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).

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

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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.