Course Review: Hardwoods Golf Club
August 20, 2007
Mille Lacs Golf Resort & Marina
NOTE: From time to time, I visit courses in my area and give my impressions. I am not compensated to give these reviews.
HACKER RATING: 6.8
View bottom of posting for rating categories.
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
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
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
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
1-800-435-8720
www.millelacsgolf.com
HACKER RATING: 6.8
Location: 7
Friendliness: 6
Layout: 6
Playability: 8
The Hacker Rating of this course is based on the golfing experience for the average golfer. The course was rated on the following categories: Location — easy access, easy to find, what’s nearby; Friendliness — good service, cart girl, clubhouse, food choices
Course Review: Pezhekee National Golf Course
July 12, 2007
Peters Sunset Beach
Glenwood, MN
6/16/07
NOTE: From time to time, I visit courses in my area and give my impressions. I am not compensated to give these reviews.
HACKER RATING: 5.8
View bottom of posting for rating categories.
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
HACKER RATING: 5.8
Location: 5
Friendliness: 5
Layout: 5
Playability: 7
The Hacker Rating of this course isbased on the golfing experience for the average golfer. The course was rated on the following categories: Location — easy access, easy to find, what’s nearby; Friendliness — good service, cart girl, clubhouse, food choices
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