[Carl Rogers]

Some help, please, on developing a bucket list trip.  Are there access possibilities to some of the privates?  I am low impact & low maintenance golfer

Thank you.

[Phil McDade]

Carl:

Try a few threads on the first few pages on the discussion board. Like, Wild Horse, for one.

[Mark Saltzman]

Ballyneal

Wild Horse

1.5 hrs out of the way, but Sand Hills and Dismal River

Omaha CC (haven't played, but have only heard great things)

The Harvester

[Carl Rogers]

Phil & Mark: thanks, I can tick off the names of the usual suspects, but was trying to compile a more complete list.

I never should have asked about the privates ... sorry!

[Chris Johnston]

Carl - As an GCAer, you are very welcome to play and stay a few days at Dismal River to see what we have out here.  While we are a private club, we warmly visitors who appreciate the game and love pure golf on a limited basis and subject to availability. Weekdays tend to work best.

We like the Scotland/Ireland model and we share what we have.

[John Kavanaugh]

Carl,

If it were me I would, considering I am not a rater, play in this order.  Ballyneal, Sand Hills, Dismal River, The Prairie Club and Sutton Bay.  This only leaves you a long one day drive to Minneapolis.  I would never do this trip without at least spending at least one night at each location in their on site facilities.  It is a leave Friday arrive nine days later Sunday night dream trip.  All it takes is around 5K and a touch of patience.

[PCCraig]

Carl,

In addition to all the Sand Hill courses...there are some good courses around here in Minneapolis as well that could be worth looking into.

[Jason Topp]

I would recommend checking on whether you can play Wakonda in Des Moines.  Very good Langford overgown with trees.  It is private but it would be worth a call to the club to see if an off-hour time is a possibility.

[Ron Farris]

Just to give a little perspective on the subject.
There are quite a few options that I have taken over the years.

When I was about 5, travelin with mother and siblings, our car had a flat tire.  It took us 5 hours to get a car to stop and help us. Traffic was quite light in those days. I suspect we had 8 cars drive by before someone stopped to help.  A business man who couldn't get the lug nuts unscrewed. We waited for someone to help us.  Finally a state worker on a tractor mowing the ditches came upon us.  He managed to get the lug nuts off and changed the tire and sent us on our way. 

Times have changed and tires are better.  I would still take a survival kit with me if I were in your shoes. 

I would go broke just buying golf shirts:
Common Ground - Public
Ballyneal- Private
Sand Hills- Private
Dismal-Private
Prairie Club-Private
Minnehaha-Private
Ft. Collins CC - Private
Crawford- Public
Hot Springs - Public
Red Rock - Public
Meadowbrook - Public
Sutton Bay - Private
Mocassin Creek - Semi Private
Bayside - public
Wild Horse - Public
Norfolk CC - Private
Firethorn - Private
Omaha CC - Private
Harvestor

out of time

[Garland Bayley]

Ron,

Tell us about Crawford. Is it NE sand hills? I don't recall any mention of it here before.

[PCCraig]

Ron,

I've saved your map to my desktop as I've been thinking of doing a week+ road trip around the Sand Hills in the near future!

[Chris Johnston]

Ron,

Tell us about Crawford. Is it NE sand hills? I don't recall any mention of it here before.

I can help here.  Crawford is between the Sand Hills and the Black Hills with a topography all its own.  It is a small town just outside Fort Robinson, a former Army depot for the Black Hills protecting the Cheyenne Black Hills trail. It is now a popular State Park and the depot buildings remain, many of which are restored for guest visits.  Fort Robinson is full of history, it was the home of the Buffalo Soldiers and was the site where Crazy Horse was held, and killed.  I'm also told it was used as an internment camp during WWI but don't know that to be true.

Many of our members who make a side trip to the Black Hills stay at Fort Robinson.

[Mark Johnson]

From a Minneapolis perspective, here are the "must-plays,"  all private however, most of them are pretty good about reciprocity if you belong to a private club.


