A Season Of Reasons To Play Timber Creek
With our COVID enhanced sense of enjoying the great outdoors, more and more golfers are making the drive to Timber Creek Golf Course in Watertown, MN. Just 20 minutes west of Minnetonka, Timber Creek is an 18-hole haven for golfers looking to get away from it all on just a quarter tank of gas.
Hitting The Sweet Spot At Heritage Links
Sitting just a hop, skip and jump south of the Twin Cities is another of those Joel Goldstrand designs that seem to surprise and challenge at every bend in the fairway.
Golf With Devotion At Dahlgreen Golf Club
Chaska has a center of gravity when it comes to golf. Without naming names, we all know the big hitter, deep pocket tracks that populate this corner of the Twin Cities. Thankfully there is also a family orientated, value-priced option for those of us that seek out some of that ‘old school, at home feeling’ when we pull the clubs out of the trunk. Dahlgreen Golf Club has cultivated that vibe for years… 51 to be exact.
Jackpot Junction And Dacotah Ridge – Winning Wagers
Knowing (now) that we can bet on golf to get us through some of these tough days, we can double down on those bets by taking our game to Dacotah Ridge where we can easily place other successful bets at Jackpot Junction Casino.
Wedgewood Cove Golf Club – Well Worth The Visit
At 99.4 miles from the epicenter, Wedgewood Cove Golf Club in Albert Lea is the southernmost green pin on my map. (Green = Course Worth Playing) That’s right, Wedgewood Cove is the furthest I will drive within my 100-mile circle to play golf.
GreyStone Golf Club – Worth The Drive
The more of the trip you can stick to interstates and major highways the better, of course, and if you head northwest out of the Twin Cities 100 miles (on I94) you’ll hit Sauk Centre. If you’re in, or anywhere near, Sauk Centre there’s one course that had better be on your map – GreyStone Golf Club.
Wild Marsh Golf Club – A Wild Year
Up. Everything is up. Everything is looking up, too. “This has been a crazy, unpredictable year,” General Manager, Eric Ritter, says. I nod. He doesn’t really need to elaborate. We all can relate.
Victory Links Golf Course – The Definition Of Win Win
How do you win in golf? The short answer is: “Play at Victory Links.” By virtue of the name, every visitor is a winner there.
The Links At NorthFork – Scotland, Minnesota
Playing golf at The Links At Northfork is a true links golf experience – just like you were in Scotland! Joel Goldstrand, designer of the Links At Northfork, did a masterful job creating a golf course that plays fast and firm the exact conditions found on seaside links courses.
First Rate Fun At Stillwater Oaks Golf Course
It’s comforting to know there are golf courses out there that deliver year-after-year. They bring a series of exciting holes and enough variety to keep you guessing on club selection. That’s why we keep going back.
Northfield Golf Club Announces Membership Concept Change
Major Shift after 95 Golf Seasons… Refreshingly Affordable.
Planning A Golf Tournament – Start With The Plan And The Team
Would you like to double or triple the income of your existing golf tournament? There are over 500,000 golf tournaments in the U.S. each year. The average event raises between $5,000 and $8,000. Why do some tournaments raise $80,000 to $100,000? They have a plan.
Sand Valley Golf Resort – The Sand of Opportunity
Golf has taken a lot of hits over the years for being too rigid, too exclusive, too hard and too… well… anti-fun. We’ve all been to some of those places – most of them places we never care to go again. But, if you’re looking for a place that is NONE of those bad things and ALL of the good things… that’s Sand Valley.
Decade Of Dominance – Sharing The Top
This is the last installment in our series on the Decade of Dominance. It is fairly obvious there was no Arnold Palmer, or Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods that emerged from the pack during the 2010’s.
Golf Travel Will Grow
The Psychic smiles as his thumb flips the remote to off. Bryson DeChambeau has won the U.S. Open with a combination of brains and brawn.
POWER GOLF
“Uncontrolled power is the very devil – in golf or anywhere else.” Words of wisdom from Percy Boomer – probably the wisest golf instructor of all time.
