Thanks to the PGA of America, I was issued press credentials for last week’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska. You can check out the stories I wrote and the photos I took at the Golfing in Minnesota web site.

The whole experience was wonderful, yet very tiring. I have new respect for professional beat writers who travel week after week covering events like this. I also see how athletes could get sick of the same questions and demands over and over. It’s nice to make a living by playing a game, but I can see the negatives too.

It’s always nice when Minnesota is the center of attention and makes a good impression. Everyone seems to like Hazeltine for events like this and the only complaint I heard (the grass on the greens) is being addressed (the club will rip out everything and plant a new variety next year).

The 2016 Ryder Cup will be the next major golf event at Hazeltine – I think I need to set a new goal of becoming a Hazeltine member by then. Go big or go home, right?

The last of our photos from the 91st PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club have now been uploaded to the 7MM Photo Gallery.

Despite the one incident, it was a blast covering this event and I again want to thank the PGA of America for their support of local publishers.

On to the the 2016 Ryder Cup!

So who is Y.E. Yang? The 37-year-old South Korean was the last player listed in the Players’ Guide distributed in the Media Center, but may be the best player no one really knows:

• Ranked 110 in the official world rankings
• Won the 2009 Honda Classic
• Before today, earned $1,870,940.66 in 18 PGA events in 2009
• Has 5 victories on the Japan PGA Tour, 1 victory on the PGA European Tour and 2 on the Korean Tour
• Played on the PGA Tour the last three years, but had to earn his card at Q-school in 2007 and 2008
• Beat Tiger Woods once before at the 2007 HSBC Champions tournament
• Voted Korean PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 1999
• Played in two previous PGA Championships: 2005 (T-47) and 2007 (MC)
• Lowest score on tour in 2009: 65
• Birthdate: January 15, 1972 (Jeju-do, Korea)
• Height: 5′ 8″ Weight: 195 pounds
• Turned professional in 1996; joined PGA Tour in 2007

I listened to Yang’s interpreter get interviewed before the round on the practice range and he said Y.E. speaks very little English and is shy. I’m sure he will be happy to work on that after this week!

So who had Y.E. Yang in the office pool? Congratulations Mr. Yang!

The second day of the tournament is in the books and Tiger looks pretty comfortable with that four shot lead. Here are some random thoughts from today:

• A neighbor said he saw a convoy of golf equipment semis driving east on I-94 in Woodbury on Wednesday. I checked today and all of the trucks by the range were indeed gone. PGA rule or logistics issue? Next week is Greensboro…
• Moving up the fourteenth tee was a great idea – everyone seemed to be going for it (with mixed success). 299 yards, with the wind.
• Ran into a few friends around the grounds today, including the very talented golf photographer Peter Wong. You’ll find his photos all over the official guidebook and programs.
• I also talked to Pioneer Press golf reporter Tad Reeve, who is such a wonderful writer. Both metro papers have relatively large groups on site this week (although about half the size of 2002).
• The long third and twelfth holes both played into a strong headwind today. I stood behind both tees and couldn’t imagine how I’d ever reach those greens in anything remotely close to regulation.
• Friday pictures are now available in the photo gallery.

There are some very interesting pairings for Saturday, with the first tee time at 7:31AM and the Tiger/Vijay final group at 1:40PM (all off of the first tee). Should be fun!

Shortly after lunch, I decided to stop in the interview room. The space wasn’t very crowded, but it seemed like people were waiting for something to happen. I picked a seat in the second row and was treated to back-to-back press conferences with Thursday’s leaders, Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington.

Tiger has taken some flack for his on-course temper getting the best of him (which he admits), but I was really impressed with the way he spoke to the media. Harrington also mentioned that later – he loves playing with Tiger because he is such a gentleman. That really came across while I sat there listening. Funny and sharp, too.

As for Harrington, I could listen to him talk all day long. His stories made me think of Minnesota’s golfing Irishman, Gerald McCullagh. I wonder if those two have ever met – wouldn’t that be a fun conversation!

I’ve been publishing this Minnesota golf site for four years. During that period, I’ve photographed many high school state tournaments, a few USGA championships, the 3M Championship, many Minnesota Section PGA tournaments and the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am. I’m not a professional photographer, but I know the rules and try my best to get good results without impacting players in any way.

The PGA Championship is the most prestigious tournament that I’ve ever been issued media credentials for and I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to cover the event. I carefully read all of the media and photography rules and signed an agreement to abide by them. I do not have the photo armband that permits inside-the-ropes photo access, so my camera just has a bright orange PGA bracelet that allows me to have a camera outside the ropes during tournament rounds.

Today I had an unfortunate experience near the 7th tee box during the first round. The caddie for Camilo Villegas talked to the hole marshal after their group teed off and pointed at me (see above). The marshal came over and asked if I had a media credential (which I did) and said that the caddie thought I snapped a picture during Camilo’s back-swing (which I never do). I told him I always wait until the stroke is complete (as the PGA rules clearly state) and that my camera has the orange PGA band. He was very nice to me and said that he didn’t hear anything.

These elite athletes are competing for more money than I make in a decade and I would never want to do anything to impact the outcome of the competition in a negative way.

Camilo, if you ever read this, please accept my apologies if I did something wrong. Tiger was in the next group and Steve Williams didn’t ask to have me thrown out, so I hope I’m doing things correctly…

On Wednesday, I met with Ralph Andretta, executive vice president and general manager of cardmember services for American Express. A partner of the PGA of America since 2006, American Express has gone all out at this year’s PGA Championship to provide special extras to their card holders:

• PGA Learning Center (located near the main entrance), featuring practice greens, a chipping area, video swing analysis, a closest to the pin golf simulator contest to win SkyMiles points, a rules of golf kiosk and an opportunity to get a 2-for-1 “Friend of a Cardmember” golf lesson with a local PGA professional.
• The American Express Cardmember Club – an air conditioned hospitality tent located behind the 12th green that features televisions and refreshments available for purchase (the first drink is on them – while supplies last).
• Championship Coursecast – a free portable radio that streams the Sirius XM radio broadcast of the Championship. This is also available to non-cardholders from 10AM – 12PM each day.
• Championship Vision – a portable TV that features the live broadcast with many other data features. There are 1,000 units on site and they are distributed each day to cardmembers on a first-come, first-serve basis (a deposit of $350 is charged to the account if the device is damaged or lost).
• Free PGA of America bag when you spend $150 or more in the Golf Shop and use the American Express card.
• Free pocket course maps.

