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Course Review: Francis Gross Golf Course

In the heart of Northeast Minneapolis, Francis Gross Golf Course, also known as Gross National Golf Club, has been a fixture since 1925. Conveniently located just off of Interstate 35W, it is easy to get to and easy to play.

Like many urban courses, it is landlocked and what it lacks in length, needs to be made up by adding traps, water and trees. The scorecard says the course is 6574 yards, but since many holes didn’t even have the blues tees marked, it really plays from 6348 yards. Yet, for an average golfer, this length is perfect with a couple of 500+ yard par 5s and a couple of 180+ yard par 3s. Just enough length to goad you into trying to hit your irons too far.

As to interest, Gross really doesn’t do as great a job. Yes, the course has mature trees and some sand bunkers and almost every hole provides the golfer a safe landing area. The course also limits the number of “lost ball” hazards like unruly rough and open water, but there is a sense of sameness to the layout with a lot of the par 4s with similar lengths and design.

A strength of this course is that it understands what hacker’s need on-course: bathrooms, benches and frequent visits from the food cart. Each hole had a ball washer and a bench, even for the ladies tees, and about every third hole, a bathroom. Even more amazing, the cart person was there every third hole like clockwork. Inside the clubhouse, they have the standard food offerings, but you can order sandwiches to go and they are ready in short order.

Francis Gross reflects its working class roots so don’t expect fancy trappings on or off the course. You’ll probably notice that the course needs a bit of tending and if it is dry, your ball will roll for miles. Yet, what they save on maintenance is reflected in the prices. Gross is one of the best overall values in the Twin Cities and even the food is at working class prices with a hot dog only $2.50 and made-to-order sandwiches for only $3.75.

Francis Gross Golf Course
Minneapolis, Minnesota
612-789-2542

Excerpt from Hacker’s Guide to Twin Cities Golf (c) 2008-2009
www.hackersguides.com

Course Review: Kilkarney Hills Golf Course

Western Wisconsin is known for rolling hills, mature trees and expansive scenery. Kilkarney Hills Golf Course in River Falls, Wisconsin fits this description. Less than ten miles south of I-94, it is surrounded by rural Wisconsin cornfields, and comes upon you suddenly so watch for the turnoff.

The course facility is very compact and tightly put together. It’s a very short walk to the clubhouse, the driving range and the first tee. At only 6500 yards from the tips, it is well within the grasp of most golfers and even being a risk-taker by cutting the corner (like on #12), may have its rewards. As short as the course might be, it still is not for walkers because some of the hills are more like mini-mountains.

The course has few hazards thus allowing for the potential to score well, except for a couple of holes where the green is partially surrounded by water. For an average golfer, the course lends itself to safe drives and approach shots. For better players, this course probably won’t provide the challenge they’d be looking for.

One thing that was very surprising was the absolutely awful bunkers. Although limited in number, they looked like Army tanks had driven through them. The person responsible for their maintenance appears to need a refresher course in bunker raking and doesn’t do a much better job with the cart paths. These oversights are in contrast to the fairways and greens which appeared to be in good condition.

Where this course shines is with its clubhouse and reasonable rates. The clubhouse has a full sitdown bar with hot food options from the kitchen, flat screen TVs, video games, a wonderful balcony that overlooks the course, and a very large event center that can accommodate up to 350 guests. The facility seems to know that its golf course isn’t its strongest suit so it really tries hard to make the experience enjoyable by offering low greens fees, excellent customer service and some of the least expensive memberships around ($699/single).

For a quick and inexpensive round of golf that is likely to boost your golf ego, Kilkarney Hills is a short drive from St. Paul. After your day on the course, you might have enjoyed it so much your stay at the 19th hole might be longer than planned.

