This new course, The Quarry@Giants Ridge in Biwabik, Minnesota is the most visually stunning, interesting, intimidating and greatest tests of golf I've ever seen.

Anyone who thinks that Bethpage or Medina are tough on poorly thought out or misplayed shots needs to add this course to that list.

The first time around the course, I was somewhat intimidated by the size and visual impact of the course, but quickly realized that the fairways are spaceous enough to handle all resonably well struck shots. Mishit shots are, however, severly penalized-possibly with a lost ball. Approach shots must be well planned if they are to yield reasonable birdie putts.

The photos on Jeff's website cannot convey the actual elevation changes of the course, just as Augusta National  looks flatter on T.V. than in person.

Anyone who has played the first course at Giants Ridge, The Legend, is in for a stunning surprise. This course is completely different in feel and more architecturally scenic.

 Anyone who plays it should chose their tees carefully as The Quarry, at 7201 yards from the tips, can be  5-10 shots more difficult than The Legend. From the forward tees the course is much more manageable but still intimidating.

This course is worth playing by everyone on this site and I congratulate Jeff Brauer on the creation of one of the most exciting courses anywhere. Biwabik is located 60 miles north of Duluth.

Texsport

comptngolf

The Quarry is open for play. It would be the highlight of your trip and much more testing than any of the courses you plan on playing (Actually, it's in a whole other league)

It's a modern course but reminds you of Pine Valley with much larger elevation changes. Level lies are scarce and the quarry remnants play as the hazards (And I'm talking hazards!). There's water in play on only 3 holes-10, 17 and 18.

You'll be shocked that such a masterpiece is located on "da range". It seems to be pretty booked up right now, so make your reservations in advance.

I'll be looking for your review.

Texsport

The Quarry #2

The Quarry #3

The Quarry #9

Don't Go Here!

Half Biarritz

Tribute To The Dell

Par 4

  It looks like many chances were taken here.  Rugged and bold is beautiful.  

Wow, looks great (although I am already itching myself from the future mosquito bites from playing there this time of year).  Makes me long for a few rounds of golf in the upper Midwest.  
BTW, could what you call a half biarritz fit more into a double plateau-type green if the angle of the approach is from the left of the picture??


Cheers,
Brad Swanson

Tom,

The last photo is from the tee of a 330 yard (approx) par 4. The bunker divides the landing area into an upper fairway on the left and a lower fairway on the right. The left (upper fairway) ends at about 260 and drops into a low area. The lower fairway runs all the way to the tall grass.

The view of the green from the upper fairway is really nice - you look down on the green, and it looks inviting. The view from the lower fairway is less than inviting. You only see the top of the pin. Plus the lower fairway has a lot of movement, so getting a level lie is luck.

Brad,
Half biarritz is my made up term. I suppose you could call it a double plateau. The interesting thing about the green is that the pinnable area wraps around the swale, and it makes you think about your approach shot.

Our pin was cut right behind the swale. You definitely did not want to be short left and have to putt through the corner of the swale. With that pin position, a very good play would be to hit it into the swale, and put straight out of it.

What the photo doesn't show is a small tongue of green back right that is tucked behind a hill. Simply merciless.

Jeff,

Thanks for not including hairy bunkers....I see the time spent here has not completely brainwashed you.

It is always a gamble to make a comment having only seen these pictures, but....

The course pictures leave me with a distinct feeling of another break-out sort of design - Tobacco Road.  Anyone else think so?

That is not to be taken in any way as negative.  I loved Tobacco Road, and I'm betting I will love this course when I get to play there because it has many of the looks I enjoy.  I am also guessing about TD's question about the last picture, and it seems to me a blend of #13 green site at Tobacco Road but on a short par 4 than the short par 5.  The shot to the semi-blind green surface through the opening gap of mounds looks similar.  The trick seems to be playing the proper side of the rumpled stance fairway on either side of the mid-bunker for the pitch into the correct angle of what side the pin is placed.  Too bad the pin in the pic is center rather than far left or right.  I think I would love this hole, what is the yardage?

Thanks to all for the nice comments, and especially Texsport for starting the thread and Jeff and Tommy for posting pictures.  It was great to meet you at the Quarry!  It was also great to meet Rick, and renew acquaintences with Dan and Jeff.