If I Was… A Paid Political Consultant
I get it. This sounds odd to be in a golf publication, but I’ve always been a fan of politics and golf, so the symmetry makes sense to me.
Minnesota PGA Women’s State Open
Kathryn VanArragon (Bunker Hills GC) has made history yet again as the youngest winner in the 20 year history of the Minnesota Women’s State Open, held August 10-11, 2020 at The Jewel Golf Course in Lake City, Minnesota.
Minnesota Section PGA Professional Championship
Dale Jones has been a class A member of the Minnesota Section for 27 years, yet it took him until this year’s Section PGA Professional Championship to get his first Section Stroke Play win. The two-day event was held on Tuesday, August 24-Wednesday, August 25, 2020 at Somerby Golf Club in Byron, MN.
Marvelous Play At The Meadows at Mystic Lake
There’s no mystery around The Meadows at Mystic Lake, the golf course at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel; it is a world class golf course where playing conditions and service are clearly given top priority. This course has grown up since its early years, and now plays like a seasoned champion in the prime of its life.
Mastering The Art Of Putting – Green Reading
The way a ball moves on the putting green is simply the effect of gravity. Gravity moves the ball in the direction of the low point.
The Clubhead Was Not Designed To Hit The Ball
Did the title of this piece surprise you? Regardless, it is true. The iron clubhead was not designed to hit the ball, it was designed to strike the GROUND.
Mastering The Art Of Putting
Distance control is the most important element in putting. With good distance control a higher percentage of makeable putts are made, and the chance of three putting is greatly reduced.
Set-Up And Swing Dependence
To see lasting improvement in golf (or any other field for that matter) relevant understanding must become the ultimate goal. Do you understand the importance of developing your best set-up?
Mastering The Art Of Putting
This month we are going to focus on the stroke mechanics. The basis of good stroke mechanics is the set-up. As we discussed in the last issue of Tee Times, commonalties of the set-up of great putters include the following.
Overhanded Or Underhanded…Swing Image
To transfer technical requirements for your full swing (good for the practice areas) to the actual golf course (when technical details hamper your athleticism and instincts), each player should strive towards simple triggers and/or images to instruct the body on what it needs it to do.
Mastering The Art Of Putting – Set Up
Over the course of the season, in each issue of Tee Times we will cover an aspect of putting in this column. Becoming a great putter is part of the game that doesn’t require exceptional athletic ability, great club head speed, or a great deal of time and energy.
Do You Have A Slice-Hook Swing?
Sounds like a silly title, but ALL players have “elements” within their set-up and swing which by themselves would PROMOTE an off-line starting line and/or curve combination.
Making The Most Of Winter
October/November means the end of the golf season for most of us in Minnesota. But just because the season is ending, it doesn’t mean they you have to stop working on your golf game.
Transition “Timing” It Just Right
How might you respond if I claimed there is a good chance that you may never have focused or practiced the MOST vital area of the full swing?
From Spritzers To Sangrias
Everyone needs a good sangria and/or spritzer recipe for the summer, am I right?
Dad’s Day Bevis
As we head into the month of June, and our weather finally turns true to its season, we know we can prepare to gear up for a few things – more time for grilling outside and more libations for pairing!
Going Green
Everywhere you turn these days, producers from every label are touting ‘organic’. From cereal to mac n cheese, wine, and into the world of liquor. But have we really ever stopped to think about what all of this labeling really means?
Don’t Ignore The Reds When The Temps Rise
For most, nothing screams summer and spring like a crisp, refreshing glass of white wine – am I right? We live in Minnesota, so it’s fair to say that it gets pretty darn cold in the winter time.
Beyond Chardonnay And Pinot Grigio
According to the country’s most recent wine industry reports, Americans really only consume approximately four grapes. Considering there are over 10,000 varieties of wine grapes in the world, we have a considerable way to go before we can begin to categorize ourselves oenophiles.