Kilkarney Hills Golf Course
River Falls, Wisconsin
800-466-7999
www.kilkarneyhills.com

Excerpt from Hacker’s Guide to Twin Cities Golf (c) 2008-2009
www.hackersguides.com

Tee Times Article: A Golf Cart Isn’t Just for Golf Anymore

Golf, or a game similar to golf was first played by the Dutch in 1297, but it wasn’t until the late 1940s that the first golf cart rolled across the links. Before WWII, golfers had to either have a caddie carry their clubs or shoulder the burden themselves and drag them to the next hole. Anyone who has played on a hot Minnesota afternoon in August is reminded why the golf cart was invented.

The first golf carts were gas powered and made for people with disabilities. Then in 1951, Merle Williams founded his Marketeer Company to produce electric golf carts in 1951. Very quickly, competitors began the production of competing electric golf carts; LEKTRO and E-Z-GO in 1954, Cushman in 1955, Club Car in 1958 and even Harley-Davidson got in the game in 1963. I wonder what those carts sounded like?

Some of the firms that began in the industry forty years ago are still around; namely Club Car (owned by Ingersoll Rand) and E-Z-GO (owned by Textron since 1961). In Minnesota, Versatile Vehicles based in Savage, is one of the nation’s largest distributors of E-Z-GO golf cars in the nation.

Founded in 1985 by Mike and Stan Malone, Versatile Vehicles always knew that just selling to golf courses couldn’t sustain the business. So in 1997, the Malone’s sold a 50% interest to Gabby Accad, at the time their general manager. Mike Malone then started to focus his energy on building the Ridges at Sand Creek Golf Course in Jordan, Minnesota and Gabby Accad became the company’s new president and turned his attention to growing the golf cart business. His efforts have paid off nicely.

“When I first started in the business, golf cars were thought to only be for a golf course. Today, our customers use our golf cars for business, the cabin or as personnel carriers. Eighty percent of our retail sales are for non-golf uses like shopping centers, schools, apartment complexes, the DNR and even sports teams like the Minnesota Vikings use an E-Z-GO,” says Accad.

Working with industry leading E-Z-GO has been beneficial to Versatile Vehicles because in 2005, when E-Z-GO decided to close its factory store and service center, they sold the territory to Versatile. Now the company is both a distributor and dealer for the entire state of Minnesota, North Dakota and Western Wisconsin and has locations in Savage and Brainerd.

As the largest manufacturer in the industry, E-Z-GO is also the most innovative. There are now 45 different models available, from the traditional golf cart to people movers and utility cars, industrial vehicles that can carry up to 3,000 pounds and food service carts with built-in coolers. When asked what is the most popular model sold by Versatile Vehicles, Accad said “we have the most requests for a modified golf car where we remove the golf bag rack and add two more seats. It makes a very cost-effective mode of transportation.”

When Gabby Accad first joined the company, a golf cart was just a golf cart. Today they have moved from the golf course into the mainstream. Ever since the National Highway Traffic Safety administration allowed low speed vehicles such as golf carts, to travel up to 25 mph on roads with speed limits up to 35 mph in 1998, golf carts have been slowly moving off the golf course and into people’s garages, with sales to individuals growing each year.

“Increasingly, people are using an E-Z-GO golf cart as a replacement for their second car. We are finding that short trips to the store or working around the house is a perfect use for an electric golf car. A new golf car doesn’t use any gas so it makes it very cost-effective to operate,” says Accad.

If you are in the market for a golf cart, used ones can be found for as little as $1500 while a new one starts around $4500. The batteries last 4-7 years, get 5-15 miles on a single charge and require very little maintenance. Those found on golf courses have a top speed of 14 ½ MPH, while those suited for driving on city streets, typically race along at 25 MPH, but do require an additional investment to make them legal. You will need to add seat belts, safety glass and a license before you hit the road.

When asked what has made Versatile Vehicles successful, like a proud papa Accad says “I know it sounds like a cliché’, but the real reason I think that we’ve been so successful is our employees. They really care about satisfying the customer. It’s what has worked for us for more than twenty years and we’re not going to stop now.”

