When I was playing Majestic Oaks Golf Club last month, it dawned on me that I’ve been playing there for almost 40 years. Yes, that’s quite a long time, but the thing is, I can’t say it’s a course I’m tired of playing. I first played there during high school matches as part of the now-defunct North Suburban Conference, and have been back for a variety of events like fundraisers and a short-lived annual tournament among friends called the “Mean Gene Open.” Each time I return, I realize the course provides plenty of challenges and opportunities to make a par as well as lots of good memories.

The golf course, located just west of Highway 65 in Ham Lake, has 45 holes: the original 18 now called “The Signature,” a second 18 called “The Crossroads” and a 9-hole Executive course. The Signature has five sets of tees that range from 5,135 yards to 7,300 yards from the back tees. As always, choose the correct tees for your group; each time you move up, you gain about 500 yards. Regardless of which you play, there are lots of challenging but fair holes.

On the front nine, there are six doglegs (5 to the left and one to the right). The two par fives, (#1 and #6) both require accurate tee shots. Trees guard both sides of the first hole and OB lurks down the left of the 6^th hole. One hole people might remember well is the sharp turning 5^th (my advice: hit a drive over the pine tree that looks like a “V”), but my favorite is the long par three 4^th hole. Its a tough hole where many would take a par and run to the next tee.

The back nine features more straight holes than the front, but is equally testing of your abilities. The par five 16^th hole has a slight turn to the left and an elevated green, and the 17^th hole, a mid-length par four, gets its difficulty from a severely sloped putting surface. Personally, I love the finishing hole; it’s a long par four with an expansive fairway. It’s a solid end to the golf course.

If you’ve played any golf this spring, you’ve probably heard about, or played on, some courses that didn’t fare too well this winter. While there is a small amount of winter kill on the fairways at Majestic Oaks, there was none on the greens. They rolled true and a putt struck solidly would hold its line. Head golf professional Adam Erickson, who has been at Majestic Oaks for three years, said there was even less winter kill on The Crossroads.

Talking with Erickson after my recent round, I learned about a great special they have. Each weekday, they have an 8:00 shotgun on The Signature course. The round of golf with cart and lunch costs a mere $34.95! If you’re a senior or have a patron card, it’ll cost even less. A deal that runs on the weekends (after 3:00) is what he calls the App Special where $35 gets you unlimited golf with a cart plus a free appetizer in The Oaks restaurant. Erickson hopes such deals will make locals remember the great place they have right in their backyard. “We want to make sure the homeowners in the area come here first,” says Erickson. With 23 different leagues playing Monday through Thursday, it sure sounds like he’s accomplishing that goal.

Even if you’re not a golfer, there are reasons enough to visit The Oaks Bar & Grill. They have bingo on Wednesday and Sunday nights, trivia nights and a new menu to boot. Catalina Pawlak, assistant to Chris Bettinger, the Director of Tournaments at Majestic Oaks, says the “food is spectacular.” Check out majesticoaksgolfclub.com to see that menu.

Majestic Oaks holds lots of events and weddings in its newly remodeled clubhouse, and also hosts over 150 tournaments each year. Bettinger says they are “the tournament leader” when it comes to golf course events. “We are #1 in customer service and can handle the volume. There is so much we can do here that other courses can’t, and we can do it for a much cheaper price.” Amazingly, they have room for more. “We just booked an event last week,” says Bettinger. Give him a call if you’d like to book an event.

No matter the reason, make your way to Ham Lake this summer and check out all Majestic Oaks has to offer. You may not have any memories of hitting three out of bounds like I did during a high school match (sorry, Mr. Rudd), or any stories from the once glorious Mean Gene Open, but those are mine anyway. Head over to Majestic Oaks and start making some memories of your own.