RJ,

You are correct in sensing a bit of Tobacco Road in holes 2 especially (I see similarities to 11 at TR) and somewhat 13.  I see the resemblance you see, but the green isn't manufactured, except by USX Corporation.  Mike Stratz seems to love long, narrow greens, which influenced me, but I wouldn't put more than one or two on a course.  That green is over 70 yards wide, and less than 20 yards deep.

Those contours on 13 didn't show on any topo map, but we simply placed a green on top of the left over spoil ridges.  You can see remnants of similar ridges across the fairway, which we softened and used to elevate the left fairway.  The narrow green opening wasn't there, but was required to get greens mix up to the green.  Our option was to rebuild it, or leave it as a sucker option.  After seeing pro John Kendall reaching the green with a tee shot in dirt, we left it.....

Influenced by GCA?  Naah...although I did find myself wondering if this group would think the 80 yards of fairway width on 2 would be considered "wide."

The real driver of the look was the clients desire to use the same architect but get a completely different look.  So, we selected the most dramatically different site, and varied features (smooth to rugged, round tees to square ones, and "gentle giant" vs. "the hulk", etc.) to give them two different resort course experiences!

Tom Doak,

I thought of this hole when the group was discussing Dan Kelley's "Confusion" topic a few weeks ago.....In one sense its confusing, becuase I can't see if there is enough advantage in better vision to go left, and yet the "safe" fairway didn't have room to be signifigantly safer/wider.  I sense most good players will think there is "no good option" rather than "Geez, I love being confused."  Is that about what you were driving at?

I enjoyed my day of golf with the group, and enjoyed the course, too.  As much as the length and deep bunkers make this a power course, I think the most pleasant surprise is that the green surrounds seemed to inspire some creative shotmaking in our group, giving hope that the accuracy/finesse player will fare quite well here....

Having played the course 4 times now, I offer my reflections on the short 13th.

The pictures posted are from the lower tees-the back pegs are even more dramatic. The bank in front of the green is much higher than the pictures imply- I'd estimate that the green is 15-20 feet above you depending on if you are facing the left or right side of the green. A pitch up that slope is very difficult to judge and the green slopes strongly down from left to right. Hint-look closely at the pin position and green slopes on your way down to hit your 2nd shot!

The percentage shot is to go right- no trouble, but a very difficult birdie.

The left fairway gives the best view, a flat lie, and chance for a birdie but I hit through the fairway once with a 2 iron and had a severe downhill lie for a second shot. I estimate the maximum  flatland equivalent carry is about 220 yards to the end of the left fairway from the very tips. This area is  a much smaller  target than the right fairway and partially hidden from the back pegs. Though not visable in the photo, there is a steep drop off and about 70 yards of rough covered mounds past the left fairway leading up to the left side of the green. Beware of the pot bunker just to the right of the fairway. It's a sideways pitchout if you get in it!

Another alternative is to hit a club like 3 wood to carry the center fairway bunker but land short of the upslope in front of the green. (You can't go to the left of the bunker because of the rough and mounds past the left fairway.) The fairway is not level, the closer you get to the green(A clever combination of a necessary fairway drain and surrounding grade to create more difficult lies the closer you get to the green). You  have a pitch straight up the hill from this area from sidehill ,uphill or sidehill lies, a shot that's a little difficult for most of us, particularly when judging the shot distance-wise up the hill. Pitching safely to 2-putt range is a good shot-pitching to birdie range is a great shot from this area. Because of the lies and distance below the green, this option is not as easy as it would first seem.

The first time I tried to carry the green, I luckily landed in the neck, just short, and backed half way down the slope ( It was wet from 2 inches of rain!). I estimate that a flat land carry  of about 265-270 yards is the minimum from the back tees- it's more reachable from the shorter tees, but not by much, because each shorter tee is also less elevated. When there is a prevailing tail wind which also will tempt you to give it a go.

The green is 150+ feet wide with 4 distinct levels. Getting the ball to the correct plateau is vital for 1 or even 2 putts!

A great short par 4! A relatively safe par for good players who play conservatively off the tee and hit the correct side of the green.

 Probably few birdies will be made unless you lay up left or drive the green, because of the elevation changes and difficulty in judging the distance accurately from the fairway below the hole.

A  bogey or worse will result if you hit a poor 1st or 2nd, because of deep rough, severe slopes and the huge undulating green.

