This month I participated in a pro-am for the first time.
The event was held at Dacotah Ridge – a Rees Jones course associated with a casino in Southwestern Minnesota. I have played Dacotah Ridge 5-6 times and, while I would not recommend a special trip to the course, I always enjoy playing there. The course is exposed to the wind and located in farmland. It is in fabulous condition with quick pure greens and deep bunkers. The finishing holes provide gambling opportunities around a large riverbed that would become more interesting with a bit of brush clearing to tempt more aggressive play. I did not take pictures but the website for the event includes a terrific aerial photo tour:
http://mnpga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/mnpga12/event/mnpga1264/index.htmThe course website has a nice 3D animated course tour:
http://dacotahridge.com/courseflight/index.htmlI really enjoyed playing in a pro-am. Dacotah Ridge is hosting the state Club Pro Championship in a few weeks so it was set up as a preview event with the greens rolled and the pins tucked. The pros played the course tipped out at around 7100 yards and it was very pleasurable to watch them hit and move up a set.
The other amateur in my group was a professional poker player who spends his life playing poker and playing golf. He and I had pretty similar games – a bit ragged tee to green but pretty solid around the hole. His putting stroke was sufficiently pure that I expected to fend off wager proposals from him but they never came. Other amateurs competed as if this was a major and were clearly not handling it well.
Far more interesting was watching the assistant pros compete. The talent level ranged from 5 handicap types to guys with a legitimate shot at qualifying for the national club pro championship. Most were relative novices at talking their amateur around the course and it was interesting to see how they approached the task.
These tournaments impose a unique challenge on assistant pros. For the most part, these guys don’t get to play a lot. As it was explained to me, in order to qualify as an assistant, the pro must spend at least 50% of his (or her) time behind the counter. Thus a teaching pro does not qualify as an assistant. These are people who work long hours, love the game but (for the most part) get little opportunity to play. Imagine spending 10 hours working a pro shop, having 2 hours before sunset and having a wife and kids begging to see you at home. It is pretty tough to decide you are going to squeeze in 18
Thus, much of their play is on Mondays or in competitions such as this one. I could appreciate the pressure they faced. It has to be impossible for members to understand how a pro could fail to break 80. Nonetheless, the pro is essentially going in cold to play a difficult 7100 yard course exposed to a significant breeze. Stroke play carries the inherent possibility of a disaster on every shot and such risk is particularly significant if one is not playing much. Despite these challenges, many of these guys can really play.
Our team finished solidly in the middle of the pack, a result that could have been much better had I not chunked a safe 6 iron layup shot into the junk on the final hole. My pro earned a check for $38.10 and I earned a gift certificate in the same amount. I now own a fine pair of sunglasses with lenses that can be changed depending on the weather.
Playing in a pro-am is a wonderful way to experience a golf course, see some terrific golf and to watch the pressure inherent in the game manifest itself in many different ways. It is also a nice way to support one of the professionals at your club by helping fund a purse
Thanks to Dacotah Ridge for hosting the event. Dacotah Ridge is my August course of the month.