Course.

Product Review-Straight Aim Putters Feb2010

Richard Patten is a man who sees a problem and figures out how to fix it. During his years as a human-factors psychologist, he helped make products better, safer and easier to use. As he puts it, he has the ability to look at a product, and “see aspects of it that make it difficult or dangerous to use.”  This unique ability made him realize that most store-bought putters on the market were, in fact, quite difficult to use, or at least didn’t give him the results that he was looking for. So, he set out to design a putter that was both user-friendly and highly effective. Now, twelve years later, he has turned his quest for an improved putter in to a business. He sells his Straight Aim brand putters through his website, www.straightaimgolf.com, and through face-to-face fitting sessions.
    There are several unique features built in to each Straight Aim putter that you won’t find in other putter brands. The first and foremost feature that Dr. Patten incorporated in to the design of his putters was a bold and distinct aim line that makes for easy alignment. This aiming line looks even brighter since every putter head is given a nonglare finish. This strikingly bright aiming line really helps a golfer to keep their eyes right on target.
    Straight Aim putters are all face-balanced and they all have extreme heel-and-toe weighting, and removable tungsten weights that allow the user to customize the weight from 300-330 grams. Now golfers can test out their putter on the practice green and adjust the weight before the start of their round.
    Another innovative feature of Straight Aim putters is the tall face height. Dr. Patten noticed that many popular putters have faces that are too low, and often hit the golf ball below the centerline, causing the ball to jump in the air upon impact. Straight Aim putters have a face height of 1.25 inches, almost half an inch higher than many other putters. Added to this tall face is one of two insert options. The first option is a standard polymer insert, but the newest innovation coming from Straight Aim is called the Error Variance Reduction, or EVR insert, which provides die-at-the-hole distance control, according to Dr. Patten. This new insert has undergone strict testing, and reports show that it can improve putting accuracy by up to 25%. I’m not sure how it all works, but I can say that this new insert feels very nice while striking the ball, which should at least improve your confidence. The EVR inserts have a wonderful soft feel that really gave me confidence while striking the ball.
    One of the coolest features of every Straight Aim putter is the built-in ball pick-up. Being in my mid-thirties, I can admit that I always thought of ball pick-ups as being aimed at older golfers, and something that I wouldn’t need for a long time. But the Straight Aim pick-up is really cool. It came about because of all the weight Dr. Patten wanted to remove from the middle of the putter. He took a ball-shaped mass out from the underside of the putter head, added a rubber gasket that perfectly fits around a golf ball, and voila, the coolest ball pick-up mechanism that I’ve ever used was born. Genius!
    Straight Aim putters come in both blade and mallet versions, and are very customizable as far as length, choice of grip and insert options go. Prices are extremely competitive, starting at only $50, and ranging up to $75 – a mere fraction of what the name brand putters go for these days. Check out the Straight Aim website to get more information: www.straightaimgolf.com; call Dr. Patten at 612-722-1189; or email him at richardpatten@comcast.net.

Como GC-Feb2010

I have a special place in my heart for the St. Paul city courses: Highland National, Highland 9, Phalen, and Como. As a teenager, I spent the spring months, while school was still in session and the high school golf season was still going on, playing at some of the nicest private courses in the area. But during the summer I didn’t have an exclusive private course to play on, and neither did any of my friends, so we spent countless hours chopping up the fairways of the St. Paul courses. I remember these courses had special “junior” rates for high schoolers, so we could play 18 holes for something like 8 bucks. I spent pretty much all my money those summers playing as much golf as I could at these cheap rates, and the city courses were where I finally figured out how to play the right way. I have had many wonderful rounds at the St. Paul city courses, and Como is no exception.