Don’t have a card? They will be happy to sign you up with a 35,000 SkyMile bonus. Mr. Andretta said they value the Twin Cities market and want to make a good impression with all of the customers impacted by Delta’s purchase of Northwest Airlines and the merging of their frequent flier programs (and affinity credit cards).

Personally, I tried both the video swing analysis and the Championship Coursecast and they are incredible. Stop in and check it out – additional photos of my visit are available in the photo gallery.

A few shots from Thursday at the 91st PGA Championship are now posted in the photo gallery.

If you haven’t been watching The Craig Show videos online, you should.

I ran into Craig and Caddy in the media dining room at the PGA (and again later on the practice range). They will be at Hazeltine all week for the PGA – look for them at “Craig’s Corner” near the 12th green…

I’ve only made it to two interview sessions so far this week: Stewart Cink (Tuesday) and Tom Lehman (Wednesday). This is the first time I’ve been to a sports-related press conference room and I must say it’s very, very nice:

• The A/V equipment is great, so you can hear all the questions clearly.
• The lighting is bright enough so I can take still photos without a flash.
• There haven’t been very many people in each one, so you can easily get your questions answered, if you have any.
• The moderator is good at his job.
• Air conditioning!

I didn’t ask any questions during the first one, but Cink commented on how Hazeltine was “monster-long” and how “my 2-3-4 irons and driver will get a work out this week.” I also liked his Glacier National Park story, but Jim Souhan at the Star Tribune beat me to the punch on that one. He did leave out the part about getting a ruling for bear slobber, though.

During the Tom Lehman interview, retired Star Tribune golf writer Jon Roe asked about the Resorters tournament in Alexandria last week (in which brother Jim won and Tom’s son played with dad on the bag). I asked a follow-up question: “You mentioned the Resorters – are there other Minnesota courses that bring back especially fond memories for you?”

Mr. Lehman said during his college golf days, he and his buddies really liked to goof off at courses. At Hazeltine, they would find cracks in the parking lot pavement to place tees, then try to hit balls over the water tower. At Somerset, they would try to hit sand wedges while sitting on their knees. Lastly, he said they would get chased off Interlachen by Mr. Kidd for not playing by the rules.

I didn’t even know they held a PGA Champions’ Dinner, but check out this photo of past champions taken last night in Bloomington.

Front Row (L-R) Dow Finsterwald, Shaun Micheel, Padraig Harrington, Doug Ford, Rich Beem, David Toms. Back Row (L-R) Mark Brooks, Davis Love III, Paul Azinger, Bobby Nichols, Bob Tway, Steve Elkington, Vijay Singh, and Tiger Woods with the Wanamaker trophy at the Champions’ Dinner held during the 91st PGA Championship at Sofitel in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, on Tuesday, August 11, 2009. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/The PGA of America)

Defending PGA Champion Padraig Harrington hosted the event and presented the 13 other PGA Champions in attendance with a Celtic Drum as their gift for the evening.

Fun fact I didn’t know: Harrington was the first European to win the PGA Championship since 1930. Are you listening, Sergio?

Although I didn’t get a chance to talk to him, Scotty Cameron was working his way down the driving range yesterday, meeting with Titleist players and showing off some new putters.

As this post can attest, I’m a big fan…

As promised, here is a nice big shot of John Daly at Wednesday’s practice round. More photos being uploaded later tonight to the photo gallery.

UPDATE: all of the Wednesday photos are uploaded.

This one was my wife’s favorite – apparently the Spiderman is A-OK…

I’ll be loading photos into this photo gallery all week long (in reverse chronological order).

Enjoy!

What can you expect to find (and pay) at the 91st PGA Championship this week? If you don’t have access to one of the many hospitality tents, your experience at Hazeltine National will be similar to most other major league sporting events in town.

Pictured above is the menu from one of the concession tents that is open to the general public. There is a little variety between tents (including some ice cream and beverage-only stands), but most of it is the same.

Not sure if it’s Prom Catering this year or not – I’ll check tomorrow and report back…

So what do you get in your bucket of balls when you go to practice for the PGA Championship? On Sunday, you had your choice of at least Srixon and Bridgestone.

I wonder if you get to request what you want – I’ll check back as the week continues…

UPDATE: As I mentioned earlier today on Twitter, Hazeltine Pro Mike Barge reports there are ten varieties of golf balls available on the range for players to choose.

It’s finally here – the 91st PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. Today I visited Hazeltine to pick up my media credentials, get familiar with this year’s layout and take a few pictures.

With the strong field at the WGC in Ohio, there weren’t a lot of golfers practicing today. In the four hours I was there, I only saw 5 or 6 people playing. One of them was 2002 PGA champion Rich Beem, though, who birdied 18. I believe I also saw 17-year-old Japanese sensation Ryo Ishikawa on the same hole – he was being followed by a small swarm of photographers and camera men, so I’m guessing that was him (no name on his bag or his caddie).

The course looked to be in wonderful condition, even with all the rain the past few days. There seemed to be a little water damage along sixteen, but that wasn’t in play and the rest of the course seemed to be draining fine. A few of the spectator paths were a little muddy, but the heat will dry that out.

I planned to stop and see if Hazletine professional (and Tapemark Pro-Am competitor) Mike Barge was in the pro shop, but I was surprised to find the normal Hazeltine pro shop has been converted into what looked to be a player dining room!

Not much else to report from the first day. Practice rounds begin tomorrow and run through Wednesday. Those days have always been my favorite as a fan because the players are more relaxed and chatty, many will sign autographs and you can bring your camera.

