Braemar Golf Course in Edina, Minnesota

[PCCraig]

I think the 2nd green is one of the stronger ones on the new course.


I like how the tee shot plays at the large hill in the middle of the property (a recurring theme). While the hole is without bunkers it's neat that the fairway bunkers on the 4th can be seen prominently behind the green on your approach.


Rich,


I wonder if you ever considered situating the green shorter (or closer to the first fairway) and closer to the stream?

[Richard_Mandell]

Pat,


I did not consider bringing the green closer to the creek for a couple of reasons.  First of all, I didn't want to create a short, driveable par-four just because I could.  Although it may have been a great hole, I felt it would have been forced and I believe that driveable par-fours are being overdone at this point.  It seems like everyone is looking to create one.  To me, the creek wasn't the right natural hazard to justify a driveable par-four in that spot.  Related to that thought, it was too early in the round even if I wanted to do it as it would have created pace of play issues, particularly with a par-three for the next hole.

The other reason is that, no matter how much people on this website and in the industry hate to admit it, creating length on a golf course is an element that people look for, at least from the back tees.  The green location allowed for some length.  That said, the position of the creek also allowed for an interesting strategy that would effectively reduce the hole's length for those who wanted to play as close to the creek as possible off the tee.

[Richard_Mandell]

Hole 3 - "Silver Maple" - 162 Yards



The first of Braemar's five par-threes comes at the third hole. This hole is the first in a series of six alternating par-threes and par-fives (3-5-3-5-3-5). This non-traditional routing maximizes the best possible holes given the topography of the site. Playing to the north parallel to the same creek that runs beside the second hole, this green site is located in generally the same spot as the green on the original par-four 13th Hole. Knowing what natural features lay ahead, with the desire not to create an impossible round of golf, I decided that the creek should be a visible feature of this hole and not one that would dictate its strategy.



The hole plays just slightly uphill with one lone sand bunker guarding the lower right hand side of the green. The dominant features that dictate the strategy on this hole, though, are the ridge that bleeds into the left side of the green and the sharp falloff into a grass hollow on the front-right. As the ridge enters the putting surface, it separates the front left from the back right, creating specific targets that must be approached differently depending on that day's hole location. Local knowledge will quickly develop as to the benefit in using the mound to kick a tee shot onto the putting surface from the left side.



The front-right of the green falls off six feet into a grass hollow that will gobble up any balls that come up short of the green.





You can view an aerial flyover of the third hole at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewjrGQnb1SE.

[Morgan Clawson]

Here's Rich on the 1st tee:

Richard Mandell, Architect

[Richard_Mandell]

I didn't tip over.

[Morgan Clawson]

After only 3 holes, the golfer who has played new and old Braemar will realize that the course has undergone a massive change for the better.


The old first 2 holes were 2 of the most difficult on the property. It was not uncommon for the average golfer to have played 13+ strokes and be down 2 balls.  And, the old 3rd was a ho-hum par 3 on flat terrain.


Now we have a gentle handshake opener, a challenging but forgiving 2nd with optional lines of play, and a solid par 3 3rd with interesting bumps and hollows.  What an improvement!

[Jason Topp]

I am going to be interested to see that 3rd green.

[Richard_Mandell]

Hole 4 - "Low - High" - 515 Yards



The first of five par-fives, the fourth hole is also the first in a series of split-fairway holes at the new Braemar Golf Course. Starting from a ridge to the west of the third green, the tee shot plays to the south, hugging a grove of oaks on the right, to a landing area that fades away from the golfer. Beyond this grove of trees, the expansiveness of the Braemar property comes into view for the first time.



This expansiveness didn't always exist, though. One reason (of many) that I'm not a big fan of trees on golf courses is because they tend to cover up the best land features of a site. At Braemar, this  was very evident to me in the design of the fourth hole. For those of you who have played the original golf course, you may recall that this hole shares the same corridor as the old 14th hole. A scattering of ill-planted trees covered up a bluff that sat about thirty feet above the fairway. Right away, I zeroed in on the possibility of a series of bunkers cut into the slope that connected the two areas. From there, the strategy of the hole began to evolve with the split fairway idea, something I am always seeking out in my design efforts.


First Landing Area - Before


First Landing Area - After

With a fifty-yard-wide landing area, the tee shot isn't likely to give golfers too much pause, but after the tee shot the golfer will be faced with their first make-or-break decision of the day; Low or High?



The smarter, but longer route requires an uphill second shot to a welcoming bowl fairway twenty feet above the lower left side of the hole. An expansive specimen oak is the aiming point for a right-to-left shot. From there, the golfer will find a more comfortable, but steeply downhill third shot that can be played with any club in the bag, from sand wedge to putter. One would best hedge their bet with a low bump that follows the slope of the hill to funnel their golf ball onto the green.



The shorter, more direct route is to play straight ahead to the lower fairway. This route is fraught with danger, though, as four fairway bunkers and a small pond pinch the fairway in an ever-shrinking bottleneck toward the putting green. Pull it off and you are left with a straightforward pitch into an open green where everything is right in front of you.



In order to make both routes work, I had to develop strong incentive for golfers to take the longer route to the right considering it was much higher than the direct route. I believe that the hazards we utilized here will be enough to deter even the most accurate golfers some of the time.



The aggressive golfer with thoughts of an eagle putt has two options, as well. The first option is to fire away straight at the green, but this route requires both distance control and accuracy. The second option is to bounce a wood into the far side of the higher landing area and let the ball roll down the slope onto the putting surface. Too hot, though, and it can run through the width of the green and find the left greenside bunker, or worse, the water.



The green extends out from the high second landing area to the left, contrasting nicely with the opposite feature found on the previous green. The putting surface tumbles out of the hillside led by a ridge that separates the front-right of the green from the back-right. A small shelf on the middle-right of the green makes for a tricky pin location, as seen in the aerial looking back down the fairway from behind the green.



You can view an aerial flyover of the fourth hole at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cOCHrdtSEc.

[PCCraig]

The 4th is a really good hole with a neat strategic option on the 2nd shot.


While playing up to the top of the hill on your second leaves you with what appears to be an easy downhill pitch, it should be noted that the fairway and green slope hard away from the player. So for the pin shown in the last photo, it's nearly impossible to hold a pitch within 30 feet of it.


So, I think the eventual play would be to favor the opposite fairway from what side the pin is on the green?

[Jason Topp]

If you leave it short of the first of the three bunkers splitting the fairway, how much do you have left into the green? 


That left side looks like a tight squeeze given the slope of the fairway.

[Richard_Mandell]

If you leave it short of the first of the three bunkers splitting the fairway, how much do you have left into the green? 


That left side looks like a tight squeeze given the slope of the fairway.

Jason, you would have approximately 130 left if you laid up short of the bunkers.

So, I think the eventual play would be to favor the opposite fairway from what side the pin is on the green?

Pat, it will be interesting to see how that plays out. I agree that it's nearly impossible to keep one close to that far right pin coming from the right side.