    Driving around some of the winding roads that lead to Como GC will lead you to notice two things right from the start: first is all the water hazards on the holes near the roads, and second is the cool clubhouse. The clubhouse looks like a large green gazebo, or maybe a greenhouse. Every time I walk inside of it, I half expect to see it filled with a plethora of exotic plants. If you do want to see plants, the adjacent Como Park has a beautiful Conservatory that can fulfill your needs. As far as the water hazards go, there are quite a few at Como GC - large ones that come in to play on multiple holes. The water hazards help to make up for the lack of length on this course; Como measures under 6,000 yards from the tips. Most of that water is situated on the back nine, but comes in to play on a few holes on the front, too. Let’s take a look at the front nine, shall we?
    The first two holes are relatively straightforward par fours, although there is a lot of elevation change built in to them. Hole number 3 is where the fun really starts. The tee shot on number three appears daunting from the tee box. A huge hill runs along the left side of the fairway, sloping the entire hole from left to right.  In our foursome, most balls hit into the hill ran back down into the fairway, but I was not as fortunate. Hitting my second shot with the ball several inches below my feet is not my idea of a good time. Avoid the hill! But even from the fairway below, the second shot is intimidating. Though the hole slopes from left to right, the green is actually back to the left. You will need some extra club to reach the elevated green. Let’s just say that by the time you are done with the third hole, your legs will be feeling it!
    Hole number eight is memorable for a number of reasons. First, the hole is the longest on the front, a par-5 measuring 489 yards from the white tees. On a rather short course, it is a nice change of pace. Second, the fairway is lined with trees, and hitting into them leaves you with little choice but to lay up. Third, the approach shot requires a great deal of accuracy, as the green is guarded by a semi-large pond. All in all, hole number eight is a beauty.
    The back nine begins with a neat par-4 that heads high up a hilll at about 100 yards out. The main obstacles on this hole are the trees. Trees line the entire left side, and a nicely sized grove is to the right, exactly where right-handed slicers are apt to hit their drives. Since I normally hit a hook off the tee, I wasn’t scared, but apparently I should have been, since the grove of trees is exactly where my drive ended up. Oh well.
    The 11th hole is the first water hole on the back nine. This hole is a very interesting layout, with an elevated tee box, hill on the left side of the hole, a skinny fairway that is very hard to hit, and a nice big pond just off the right side of the landing area. The fairway then heads back up to the left, to an elevated two-tiered green. A golfer could hit a driver on this hole, but the pond sneaks in towards the green the farther you get from the tee box, making an already skinny landing area that much skinnier. Everybody in our group hit irons off the tee, and we all managed to hit the fairway and leave ourselves a wedge or 9 iron in to the green, so I guess I would say that’s probably the smart way to play this hole.
    After a couple more par-4s and a lovely little par-3, you’ll find yourself at the impressive par-4 15th hole. The fairway heads straight out in front of golfers for about 175 yards, the entire way paralleling a large pond. At the 175 marker, the fairway takes a hard turn to the right, and heads up a skinny chute in between ponds to a lovely two-tiered green that slopes from right to left. This green is framed by trees and all the water hazards, and requires a  high, soft shot if you want to score well. This is just a beautiful little par-4 that definitely has the ability to drive golfers crazy. I love it!
    Hole number 16 uses the same pond that played such a big role on hole 15, this time forcing players to hit over it from the tee box. Being a short par-3, at least the forced carry isn’t all that long. The green is quite wide, but not very deep at all, so make sure you dial in your iron before you tee off. You need to get your ball over the water, but you don’t want to go long, since a big bunker sits directly behind the green.
    Como Golf Course is a beautiful track that the city of St. Paul should be very proud of. Although not a very long course by anyone’s standards, it is packed with peril around every bend. If you have your irons working and aren’t intimidated by water hazards, you should have a great time during your round at Como.