In today’s challenging economic times, maybe we don’t need to buy that fancy new Toyota Prius Hybrid just to go to the store. A $5000 E-Z-GO golf cart may do the job just as well thank you.

I’ve been a contributing writer for the Minnesota-based publication Tee Times Minnesota Golf & Living magazine. www.teetimespress.com. This article appeared in the June, 2008 issue.

Course Review: Logger’s Trail Golf Course

A visit to Logger’s Trail Golf Course in Stillwater, Minnesota is like a step into the country. Only thirty minutes from downtown St. Paul, it is surrounded by hobby and horse farms and feels more like a course that might be a few hours North. Upon arrival, seeing the links style layout may fool you because it has tight fairways and narrow greens, making this course harder than it looks.

You might think that 6,383 yards is a short course , but spend a little time on it and you’ll know that if you can’t control your ball, it will feel 500 yards longer. The lack of trees may also fool a golfer into thinking that they can spray their tee shots with impunity, but they would be sorely mistaken. Compensating for a lack of natural hazards, the course designers have added numerous strategic bunkers and berms to thwart off-target drives.

The berms are a unique feature, but hitting into them leaves your ball in dry and weedy areas, making a recovery shots quite a challenge. Also, hitting out of them makes for blind shots and difficulty assessing distance. The on-course signage is very limited with yardage markers just large discs embedded in the course so expect some searching to determine what club to pull out next.

Playability and challenge are this facility’s strengths, but as any hacker knows, there is more to an enjoyable golfing experience than just the course itself and that is where Logger’s Trail seems to fall down. The facility’s layout is very compact and tightly organized, with only a short walk from the parking lot to the first tee, yet the practice facilities are small and the clubhouse is just a converted trailer.

If you choose to play cart golf, the paths are excellent and nicely integrated into the course. If you are a walker, this course is compact enough that you won’t be exhausted by the end of your round. Before your round though, be warned that the practice putting green is only postage stamp sized and the driving range requires most golfers to hit over water (we know what hitting over water does for our nerves). Also, food offerings and the pro shop are very limited so stock up before you head out to the first tee.

If you are looking for challenging golf, Logger’s Trail is a stiff test. If you are looking forward to the 19th hole after your round, the clubhouse doesn’t do the course justice.

Logger’s Trail Golf Course
651-439-7862
www.sawmillgc.com

Excerpt from Hacker’s Guide to Twin Cities Golf (c) 2008-2009
www.hackersguides.com

Course Review: Columbia Golf Course

Urban courses are often at a disadvantage because the land was acquired long before high-performance golf balls and 7,200 yard championship courses. Columbia Golf Course, located in Northeast Minneapolis, is actually the second oldest course in the Minneapolis park system. Founded in 1919, it has evolved over the years and continues to a very busy and popular golf course. At 6371 yards from the tips, it is well within the capabilities of most golfers.

Shoehorned by the city, the course tries to overcome its limited length with mature trees, strategically placed bunkers, hazards and changing elevations. On certain holes, hitting into the side of a hill isn’t necessarily a bad thing and will generally give you a good lie. Although very compact, there are still some decent walks that must be made between a few holes, reminding you that you should have rented a cart.

The clubhouse has a country club feel with a small pro shop and a nice eating area with flat screen TVs. Upstairs is an event area and when we were there a retirement party was in process. The facility is nicely organized with parking only a short distance from the first tee. One major drawback is that although they have a nice practice center (Columbia Driving Range), it is not within walking distance and is situated on the opposite site of the course. A golfer who wanted to hit a few balls before his round would need to add at least 30 minutes to his day.

Unlike many overly busy urban courses, the staff, from the food counter to the starter, was all very pleasant and efficient. Where the course seemed to need some help was maintenance. Although the day the course was rated the weather had been dry, the course seemed to have a number of fairways and a couple of greens with brown or dead spots. This could be partially attributed to the weather, but other courses rated at the same time didn’t seem to have this problem so it doesn’t appear that this is the only reason.