Speaking of cameras, make sure and visit the 7MM 2009 PGA photo gallery all week. We won’t be there on Monday, but watch for more photos from Tuesday through to the final round on Sunday.

This was my third round of the year at Southview, so I’ll keep this post short. I was invited by Tapemark Pro-Am president Phil Callen and played with two of his friends who are new to the game. I love playing with new golfers – especially those who are excited to be there and are anxious to learn the rules and traditions of the game.

The course was, as usual, in beautiful condition and we had a perfect day weather-wise. My score wasn’t so great, but lately golf has been much more about the social aspect for me, not setting course records.

I’d also like to call out the wonderful staff of Southview: general manager Mark McCahey, head professional Phil Anderson and all the other great people there that make each visit so special. If you are looking for a club this year, give them a call at 651-451-6856 and schedule a visit.

7MM Southview Photo Gallery

Yesterday we looked at the front nine at Hazeltine National – today it’s time to look at the finishing holes at the famed Chaska course.

I like both nines at Hazeltine, but the back usually gets all of the attention, with the stunning lake views on the tenth and sixteenth holes getting well-justified acclaim. Let’s take a look:

Hole 10, Par 4, 452 Yards

When you stand on the tee at the tenth, you don’t get the full scenic impact until you walk up to your ball for the second shot. I’ve never been in the “A” position at the corner of the dog-leg left, but was very happy to find the left rough cleared out last time I played this hole. During another round, I was only a few feet off the fairway, but the rough was thick enough to make it difficult to advance back to the fairway, let alone hit the green, which lies significantly downhill from the landing area. Tough green to putt.

Changes: Fairway regraded, creating a swale for visibility of the fairway bunkers from the new back tees (approximately 40 yards added), right fairway bunker enlarged, new bunker added, fairway narrowed.

Hole 11, Par 5, 606 Yards

If you thought number three was a long par five, along comes eleven at 606 yards. I’m not sure if the hole is really uphill that much, but it seems like it to me. Lots of bunkers all over and I remember being just a few feet off the fairway on this hole once and almost breaking my wrists trying to advance the ball out of the rough. Rich Beem hitting this green in two and making an eagle during the 2002 PGA seems like a miracle to me (he was the only one to do it all week).

Changes: re-established a bunker front center to green that probably takes away the shot Beem hit in 2002.

Hole 12, Par 4, 518 Yards

Remember yesterday when I said the par five seventh hole played 518 yards during the 1991 U.S. Open and that it could be a par four today? Welcome to today. The new back tee on this already tough hole sits at exactly 518 yards. During my last round, the dog-leg right twelfth played around 420 yards. There is also a pond on the right that is really only in play for people like me.

Changes: New back tee extends hole 50 yards, gold and blue tees moved left, white and red tees shifted forward and left, fairway bunker added to the front of the right fairway bunker complex (old complex too far away from new back tee), fairway narrowed on both left and right.

Hole 13, Par 3, 248 Yards

Longest par three on the course is always a challenge for me. With my game, the smartest play is usually to lay-up, which means I stay out of the pond on the left and out of the trees on the right. I need to chip it close, though, as hitting the wrong part of the green can create some very long putts. Made par last time out.

Changes: Right greenside bunker lengthened and moved closer to the green.

Hole 14, Par 4, 352 Yards

The shortest par four on the course, the fourteenth tempts you to hit driver through the narrow opening of trees off the tee, but the green is well protected by bunkers and elevation changes. I made par on this hole last time, but I seem to recall it was by scrambling from the trees on the left and making a long putt.

Changes: none.

Hole 15, Par 5, 642 Yards

OK, so I thought three and eleven were long par fives. Fifteen is actually the longest at 642 yards and features a multitude of bunkers and an elevated green. This is also the hole one lucky person in our group discovered you can slice a ball off a downward-left lie. Windows crashing isn’t just a computer term, it turns out…

Changes: new left fairway bunker in landing area, fairway narrowed.

Hole 16, Par 4, 402 Yards

The signature hole – that sums it up. I’ve always felt this hole was the odd one out, with a totally different feel from the rest of the course. It’s such a great hole, though – one you look forward to all round. And the history: the Payne Stewart bridge, Rich Beem’s long putt, etc. It’s an intimidating tee shot, to be sure, but I played it exactly the way I wanted to last time – fairway hit, green in regulation, two putt par. Watched most of the final round in 2002 from the hill next to the tee.

Changes: none.

Hole 17, Par 3, 182 Yards

I’ve heard some criticism of the seventeenth hole, but I’ve always thought it was a beautiful, challenging par three. The green has two levels and I remember last time how hard it was to putt from one level to the other. The water shouldn’t be in play (famous last words).

Changes: none.

Hole 18, Par 4, 475 Yards

It’s a long way home on eighteen and it’s all uphill. This hole always seemed a little harder to me than the ninth, but maybe it’s just because it’s not as straight and you don’t see the green until your second shot. A good drive along the right can catch a ridge that gives you more yardage, but I always seem to miss that spot. My last scorecard says I made bogey with a two-putt, so I must not have been in too much trouble.

Changes: new member tee, fairway bunkers on both left and right restructured with additional bunker on the right towards the green. The “Tiger” bunker on the left side was rebuilt but the “Tiger” portion of the bunker remains the same. Green-side bunkers between 9 and 18 were one massive bunker. The bunkers were broken to be 9 and 18 specific in play.

Golfing in Minnesota will be on the grounds all next week providing coverage of the 91st PGA Championship. Come back and visit us!

Wow, I can’t believe I started writing this post more than a year ago, thinking I had all the time in the world to finish it before the 2009 PGA Championship. Well, here we are, one week from the start of the tournament – time to finish it up!

Thanks to a wonderful friend and mentor, I’ve had the privilege of playing Hazletine National on several occasions during the past ten years. The course has changed a great deal during that time and will change even more before the next major event is held there (the 2016 Ryder Cup). We’ll have another post about the future of Hazeltine during tournament week.

