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Jim_Kennedy

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Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« on: September 28, 2013, 04:55:17 PM »
A friend of mine called from the road today. He's on his way to a new job at 300 First, a restaurant in Rochester Mn, and the topic of available places to play came up, so I went looking a bit and came across this:

http://www.maplevalleygolf.com/history.html

I don't know how the 'golf' is, but I really liked the story.  







"I never beat a well man in my life" - Harry Vardon

Bill Brightly

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Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2013, 06:08:19 PM »
That really is a nice story.

David Harshbarger

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Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2013, 06:10:26 PM »
Hard to argue with the rates....

http://www.maplevalleygolf.com/rates.html

$579 membership, reduces 3%/yr to a maximum reduction of 15%!
The trouble with modern equipment and distance—and I don't see anyone pointing this out—is that it robs from the player's experience. - Mickey Wright

Paul Gray

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Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2013, 05:07:52 AM »
The beauty of simplicity.
In the places where golf cuts through pretension and elitism, it thrives and will continue to thrive because the simple virtues of the game and its attendant culture are allowed to be most apparent. - Tim Gavrich

Bruce Leland

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Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2013, 09:18:24 PM »
There are a few really good holes hard by the river there. It is a beautiful setting and a course that is fun to play. 
"The mystique of Muirfield lingers on. So does the memory of Carnoustie's foreboding. So does the scenic wonder of Turnberry and the haunting incredibility of Prestwick, and the pleasant deception of Troon. But put them altogether and St. Andrew's can play their low ball for atmosphere." Dan Jenkins

Jim_Kennedy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #5 on: September 30, 2013, 06:32:26 PM »
There are a few really good holes hard by the river there. It is a beautiful setting and a course that is fun to play. 


Nice to hear that. I'm a big fan (can't think of anyone who isn't) of homespun golf courses, and it's a plus when they're family operations like this one.

A few times a season I like to head over to Rip Van Winkle GC in Palenville, NY, to play their Ross designed 9 holer. Same family has been running it for 3 generations.

"I never beat a well man in my life" - Harry Vardon

Jason Topp

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Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2013, 10:35:19 PM »
No bunkers!

Kevin_Reilly

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Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2013, 11:06:01 PM »
Nice story.  The course doesn't look like much, but I'm sure it can be a fun play for locals.  I kept waiting for a bunker to show up on the course tour and as noted by Jason there are none.  

Typical looking hole from the tour:

"GOLF COURSES SHOULD BE ENJOYED RATHER THAN RATED" - Tom Watson

Rees Milikin

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Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #8 on: October 01, 2013, 11:21:26 PM »
No bunkers!

There are bunkers shown when you look at the hole by hole tour.

Niall Hay

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Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #9 on: October 01, 2013, 11:27:43 PM »
There are a few really good holes hard by the river there. It is a beautiful setting and a course that is fun to play. 


It's actually a pretty fun golf course. 

Niall Hay

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #10 on: October 01, 2013, 11:28:39 PM »
A friend of mine called from the road today. He's on his way to a new job at 300 First, a restaurant in Rochester Mn, and the topic of available places to play came up, so I went looking a bit and came across this:

http://www.maplevalleygolf.com/history.html

I don't know how the 'golf' is, but I really liked the story.  


300 First? The old Broadstreet?

Jim_Kennedy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #11 on: October 02, 2013, 12:21:15 PM »
Niall,

Google search says yes, the old Broadstreet restaurant.

Jason,

As Rees mentioned, there are some bunkers. Six holes have them, almost all are greenside.

  
On a side note, here's a Rochester course that won't be removing any trees for awhile:

http://rgcc.org/History.html


"I never beat a well man in my life" - Harry Vardon

RJ_Daley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #12 on: October 02, 2013, 02:34:56 PM »
Jim, does it get any better than this?  

