sorenj

The signature element of Old Works is the black slag bunkers, and you can’t miss them when you are on the course. In fact to me, at first, they kept appearing to be water rather than traps. Fortunately, they don’t play like water if you find yourself in one (as I did on two occasions). While they don’t play exactly the same as a standard sand bunker, I felt they played true and had no problem with them. My best shot of the day was arguably a 7 iron from 174 out of a fairway slag waste area where I had absolutely no problem picking the ball clean off the glistening black surface.

Beyond the traps, there is some good golf to be played at Old Works. I think the course probably plays a bit tougher later in the year when some of the grass gets a bit thicker in the rough areas (which benefitted me on a day I wasn’t as precise as I’d like to have been off the tee). However, the Nicolaus course winding through an EPA super-fund site still presents plenty of challenge and there are tee boxes available for every ability. As you play the upper portions of the course, don’t miss the ruins of the “Old Works” themselves; it’s pretty cool climbing from the 5th green to the 6th tee box through the brick foundations of what was once a bustling industrial complex.

This track has a links feel to it, without many trees or a lot of water (although the bunkers lulled me to sleep and when I first looked at the one pond on the course, I thought it was a fairway waste area). There is a creek running by the clubhouse which you will cross a couple of times (more depending on which tees you play), but it really does not come into play very much. There is a bit of elevation change and some tricky angles and hazards. While Old Works has some holes that can be scored upon, it also has a few that will take a stroke (or more) away from you for an errant shot.

The view from the tips on #1 is worth taking in, even if you don’t play back from back there. It is opposite the creek from the other tees and we didn’t even see it until we were heading to the parking lot after our round. You fire over the creek (with a decent carry) into a relatively small visible landing area. It left me wishing, at least for that hole, I had played all the way back.

The staff at Old Works was nothing short of wonderful; friendly, helpful, and eager to chat about the course for which they clearly have affection. It is also well maintained by a grounds crew that, despite me being first off in the morning, managed to be largely invisible as we made our way around the grounds. Pace of play was brisk when I started off and as far as I can tell stayed that way as the morning went on.

I would certainly play Old Works again and recommend it based on more than just the novelty of the black bunkers. Without them this course would be more than worth your time (with them, it’s even better).

The Powder Horn consists of three 9 hole tracks (Eagle, Stag, and Mountain); I played the Stag and Eagle holes during my round. The Stag was my favorite of the two 9’s (and I thought the slightly tougher, even though the Eagle holes play about 200 yards longer) but both were great. Much of the course features water, however, unlike many places with a good deal of water, the creek here was really running strong during my round and provided a “background track” of sorts, especially on the first few holes of the Stag 9. I really enjoyed this and it added significantly to my experience (not spending any time in that water also did, of course).

From the blues, where I played, the course stretched to just over 6700 yards and at 71.8/132 provided plenty of challenge for me. The course takes advantage of the plentiful water, angles, narrow landing areas, and well placed bunkers to protect itself and force you to use a full regiment of clubs; there are very few “driver/wedge” holes to be had here. I also liked the variety in both the 5’s (ranging from a reachable – for a slightly bigger hitter than me – 485 to a hearty “all you can eat” 603) and the 3’s (140/205). Again, The Powder Horn means to test your full game.

I want to say the greens are pretty straight forward and trend toward easy to play; however, my unusually high number of putts on the round (despite having a chip in from off the green) suggest they may be a little tougher than I give them credit for initially. In either case they were well maintained and rolled true, arguably a bigger factor in scoring well then how much break might they contain.

On the topic of maintenance, the course was in great shape. There is quite a variety of surroundings for the fairways (some very wooded, others more linksish in their Spartan foliage). However, all of them were well tended and there were no playing surfaces that were (improperly) difficult to play from in my experience. There is a bit of construction taking place on the Eagle 9 (around the par 3 third), but it really didn’t effect play in any negative way.

