Golfing & Golf Courses

[Rick]

For you anglers and outdoorsmen that like to golf as well, let's hear what you have to say about golf courses in Minnesota or just plain ol' golf talk in general.

[Gissert]

Interesting topic, Rick.

I don't golf much anymore, but the wife got bit bad by the bug a couple of years ago. Now we get out about once a month in golf season.

Here are my favorites in the Otter Tail County area.

1. Tipsinah Mounds - Elbow Lake - Great regulation course. Quite open, but still challenging on some holes. #17 is a long blind par 5 that eats my lunch every time. Very friendly folks, and reasonable rates. This place also lets you bring your own cooler:)

2. Pebble Lake Municipal, Fergus Falls. This is a great muni course. Excellent condition. We like this one on Saturday afternoons. After 2 or 3 pm, you can get unlimited golf and a cart for about 50 bucks. If you hit it when the deal kicks in, you can usually get in 36 holes. If you have family members who dont want to golf, there is a super public beach right next to the course.

3. Thumper Pond, Ottertail. Simply bueatiful. For such a young course, they have done an amazing job with this one.The approaches to #9 and #18 are breathtaking. Greens fees are a bit steeper than other area courses but it is worth it. Bring extra balls. There are some tight fairways and a good bit of water.

4. Balmoral - Ottertail Lake. Another great 18 hole course. Lots of mature oak and aspen trees. It is an older course, and in great shape. There is a big old gnarly cottonwood guarding the 18th green that has rejected my wedge shots many times, LOL.

5. Little Balmoral. Nice little par 3 with driving range adjacent to the main Balmoral course. We hit this one a lot, as time is short for us more often than not.

6. Wildflower at Fair Hills, North of Pelican Rapids. I've only golfed this place once, but it is a great championship course. The front nine are cut out of rolling oak woods, and the back nine has some wide open links style holes.

Watch the Resorter newspaper when it comes out in the spring. There are several area courses that have good deals in the form of cupons. Two for one plus cart, etc.

[Kidd]

I'll tell ya, to me golf and fishing go hand in hand. The wife and I will take a few 3 or 4 day weekends throughout the summer and do both. Fish until 8:00 or 8:30, breakfast, and go to the course for 4.5 hrs of golf. Then finish the day on the water in time for the evening bite. It just doesn't get any better than that.

[The Grebe]

You got that right! And when bedtime finally rolls around, it's like you been hit in the head with a driver!

Mixing it up keeps everything a little more interesting!

[delmuts]

well ! maybe more like a # 2 iron! i ws like kidd. i wuld go fishing in the morning , then go golfing in the afternoon.( this being retired is great!!) any of you guys know anything about the golf course that is along I-35 by owatona ? we always drive past that one when we come up. sure looks nice.( also looks private!) del

[Deitz Dittrich]

For the last 5 years I have been with a group of guys, in which we try and play every monday during the summer(we are all school teachers) And monday works best for my Bass Tounament schedule. We all have the PGA cards in which you can pay one green fee for 2 people and usually try and get 4 -6 guys...

I would say my fave courses we have played are

•Grand national(hinkley)

•Purple Hawk(cambridge)

•The Summit(cannon falls)

•Bristol Ridge(probably my fave.. Summeset WI)

•Turtle Back(Rice Lake WI, another GREAT course)

•Mississippi Dunes

•And many other I have forgotten.. those are just the ones I like to play the most...

I'm not great yet.. but getting better... I usually score about 84, on a great day I can get in the high 70's.. and I think I only broke into the 90's once last year.. and it was raining that day!

[The Grebe]

Yes, that is all fine and good, but can you hit the ball over 300 yards? I Can.......'t!

[Kidd]

Ya, I can hit the ball over 300 yrds. If the tee box is on a cliff.

The course next to 35 by owatona could be the owatona country club you're seeing. I've played it twice and it's a nice track.

My local favorites, in no certain order:

Bunker Hills

Keller

Loggers Trail

The Legacy

Mississippi Dunes

Troy Burne ( Twilight Rates )

And yes, the Players card is the way to go. The wife and I rent a cabin for a week near Pelican Rapids and use the card on a couple of courses up there. It pays for itself after 1 round.