Hazeltine has always been a very tough course for me. As a 15 handicap, the best score I’ve ever had was a 94 from the gold tees, which at the time played to around 6,600 yards, with a rating of 73.6 and a slope of 148. As everyone likes to say, the “new” Hazeltine will be the longest course in PGA history at 7,674 yards. Let’s take a look at the front nine:

Hole 1, Par 4, 490 Yards

Long, long, long. For a short and inaccurate hitter like me, this is a tough opening hole. When the long grass hasn’t been burned down (or set up for galleries), easy to lose balls when you stray wide. I watched Ernie Els get out of the green-side bunker at the 2002 PGA to save par on the tricky, multi-tier green.

Changes: the championship tee at 490 is new (back 48 yards), left fairway bunker moved in 10-12 yards, front left bunker moved closer to the green, right bunker extended towards green.

Hole 2, Par 4, 431 Yards

I’ve always liked this dog-leg left par four, which rises to a nice green complex after you turn the corner. I think I might have made par here last time (or bogey).

Changes: Left fairway bunker relocated 290 yards out, hill on the left side lowered and tree removed, two bunkers added to right drive zone, fairway narrowed.

Hole 3, Par 5, 633 Yards

I’m lucky if I can reach this green in four shots when the wind is blowing. Once you get there, very tricky green to two-putt. Easy to be dead in the trees, too. And tough bunkers (see above). Glad ESC says I can only take 7 here…

Changes: none.

Hole 4, Par 3, 210 Yards

Thank goodness for a par three after the long third hole! In true Hazeltine fashion, though, number four is no push-over. This hole always seemed very tight to me, with trees everywhere. The green is large, but the amount of sand surrounding the green is much greater, it seems.

Changes: numerous trees removed to open green structure to tees, which were extended to 212 yards.

Hole 5, Par 4, 448 Yards

Oh, how I love this hole. A dog-leg right par four, there are a series of bunkers on the right that I’ve been in more than once. It is vitally important to hit this green, which is tucked into a grove of trees and surrounded by deep bunkers. There have been people in our group who have gone from one bunker to the other…and back again.

Changes: championship tee moved back 48 yards, right fairway bunkers deepened and shifted towards the fairway, fairway moved closer to the left fairway bunker.

Hole 6, Par 4, 405 Yards

A “short” par four at 405 yards, this is another fun par four that I like a lot. I usually try to hit a three wood down the left side of the trees that line both sides of the first half of the dog-leg left. Unfortunately, I usually end up in the trees on the right side and have to punch out. That leaves an approach shot over the pond to a large, multi-level green. The people that own the houses across the pond will have a great view of the tournament.

Changes: none.

Hole 7, Par 5, 572 Yards

There is a plaque on the seventh tee that reads “U.S. OPEN 1991, No. 7 PAR 5, 518 YARDS.” That would probably be a par four these days, eh? I remember playing this hole well last time, laying up and hitting a decent wedge shot across the pond. Hitting in the trees on the right off the tee is dead, but they really aren’t in play for good players.

Changes: new championship tee is 30 yards back and to the left of the old tee (which was removed), new bunkers and mounds on the left driving zone, fairway narrowed, forward trees on left removed to allow play from new tee.

Hole 8, Par 3, 176 Yards

The second par three on the front side is the shortest on the course, but don’t let that fool you. The green is tiny, the pond comes in way too close for my game and there are all those bunkers on the other side of the green. I saw Tiger hit the grandstands to the left of the green at the 2002 PGA and then hit a perfect pitch over the bunkers to a pin position on the green that sloped towards the water. One of the most amazing pars I’ve ever seen.

Changes: none.

Hole 9, Par 4, 432 Yards

The ninth and eighteen holes run parallel to each other back uphill to the clubhouse. They are similar to each other, but seem to play differently for me. Number nine doesn’t have too much trouble to find – it’s just a long, steep climb to close out the front side.

Changes: fairway bunker complex on left and right rebuilt, moved towards fairway and deepened.

Stay tuned – we’ll take a look at the back nine later this week.

UPDATE: Based on member feedback, some of the changes mentioned above have been edited. Also, the championship yardages listed on the Hazeltine scorecard are a little different from what the PGA lists on their web site:

1-490, 2-433, 3-633, 4-212, 5-448, 6-405, 7-572, 8-176, 9-432, 10-452, 11-606, 12-518, 13-248, 14-352, 15-642, 16-402, 17-182, 18-475 total 7,678.

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.

Last month I made the trek down to Northfield with a friend to play one of my favorite courses in the state, Willingers Golf Club.

I’ve written a lot about Willingers in the past, so I’ll just mention a few new things here. The club was selling a new item in the pro shop: Willingers themed poker chips for use as ball markers. They were $2.50 each and came in a variety of colors. Nothing earth-shattering, but I thought they were unique and very nice:

Not much new to report on the course – it is still a great test of golf with little to distract you from the task at hand. The housing plans seem to be on indefinite hold and the gun club next door wasn’t active during our visit.

We played a very quick round, as we were followed by a not-quite-fast-enough-to-play-through, but always-on-our-tail threesome. Turned out one of them was the club champion, which I imagine helps to cut down on search time for lost balls…

7MM Willingers Photo Gallery

Way back on June 3, I finally got to cross off one of the Minnesota private courses I’ve wanted to play for a long, long time – Town and Country Club in St. Paul. Thanks to the Minnesota Golf Course Superintendents’ Association turfgrass fundraiser, I was able to tee it up with three friends on the course I’ve driven by my entire life.

Several people that I told about this outing couldn’t wait to hear my opinion of the course. I’ll say this – Town and Country is a very interesting golf course. I didn’t dislike the course, but the tight setting (around 100 acres) creates many unique hole situations that you don’t usually see around here.

For example, there are back-to-back par three holes on the front nine, while the back nine finishes par three, par five, par five, par five, par three. The par four seventh and eighth holes run parallel to the busy Cretin Avenue on the left, which made me way too nervous.

