Drive west on Highway 212, on the outskirts of Chaska and turn left into the farm fields. Only about five more minutes away you will find a spectacular golf course nestled amongst the corn and the cows.

Dahlgreen Golf Club was built in 1969 by farmland owners Bill Tessman and Blanche and Paul Stans (Blanche and Bill were siblings). Originally a nine-hole track, the course was built on the pasture for the dairy cows, a second 9 was opened in the fall of 1978 and opened as Dahlgreen Golf Club in 1979.

In the early days, golfers would pay from their rounds by putting cash into a patron box nailed to a nearby tree. The clubhouse was added in 1979 to give golfers a full experience. Over the years, renovations like wider tee boxes, more trees, water and bunkers were added to create a fun and challenging “test of golf.” Today, the challenge and fun still remain and today Dahlgreen takes the player through the trees and rolling hills all while still surrounded by farm fields and dairy cows. On the par 5 number 7, the cows become your gallery.

Like most courses, Dahlgreen has several “signature” holes. According to Head Professional Eric Wann, “My favorite hole on the course has to be our signature 10th hole. As you stand on the tee box, one of the highest points on the course, it just seems like you can see for miles. It is one of the best vistas on the course.”

Other holes that catch your attention are the par 3 number 12 and on the front side, the par 5 number 5.

Hole 12 can play as long as 170 yards from the blue (back) tees or as short as 108 yards from the red (forward) tees. The difficulty on this hole is picking the right club.  If you come up short, you will find yourself making a splash in the pond that guards the entire front of the green. If you go long, your ball will face an extremely downhill bunker shot with the aforementioned pond staring you in the face again. Your challenge is not over once you find the green. A quick downhill breaking putt towards the pond is what you’ll have above the pin.  Pin high and it breaks a ton. Your best bet is to leave the ball below the pin for the uphill putt.

The downhill, dogleg right number 5 is the longest par 4 on the course that requires a well-placed drive favoring the left side of the tree-line fairway. Once there, a mid to long iron, or even a wood, is the club you will be hitting into a rather small green, sometimes off a slightly downhill lie. Not an easy shot but coming up short on this hole is not a bad leave.  Like all greens at Dahlgreen, conditions are perfect so make a confident stroke but watch your speed.

According to Wann, the greens are what most players talk about. “What makes Dahlgreen stand out from other courses around us has to be our greens. I get multiple comments a day from players, both public and members, who absolutely rave about the greens at the end of their round. They are fair yet challenging and I would put them up against any course.

While the greens get much of the attention, to play this course well there are certain shots that you must have in your bag and if it is your first time playing the course, Wann has some advice for you. “For someone who has never been out to Dahlgreen before, they need to make sure they have their game off the tee dialed in. If you miss the fairway, you could end up amongst the many trees we have. If your driver isn’t dialed in, make sure you have a strong punch-out game and play for par.”

At the end of your round, you can relax in the clubhouse restaurant Sticks Tavern. A family-owned restaurant and bar serving a Gastropub/American cuisine, you are sure to find something to fill your belly or forget the double bogie on 5 and reservations are not required so stop on by.  They also can host weddings and events.

No matter if you are low handicap or someone just out to enjoy swinging the sticks with friends, you are sure to find what you are looking for in the course by the farms.