I’m not sure when I was first played Majestic Oaks in Ham Lake, but it must have been a tournament. This facility hosts many tournaments on their two regulation courses (there is also a nine hole executive course), so that’s not much of a surprise.

When I was here last, the two bigger courses were called the Platinum and the Gold, but now they are the Signature and the Crossroads. We played the shorter Crossroads course, which is 6,396 yards from the gold tees (tips), with a rating of 71.8 and a slope of 131.

The course gets its name from the two roads you cross – holes 1-3 and 18-18 are on the same side as the clubhouse, while a tunnel connects you to the others. Getting to holes 11-14 also involves crossing another street.

While there are a few long, difficult holes (like the 433 yard par four second), there are many shorter, easier holes throughout. I had six pars during my round of 88 – all of them coming on those shorter holes. The conditioning was fine, although I think the Signature course gets more attention.

I thought I took photos while I was there, but I can’t find them anywhere – sorry!

Even though this is Golfing in Minnesota, the western Wisconsin region near Hudson is practically part of the Twin Cities. Next week we’ll be visiting White Eagle north of town, while last month we played Troy Burne on the south side.

This 1999 Tom Lehman signature course has matured into one of the top courses in the region. Managed by past champion and friend of the Tapemark Pro-Am, Dave Tentis, everything about this course is top-notch. My only real complaint is that I can’t afford to play it as often as I’d like ($100+ on weekends with half cart).

The Lehman tees play to 7,034 yards with a rating of 74.3 and a slope of 136, but those tees aren’t even out most of the time. We played the “Players Combo” tees, which stretched to 6,774 yards (72.9/135). I wouldn’t normally play those tees, but I was joined by a Troy Burne card holder and league member who was practicing for an event. Still managed a 95, but 455 yard par four holes into the wind are a bit much for my game.

I almost forgot about the great Panino sandwiches they serve in the clubhouse – are those restaurants even open any more?

7MM Troy Burne Photo Gallery

The second annual Meals on Wheels Golf Tournament will be held Monday, September 21, 2009, at Prestwick Golf Club in Woodbury.

From their event flier PDF:

Support the work of local Meals on Wheels programs in the Twin Cities community while enjoying 18 holes on a beautiful, award-winning course! The day will also include raffles for great prizes, course contests, a silent auction and delicious dinner.

All proceeds from this golf tournament will help Metro Meals on Wheels provide grants, volunteers, training and other support to its 40 local Meals on Wheels program members.

Through your support, our elderly and disabled neighbors will receive the nourishment and connection they need to continue living independently.

Cost is $500 per foursome (or $150 per individual golfer) and includes lunch, practice facilities, cart, 18 holes of golf, hors d’oeuvres, dinner and program. Corporate sponsorships are also available, starting at $100.

For more information on this event, please contact Kathy Dougherty at 612-623-3363 or via e-mail at Kathy@meals-on-wheels.com.

When Minneapolis Golf Examiner Kyle Anway first mentioned a new Minnesota golf guide, I felt a sense of deja vu. Then I saw my local library had a copy, so I checked it out.

The Hacker’s Guide is written by Minneapolis resident Bruce Stasch and covers 87 metro area courses. It was introduced at the 2009 Minnesota Golf Show at the Metrodome and retails for $14.95.

It was hard for me to read some of the promotional material for this book, as it brought back painful memories of my Minnesota golf guide, Minnesota Golden Links. I also was unhappy with the state of golf guides back in 1998 and I also introduced a product at the Metrodome that didn’t sell as well as I had hoped. Been there, never want to go back again.

Mr. Stasch has had more luck than I did with distribution, though, and it’s always fun to read different prospectives about Minnesota golf. The Hacker’s Guide rating system is a proprietary formula that gives a course a final score on a 1,000 point scale, based on five categories:

• Hospitality
• Playability
• Usability
• Facility
• Value

Each of those areas are given a score of 0-10. There are reportedly 40 individual items included in a course rating, which are done by volunteer raters. It’s not explicitly stated, but it seems that the courses are providing the rounds free of charge.

This system produces top ten lists very different from traditional ratings. Their overall top three courses are The Refuge, River Oaks and Deer Run, for example.

I’ve always had issues with ratings, which is why I’ve been reluctant to do them on this site. In the case of the Hacker’s Guide, a great course that gets visited on a day when something bad happens gets dinged forever. That will improve over time as courses get revisited, but a print book will be on shelves for a long time.

The Hacker’s Guide sometimes takes a tone similar to the Dummies series. Just because I can’t break 90 on a regular basis doesn’t mean I don’t like upscale, challenging courses or appreciate the traditions of the game. I may be a bit of a golf snob, but personally that’s part of the appeal to me.

A few other thoughts:

• Since reviews are written and edited by multiple people, there is inconsistency between writing styles from course to course.
• Some of the written reviews say a course is a good value, yet their value score is low. With the rating formulas secret, it’s hard to tell why.
• Personal pet peeve: referring to the forward tees as the “women’s tee.”
• A portion of the proceeds from each book are donated to Audubon International.
• A second book, Hacker’s Guide to Minnesota & Western Wisconsin Golf Courses, is in the works, as is an updated web site.

Anyone who is brave enough to start a business involving Minnesota golf deserves support – check out the Hacker’s Guide in your local pro shop or book store.

My fifth Grandma’s Marathon turned into quite a scorcher towards the end. I found out later that the medical director actually came close to calling off the race, but I didn’t think it was that bad.

I had stayed overnight Friday in Grand Marais and got dropped off in Two Harbors early Saturday morning. The temperature when I left Grand Marais was 45, but by the time we got to the start, it was 67 and humid. The sun stayed out for most of the morning and there was very little breeze. I think the bank sign said 84 when I reached downtown.

Personally, my race went OK and I felt fine the whole day. I tried to stay with the four hour pacer, but she slowly faded into the horizon around the 11 mile mark. My final result was a 4:21, which I was perfectly fine with, given the conditions.

Here are the top three finishers in the main race:

2009 Grandma’s Marathon – Men

• 1, Christopher Raabe, 30, Washington, DC, 2:15:13 (5:10 pace)
• 2, Charles Kanyao, 33, Nairobi, Kenya, 2:18:36 (5:18)
• 3, David Tuwei, 30, Coon Rapids, MN, 2:19:49 (5:20)

2009 Grandma’s Marathon – Women

• 1, Mary Akor, 32, Lomita, CA, 2:36:52 (5:59)
• 2, Alina Ivanova, 40, Albufeira, Portugal, 2:36:58 (6:00)
• 3, Robyn Friedman, 36, Lambs Grove, IA, 2:38:03 (6:02)

Registration for the 2010 marathon, which will be held Saturday, June 19, 2010, is already open. Get $10 off the regular $85 fee if you sign up before September 7.

My running log at Runnersworld.com says that I’ve gone over 1,000 miles, most of which were probably on my old pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 10s that I bought last year. I’ve had some shin pain in my right leg since Grandma’s Marathon, so I did some research and decided that a new pair of shoes would be cheaper than going to the doctor, so I’m trying out this theory first.

The Wave Rider line was first recommended to me as a stable, light-weight shoe. I’ve really liked the old pair, but the 12s are now the current version. I picked them up at the new Run-N-Fun store in Burnsville, using a 25% off retail coupon I got from one of my recent races.

The new store is much roomier than the one in St. Paul, which I’ve shopped at for years. The staff has always been very knowledgeable and friendly and we had an especially good experience there with the kids last time I stopped in. Little things like that make me want to come back and spend more money.