The Bridges Of Winona – Over And Back

The Stillwater Oaks Golf Course is one of those hidden gems that has been plugging away delivering great value and an exceptional customer experience for years. Through the ups and downs of the golf industry swings, it has survived and thrived. In the last several years, under the management of the SVN | Northco team, they have upped the ante and are bringing an excitement and high-level of quality play to this classic Stillwater area course.

Chris Kubesh of SVN | Northco is one of the champions behind this resurgence in an effort to create higher ‘value’ and a playing experience that over-delivers across all playing levels, from first-timers to the scratch handicapper. The 18-hole championship, par 71 layout brings an incredible variety of holes into play, and the recent investments by Chris and team only make those holes more playable, and more interesting. It doesn’t hurt that all this is wrapped up in an overall ‘up north’ feel where there are almost no homes or outside distractions that come into view.

The course originally opened as a 9-hole track in 1975, eventually expanding to the current 18-hole configuration. There is a welcomed maturity factor when playing Stillwater Oaks that one appreciates while moving between holes. There are several stretches where those broad, 100 year-old oaks come in from the sides of the fairway then the next hole will present you with rolling berms and split fairways. It all adds up to a challenge that players embrace and enjoy in a variety of ways.

The course has some truly interesting holes and will make you stop and ponder the old risk-reward paradigm. Right out of the gate the par 5 first places a towering cottonwood right in front of the wheelhouse landing area. Do you go for it? Or give yourself some room to work a long second shot around that tree. Oh yeah, there is also a creek that crosses the fairway, not once, but twice. Great stuff. Hole #2 has had some of the fairway sand bunkers reconstructed into grass bunkers giving players a bit of a break but also creating a more interesting shot selection. Continuing on the front nine, holes #4 and #5 utilize a beautiful pond in different ways. On the long par 4, fourth, the pond is hidden and those inclined to pull the ball (I’m looking at you right handers) will find that pond as they come over the hill… oops. On the par 3, fifth the pond represents a forced carry but more importantly one of the prettiest elevated tee shots in the eastern suburbs.

There are several renowned cut-the-corner type holes at Stillwater Oaks. Again, you have to ask yourself is it worth it? Of course it is! Check the wind direction and let it rip. The par 5, seventh has such a corner and without taking the risk you will not get home in two for the coveted eagle putt. In fact, it still takes two great shots to make that happen. The other corner-cutter is the short par 4, twelfth. Honestly it doesn’t make any sense to go for it here. The green is reachable with a long drive, but there isn’t very much wiggle room around the postage stamp green. A miss to either side and you’re dropping another ball. With that said, plenty of hero-shot knuckleheads like me go for it.

The back nine winds down with a wonderful variety of holes and yardages. The short par 4, fifteenth is one of my favorites as it steadily climbs uphill to a flat green tucked into a set of berms. The par 3, sixteenth will have your closest-to-the-pin money on the line. The par 5, seventeenth is long but wide-open, so you will be teased into over-swinging here but the fairway has some width and a good driver followed by a strong 3-wood will get right up to the dual level green for an easy up and down. Like most of Stillwater Oaks, it plays fair. It’s designed to reward good shot making and penalize bad decision-making. The round closes with a great split fairway that should give you an elevated view of the green sitting down in a bowl at the end of a long second shot. The green is large, but quite tilted, if you can stay under the pin you can close with a great par.

The SVN | Northco Golf & Hospitality team is truly committed to continued improvement and delivering on its promise to create great value for all levels of play. By the time this article goes to the newsstands, the new GM should have been announced and the season well underway. With a host of daily play events, a number of on-course upgrades, a redesigned pro shop and a wonderful patio to enjoy a post-round refreshment, there are plenty of reasons to play Stillwater Oaks Golf Course. Enjoy the great variety of holes and exceptional service.