Restored Minikahda Club defends Par

[Jeff Johnson]

The Minikahda Club was restored by Ron Prichard in 2002-03 and this past week Minnesota Amatuers struggled to break par.  At 6775 yards the young flat bellies thought they would destroy the course, but with the help of a little wind and some firm greens the winning score of -1, which did not occur until the winner holed a bunker shot on 17 and drained a 12 footer for birdie on the 18th was the posting of a red number even in jeopardy.  

For those at Golf Digest who have written Minikahda off the top twenty in the state they are going to have to take a closer look.  This 107 year old course has stood the test of time.  These guys may be able to hit the ball a mile, but they still have to hit it close and know how to read the suttle breaks in these small greens.  

IMHO,
Jeff Johnson
Golf Course Superintendent
The Minikahda Club

[Jason Topp]

Jeff:

Speaking with friends that played, it sounds like you did a wonderful job preparing and setting up the course.  Congratulations.

As you suggest, there was a lot of surprise about how tough the course played (although there was quite a bit of wind the first two days).

I was really surprised about the number of high scores on 18, which is a really straightforward hole.  I heard the pin position was tough (at least the first day) but that does not really explain the numbers of doubles and triples recorded on that hole.  What happened?

[Jeff Johnson]

One of the difficulties (or problems with 18), directly behind 18 it is OB.  Many were hitting their approach shots too long trying to go for the back hole location.  With the firmness of he greens and a tail wind many were going OB.  That's the only explaination I can think of.  

Jeff

[Jeff Shelman]

I played Minikahda recently and spoke with Jeff afterwards. I think the work that was done there was great. For all you anti-tree fans, 275 were taken out. Greens were expanded and bunkers that had been taken out have been replaced. A few of the holes look completely different and you no longer feel like you're playing in a bowling alley on every hole.

I was a little surprised the scores were as high as they were. I thought it would've taken -5 or -6 to win. That's what it took a year earlier at Northland, a great Ross in Duluth.

That Minikahda isn't in GD's top 20 in Minnesota is absolutely crazy. There are about five on that list I would remove in a second.

Jason, about the 18th, Jeff isn't kidding about the OB being directly behind the green. Literally if you go two feet over the back of the green, you're ball is running down a steep bank and falling off of the golf course.

[Rick Shefchik]

I played Minikahda for the first and only time in the summer of 1970, and I have never had a more claustrophobic experience on a golf couse before or since. I've followed the tree-removal program there with much interest, and I've seen photos that indicate the results have been a great success, allowing the course's best features to re-emerge.

I look forward to getting a chance one day to expunge my dark memory of this classic course.

[Paul Richards]

Ron did a wonderful job at Minikahda and his work there helped Beverly make the choice to use him as well.

We are VERY pleased at Beverly - it has received rave reviews and it, like Minikahda, has defended par very well!