The 2015 Midwest Mashie September 25 – 27, 2015
Minnesota! After visiting such prestigious clubs as Lost Dunes in Michigan, Lawsonia Links in Wisconsin, Broadmoor CC & The Fort in Indiana, Kingsley Club in Michigan and Canterbury in Ohio the Midwest Mashie is coming to the great State of Minnesota in 2015!
Day 1The weekend will start this year on Friday afternoon with an opportunity to play a two-time host of the PGA Championship: Keller Golf Course.
Indeed, Keller hosted the 1932 and 1954 PGA Championships, as well as the 1949 Western Open and the PGA Tour’s St. Paul Open from 1930 to 1968. Our own Richard Mandell renovated the classic golf course from 2012 to 2014 and has since opened it to rave reviews, including being awarded the “best municipal renovation” in Golf Magazine and being featured by Ron Whitten in Golf Digest as a “Best Newly Remodeled Course” in October 2014.
The Par-3 13th at Keller Golf CourseWe will have a block of afternoon tee times, where Richard Mandell himself will join us for golf and speak to us about his firm’s renovation work after the round over cocktails.
This round is offered as an addition to the official Midwest Mashie rounds, so please note if you are ‘in’ for this round.Day 2The second day will mark the first round of the 2015 Midwest Mashie. The round will take place at arguably the finest modern golf course in the State, Windsong Farm Golf Club (Golf Digest: #6 in State / Golfweek: #134 Modern). Windsong Farm is located in the far western suburbs of Minneapolis in what was once a horse farm, but is now a pure, golf-only, private club.
The par-3 16th with the Windsong Farm Clubhouse in the backgroundOur host for the day, Jason Topp, has set us up for afternoon tee times followed by dinner at The Murphy House at Windsong Farm.
The Murphy HouseDay 3The final round of the Midwest Mashie will be held mid-morning at the oldest golf course in the State of Minnesota: Town & Country Club in St. Paul. The wild and quirky golf course at Town & Country will be an ideal setting for match play, in particular the final stretch of holes which includes three par-5’s from #15-#17 and the par-3 18th.
The 110 yard par-3 2nd at Town & Country
The par-4 10th at Town & Country The DetailsWhere: Host ClubsWindsong Farm Golf Club
18 Golf Walk
Independence, MN 55359
Town & Country Club
300 North Mississippi River Boulevard
Saint Paul, MN 55104
Keller Golf Course
2166 Maplewood Drive
Maplewood, MN 55109When: Friday, September 25, 2015 through Sunday, September 27, 2015
Golf:Round 1 – Saturday afternoon at Windsong Farm Golf Club, hosted by Jason Topp – Best Ball Teams
Round 2 – Sunday morning (roughly 9am) at Town & Country Club, hosted by Pat Craig – Singles Matches
Optional:
Friday afternoon at Keller Golf Course (tee times starting at 12:30pm) hosted by Richard Mandell, who will speak to the group following play over cocktails
Dinner:Saturday evening after play at Windsong Farm Golf Club
Costs:Windsong Farm - $100
Town & Country Club - $100
Keller Golf Course - $40
Saturday evening dinner - $75pp
*Golf fees represent walking, cart fees would be additional
**All prices are subject to 7% sales taxLodging:Murphy House at Windsong Farm
The Murphy House
A Murphy House BedroomWe have the Murphy House rented – for people checking in on the 25th and out the 27th. Anyone that wants to stay there should commit to 2 nights at $100 per night. It has 6 bedrooms and 8 beds so it would hold 8 very comfortably. The cost is
$200 for two nights per person.
Other lodging optionsGiven that the event will be held over multiple locations throughout the Twin Cities, the options for housing in addition to the Murphy House are plentiful. I would recommend one of the many hotels in either downtown Minneapolis or St. Paul, tailored for your individual price preference. If someone would like a specific recommendation, please let me know.
Other Recommended Golf CoursesAutumn in Minnesota is the ideal time of the year to enjoy the State’s golf courses and we hope you decide to stay an extra day or two to play any that might interest you. Of course, many of my recommendations below are dependent on access, but I thought I would list them regardless. Other local posters might make their own recommendations as well:
PrivateInterlachen CC, Edina – A stellar Willie Watson/Ross design which has hosted numerous national championships, including one won by Bobby Jones.
Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska – Host of the 2016 Ryder Cup, Hazeltine is a modern championship golf course with a number of terrific golf holes.
White Bear Yacht Club, White Bear Lake – A wild William Watson/Donald Ross design, that was recently restored by Renaissance Golf, is just a short drive north of St. Paul.
The Minikahda Club, Minneapolis – A Ross design that was restored by Ron Prichard about a decade ago, Minikahda is a special golf course located on the shores of Lake Calhoun just outside of downtown Minneapolis. They will be hosting the USGA Senior Am in 2017.
Somerset CC, Mendota Heights – A Seth Raynor design (with significant renovations by Stanley Thompson) just south of St Paul, Somerset is a treat and worth seeking out for a round if time permits.
Midland Hills CC, Roseville – Home club to GCA’s own Jeff Shelman and Dan Kelly, Midland Hills is a Seth Raynor design with a number of template holes and a terrific back nine.
Minneapolis Golf Club, St. Louis Park – A Park/Ross design that was recently renovated according to a Master Plan by Prichard, Minneapolis GC is a tough parkland layout that many of the city’s best players play out of.
Golden Valley G&CC, Golden Valley – Golden Valley is a difficult, but interesting, AW Tillinghast design.
PublicThere are roughly 65 public courses within 20 miles of downtown Minneapolis, but these are the three (other than Keller) that I think are the best public options in town:
StoneRidge, Stillwater – A Bobby Weed design located near 94 east of St. Paul, is an open layout that features a number of really interesting holes.
Troy Burne, Hudson – A Tom Leaman and John Fought design located just over the river in Hudson, Wisconsin.
Chaska Town Course, Chaska – An Arthur Hills design that has co-hosted the US Amateur, is right down the street from Hazeltine.
We hope you can join us this Fall in Minnesota! 
Minnesota’s Capital City - Saint Paul
Downtown MinneapolisRegistration ****SEE POST #159 for participant list as of 8/25/2015