It’s a little difficult to pick a favorite hole, although I really liked the opening hole on Stag, partially because of the river “background music” but also for the golf itself. It’s a shorter par 4 (just 310 from the blues) and I felt comfortable trying to bring a draw in toward the green with my 6 iron off the tee instead of playing it straight and having two areas of potential water in play. It worked well and I was left with just 70 yards to go (and a birdie to start my day). Further, the bunker that protects the right hand side of the green was no longer in play. I enjoyed having the option to try to make a shot on the first, rather than just playing another standard “grip it and rip it” starter hole.

Number 8 on the Eagle course was also enjoyable to me for completely different reasons. With water running down the entire right side of the fairway and ponds almost surrounding the green; even though this hole is fairly straight forward and a touch short (370), you feel challenged to be precise the entire way. I was a little conservative off the tee (7i 183 yards) with the intention of setting up a second shot with the same club on my approach (178). A strategy that worked well and led to an easy two putt par (6 inches from a bird) on the hole. I liked the idea of a constant threat that can be mitigated by a well thought out approach. Some holes are meant to be managed rather than attacked head on, and doing so can lead to a good score; this is such a hole.

The staff at The Powder Horn, from the clubhouse to the starter, was very friendly and helpful and seemed quite focused on making sure our experience was a great one (mission accomplished). We didn’t run into the grounds crew much along the way, but in our few encounters they were mindful of us and pleasant as well.

Pace of play seemed fine behind us also. We went off first, played in about 3:30, and never really lost the groups playing behind us. Overall my experience at The Powder Horn was very good and I’d recommend the course to anyone. I didn’t play the Mountain course (they had a tournament going off the morning or I might have tried to get that in as well), so I can’t speak to much to it; however, if it plays like the other two I’d suggest trying to get in all 27 when you do.

I played the 6577 “T-Rex” tees at Fossil Trace (because, really, how do you not play the “T-Rex” tees???) and I found the track pretty true to its 71.4/136 rating. There is a nice variety of holes here which really encourages you to use all of the clubs/shots in your bag. For example, no two par 3’s are alike (going 151, 95, 186, 205, and 160 respectively so you won’t be just firing 7 or 8 irons into them all day like some courses. The par 5’s also range from 536 to 626(!), although most are right around the 540 range.

The big draw to Fossil Trace (as the name implies) is the archeological dig remnants on the signature 12th hole, a fairly easily accessible 545 yard par 5 if you place your second shot in the right spot, or a frustratingly troublesome hole if you don’t (fortunately, my second was just about perfect and I had a pitching wedge into the well protected green for a two putt par… after missing a 8 footer for birdie). Both 12 and 15 have unusual rock obstacles I’ve heard complaints about; however, I liked the challenges they present and the fore-thought they require on your approach shots (this, of course, from someone who managed to avoid both of them). It’s certainly worth taking a few minutes and checking out the trace fossils after holing out on 12.

Friendly advice, don’t get complacent on 13 (or caught up thinking about the hole you just completed); you’ll want to put your tee shot on the left hand side of the fairway. If you don’t the hole gets quite a bit harder, my failure in this area led to my first bogey on the back nine (complete with a penalty for a lost ball on my blind approach shot over trees).

While the back nine features interesting geographic features, the front has its own brand of challenges. One and two feature downhill holes toward interesting green locations. Two especially requires a good approach as the green sits alone in the bottom of a “pit” with tall rough all around. I actually fired my tee shot to the right of the cart path (i.e. very right) and this provided me a great angle to attack the pin from. Not the way it’s drawn up for sure, but it led to an easy two putt par.

There are some deep and unusually shaped bunkers throughout the course as well that provide some interesting playing options (not all great) out of them. Some will force you to play sideways from a fairway bunker, which might be a little too punitive in my mind, but the knowledge of this should certainly keep you honest on your drives.

Overall I really liked the layout of the course. There is ample water, elevation change, use of angles for defense of greens, and the bunkers are such that sand saves will most definitely be earned if achieved. It’s a course that will test your full game as many of the greens are also challenging in and of themselves. Further, it was in great condition with immaculate fairways, well-groomed greens and bunkers that played as well as they looked.

