By Josh Miller
My week started Monday with a visit to GreyStone Golf Club in Sauk Centre. I never would’ve expected to find such a gem of a golf course in Sauk Centre, about an hour and a half from the Twin Cities. But the course’s condition and layout made GreyStone Golf Club one of the most enjoyable courses on the tour so far. The course had it all, with about half the course making me feel like I was playing Links golf in Scotland and the other half reminding me with tree-lined fairways that I was very much in Northern Minnesota.
Monday afternoon, I visited Minnewaska Golf Club. Situated on Lake Minnewaska, the 11th largest lake in Minnesota, the course was established in 1923 and has seen a strong surge in membership over the past several years. I played with Brett Vegoe, a long-time member who made sure I didn’t mistakenly hit my ball into any hazards. Plus, a unique feature of the course was that each green had a backdrop of pine trees — that’s a Joel Goldstrand (famed MN course architect) signature. Goldstrand will be a prominent name along the tour.
Tuesday morning, I played the Geneva Golf Club in Alexandria. Featuring 27 holes situated on an old farm, the resort is a golfer’s paradise. The greens are extremely fast and fairways well-kept. The three different nine hole courses offer a new experience each round. Additionally, Geneva generously hosted me with a stay-and-play package that comes with a full condo 10 steps from the first tee.
Tuesday afternoon, I was treated to a round at Alexandria Golf Club. I got out of my car and was immediately introduced to my playing partners in a tournament of about 20 retired guys… I wasn’t aware I was participating in such a tournament until I got to the course! But, like all other courses in smaller towns, the community was prevalent and I was taken in immediately by the members. The course is home to famed PGA professional Tom Lehman and LPGA star Lisa Grimes. It is also the home of the Resorters Golf Tournament, one of the largest and most storied amateur golf tournaments in the country. The 100th annual Resorters will take place this August. Finally, the course had some unique features you just won’t find anywhere else. For example, the 7th hole green is the shape of Minnesota and the pin is placed in a different ‘city’ each day. There are also greens in the shape of Texas and Oklahoma as a nod to the oil and gas magnates who spent their summers in Alexandria and established the club.
Wednesday morning, I visited Alexandria’s Arrowwood Resort, home of the Atikwa Golf Club. The finishing hole wrapped around beautiful Lake Alvin, and though it wasn’t my best round of the week it was great to be able to stay in a beautiful hotel room thanks to the generosity of the Arrowwood Resort. I was paired with a semi-retired lawyer from South Dakota, who visits a different golf resort each summer, and it was interesting to hear some of his stories. My favorite hole on the course was number 13, a beautiful par three over brush and water.
The trip wrapped up with a visit to Albany Golf Club, a beautiful city-operated golf club right off I-94 northwest of the Twin Cities. This is a community-focused golf club where the course’s vitality is possible due to the community’s help. For example, the course recently instituted TopTracer Technology similar to what you’d find at TopGolf and was able to do so at a low cost because private businesses in the area gave their time and talents to help the course renovate. The course is hoping that its newly remodeled TopTracer Driving range will attract the growing number of people looking to golf as an entertainment option, and has already begun partnering with local schools to encourage teachers to bring their students to the course on field trips. It’s reasonable, too, with a $20/hour cost compared to TopGolf’s $55/hour. This approach shows that Albany Golf Club understands where the future of the game is headed.
I finished the week with a visit to Loggers Trail Golf Course in Stillwater. This course has perhaps the most unique personality of any course in the metro area — rustic yet modern, and distinctly Minnesotan. The course’s management team understands their target audience of golfers who simply want to get out and have fun. They even set up a punching bag for players who need to let off some steam after a bad round. “I couldn’t care less if someone just got off work and plays in jeans,” Matsche, the GM, said. “Just have fun.” Even with that laid-back attitude, Loggers Trail is one of the best layouts in the state. Its signature fourth hole is one of the best in Minnesota, and the unique mounds lining each fairway offer a perfect blend of forgiveness and difficulty.