Black Brook @ Izaty's-Feb2010

Izaty’s has long been known as one of the premier resort getaways in all of Minnesota. The resort is set on the beautiful south shore of Lake Mille Lacs, which is one of the most popular fishing hotspots in a state that has hundreds of fishing hotspots. Izaty’s has always catered to people who come for the fishing and other water sports, but in the 80s & 90s the resort grew and began to cater to families, couples, and other groups as well. The resort really became a popular destination when two championship-caliber golf courses were built in the late 90s. The Sanctuary was the first course built on the Izaty’s property, and in 1996, Black Brook became the second course on the premises. For reasons that we won’t get in to here, this popular resort fell in to financial crisis some time after the year 2000, and bankruptcy forced the entire resort to be closed in 2007 & 2008. The early months of 2009 brought new owners to Izaty’s, and by early spring of 2009, Black Brook was ready to be reopened to the golfing public. I was eager to see what kind of shape the course would be in after not being open for a couple of years, so my friend Mike and I made the two hour trip up to Izaty’s from the Twin Cities on a beautiful early July morning.
    Our first impression of Izaty’s as we drove in on that Tuesday morning was that it looked like the resort’s best days might have passed it by. Some of the buildings looked like they could use a new coat of paint, the grounds were a little haggard, and there didn’t seem to be anybody around. There was a slight feeling that we were driving in to a ghost town. There were a few cars parked in one of the parking lots, so we joined them and tried to find the pro shop. It took us a little while to figure out where that pro shop might be, but we soon found it, and in no time we were standing on the first tee ready to learn more about Black Brook. The tee box on the 1st hole is right next to the Links Lodge, which is the on-site hotel housing double and king rooms, as well as king suites, some of which overlook the golf course. This first hole is a medium length par-4 that plays to 389 yards from the back tees. There is a small creek and some swampy area in front of the tee box that must be carried, but compared to most of the holes at Black Brook, this hole is relatively dry. At about 150 yards from the green, the fairway turns to the left around a grove of trees. At the green there are a couple of small pot bunkers waiting to snatch errant shots, but the sand is soft and well-kept, so there was no problem for this writer to get up and down for a par.
    Black Brook has some of the best, and toughest, par-3 holes in the state of Minnesota. The first of these tough par-3s is the short third hole. This beautiful little hole only plays to a length of 123 yards from the tips, and the day we played it only measured about 105 yards. What makes this hole interesting is the fact that a pond guards the front and the left of the green, so your ball has to reach the green in the air, or it will find a new watery home. A tee shot pulled left will also be wet, as this writer can attest. I pulled my tee shot with my pitching wedge just a little left of the green, but it found one of the rocks that line the bank of the pond, and careened straight left in to the water. Even if your tee shot does find the putting surface on your first try, the double-tiered green can make it very difficult to two-putt, making this very short hole a real challenge.
    The short par-4 fourth hole continues the challenge, as golfers are forced to carry a marshy area off the tee, but tee shots should not go too far, since a creek runs up the right side of the fairway, angles diagonally across the fairway, and then turns back to the right around the very shallow green.  A 200 yard drive should play perfectly for this 333 yard hole, and the short approach shot should help golfers avoid the water on three sides of the green, and the four bunkers that surround the putting surface. This is another short hole that can wreak havoc on your score.
    Holes 5, 6, and 7 bring some length to the front nine at Black Brook, with each playing over 400 yards from the tips. The 5th is the longest of the three, at 464 yards, and the length makes it the number 1 handicap hole on the course. Although this hole is quite long, there is a very generous landing area that most people should be able to hit with their drive, and the hole plays downhill almost the entire way, so it doesn’t play as long as the yardage would seem. Holes 6 & 7 are relatively straight par-4s that are fairly wide open as far as trees go, and the only hazards are in the form of sand traps.
    Hole 8 is the second dangerous par-3 at Black Brook, however this one isn’t nice and short like hole number 3. This one also forces the golfer to carry water on their tee shot, but the water on this hole starts directly in front of the tee box, and continues about 155 yards to the front of the green. The designer of this hole did make some nice bailout room for right-handers who have a slice, which is the majority of golfers everywhere. Aside from the water that seems to be everywhere on this hole, there are also 3 bunkers surrounding the green, making it very difficult to hit the green in regulation. This is a very beautiful, but also very tough, par-3 hole that is bound to give a lot of golfers fits.