A potential disaster might occur, if you fall prey to the tempting challenge of driving the green, but fail. A member of my foursome one day, attempted to drive the green, but hit it into the green fronting bank and had to hack it back down to the fairway. He then hit his pitch too strongly toward the elevated left side of the green, caught the downslope and had a putt of about 70 feet back up hill-3 putts and a rather fortunate 6 because he could have easily failed to get his 2nd shot down off the +/- 60* sloped bank. An unplayable penalty and drop is probably the best play if you get into the green fronting bank.

But there's always the possibility of an eagle with a great tee shot and putt!

I love the hole!

Texsport

Tex,

I surprised myself by driving the second bunker, clearing it by at a good six inches or so, and having a medium iron in.

My, ahem, two playing partners both put it in the Quarry Lake on the second, despite being given the inside knowledge of the feeder bank left of the green.....of course, I did no better, adding more research to my new book, "How to waste the perfect tee shot".  It now has 7,654 chapters, and should be in stores later this year.....

I rate the following holes as the most interesting architecturally:

#13-323/296/275/239 yd par 4 with split fairway and multiple tee shot options. Brutal fairway pot bunker and huge 5 level undulating green. You can drive the green and putt for eagle or play it safe and make 6. One of the great short par 4 holes in the world.

#9-377/ 353/ 325/ 249 yd par 4 with narrow uphill opening to green and hidden right hand pin position behind a hill. Best tee shot location is hard against a huge quarry spoils hill down the left side of the fairway.

#14-513/ 499/ 454/ 424 yd par 5 with uphill approach to green nestled amoung huge hills and with hidden pin position on the right side of the green.

#6- 369/ 436/ 313/196 yd par 4 with uphill plateau fairway, deep grass bunker from 140 yds to green and half biarritz green.

#15-454/ 431/ 398/ 324 yd par4 with uphill tee shot to elevated fairway that ends at 275 yds forcing a long iron approach of 200 yds to a green set far below the fairway.

#18-468/ 448/ 408/ 356 yd par 4 dogleg left over two bunkers on the corner and with a 100 ft dropoff through the fairway to a 300 ft deep lake. Tee shot decision and good execution can leave 150-220 yd uphill approach thru narrow neck between the lake on the right and yet another deep quarry remnant bunker short left of the green. Great finishing hole!

#2-575/ 558/ 525/ 483 yd par 5 double dogleg with split second shot fairway. After downhill tee shot you must make a choice between a long, risky carry across a 200 yd quarry bunker and straight at the green to the right or safer, though blind  shot to elevated left fairway possibly over a tall clump of fairway splitting trees. Very deep green can be 4 clubs different from front to back.

I rate the most difficult holes, in order of difficulty from the most difficult as follows:

#8- 478/455/424/347 yd par 4 with uphill 2nd thru an opening between hills. Approach shot is uphill.

#18- 468/448/408/356 yd par 4-1st and 2nd shots very demanding. Approach shot is uphill.

#12- 486/436/395/351 yd par 4-stay short or right of the quarry left off the tee and play for the ball to run once it hits the green.

#15-454/431/398/324 yd par 4- lay up with the correct club and beware that the fairway isn't as long on the left side. Tee shot uphill, approach shot dramatically downhill.

#4- 269/228/188/163 yd par 3- every 269 yd. par 3 is tough, even if it's downhill.

#13- one of the greatest short par 4's in existence. You can drive the green and putt for eagle or play it safe and make a 6.

Later Additions
        The par 5 holes #'s 2,14 and 16 offer some very challenging second shots. All could be reached in 2 with great shots, but all 3 played into the wind during my recent visit, convincing me to lay up on all three.
         Both #2 and # 16 have huge quarry bunkers that force you to choose the amount of trouble to bite off for your 2nd. Both are uphill and therefore somewhat blind. For that reason, the econd shots on both are more visually intimidating than you realize from the tee.
         # 14 gives you an uphill lie from the safe left side of the fairway for your 2nd. You must guard against a pulled or hooked 2nd because of a hidden quarry remnant, sidehill bunkers and a deeply grassed hills both right and left, short of the green. It's not just a mindless shot to move it up the fairway here. The approach is deceivingly uphill to a green nestled amoung the hills. The right side of the green is hidden behind one of the hills.
       

Texsport

Tex,

Nothing wrong with a hard hole every once in a while!

Jeff
    The holes may be testing but they're fair.
    Actually, a Texan playing big rolling bent grass greens is the most demanding adjustment for my game. Thank God they were only rolling 9 and I played before they cut them lower. The Legend's greens were rolling 12 and I putted it clear off the first green my 1st trip around.