The course oozes history, though, and there are a number of great holes throughout the layout. Established in 1888, Town and Country is the oldest course in the state and one of the oldest in the country (when reviewing courses still in the same location). Conditioning was perfect throughout.

We played from the 6,092-yard white tees, which have a course rating of 70.0 and a slope of 128 (par 72). I didn’t play a particularly great round, but did birdie the 526-yard, par five twelfth hole.

7MM Town and Country Photo Gallery

The High School for Recording Arts in St. Paul is holding their first ever golf tournament fundraiser on Saturday, July 18, at Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake. The shotgun scramble event will begin at 1PM on the Crossroads Course.

The $100 registration fee includes use of the driving range, 18 holes of golf with cart and dinner. Mulligans and on-course games hosted by HSRA students will be available for an additional charge. Online registration is available at golf.hsra.org.

For more information, contact HSRA development director Tony Simmons at 651-717-5646 or tony@hsra.org.

A few weeks back I played a twilight round at Highland National in St. Paul for a grand total of $20. My friend and I managed to get in 18 holes just as darkness fell on the course with the Snoopy bunker.

I haven’t played the course in a few years, but overall, I still feel the changes that were made by Paul Miller and Garrett Gill in the big re-design were a success. Not everyone agrees, but the course was pretty full for a weekday afternoon. The starter said rounds played this spring are up and they are happy with the design.

A little follow-up work is in progress: the putting green was re-built and the first and tenth tees have been modified slightly. I also heard that someone dumped a few goldfish in one of the new drainage ponds and now they are everywhere.

7MM Highland National Photo Gallery

While we weren’t able to make it on site for this year’s Minnesota State High School League golf championships, here are the top three finishers in each of the events:

Class AAA, Bunker Hills, June 2-3, 2009 (Full Results – Girls | Boys)

Girls Team

• 1, Lakeville North, 83-85-88-96, 80-82-86-92, 692
• 2, Woodbury, 85-87-88-93, 80-83-86-91, 693
• 3, Edina, 80-90-93-95, 78-84-87-89, 696

Girls Individual

• 1, Betsy Kelly, Junior, Forest Lake, 77-74-151 (+7)
• 2, Steffi Neisen, Junior, New Prague, 78- 77-155 (+11)
• T3, Gretchen Huhnerkoch, Senior, Burnsville, 75-82-157 (+13)
• T3, Sara Detlefsen, Freshman, Eastview, Apple Valley, 80-77-157 (+13)

Boys Team

• 1, Wayzata, 75-77-77-78, 71-71-78-79, 606
• 2, Forest Lake, 76-77-77-80, 71-75-76-79, 611
• 3, Eden Prairie, 75-76-76-78, 75-77-78-82, 617

Boys Individual

• T1, Joe Petrulo, Senior, Eastview, Apple Valley, 71-77-148 (+4)
• T1, Paul Moberg, Senior, Forest Lake, 77-71-148 (+4)
• T3, Blake Vettel, Senior, Wayzata, 78-71-149 (+5)
• T3, Ty Liljander, Junior, Cambridge-Isanti, 72-77-149 (+5)

Class AA, Ridges at Sand Creek, June 3-4, 2009 (Full Results – Girls | Boys)

Girls Team

• 1, Minnewaska, 74-75-76-79-83-97, 72-73-75-86-90-104, 610
• 2, Red Wing, 82-85-88-90-90-91, 79-83-84-86-88-94, 677
• 3, Crookston, 85-86-90-92-99-105, 86-90-91-99-102-115, 719

Girls Individual

• 1, Emily Roering, Minnewaska, Senior, 74-72-146 (+2)
• 2, Allie Ostrander, Minnewaska, Junior, 75-73-148 (+4)
• 3, Cydney Hasselberg, Staples-Motley, Senior, 73-77-150 (+6)

Boys Team

• 1, Orono, 72-78-79-79-80-82, 73-74-75-77-78-79, 607
• 2, Hermantown, 75-78-79-80-84-86, 74-75-77-80-80-80, 618
• 3, Rochester Lourdes, 74-78-80-82-83-88, 74-80-81-82-83-84, 631

Boys Individual

• 1, Mark Giorgi, Red Wing, Senior, 71-74-145 (+1)
• 2, Patrick Johnston, Orono, Sophomore, 72-74-146 (+2)
• 3, Nathan Hoefflin, St. Cloud Cathedral, Senior, 76-72-148 (+4)

Class A, Pebble Creek, June 3-4, 2009 (Full Results – Girls | Boys)

Girls Team

• 1, Mounds Park Academy, 85-87-89-95-97-98, 76-87-90-91-101-115, 700
• 2, Mahnomen, 91-96-96-114-115-138, 89-90-97-105-116-136, 778
• 3, Lanesboro, 96-97-101-104-109-120, 89-100-103-109-112-115, 799

Girls Individual

• 1, Anna Maria Tarazona, Madelia, Senior, 77-77-154 (+10)
• 2, Sarah Utz, Providence Academy, Senior, 78-79-157 (+13)
• 3, Natalie Lansing, Mounds Park Academy, Senior, 89-76-165 (+21)

Boys Team

• 1, Rushford-Peterson, 75-79-81-84-87-88, 79-84-86-87-88-91, 655
• 2, Hawley, 77-82-83-86-88-97, 81-83-84-84-91-93, 660
• 3, Springfield/Comfrey, 74-85-87-88-92-105, 70-86-86-89-92-94, 665

Boys Individual

• 1, Dillon Schultz, Springfield/Comfrey, Sophomore, 74-70-144 (E)
• T2, Conner Christoff, Providence Academy, Senior, 70-81-151 (+7)
• T2, Will Lage, Mounds Park Academy, Senior, 73-78-151 (+7)

Congratulations to all of the participants!

Theodore Wirth Golf Club is changing. Last year was a remodel of the outside of the clubhouse. This year, it was a remodel of the the inside. Throw in some nice service enhancements and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has a pretty nice product on their hands.

We knew something was up when we drove into the parking lot and an employee pulled up in a cart asking if we wanted our bags driven to the clubhouse. That’s never happened before. Also new were the friendly (and effective) on-course rangers that kept play moving on both nines – without being rude.

