The Bridge To Bristol Ridge

Not sure what it is about Western Wisconsin, but it seems to have a knack for producing top-notch golf out of its rolling, undulating landscape while keeping an eye on the rural charm. Up and down the St. Croix River Valley, courses dot the map with their mature trees, natural water features and twisting, roller-coaster fairways. Bristol Ridge Golf Course is one of those beauties. It lies just outside of Somerset along the Apple River. The new St. Croix Crossing Bridge, which opened last August has made access to this course much more inviting and whole lot quicker than it used to be. For that reason alone Bristol Ridge should be on your 2018 radar.

Bristol has always prided itself on its course conditions with well-rolled greens, player friendly tee boxes and well-maintained fairways. The whole layout with the driving range, practice green, parking and an excellent cart path system makes playing Bristol Ridge such a pleasure. The clubhouse is also designed and maintained with the players in mind – well-stocked but not over the top, comfortable but not stuffy, good food at a good price, good value, good quality. For all of those reasons Bristol continues to be a solid draw from the eastern suburbs with a reputation among golfers as a ‘go to’ course.

General Manager Mitch Gorres has the 2018 season up to full speed after a slow spring thaw. He and his team have been working hard to further upgrade select tee boxes and bunkers. They also took advantage of the tree damage from last year’s June storms to create a few more open looks on the fairways. Clearing some of those trees resulted in an improved pace of play and an overall atheistic uptick.

Considered to be a ‘player’s course’ the front nine opens with a classic first hole where a good drive will reward the long hitters with a possible eagle putt. It is designed to get the juices flowing because you will need it on the narrow, dare I say harrowing second hole. The par 4, second is not long, but it is certainly tight. How confident are you with the driver? If not, you will have a long second shot to an elevated, tilted green. After finishing that hole you will know it’s time to roll up the sleeves and get to work. The par 3, fourth is one of a collection of great par 3’s on this course. An elevated tee, a large green and at a 170 yards it always seems to pay longer than calculated.

The par 5, fifth is a tough hole, I’m not going to sugar coat it. It’s a sweeping fairway that arches to the right and is just curved enough that the next landing spot may be out of sight range. That means you’ll need faith in those distances and not try to cover too much ground in one swing. Definitely a par hole, but a birdie is going to require some excellent golf.

The back nine opens with a great par 4 that will have you dialing down your driver or swinging a solid 3 wood to avoid a natural fescue lowlands near the landing area. If done right you will have a wedge into the green – a very well designed hole. The par 3, eleventh is a high, elevated tee shot into a large green. Best to try to stay under the flag on this green. The par 4, fourteenth is considered one of the signature holes at Bristol Ridge because a strong drive will leave you with a wonderful downhill look into the green. You’ll need to carry a small pond and still stick that narrow green. Again, a nicely designed golf hole.

If you’re round is going well the last two holes give you an opportunity to finish strong. The short par 3, seventeenth is not difficult, I hate to say it is easy but you should be putting with a good look, especially if the pin placement is towards the right half. The par 5, eighteenth entices the gorilla swingers to try and cut the corner, but that isn’t needed to card a birdie. A solid drive and a long, straight second shot should put you in a birdy position.

Bristol Ridge will continue its fan favorite Big Cup Tournaments this year in both the Spring and Fall. In 2018 they offer a great Monday rate of $35 for all you can play or simply $25 for a round with cart. The clubhouse grill has added some new menu items and the coolers are always stocked with cold, icy refreshments.

Without the traffic problems of getting through Stillwater and the speed limits through Houlton you are now free to breeze right into Bristol Ridge. Those commute times from St. Paul and beyond are nothing. Thank you bridge project! So 2018 is the year to put Bristol Ridge on your regular monthly golf schedule and enjoy an outstanding day of golf.