For the average golfer, you can’t beat the value. At less than $30, you can play this urban course and not have to make an hour’s drive to get there. The course seems to mirror its working-class urban location, so if you are looking for a fancy, well-manicured track, this isn’t your course. If you are looking for a chance to score well where the staff is pleasant, the course should give you a shot at lowering your score.

Columbia Golf Course
612-789-2627
www.minneapolisparks.org

Excerpt from Hacker’s Guide to Twin Cities Golf (c) 2008-2009
www.hackersguides.com

Minnesota Mini-Golf Course Goes Art Museum

Some of you may have noted that I have an odd affinity for mini-golf courses. I always love to point them out when I find them. Back in the sixties and early seventies, Putt Putt courses were as ubiquitous as drive-in movies theaters. Now, both are disappearing.

Back in the 1950’s there were 50,000 mini-golf courses nationwide, today only 7,500. If you think that it’s been tough keeping a 9-hole course away from real estate developers, it’s been even harder to stop a CVS, McDonalds or strip center from occupying the space once occupied by rubber-headed clubs, psychedelic-color balls and creaky windmills.

The mini-golf course I remember the most was a Putt Putt golf course in the parking lot of a Target store. Where is it today? Replaced by a strip center.

Reading my local fish wrap, Star Tribune, I saw an article about Big Stone Mini Golf in Minnetrista, Minnesota. It was started in 2003 by Bruce Stillman, an artist and sculptor. It sounds like an eclectic mix of holes and obstacles with artistic touches everywhere. It even has a couple of old boats on the property, a petting zoo area, picnic sites and a Stonehenge-like sculpture with a fire pit. Sounds like a great weekend outing to me. I’m planning on scheduling a round soon to see if I can lower my handicap. You can check out the video here.

The Big Stone Mini Golf course costs $6 and is open from 11AM until sundown, Spring through Fall. Call 952-472-9292 for details and directions in you are in the Twin Cities.

Course Review: Hidden Creek Golf Club

In the midst of Minnesota corn fields is a little bit of Scotland. Hidden Creek Golf Club, a links style golf course, boasts four sets of tee boxes and a very lengthy 7,000 yards from the tips. The course is located just south of Owatonna, and the city is only 35 miles south of the Twin Cities and home to Wenger, Owatonna Tool Company (SPX) and Federated Mutual. Hidden Creek is the only bent grass course in the area. No bermuda grass for these guys.

Started twelve years ago by former Minnesota politico Dean Hardle and 36 private investors, the course is one of only a handful of links style courses in Minnesota and plays a lot harder than it looks. To the uninitiated, a links courses looks like it has no more challenge in it than a cow pasture. Not so. Hidden Creek requires that you know which club to pull out of your bag at the right time. Do you lay up or cut the dogleg and drive the green? Decisions.

A links course is atypical in a state like Minnesota. Often created from former farm fields, a links course takes advantage of land contours and tries to trick you into pulling out the wrong club or think your skills are better than they are. These types of courses don’t have an attitude problem or a big ego. They accept their limitations and try to compensate with well-placed swales, native grasses and deep bunkers. Water only plays a small part of a links course’s thinking because if there were a lot of water it would have been turned into a resort course.

During its lifetime, Hidden Creek has had a checkered past. Poorly managed until recently, the course had less than seventy paying members and was badly floundering. In 2006 management was taken over by John Jensen, an original investor and Carol Kuntz. Under their tutelage they have lowered prices, increased membership to 130 members and started to turn around the course. If you get the chance to meet him, John looks surprisingly similar to Nick Faldo; a convenient advantage when running a golf course.

Annual memberships are only $595 (yes, less than $600), and local players have started taking to the course in a big way. Hidden Creek has tried to add value by offering reciprocal agreements with area courses. For those wanting to work on their game, it is the only course in the area with driving, chipping and putting practice areas.