I played a little early (I was first out) to really speak to the pace of play; however, the few groups I saw finish after me were in well under 4 hours so at least an early round should be nice and quick. The staff was great and everyone I met went out of their way to ensure I had a great round. The grounds crew also was mindful and considerate of players on the course while doing a great job of keeping everything in good shape. Also, on a non-golf note, the restaurant makes a completely fantastic (and affordable) lunch; I eschewed my usual Benedict for their hash and would do it again and again.

My entire experience at Fossil Trace was great and I will absolutely be going back to play again…

The Prairie Club is a special place (for a variety of reasons). One of the first things I noticed as I made my way through the first few holes is that there are no rakes on the course… everything is a “waste” bunker. As far as I know none of the bunkers are man-made, they are natural blowouts that are lovingly maintained by a combination of grounds crew and Mother Nature. I was pleasantly surprised, given this, by how few areas in the bunkers were left difficult to play due to footprints, divots, etc. This was good, because they are tricky enough on their own.

The Prairie Club has an interesting (and fantastic for the casual golfer) public private mix. Their two courses alternate day by day between being public or private for the members. This allows both members and the general public to enjoy both courses in a two day span; while maintaining the private feel for members when they play. It’s a great setup and given that both courses are in Golf Digests “Best Courses You Can Play” list (again) everybody wins in this configuration. Also unique (that I was tragically unable to take advantage of) is the no-charge-for-rerounds policy. Once you tee off at the Prairie Club, the course is yours (although you do have to share) for the day, if you can get in 36 (or 54???) holes in a day, it’s the same “all you can eat” price.

Regrettably I was only in Nebraska for one day so I was unable to play the Pines course (private on the day I visited). However, that – and missing the bagpipe player – were the only things I regretted about my visit, and if those are your two biggest problems, you probably had a whale of a visit (which I did).

The Prairie Club, in many ways feels like pure links golf; with wide open fairways, sand blow outs, and tall grassy fields ensconcing the very well maintained fast rolling fairways. The greens were also brisk as far as pace; however, in many cases I found them unconventionally tough to reach for a links style course (i.e. I had to go in “by air” far more than I expected). This actually plays to my game better than the bump and run method so I didn’t mind, but it’s worth noting.

One of the things I really liked about this track is there are several holes with “pick your poison” levels of risk/reward for your drive. Multiple points of entry to these fairways, depending on how far you elect to hit the ball, offer different levels of risk (usually involving fairway bunker play, but also at times compromising your view of the target of creating greater elevation change). Other holes, of course – notably many of the par 3’s – simply provide protection in the form of waste area to carry and plentiful traps without forcing a decision about how to assault the green.

You cannot help but appreciate the simplicity of the layout either. Tee boxes are nothing more than a wooden stake in the ground near a more closely cut and (generally) flat area of land. It harkens to “old school” golf where you sink your put and drop your ball within a clubs length of the cup to tee off for the next hole. This was actually my single favorite thing about this course, and that’s saying quite a bit because there is a lot to love here. It’s rustic, it’s western, and it’s delightful.

I mentioned above the roll on the fairways, it is significant. I actually talked to the guy in the pro shop after my round and asked if it was possible some of the distances might have changed since the cards were printed (they hadn’t) because I couldn’t believe I was reaching the places I was off the tee’s. But, simply put… run matters, and you’ll get it at the Prairie Club.

Pace of play was terrific and the staff both in the pro shop and on the course were outstanding. Overall my experience at the Prairie Club was more than I imagined it would be (and I have a very vivid imagination which was coupled with some very high pre-conceived expectations for this track).

Valentine is a long way from anywhere “big,” so expect some effort to get there, and expect to feel completely rewarded for your decision to make that effort. I can’t recommend strongly enough that you should plan to be there for at least two days and play both courses. If you are on a golf trip with buddies, you can’t miss the Horse course either.