Actually, I think it does...  ;)

Besides my old refrain that Wild Horse's story of a community effort to construct arguably the best/modest golf course/memberclub in the country, there is another story right in my area of Wisconsin that I really have not written about.

http://www.wandersprings.com/course_information/
http://www.wandersprings.com/rates/

Here is the back story (as I know it)

About 1983-5ish, a local entrepreneur in Reedsville WI named Bob Brandt got an idea to develop a golf course in his community.  He owned or had a line to buy this parcel of land that is quite charming.  He also owned the school bus company and a few other small businesses in the town and was widely known and liked.  He first hired my old neighbor from Madison who I was friends with (GCA Art Johnson) to evaluate his land.  They settled on a very modest routing and plan of design for 9 holes.  That became the first 9 or "Springs 9".  But, Brandt was a bit of a do-it-yourself adventurer, and took Art's plans and Brandt and his sons went about leasing equipment - teaching themselves how to operate the machinery, and with some local landscapers and dozer operators, figured out how to scratch out a golf course.  They did modified greens similar to pushed up California style, and planted all blue FWs,  They constructed a quaint CH and they were off and running with aid of a young greenskeeper also sort of learning as he went.  It became a popular local place, despite the first 9 being quite 'unremarkable design'.  

The began to understand the issues and ideas of golf design, and devised a plan to expand to 18 with a much more elaborate effort, mostly with more ideas for gardens and circulating stream, and more understanding of principles of golf design and desired golf strategy.  So, they used the same do-it-yourself process (with some local operators, landscapers and craftsman) to expand to their second 9 called the 'Garden 9).  That went on for about a dozen years, with a simple front 9 and a rather sporty and charmingly landscaped back 9.  All in all, a fun little round of golf.  Also, they had a very adequate practice range and practice putting green.  

Mr. Brandt aged and sons/family lost interest in day-to-day ops, and another local human interest story entered.  Tommy Theisen was a horribly burned firefighter from a Manitowoc grainery fire on the ship dock, back in about 1977.  His face was literally burned off.  He ultimately received a huge settlement due to great negligence in the failure to follow OSHA codes and regs by the entity where the fire occurred.  But, Tommy was so horribly scarred that he became something of a recluse.  He underwent decades of surgeries and such to reconstruct some features of his face and body (though not ever approaching what one would say was successful)  Brandt was his friend, and with the great amount of cash Mr. Theisen was sitting on with no interest or logical place to invest it or enjoy it, it dawned on them that the course would be a great investment, and could also be a place that Theisen could go (a few country road miles from his secluded in the woods home).  So, with Theisen's staged buy-out and input of more money, they designed the third (and best) 9 holes called "the River 9".

I played it recently, and it is really in great shape, has interesting holes, and with the Garden 9, was a wonderful day of golf, solid designed holes and greens, and I really can't say anything critical as to the design being 'wrong minded' or 'poor ideas', etc.  They have done even more with the elaborate gardens and circulating babbling brook and pond system (for the pretty gardens crowd) and in this case does not distract or cause a decidedly extra cost due to maintenance of such, as you can see by the link to rates.  

It is so good, I would be pleased to take any GCA.com participant to see this local community effort, because I think even a credentialled GCA would have to say, it is a very good job.  

Let's face it.  If you can give the public this kind of rate structure, and a beautiful place to play, and a decent test of golf, with good food and beverage service in the CH: what more could be fairer?  ;D 8)
No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

Dan Kelly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #13 on: October 02, 2013, 02:42:43 PM »
If you want another really-fun-to-play Upper Midwestern course with a good history and almost no sand bunkers, see Tagalong in Birchwood, Wisconsin: http://www.tagalonggolf.com/golf.

I'm about to pitch an all-day outing ($35 w/ cart) to my Minnesota GCA friends, for later in the month. Aerification under way this week.