When you visit Hidden Creek, you will find a large clubhouse that has a full bar and kitchen. Current cuisine is pretty weak, but they have the potential for more. Sidling up to the long wood paneled bar is like hanging out at the local watering hole. The staff is friendly, the bar is full and the costs are quite reasonable.

The course’s event area can accommodate up to 150 people and has become popular for weddings and charity tournaments. Four tee boxes await your first drive. Most golfers will choose the 6220 length challenge of the blue tees, but if you are ready to play from the tips, you’ll have to stop in one spot to wash your ball and a second spot to tee off; a bit inconvenient if you are persnickety about your golf ball’s cleanliness.

Another area that needs work are the out-of-bounds and hazards. A golfer unfamiliar with the course might get confused as to which direction to hit because the greens are set close together. Course maintenance needs some work. Not the fairways and greens, which were in fine shape, but the carts paths, signage and bridges. The course sometimes crosses narrow water hazards, thus the name Hidden Creek, but in spots the rickety old bridges are hazards themselves. I’m sure as the course strengthens itself financially, these will be updated.

Rates are a very big draw. You can find a round with cart for only $30 and often a $25 round can be snagged. If you asked nicely, managers John and Carol will be happy to let you play so they can show off their course and talk about their future plans. For beginners, seniors, juniors and ladies, Hidden Creek is a fine challenge for those just taking to golf. For those who like lots of trouble spots like deep rough, large bodies of water or highly manicure fairways, then Hidden Creek isn’t the right course for you.

Hidden Creek Golf Club
Owatonna, MN
1-888-667-4653
www.hiddencreekmn.com

Excerpt from Hacker’s Guide (c) 2007-2009
www.hackersguides.com

Course Review: Hardwoods Golf Club

Things are happening at the Mille Lacs Golf Resort & Marina. The sleepy 6300 yard, par 71 course is slowly being transformed into a leading resort and entertainment center in central Minnesota. Just minutes from the Native American casino Grand Casino, which attracts 3.2 million visitors annually, the Hardwoods Golf Club is part of a 270 acre resort complex that is planning to have a 120-room hotel, an indoor water park, and a day spa surrounding the course.

The developers of this ambitious project are Todd & Mary Christenson, owners of Christenson Development, a family-run construction and development company. They purchased the golf course in 2003 from R.J. Smiley, a well-known senior golfer in Minnesota and have been busy with improvements ever since.

The course is cut through stands of mature trees, thus the Hardwoods name. It’s longest hole is only 510 yards, but the course also has two dogleg left par 4s, and a 205 par three. On most holes, if you can keep your drive on the fairway, you can reach the green with a well-placed utility wood. Another feature is Pinehurst-like elevated greens. If you are just off the fringe, rolling your putts up to the hole often isn’t your best option complicating getting your ball on the green and potentially adding strokes to your score. You will find this course a great test for high-handicap players and is the perfect length for women.

The course itself is short by modern standards, but the new owners plan to add 200-300 yards, many more sand traps (the course only has three) and another par 5 hole. At 6500+ yards, the course will become a better test for golfers and with the construction of a new modern clubhouse, slated to break ground in 2008, the Hardwoods Golf Club hopes to become the leading resort in the Mille Lacs Lake area alongside competitors Izady’s and Ruttger’s.

A big advantage is its proximity to the Twin Citis – only 90 minutes from Minneapolis/St. Paul and one of the first major resorts on the Highway 169 corridor. The Mille Lacs Golf & Marina is also well situated to take advantage of its proximity to Grand Casino, less than ten minutes away. Many Native American-owned casinos also own a golf course, but this one has no plans to be a golf course developer, so with only a short drive to Hardwood Golf Club, gamblers can take some of their winnings and play 18 holes or make it part of a weekend package of golf and gambling.