Based on all that I missed (and everything I experienced), I am absolutely planning a return trip to the Prairie Club.

I’ll start this review by saying this was the first round I have played from the “regular” tee’s in a long time. I played there because I wanted to work on my irons and I didn’t hit anything bigger than a 6 iron all day. From the regular tees the course is only 6087 yards (although it does stretch out nicely to 7179 from the back, so it is only a short course if you elect to play it that way).

Having said that, I found the course remarkably attackable for its 70.4/124 rating. As you’d expect, given the comparatively short track compared to what I’ve been playing, I put up my best score (77) in a while. However, relative to the slope and rating I expected to struggle a bit more to get into the 70’s. Part of my success I believe was due to only hitting mid to short range irons. I got into a very nice groove and, for example, put together consecutive 8 irons on holes 7 and 9 of 180, 178 and 179 yards (hole 8 was a par three of only 137 so I didn’t hit an 8 there). When you are hitting straight 8 irons averaging 179, most of the holes are not only reachable but pretty scoreable from the front tees.

Needless to say, it was a fun round. I found only one hazard on the day (water on the 5th hole which led to my only double of the day), and that’s a great way to keep a good round going. This should not imply there are not hazards to find, however. While the course is not overly bunkered, there is a good amount of water to navigate, especially if you are a bit wayward off the tee.

Again, one of the nice things about this course is that it provides as much challenge as you are eager to receive. Most of its defense is in distance (there are not many dog legs or difficult angles to navigate), so selecting the right set of tees to match the experience you want is important. For example, I found the par 3’s very well-conceived in general and it was on these holes that I had my only real regrets about playing up. They were just a little too easy from there averaging only about 137 and only one of them required me to use something bigger than a wedge (and that was a 9 iron); I played them at even par.

Other than recently sanded greens on the front nine, I found the course to be in good shape; and even the sanded putting surfaces rolled true (albeit slow, of course). Given the heavy winters the northern states received this year (and subsequent late opening dates) it is especially commendable that the course was as playable as it was.

In addition to an enjoyable round of golf, Prairie Green’s staff added to the enjoyment of my day. Everyone I met there was friendly and attentive doing everything they could to ensure a good day on the course. The maintenance crew was scarce and courteous when I did run into them (this is not as often the case as one would like when you go off first) and the pace of play behind me seemed good as I watched group after group come in on time after me from the clubhouse.

I would certainly play Prairie Green again if I found myself with the opportunity.

Starting with the obvious, there aren’t many (any?) places where you can play 9 holes of golf in two different states during the same round. This unique feature of Bois de Sioux was certainly what originally caught my eye. “The turn” from 9 to 10 involves crossing a bridge over the Red river (fun fact, the Red River is one of few in the US that flow North instead of South) from North Dakota into Minnesota for the back nine.

The Minnesota side is older and it shows in the more mature trees that provide a touch more defense of their holes than their newer counterparts on the front. I shot the same +4 on both sides, but the path to those scores was very different. I was able to post solid par’s and bogeys on all of the front nine holes; while the back was considerably more up and down, including a couple birdies mixed in with more bogeys and even a double. The back nine really put a premium on tee shot placement; very attackable if you positioned yourself well, but becoming quite difficult to score if you don’t. The front, by contrast, was pretty straightforward and simply required me to keep moving my ball forward on the short grass to put up consistent numbers.

The course uses mostly angles and trees for defense (although there is some water mixed in as well, especially on the back); and it does a good job of keeping you honest with these design elements. There are a few corners you can cut popping over the corner; doing so on #5 for example saved me a good 20-30 yards and made my approach on the 429 yard hole a very manageable 190 yards (I was tee’ing off with a 6 iron all day to protect a strained oblique, so every yard counted). Others you might think you can cut can bite you, however… I discovered this the hard way.

The greens were surprisingly fast and true for a public course, which took me a couple of holes to adjust to. The fairways also were well cared for and gave decent roll to my irons off the tee, a welcome change from some of the waterlogged courses I’ve been playing recently. Overall it was just a nice course that tested your golf game without being too cute or over-complicated.