The condition of the course has been improving over the years and one of the rangers confirmed that their new superintendent is making good progress. They are suffering from some of the same early season issues most of the courses in the region have now, but overall it was nice. I would like to see them get better sand in the bunkers at some point, though.

In tough times, it’s nice to see courses making an effort to attract golfers.

The weekend walking rate was $32.

7MM Theodore Wirth Photo Gallery

A few weeks back, I got in round #7 of the 2009 season at one of my favorite courses, Southview Country Club in West St. Paul. Home of the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am, Southview is always in great condition and has an absolutely superb staff.

There are still a limited number of amateur spots available for the 2009 Tapemark, but I anticipate it will be full by the end of the week. If you are interested in registering, visit their online registration page. I played in this event last year for the first time and it was an experience like no other in Minnesota.

I noticed a few changes this year: the trees surrounding the fifteenth green have been thinned out (see above) and a new back tee has been built on the par-five fourth hole. The shaping is complete and grass is currently being grown in.

Like most private courses in Minnesota this year, Southview is currently offering membership specials. If you are looking for a club to join and want to save some money, give general manager Mark McCahey a call at 651-451-6856.

I’ll be heading back there this week for round #10 – I’m hoping to be caught up on posts for rounds eight and nine by the end of the week…

7MM Southview Photo Gallery

Remaining rounds for the Minnesota Golf Course Superintendents’ Association turfgrass research fundraiser are now half off. $75 per player is a great deal – 18 holes of golf with cart at some of Minnesota’s finest private courses. Visit their registration page to view the remaining availability and contact MGCSA executive director Scott Turtinen at 952-473-2582 or via email at scott@mgcsa.org to reserve your spot.

This morning we paid another visit to the Ridges at Sand Creek in Jordan. The weather was not kind (a starting temp near 40 and winds gusting to 37MPH), but that did not stop the crowds from playing this popular south metro course. We had groups all around us, but everyone seemed to move along to get out of the wind.

We’ve written before about how we love this Joel Goldstrand design, but hated that they allow five-somes to play on weekend mornings. Pace of play has been decent the past few times we’ve visited and we hadn’t seen a five-some for a long time. Unfortunately, there were a few out today. Thankfully, though, they didn’t cause a problem.

The on-course ranger slash shuttle service was very friendly and helps smooth the ascent from the river valley for walkers (the weekend walking rate was $43).

The Ridges at Sand Creek will host the Minnesota State High School League Class AA State Tournament June 4-5. Watch for full coverage next month on Golfing in Minnesota.

7MM Ridges at Sand Creek Photo Gallery

Halla Greens PGA teaching professional Brad Pluth and TwinCitiesGolf.com founder Kevin Unterreiner are co-directors for the Minnesota edition of the U.S. Kids Golf Tour.

Events are designed for boys and girls 14 and under (minimum age five), using age and gender appropriate tees and single age brackets. Parents or other family members are encouraged to participate as caddies.

There is a $50 registration fee to join that covers the season of eight one-day tournaments, plus event fees of $35 for 9 holes and $45 for 18-hole players (some special events may cost more).

Tournaments will be held at the following Minnesota courses:

• Baker National
• Bluff Creek
• Emerald Greens
• Highland National
• Pioneer Creek
• Pebble Creek
• Ridges at Sand Creek
• Victory Links

To register and view the schedule, visit this page. Tee times for all Local Tour events will be posted on the U.S. Kids web site two days before each tournament.

For more information, email tournaments@uskidsgolf.com or call 1-888-387-5437, ext. 703.

Detroit Country Club professional Kane Hanson won his first Minnesota Golf Champions title today by shooting a 71-67-70-208 (-8) total at Minneapolis Golf Club, good for a five stroke victory over professionals Clayton Rask and Adam Wynia.

Here are the top five finishers:

• 1, Kane Hanson, Detroit CC, 71-67-70-208 (-8), $2,500
• T2, Adam Wynia, Willow Run GC (SD), 73-71-69-213 (-3), $1,375
• T2, Clayton Rask, Monticello CC, 68-70-75-213 (-3), $1,375
• 4, Joe O’Brien, Minneapolis GC, 71-73-70-214 (-2), $1,100
• 5, Don Berry, Edinburgh USA, 72-71-72-215 (-1), $950

View Full Leaderboard

7MM 2009 Minnesota Golf Champions Photo Gallery

Yesterday I had the opportunity to take a friend from work out to his favorite course in honor of his 61st birthday. Turns out Duke is bit of a golf masochist, as his favorite course is Eagle Trace Golfers Club, in Clearwater, Minnesota.

The last time I was at Eagle Trace, I was just taking photos and did not have a chance to play the course. My first impression (after shooting a 90 on the short 5,715 yard, par 70 course) is that this is one tight, brutal test of golf. It starts off easy enough with a short par four, but the 559 yard par five second hole is billed on the scorecard as “one of Minnesota’s toughest holes.”

I’d have to agree with that assessment.

Water comes in to play on 13 holes and there are numerous tight holes that border on the absurd. In fact, I thought that several holes were too gimmicky, but maybe I’d feel differently after playing the course a few more times. The second, fifth, eighth, eleventh, thirteenth and fifteenth are all holes that you need to have some local knowledge of in order to play them well. The scorecard notes help a little, but a good yardage book would be a better tool.

The day was a little cold and windy, which might have contributed to the lack of golfers on the course. Price is not an issue, though, as the weekend rate was only $27. This includes a cart, which almost seems mandatory, given the huge distance between the clubhouse and the first hole (and a few long drives between holes).

Even though many of the holes at Eagle Trace are frustrating, it is a very scenic course. Especially noteworthy are holes thirteen through fifteen, which play along side the briskly flowing Mississippi River.

7MM Eagle Trace Photo Gallery

Today was the first round of the Minnesota Golf Champions tournament at Minneapolis Golf Club in St. Louis Park. Considered the year’s first Minnesota major, this tournament has a stellar field of Minnesota’s best professional and amateur players.