    Black Brook is different from most courses in the U.S. in the fact that the front nine does not loop back to the clubhouse. In fact, the end of the front nine and the beginning of the back nine are located far from the clubhouse out in the middle of the forest. I was ready for a snack as we were finishing up our front nine, so it was a welcome sight to see the snack cart being driven towards us as we were making our way to the 10th tee. The young lady driving it couldn’t have had better timing.
    Standing on the 10th tee brought a strange sight to us: a view that didn’t have a drop of water anywhere. Mike and I had gotten very accustomed to seeing vast amounts of liquid-style hazards, but Hole 10 didn’t have a single one. It does have a very long sand bunker paralleling the fairway in the lefthand rough. And this hole is plenty long enough to pose a problem, since it measures just under 430 yards from the tips. Thick forest to the left, and sporadic trees on the right also bring some difficulty to this hole.
    Water, and quite a bit of it, comes back in to play on the 11th hole, a 538-yard par-5. A large pond guards the left side of the fairway, but is far enough away from the tee that it shouldn’t come in to play until your second shot. There is a rather wide landing area on the far side of the pond, but don’t hit your second shot too far because another pond sneaks in to the fairway from the right side of the hole. If you can land your second shot in the landing area, the second pond and three bunkers must be traversed on your approach shot to a very narrow and undulating green.
    More water abounds on the next two holes, a 400-yard par-4 and a 500-yard par-5, but the biggest water hazard on the entire course is nestled along the 140-yard par-3 14th hole. You see, the 14th is perched right on the south shore of Lake Mille Lacs, which provides one of the most beautiful vistas you’ll find on any golf course in the Upper Midwest. Of the four par-3s at Black Brook, I would probably rate the 14th as the easiest, since the lake shouldn’t pose much of a problem unless someone hits a great big slice off the tee. The course designer even built a nice big sand trap along the shoreline to help keep errant shots from reaching the water. But it would be easy to get intimidated while standing on the tee, especially if water hazards give you a case of the screaming willies. This little hole is a truly gorgeous place to tee up a golf ball.
    Hole 16 is a much more difficult par-3 that forces everyone to hit over the water, at least for part of the tee shot. Sixteen plays to 220-yards from the back tees, and the entire shot requires a carry over water. This time there is no bailout area for those right-handers who hit a slice. Slice your tee shot here and your ball will find a watery grave. I can never remember playing a course with four more intimidating, yet beautiful, par-3 holes.
    Black Brook Golf Course at Izaty’s Resort is already in really good shape, especially when you take in to account the fact that it hadn’t been open for two years. From the looks of things, the rest of the resort is getting back in to good shape, as well, so if you are looking for a nice place to play an excellent golf course, take a look at Izaty’s. I have a feeling you’ll be glad you did.

Spring Valley GC Feb2010

The town of Spring Valley is an easy 50-minute drive from St. Paul, Minnesota. It’s located about 7 miles south of Interstate Highway 94 at the Glenwood City exit, which is Exit 28. The surrounding areas are primarily farmland with some wooded acreage mixed in. As you drive into Spring Valley, you leave the farmland behind and enter a deeply forested river valley that was carved by the Eau Galle River, a small trout stream that flows through town. There are still farms around, but the beautiful river valley makes you feel like you might be in a quaint Swiss village. The Spring Valley Golf Course was built on the top of one of the bluffs that make up the valley walls. The course is a tale of two nines, the front being more wide open, and the back being cut out of a thick pine forest.
    The first hole at Spring Valley begins right next to the clubhouse. It is a short dogleg left par-4 of under 300 yards. It’s best to go right if you miss the fairway, since there’s a pond left of the fairway about 230 yards out. Right of the fairway is a fairway bunker and a few small trees, but nothing that might cause too much trouble. In order to avoid all trouble, a golfer could always hit a five iron off the tee to lay up short of any hazards.