[FI Guide]

Its nice having a golf forum my two favorite things golf and fishing. I normanlly shoot in the mid 70's well i have too being on the Eastview Hogh School varsity team. I have played many nice courses but my fav of all time would have to be Chaska Town Course what a gem. Everyone has to go out and experience this course its sooo nice. But for the money the best course is Bellwood Oaks in hastings for $24 you can play a very nice but long course for very cheap this is my 2nd fav out of all of them.

[delmuts]

i won't tell you guys my scores ( i'm better at fishing), but i do enjoy the game.( my son who's a senior in high school is a 5 or 6 handicaper; he hopes to be a teaching pro some day) i usually play our little course in town.( it is only a block away!) i did go with some guys last feb. to alabama. we played three different Robert Trent Jones courses.

[delmuts]

kidd. is that course by owatona a public course or private?

[Kidd]

Public.

[Guido]

Golden Eagle up by Emily was my favorite course that I played for the first time this year. Not too tough, elavated tee's, very nice.

[delmuts]

thanks Kidd ! we may have to allow some extra time when we come up there to fish so we can play that course once.

[Tom Linderholm]

Good call on the Golf forum Rick. Just another thing I battle with in my summers of trying to do everything and accomplishing nothing. Favorite Courses-

Superior National (Lutsen)

The Quarry (Giants Ridge)

Northland, when I can get on.

Then there is Vegas, a golfers paridise.

[norm]

Heres my favorite courses in no particular order:

Golden Eagle

Deacon's Lodge

The Classic

The Legacy

Wildflower

Thumper Pond

Blueberry Pines (I think thats the name of it...Menhaga)

Edinburgh (sp?) My aunt and uncle live right behind the first green!!

The best part is I got to play all of these courses and lots of other nice ones for free while on the H.S. golf team!!

[walleye_nut]

Here's my favorites

1. The Classic - By far the one of the best courses in the state. Maybe in the Midwest

2. Deacons Lodge

3. Superior National - Great views of Superior

4. Giants Ridge

5. Willingers

6. InverWood - Best course in the cities for playing a round under $40.00

[Jarrod32]

Yeah, I love golfing too. We have a good course right here in Wadena...White Tail Run...and not too far from a couple of my other favorites (Wildflower and Blueberry Pines). Thumper Pond is a good one, too. This'll be a fun forum come golf season...

[The Grebe]

Who are you picking to win the Mercedes? Is Tiger all the way back? Can VJ continue where he left off at the end of last season? Is Els gonna shine? Is Cink gonna make a move?

[walleye_nut]

Its the year of the Tiger...I figure he has won almost all of the important tournaments, plus other personal awards except one...."COMEBACK PLAYER of the YEAR" I think last year was a setup for comeback player of the year for the 2005 season

[Double D]

If you guys ever get down here to the south, I recommend Dakotah Ridge (Jackpot Junction's course) - I only live a few miles away. A little spendy for us locals, but if it was farther away we would make a trip for it. Great new course. I personally enjoy going to Farmers Golf Club in Sanborn a lot. That is in my opinion one of themost challenging 9 holers for miles around and very reasonably priced.

DD

[Chad711]

Went from 50 rounds in 03 to 0 rounds in 04. Bought a boat in 04

Problem is put on 25 pounds by NOT golfing !

[SPUD BAR]

Sorry double D, but I have to disagree with you on the dakotah ridge course. Yes I have played it and its just not a MN golf course. Or a U.S. golf course for that matter. Reason being is that there are no trees on the whole course. The last couple holes have some but for the most part it is treeless. Ive never been a fan of links golf so I guess this is why I feel the way I do. No offense. If a guy likes wide open spaces and grass 3 ft tall just off the fairway to lose your ball in, then come on down to Morton.

By the way, I totally agree with you as far as Farmers Golf and Health Club in Sanborn. GREAT little test of golf. Easy course to shoot 34 one day and 54 the next.

Redwood Falls just added a new 9 holes a few years ago. It was always a tough test of golf before that, and the new nine really makes it a treat!! (at half the price of Dakotah Ridge)

SPUD

[Double D]

Spud, I'll agree with you about the trees. It's like you see on TV for the British open. The wind is also a bear up on top of those hills. With the ponds, they're also getting a problem with geese now, too.

I like the new holes at Redwood, just wish it could have been laid out a little different. You drive a long, long way between holes. I do love that 17th hole, though.

DD

[delmuts]

a linx style course is a whole lot different.i kind of like them just because they are some thing different, but do prefer the conventional style courses. (long as i get to play, i don't mind either one!! )