Pace of play was great as (despite the course being public) there are mostly members playing who know their way around the track. We played in about 3:15 and didn’t put much, if any, distance between us the groups playing behind us. Everyone on the course was quite friendly and welcoming as well. It’s also probably worth mentioning that, having played a wide variety of courses on this trip, including some rather exclusive private clubs; these greens may have had the fewest unrepaired ball marks we have seen over the last 41 days/rounds. Indicating a healthy respect for the game, this is always a welcome sight!

The pro-shop experience was great, I might add. The folks in there were genuinely interested in my trip and chatted us up for a bit about it. They also took the time to share some of the history of the course and how some of the design elements came into being. We also had a fellow who lives on the third hole pop out in his cart and introduce himself and chat with us for a bit about the trip and book. There was just a really nice “local” or “small town” feel that we really enjoyed in addition to the golf.

More than just a novelty, Bois de Sioux is a nice course and worth a visit as much for the golf as the inter-state river crossing.

The short version: this is, quite simply, a great course. It’s Golf Digests #58 public course, and has been on the list since ’03 with the only real question being; what were the folks at Golf Digest thinking prior to that? Further, the service level (at every level of employee we met, which ranged from an intern to the director of marketing and head pro) bordered on unbelievable. Very few places pull off the “we are truly glad you are here” vibe, without looking like they are trying; at Maddens the enthusiasm was palpable.

While I still like “country club” golf, with the scenic shots and tricky design quirks; I’ve really developed an appreciation for tournament layouts as well. There is something to straightforward golf that appeals to me at a basic level. What The Classic does that I think is somewhat unique is deftly combine the best of both worlds.

It certainly had the club feel, with beautiful holes that captivate the imagination in ways beyond the golf you are playing. Ponds, creeks and covered bridges are just a part of the tapestry that is this course. They even have a “player option” split green on #5 that has two holes. One is on a super-small green which is about 75 yards closer, while the other comes with a far larger landing area; both are protected in front by water. A fledgling tree in the center of the fourth fairway will only add to the intrigue when it develops over the years.

At the same time, Maddens sets up and plays like a tournament ready course and there is plenty of golf to be played here. I thought the blue tees I played were going to be a little short at 6438 for their rating/slope (71.9/136); however, they played to their full measure by using good angles and well placed - but not overly punitive - hazards to defend the holes. The starter said the holes play about 2 strokes tougher than the same distance somewhere else and I’d say he was about right.

I really liked the par 5 starting hole. You can’t see over the horizon, so you don’t really know what you are getting yourself into; however you can absolutely make up some ground on the downhill second shot. I was a bit short off the tee, but with roll had a 217 yard 7 iron approach that put me in position to save par (I failed to do so, but that’s not the point). And yet, while you can get “back in the game;” because of the way the green is protected at the bottom, you really can’t fire into it and make up more than one stroke. It’s just really good design, from my perspective.

This third hole is another interesting creation with a drivable distance (for big hitters) but a very well protected green complete with water in front as well as to the right and waste area behind. I fired at the center of the “fairway” bunker and just cleared it, leaving about 80 yards or so to the pin.

The course itself was in stellar condition with arguably the softest bunkers I’ve played out of in the 40 rounds I’ve played over the last 40 days. The starter told me the greens are fast and true; and, once I stopped trying to read too much into them and listened to his advice my scoring improved significantly. They are deceptively true, if that is a thing. The Classic really appeared to be in “mid-season form,” even though opening day wasn’t that long ago.

My wife and I started out in a cart together; however, because of the number of pictures she was taking for the book, I eventually grabbed my bag and walked the last several holes. I could have easily walked the entire course (and, in many ways wish I had). There is a calmness and serenity about this place and walking the course added to that.