    The second hole is a short par-5 that plays under 500 yards. It should be quite easy for big hitters to reach the green in two on a hole of this length, but the second shot is uphill and usually the green is not visible from the fairway landing area. Even if a player can’t see the green and elects to lay up on the second shot, the approach shot shouldn’t be more than 50-75 yards, making a birdie a distinct possibility.
    The longest hole on the front side is the 515-yard par-5 6th hole. This is another par-5 that is much more imposing than the yardage would indicate. The landing area for the tee shot is fairly wide open and flat, but the second shot takes the player down a hill and around a couple of small water hazards along the right side of the fairway. The second hazard butts up to the right front edge of the green. To add to that, there are two bunkers on the left side of the fairway, which work to grab shots that attempt to run up on to the green.
    Holes 8 through 14 have all been cut out of the forest, and the trees pretty much come right up to the edge of the fairway on all these holes, so accurate shots are required if you want to score well. Because most of the surrounding trees are pines, the needles help to keep the weeds and other underbrush to a minimum, so many balls hit in to the trees can be found, but a short punch shot is usually required. Hole 8, the first one in the woods, is a fairly straightforward par-4, but the ninth hole can be a doozy. It’s not a real long par-4, but the fairway makes a pretty abrupt turn to the right, and becomes extremely narrow as you head uphill towards the elevated green. A par on this hole is a very good score.
    The tenth hole is another short par-4, but it has its own perils that the golfer has to deal with. It is short enough to be driveable for long hitters, but there are so many trees that come into play between the tee box and the green that I wouldn’t advise anyone try to go for it off the tee. The better play would be to lay up in the fairway about 200 yards off the tee, but even if you do that, trouble is not out of the question, since a tentacle of trees reaches out from the right side of the fairway in an attempt to grab shots that go too far right off the tee.  The perfect tee shot on this hole is between 180 and 210 yards down the left side of the fairway, which should leave a short wedge shot around the tentacle of trees, and up the steep hill to yet another elevated green.
     Holes 11 and 12 are back-to-back par-5s, the first of which is a very straight hole, and the second of which is very crooked with a 90 degree turn built in. Although the 11th is straight, there is a lot of undulation in the fairway, as the tee shot requires a shot to the bottom of a deep ravine which funnels balls towards the right edge. Because most tee shots end up at the bottom of the ravine, the second shot is usually up the hill to a blind landing area. The fact that the second shot needs to have quite a bit of loft in order to make it up the hill makes it almost impossible to reach this green in two. But if the second shot is kept in the fairway, the approach shot shouldn’t be more than a short wedge or 9 iron.
    The 12th hole has far less elevation change than the 11th does, but the difficulty level is even higher. The fairway goes out straight in front of the tee box for about 225 yards, and then takes a hard, 90 degree turn to the left around the pine trees. A perfect tee shot on this hole would be between 200 and 225 yards long, which should put you at a good position to make the turn without having trees directly in your line of sight. The second shot should hug the right side of the fairway to avoid the trees that jut out from the left side about 100 yards in front of the green. The green on this hole is fairly flat, so the golfer who can hit it in regulation should have a good shot at birdie.
    The 13th hole is the last one in the pine forest, and is a medium length par-3 of about 150 yards. There is a small bunker on the left side of the green and a lone tree in front to provide some excitement, but there is also excitement once the golf ball reaches the green, since it is a three-tiered green with many difficult pin placements. If you can, try to make sure you hit the correct tier, or else you’ll be in for a world of hurt.
    Thankfully the final 5 holes are more out in the open, the most difficult of which is the par-4 16th, which is another 90 degree dogleg left. This hole, however is a par-4, but the fact that there are almost no level lies in the fairway makes it very difficult to hit the green in regulation. Whatever you do, make sure you don’t leave your approach shot short or to the left of the green, because that area falls away into another ravine which is very difficult to get up and down from. Did I mention that this course is hilly? 
    This has been just a quick tour of the beautiful yet difficult Spring Valley Golf Course in Spring Valley, Wisconsin. Just a short drive from the Twin Cities, it is truly an excellent and inexpensive test of golf no matter what your handicap is. 2