- Spring Hill (very exclusive club (you need to be a member of another local club plus $120k initiation;  I think it is Fazio's best course (I know many here will disagree,  could hold a USGA/PGA event tomorrow without changing a thing)
- Hazeltine (easiest by far to get on from, host of 2016 Ryder Cup, multiple majors, just went through green renovation)
- White Bear Lake (will be tough this summer since it is hosting MN amateur)
- Minikahda (great old school course which just went through a major tree removal program; a bit short by modern standards, but a great track)
- Golden Valley (great AWT course in metro area)
- Interlachen (classic course, way too many members, can even be tough for members to get on)
- Minnesota Valley (only Raynor design in the metro, in great condition, easy to get on since it is actively looking for members)

from this list, Hazeltine and Golden Valley are the two easiest to get on

In terms of public courses,  here is the top of my list

- Willingers (you love this course or hate it, no in between), 30 miles south of cities, you will likely pass it
- Dacatoh Ridge (great prairie style course in southern minnesota as part of a casino development)
- Chaska (best muni in the area; gets way too much play; cohosted US Am with Hazeltine

[Dan Kelly]

Minnesota Valley (only Raynor design in the metro, in great condition, easy to get on since it is actively looking for members)

I should let Rick Shefchik reply, but he might be too busy, actually working.

Minnesota Valley is not the only Raynor design in the Twin Cities.

Somerset is Raynor. So is Midland Hills.

How much Raynor remains at any of them, I couldn't say.

-------

In terms of private clubs, you missed at least a few very fine and/or interesting ones:

Somerset
Oak Ridge (by a guy named William Clark; a wonderful members' course)
Minneapolis (have never played)
North Oaks (Stanley Thompson's finale; recently updated by Tom Lehman)
Edina (newly reopened after Tom Lehman renovation/restoration)
Woodhill (Ross; a funny Woodhill/Sam Snead story is in Rick Shefchik's upcoming book)

I'm sure I'm missing some, too.

If you can get on any of the privates listed by either Mark or me, there's absolutely no reason to play a public course in the TC area.

I'd play Keller or StoneRidge, if I were going to play a public course. StoneRidge is "better," I guess, but there's something about playing a fun course on which most of the great golfers of the past century played....

[John_Conley]

Farmers Golf & Health Club, Sanborn (MN)

[Adam Clayman]

How much Raynor remains at any of them, I couldn't say.

Dan, Somerset has one of the coolest Redan's I have ever seen. I toured it, and perhaps if you ask, you could too.

[Ron Farris]

Thanks Chris - all I know about the Crawford course is my friend Pat Wyss designed it.  I have never played it, but if one needed to get his butt off the car seat, it could be a nice break.  Dont forget Thedford Golf and Country Club.... I think it is in the airport.

Tom Lehman, Prairie Club fame, recently remodeled Edina CC.  Not sure of access, but something of note.

Knowing the minimalist approach of Tom, his Dismal River course is likely ready for play as we speak (write)......LOL.

[Dan Kelly]

How much Raynor remains at any of them, I couldn't say.

Dan, Somerset has one of the coolest Redan's I have ever seen. I toured it, and perhaps if you ask, you could too.

Adam -- I love that hole. Have played Somerset several times. Even so, I don't know how true-to-Raynor it is.

[Dan Herrmann]

One note - I found the Nebraska Sandhill region to be captivatingly beautiful.  On my way to Dismal River, I looked over at Laura and asked, "Remind me - what country are we in?".

Honestly, if I were King of the USA, I'd put a National Park up there somewhere.  But I can assure you that the fine citizens of Nebraska don't want Washington interfering with their fine state.

[Ron Farris]

Dan, my wife hates it when I am driving in the Sand Hills.  There is a great risk of me driving off the road as I marvel at the contours of the land.  In fact, I have actually entered the ditch for that very reason, but she and the kids were not with me at the time.  Some of the curves in the road are not meant to be taken at 85-90 mph.

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