Going Green
Everywhere you turn these days, producers from every label are touting ‘organic’. From cereal to mac n cheese, wine, and into the world of liquor. But have we really ever stopped to think about what all of this labeling really means?
Perfectly Pairing Your ‘Reds’
It should come as no surprise that the instinctive wine choice for a mouthwatering pan seared or perfectly grill marked steak hot off the grill is red, but have you ever truly analyzed the exact choice of red grape when pairing to your favorite cuts of meat? I
Golfers And Wine – A Perfect Blend
As many know we are fortunate to be hosting the 2016 matches of the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National and the U.S. team is captained by golf professional, Davis Love III. A gentleman that not only shares great passion for the game of golf, but of another subject that happens to be quite near and dear to my own profession and passions, wine.
BOYNE Golf MICHIGAN
When you think of the resorts with the most golf courses and amenities in the world, you might not think of BOYNE Golf… in Northern Michigan, the region often referred to as America’s Summer Golf Capital, but you should.
Golden Eagle Golf Club – Golden Hours
There’s a time of day called “The Golden Hour” – the last hour or so, in summer, before the sun sets. For many a golfer it’s their favorite time to be on the course – the vibrant warmth of the day giving way to a peaceful cool, shadows stretching, animals coming out of hiding… mother nature at her most approachable and admirable.
Dacotah Ridge And Jackpot Junction – Double The Deal
Jackpot Junction Casino reopened (post COVID) for business on June 1 – spotless, updated and ready for guests. Always a lively place, the parking lot is routinely packed with cars and busses not just from the Twin Cities, but also from Wilmar (44 miles), Mankato (65 miles), St. Cloud (110 miles) and Sioux Falls (130 miles).
Golden Eagle Golf Club – Golden Hours
There’s a time of day called “The Golden Hour” – the last hour or so, in summer, before the sun sets. For many a golfer it’s their favorite time to be on the course – the vibrant warmth of the day giving way to a peaceful cool, shadows stretching, animals coming out of hiding… mother nature at her most approachable and admirable.
Staycation Time At Treasure Island And Mount Frontenac
Sometimes I find myself humming that catchy jingle, “Treasure Island Resort and Casino…” It immediately puts me in the mood for Island Time! I’m sure the marketing wizards who came up with that snippet would pat themselves on the back, but the truth is ‘The Island’ as it’s known is truly an oasis in a sea of uncertainty these days. Down the road and up the hill Mount Frontenac Golf Course offers that same escape only from a higher vantage point.
Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge – Minnesota’s Original Golf Resort
Imagine you have a summer home on a big, beautiful lake. Dream come true, right? Now, imagine you invite all your friends to come up for a week or a weekend in the summer… and they do. Those friends invite their friends to come up the next summer… they come, and bring their families, too.
Izatys Resort – Izatys Has It All
When Chip Glazier purchased Izatys in the 1980s, he wanted to upgrade the golf course to create added value to his real estate development. The savvy Glazier hired John Harbottle, a golf course designer with loads of Low Country design experience. Harbottle had spent years designing Low Country golf courses when he worked as Pete Dye’s first assistant.
Giants Ridge – Living Up To The Legend
There’s a Legend that dates back to 1984, about a piece of Mesabi Iron Range land in “Up North Minnesota” too perfect for skiing – “too perfect” in the sense it begged to be used for something else… something more. The dramatic Northwoods land (a “mostly interstate” three hours north of the Twin Cities) was mountainous (for Minnesota) and incredibly beautiful in winter.
The Wilderness At Fortune Bay – Wild Wonder
Golf. For sure. Midwesterners miss our golf nearly half the year as it is, so this extended season of “separation anxiety” (though unique) wasn’t exactly novel. That said, there’s something about THIS particular summer that has me (and many others) looking forward to golf getaways more than ever. “Anywhere in particular you really miss?” I’m asked.
Breezy Point Resort – Always On Point
Pulling through the main gate at Breezy Point Resort feels like entering a luxurious campground. There’s a golf course to your right decked out with flowers, a spiderweb of narrow, cabin-lined streets, and a lake up ahead to your left.
