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.