On a recent tour of the course, one thing that is very apparent are the many new log cabin-style housing that is spring up all over the back nine. Freestanding units and four- and eight-plexes are sprouting up along the fairway and surrounding the greens on the back nine. Unlike more modern courses, the setback of these units is quite close to the course and if you are interested in taking the plunge, are available for sale.

Although the existing clubhouse is a bit dated, it still boasts a full bar and a pretty extensive grill menu, something that you rarely find at smaller outstate Minnesota courses. Even the cart girl will mix you a drink right there on-course.

Rates are very reasonable, especially for off-peak tee times. They top out at $45.00 with cart for weekends in the summer months, but a twilight round with cart can be had for as little as $25.00. Also, the Christenson’s are aggressive marketers and deals should be easy to find through out the summer.

Hardwood Golf Club
Garrison, MN
1-800-435-8720
www.millelacsgolf.com

Excerpt from Hacker’s Guide (c) 2007-2009
www.hackersguides.com

Course Review: Pezhekee National Golf Course

Newer Minnesota resort courses are always trumpeting who their course designer is. Hale Irwin, Tom Lehman and Jack Nicklaus have all designed course in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Yet, Minnesota’s longest public golf course sits only 30 miles from Alexandria, Minnesota in the heart of The Range and it wasn’t built by a celebrity designer.

Pezhekee National is part of Peters Sunset Beach Resort, a quaint name for a quiet and tranquil track without the pretenses or crowds of more popular resorts. The grounds are everything you think of in a small family-owned resort: a 20s’s era main house, intimate dining room with a huge stone fireplace, family members holding various jobs, a small unpretentious golf clubhouse, and ultra-reasonable green’s fees (only $49 with cart).

When my playing partner and I drove in, we were greeted by the grandson of the original founder. He explained that the course’s development didn’t follow a normal route. It was built over a number of years and the holes reflect the changing tastes of the Peters family and the period of time each hole was created. From relatively straight original par 4s that were cut from the Northern Pine forest, to the new floating green on the 11th that was just completed in 2006, the Pezhekee National course adds up to a long, but forgiving round of eighteen.

The strength of the course is its layout, not its service. Minnesota’s largest public golf course plays 7263 yards from the tips but if you are looking for the cart girl to roll on by with mid-round libations, you’ll have a hard time finding her. There was no on-course beverage service when we stopped by on a Saturday. As you make the turn after number nine, which is probably as far from the clubhouse you’ll ever be, you’ll find pop machines and bathrooms but no food. If pangs of hunger tend to hit you two hours into your round, you better pack your own lunch, otherwise you’re out of luck

A weakness of the course is its signage. It’s very spotty, especially on the newer holes on the backside. It appears they ran out of time during construction or didn’t think they are necessary because knowing which way to go sometimes can be a challenge if you are a first-timer. Not to worry if you’ve got a good sense of direction.

If you are hoping to bring a group, one unique offering of Peters Sunset Beach Resort are large houses called Reunion Units. There are four of them and they are roomy seven and eight bedroom lodges that sleep 16-25 people. Rentals are by the ½ week (M-F or F-M) and cost about $40/person/day and are very popular with families, reunions, graduations or retirements. Each rental comes with 8-10 rounds of golf.

Pezhekee National doesn’t have long waits so making a reservation is as easy as showing up. Each hole has been given a Native American name like: Waube Mokwa (#1) and Mewissa (#5) and a quick tour of the dining room shows how closely linked the former owners are to the history of the resort. It is rumored that there are burial grounds on property, but management isn’t saying where.

If you are expecting four star resort treatment with spa amenities, you’ll need to go somewhere else, but if you are looking for a low-key, low-cost golf experience without the pretense of more flashy courses in the area, you should consider Pezhekee National, Minnesota’s longest public golf course and one of the State’s best golf deals.

Pezhekee National Golf Course
Glenwood, MN
1-800-356-8654
www.petersresort.com

Excerpt from Hacker’s Guide (c) 2007-2009
www.hackersguides.com

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