Reigning champion John Harris did not return to defend the title he won last year at Bearpath, so the 2009 crown is up for grabs. Two-time champion Clayton Rask of Monticello Country Club (above, right) shot a 4-under par 68 to take a one-shot first round lead over reigning Tapemark champion John Carlson of Wayzata Country Club.

View Full Leaderboard

Insurance broker Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. is the new title sponsor of the event (former sponsor Stanton Group is now a division of Gallagher). GPS devices were also provided by OnPar and were allowed for championship play by the Minnesota Section PGA.

We saw a few old friends today:

• Don Berry said he’s playing bad and getting pretty used to playing bad (Don shot an even par 72 and is tied for tenth).
• Asked if he is ready for a three-peat at the Tapemark, John Carlson replied: “I sure hope so!”
• 2008 Minnesota Section PGA Player of the Year Jeff Sorenson must have had his brother caddying for him; they were dead ringers for each other.
• Minnesota Gophers Director of Golf Brad James was spotted walking the course and checking up on his many players in the tournament.
• Mendakota professional Dale Jones was paired with Tom Lehman’s brother, James, who shot a 6-over 78.

Tomorrow’s second round starts at noon and spectators are welcome. Don’t miss this free opportunity to see some of the best golf of the year.

View Second Round Pairings

7MM 2009 Minnesota Golf Champions Photo Gallery

Last weekend I paid my third visit to the Oaks Golf Club in Hayfield, Minnesota (which is located about 30 miles southwest of Rochester). Just like the last two times, I played with the Miller family. And also just like the last two times, wind played a huge part in the round.

The people of Hayfield seem to crave two things with their golf: carts and fast rounds. I’d see big caravans of carts and think they allowed fivesomes or sixsomes, but in reality, people there just like to drive carts solo. If you walk, be prepared to play ready golf or you will get run over.

The course was in good condition and some of the rough was already somewhat long. The course isn’t very long (under 6,500 yards from the tips), but remember that wind impacts nearly every shot here and there are really only two flat greens out of the eighteen. The walking weekend rate was $31.50.

7MM Oaks Photo Gallery

The Minnesota Golf Course Superintendents’ Association is again holding their annual fundraiser. Twenty private courses are participating in the 21st Annual Turfgrass Research Benefit Week, to be held June 1-5, 2009. A limited number of tee times are available at each course, with a few providing gift certificates.

Here is the list of the 2009 participating courses:

• Brackett’s Crossing CC
• Dellwood Hills GC (certificate)
• Golden Valley G&CC (certificate)
• Indian Hills GC
• Medina Golf & CC
• Midland Hills CC
• Minneapolis GC
• Minnesota Valley CC
• Northland CC (certificate)
• North Oaks GC
• Oak Ridge CC
• Olympic Hills GC
• Rochester Golf & CC
• Stillwater CC
• The Minikahda Club
• Town & Country Club
• TPC Twin Cities (certificate)
• Wayzata CC
• Windsong Farm GC
• Woodhill CC

Spots are filled in a first-come, first-serve manner and cost $120 per player (cart included at most courses). Entry forms must arrive by 3:00 p.m. on Friday, May 22, 2009. For more information, contact MGCSA executive director Scott Turtinen at 952-473-2582 or via email at scott@mgcsa.org.

We participated in this program last year and it was wonderful. Pick out a course (or two), print out the form, play some wonderful courses and help support turfgrass research in Minnesota.

Just as Minneapolis Golf Examiner Kyle Anway posted a review of the same course, I got a call last week to join a group playing Sawmill Golf Club in Stillwater.

It’s been three years since I last played Sawmill and it does seem like a bargain at $18 (weekday walking rate). They are also currently giving out $10 off coupons for their sister Loggers Trail course if you play again by the end of the month.

Parts of the course were already mid-summer lush, but the greens were extremely firm and wouldn’t hold anything (we found out afterwards that they had just been rolled).

Sawmill is not a long course – 5499 yards from the whites with a par of 70 – but there are some nice memorable holes on both nines. The all-carry par three fifth (above) and the scenic par three thirteenth are two of my favorites.

7MM Sawmill Photo Gallery

My belated birthday present arrived in the mail today – a restored Scotty Cameron Newport Two putter that I’ve owned for about ten years. It was in bad shape before and the Restoration Shop did a great job.

It was weird playing the first few rounds of the year with a different putter. Glad this one is back!

Full Size Photos in the 7MM Photo Gallery

Received this postcard in the mail the other day for a free outdoor demo day at Hiawatha Golf Club coming up on Saturday, May 16 from 11AM – 3PM.

Presented by Golf Galaxy, the first 200 people in attendance will receive two free Callaway golf balls. Looks like manufacturer reps from all the big players will be there too…

The Minnesota Section PGA held their annual media day this week at Minneapolis Golf Club in St. Louis Park. The Print/Radio/Weather team retained the Media Challenge Cup by virtue of a 4 1/2 to 4 1/2 tie with the Television/MGA Team. MGA executive director Tom Ryan and PGA professional Paul Kelley of Bent Creek won the individual title with a 2-under par 70.

The media day event has been coordinated the past three years by former WCCO personality Ed Heil, who now runs Storyteller Media and Communications. Storyteller also helps promote the Explore Minnesota Golf Alliance and the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am.

The course was highlighting their recent bunker renovations, which caused the annual Minnesota Golf Champions tournament to move to Bearpath last year. That event returns to MGC this year on May 8 – 10 and Golfing in Minnesota will be on hand for full coverage.

7MM 2009 Media Day Photo Gallery

Full Scores (PDF)

Got in my second round of the year the other day, this time heading out to Steve Whillock’s Oak Marsh Golf Course in Oakdale, Minnesota. Usually one of the first courses to open in the spring, Oak Marsh has already had a lot of play in 2009. The course was in good early season condition, although I hate when courses charge full price when they haven’t really done any conditioning yet. The 18 hole walking rate was $31.

