help re Woodhill (Ross) in MN.

[mark chalfant]

Was  wondering how this stacks up against other classic
courses in the twin cities. Is there much Ross still preserved...
how is the terrain  and interest around the greens ?

thanks.

[Tyler Kearns]

Mark,

As of the late 1980's, when my father (who at the time was a greens chairman of a Ross design), went down to play Woodhill in an effort to gain some additional knowledge of Ross' work. He was directly there because the original design was intact, except for 2 Cornish bunkers that had been added and were clearly different in character from the others. Judging from the pictures, the terrain has some nice, natural golf contours, nothing too severe, but enough to add plenty of interest to the game.

TK

[michael j fay]

Woodhill has a great deal of the original Ross in the greens. The routing is intact. The trees are overwhelming and have moved fairways as much as 40 yards for right to left or left to right.

There are a couple of greens that are extremely severe and offer few if any pinning positions.

The Club is a wonderful club and I believe it is their intention to restore the Ross course in the next couple of years.

[W.H. Cosgrove]

I grew up as a member of this Wayzata Minnesota course.  And I have been back on several occasions.  The 9th and 18th are probably the weakest features of the layout that also boasts some great holes.  

Highlights are the par three second, the 6th, 7th and par 5 14th.  While Michael is quite right in saying that some greens lack pinnable positions, this is for the most part an issue of modern maintenance meeting a 1916/26(?) Ross original.  

Tom Doak looked at the course several years ago, and the team that redid pine needles also looked at the course recently.  They might comment if they see fit.  

Many trees were added in response to the loss of the elms that covered the property in earlier years.  Of those many are memorial trees.  I think my father would approve of the removal of his!