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.