As I’ve written before, this course is only 5,793 yards from the white tees and plays to a par of 70. This makes my 86 seem much better than it really was, but I still feel this course plays a little tougher than the 68.2 slope and 117 rating indicate.

Mr. Whillock was telling me about the 2009 edition of their Players Club Awards program. Sign up for free and earn a 10% award for all green fees, cart fees, range and golf merchandise. You also get a free round of golf on your birthday if you give them a valid email address (off-season birthdays get their round in April).

Oak Marsh is part of the Wendell Pittenger group of courses, which also include Lost Spur in Eagan, Mississippi National in Red Wing and Willow Creek in Rochester.

7MM Oak Marsh Photo Gallery

The mailbox this week brought even more course rankings that included Minnesota courses.

The oldest ranking in the game (started in 1966), the Golf Digest presents America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses, is out in the May 2009 edition. The 09/10 version includes a second list of the 100 greatest public courses.

This bi-yearly ranking is based on reports from more than 900 evaluation panelists who assign values in seven categories (see below).

On the main list, two Minnesota courses continue their long-standing inclusion:

• #64 – Interlachen (7.74 shot values, 7.44 resistance to scoring, 7.73 design variety, 7.74 memorability, 7.66 aesthetics, 8.07 conditioning, 8.19 ambiance – 62.31 total)
• #91 – Hazeltine National (7.75 shot values, 8.20 resistance to scoring, 7.55 design variety, 7.42 memorability, 7.31 aesthetics, 7.64 conditioning, 7.67 ambiance – 61.29 total)

Both courses dropped two positions since the last edition of the list. Hazeltine has been ranked for all 43 years, while Interlachen missed the list only once (1969-1970).

On the public course side, three Minnesota courses made the top 100:

• #20 – The Quarry at Giants Ridge
• #40 – The Classic at Madden’s Resort
• #72 – The Legend at Giants Ridge

Still thinking about creating a Golfing in Minnesota list soon…

Today was our first round of the year and we headed to Columbia Golf Club in Minneapolis. The weather was great and the course wasn’t very crowded, so it was an enjoyable first outing.

Course conditions were pretty typical for early Minnesota spring – splashes of green here and there, some winter kill, small buds on the trees and lots of brown everywhere. The fairways and greens were rolling relatively fast and I actually started out the year with a birdie on the first hole (that’s my approach shot pictured above).

One of the players in our group stopped at the practice area on the opposite side of the course before our round and reported full stalls and long lines to get practice balls. There seemed to be more people practicing than playing. The fee today was $32 for a walking 18 hole round.

The March 14th issue of Golfweek magazine contains the 20th edition of their annual rankings, broken into a classics list (courses built before and 1960) and a modern list (1960-present). They also publish a state-by-state list ranking courses open to the public.

Golfweek architecture writer Bradley Klein (who visited Northland last season) compiles the lists, which are based on reports from nearly 475 course raters.

The classic list contains four private Minnesota courses. One of the four (Northland) moved up the list, while the other three dropped slightly (Interlachen, White Bear Yacht Club and The Minikahda Club).

Here are the specifics for the Minnesota classic listings:

• #52, Interlachen Country Club, Edina (was 51st) – 7.27
• #54, White Bear Yacht Club, White Bear Lake (was 46th) – 7.22
• #78, The Minikahda Club, Minneapolis (was 71st) – 6.89
• #84, Northland Country Club, Duluth (was 87th) – 6.82

On the modern list, only one Minnesota course made the list:

• #68, Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska (was 64th) – 6.95

Here is their courses you can play list for Minnesota:

• #1, Wilderness at Fortune Bay, Tower
• #2, Giants Ridge (Quarry), Biwabik
• #3, StoneRidge, St. Paul
• #4, Deacon’s Lodge, Brainerd
• #5, The Refuge, Oak Grove
• #6, Dacotah Ridge, Morton
• #7, Legends Club, Prior Lake
• #8, The Classic at Madden’s, Brainerd
• #9, Rush Creek, Maple Grove
• #10, The Wilds, Prior Lake

Golfing in Minnesota has never compiled a Minnesota course ranking, but after reading all of these others, I think that may change in 2009 – stay tuned!

Last fall, Golf World magazine weighed in with their first ever course rankings and published their 2009 Golf World Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers voted on courses based on multiple criteria, including clubhouse, condition of course, speed of play, service, reputation and overall value. Courses were divided into public, private and resort categories. With readers doing the ratings, some of the lists are very different from the traditional rankings.

Minnesota was snubbed in the list of top 38 golf destinations in North America and Europe, but five of our courses scored at least 75 points (out of either 100, 110 or 120 possible, depending on category):

• Giants Ridge Golf & Ski Resort, Biwabik
• Hazeltine National GC, Chaska
• Interlachen CC, Edina
• Madden’s on Gull Lake, Brainerd
• Northland CC, Duluth

All three of the private courses listed above made the top 50 private list overall, with Northland at number 15 with a score of 91.57, Hazeltine at number 19 (91.1) and Interlachen at number 38 (87.62). While Giants Ridge and Madden’s did not make the top 50 public or resort lists, the former was listed as ninth overall for quality of courses.

In private course individual categories, Northland really cleaned up: tenth overall for quality of course, eighth for speed of play, T-7 for locker room and second overall for dining. Think there are a few Golf World readers in Duluth?

Congrats to these outstanding courses!

Thanks to our friends Dee Forsberg Voss and Gerald McCullagh (Golf Institute at The University of Minnesota), we are featured in the April 2009 edition of Twin Cities Business magazine. Dee and Gerald publish a golf blog on the TCB site called Tee Up that is full of great information. Be sure to check it out (and add it to your news feeds).

I didn’t know about this story until today, so this is as good a time as any to take down the winter hibernation post and resume normal publication. We were teased by early course openings last week, but the snow and cold has returned. Stonebrooke claims on their Facebook page that they will be open again this weekend, but the forecast is still a little cold for my taste. Be sure to watch the course openings page at TwinCitiesGolf.com to get the latest news on your favorite courses.