As mentioned above the service level was more than commendable and we truly felt like guests rather than patrons. I went off first so I can’t speak too much to pace of play, but I know the foursome playing behind us wasn’t far behind (and I was playing as a single). I’m told Monday and Tuesday are the best days for getting in a quick round and the weekends can be a tougher get. This makes sense because in addition to having a strong local customer base Maddens is a destination spot that caters to the entire family; with plenty to keep non-golfers pleasantly entertained while rounds are being played. We stayed in a lovely little lake side cabin and were not excited about leaving.

More than a course I’d recommend, I’m already plotting my return!

Yesterday, upon reflection on of a recent round at Cog Hill #4, I was telling Melanie that I wish we had booked more TPC type courses on the trip. Tournament ready courses that set up for “good old fashioned golf” rather than necessarily being focused on attempting to accomplish breath taking effect on every hole. Enter University Ridge at the University of Wisconsin.

This course feels, from start to finish, like a tournament course; ready to challenge your golf game at least as much as your shot making. It makes sense because, as it turns out, there is a Champions Tour event there in about two weeks. In fact as we hit our approaches on 17 and 18 we were shooting into grandstand construction projects of somewhat staggering proportions (the guy I was playing with said they were expecting a couple hundred thousand people to attend). In other words, University Ridge was set up to play tournament golf at just about the highest level there is.

Most of the holes are straightforward with all of their challenges made clear. Number two has a few surprises in the second shot landing area if you don’t take a peak down the course before you shoot, but the hole clearly states on the tee box what you must carry to cross the creek that wanders across the fairway.

While there are few surprises here, there’s also not a lot of room for poor golf. Plan on giving up a stroke if you mishit a ball. Having said that though, what you don’t have to worry about - for the most part - is giving up multiple strokes to a middling shot. University Ridge plays very fair, and again, in my estimation is a very good test of your golf game.

Fear not though, there is still some shot making fun to be had out there, as exemplified by the three finishing holes. Big hitters will love the par 5 16th with multiple tee shot options (including, as my playing partner described it, the “pro option” which is straight over the trees with a mid-range iron into the green for an eagle try). Shot makers will take pleasure in firing into a pond-protected postage-stamp of a green from 192 (blues tees) on 17. Course managers will enjoy their options on 18, where following the fairway leads to a lengthy approach, but the safety of flat ground; coming up short attempting to cut the corner can leave you firing from thick rough in a series of grass bunkers.

You don’t have to be a monster off the tee to have a good round here. I shot an 89 from the blues using a 6 iron (averaging about 185-190) from the tee pretty much all day (largely due to the fact that my 5 iron broke yesterday and I was playing with a 2nd degree oblique strain which left my woods stranded in my bag). I was forced to lay up on #2 rather than clear the creek (but another 6 iron put me within 100 yards, so I didn’t feel compromised by this), but other than that I really didn’t feel that there were any holes I couldn’t play at least to a bogey. I could have played much better, but I had arguably the worst putting day of my entire trip and was generally average at best around the green.

The course goes from 5752 (whites) all the way out to 7259 (blacks), so there are tee boxes for just about every level of player. I played the 6718 blues (72.5/140). It also mixes a links feel on the front 9 with a parkland woods feel on the back, so bring both your grass and tree jokes, you’ll get to use them all.

On the topic of bunkers, University Ridge does one of the better jobs I have seen of keeping their bunkers very purposeful while simultaneously contributing significantly to the visual appeal of the course. Maintenance on the bunkers was almost flawless, as was the case with pretty much all of the course. I’m struggling to think of any component of the track that was want for attention. Additionally, I’ve played 39 courses in 39 states over the last 39 days, and this was the least “present” grounds crew I have experienced… pretty good for a course in such fantastic condition.

The pace of play was great; we played as a twosome, with a foursome playing behind us that was only about two holes back by the end (and actually caught us briefly on 12). We finished in three and a half hours. All of the groups that we saw coming in as we ate lunch after the round were one after the other, so the pace was clearly maintained throughout the morning.

With Cog Hill fresh on my mind, University Ridge was exactly what I was looking for, if you are looking for a test of your golf game that is largely gimmick free, it’s probably for you as well.