"There's no money in doing less." -- Joe Hancock, 11/25/2010
"Rankings are silly and subjective..." -- Tom Doak, 3/12/2016

RJ_Daley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #14 on: October 02, 2013, 03:30:58 PM »
Interesting find, Dan.  I'd never heard of it. Great old photos from the 20s.  How much of the description about evoking style of the old links of St. Andrews or "influenced by..." is at all valid?  It speaks of wide FWs on the front 9 with many grassy hollows emulating the humps and hollows of the links.  Is it a decent look back at the early style of golf in America as it branched out, or just a collection of holes often remodeled and not much insight into those old efforts to conform golf to remote locales?



No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

Jim_Kennedy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #15 on: October 02, 2013, 04:47:11 PM »
RJ,

OK, you win.  ;) Great story.

Dan,

Another winner.


Must be hundreds of similar stories around the country.




"I never beat a well man in my life" - Harry Vardon

Niall Hay

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #16 on: October 02, 2013, 11:48:34 PM »
Niall,

Google search says yes, the old Broadstreet restaurant.

On a side note, here's a Rochester course that won't be removing any trees for awhile:

http://rgcc.org/History.html


In September of 1915 an avid group of golfers took over a lease of 100 acres from Mayo doctors E.S. Judd and D.C. Balfour.  Harry Turple, a Red Wing Course Golf Professional, was brought in to lay out a nine-hole course and Rochester Golf Club was born.  The members desired a more challenging golf course and as luck would have it, a Mayo Clinic physician married the daughter of noted golf course architect Albert Warren Tillinghast.

Tillinghast had become the pre-eminent golf course architect of his time by designing courses such as Winged Foot, Baltusrol and the San Francisco Golf Club.  In 1926, Rochester Golf Club became incorporated and changed its name to Rochester Golf & Country Club.  Construction began on the new course and it opened the following summer.

One of the original members who has also left his thumbprint on Rochester Golf & Country Club was Walter D. "Pop" Shelden, MD.  "Pop" Shelden had played a great course in Texarkana that was cut out of a pine forest and brought that idea back to Rochester with him.  In the early 1930s he bought 5,000 pine seedlings for ten dollars and started a nursery at the southwest corner of the course.  Over 30,000 trees were eventually transplanted to the course over the next fifteen years.  Unfortunately, "Pop" passed on before the overall project was completed.  He has since been honored by the playing of the Walter D. Shelden Golf Tournament that is now played as our Member/Guest Tournament.  The old clubhouse was leveled in the fall of 2002 and the brand new "Tudor" style clubhouse opened in June 2003.  The swimming pool area was remodeled shortly after that.

The Rochester Golf & Country Club provides a stern, but fair test of your golf skills.  The new clubhouse and state of the art Professional Shop gives its members something to be very proud of.  We welcome you to the Rochester Golf & Country Club.

Jim_Kennedy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #17 on: October 04, 2013, 12:41:34 PM »
About 7 or 8 years ago I was coming up from Fl and was looking for a quiet place to play that wouldn't consume more than a couple of hours or so. I found the family owned/built Penny Branch, and I'm happy that I did as it turned out to be a fun spot to play.
The McKenzie family members who run it are super friendly and so were the two gents I caught on the course. They were so nice that they even went  out of their way to put me on the shortcut back to I95 northbound.

http://www.discoversouthcarolina.com/Insider/golf/Stories/11483

"I never beat a well man in my life" - Harry Vardon

Rees Milikin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Does It Get Any Better Than This?
« Reply #18 on: October 04, 2013, 12:51:29 PM »
About 7 or 8 years ago I was coming up from Fl and was looking for a quiet place to play that wouldn't consume more than a couple of hours or so. I found the family owned/built Penny Branch, and I'm happy that I did as it turned out to be a fun spot to play.
The McKenzie family members who run it are super friendly and so were the two gents I caught on the course. They were so nice that they even went  out of their way to put me on the shortcut back to I95 northbound.

http://www.discoversouthcarolina.com/Insider/golf/Stories/11483



I wish I would have known about this b/c this past Sunday driving back to Orlando from Columbia, I took the back road that passes right by there and had no idea it was even there...maybe next time

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