Red Wing Golf Course – Fly Zone

Of the three courses on the River Valley Golf Trail, Red Wing Golf Course feels the most like a private (or at least social) club. The vibe in their popular Bar 19, and the back and forth forest corridor setup of the course just gives it that… feeling. (Really hard to describe.) You feel like you’re somewhere special, playing a course that should cost you a whole lot more. Fortunately, it is VERY public and VERY affordable (with great specials too – see below).

Courses go through seasonal ebbs and flows with their conditioning (especially in this area), but Red Wing’s greens never seem to change – smooth and reasonable, true and always super fun to putt on. One member volunteered that, “These are the best course conditions I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been here 30 years.”

The course itself is short, by modern standards, at only 6,200 yards, but that distance is deceiving – as many holes feel like they’re playing much longer. (This course is NO pushover.) Paul Byron, Director of Golf, says, “We have one of the toughest courses that I’ve ever played, but it’s also one of my favorites – a VERY fun course. You really have to think your way around.” That said, many of the elevated tees make the course seem shorter than 6,200 yards and the smooth rolling fairways and undulating greens give Red Wing GC a fast, fun and “different” experience. (Different in a good way.) Pair that playing platform with the surrounding scenery – the ridged and rugged sandstone bluffs, and oak/pine forests – and you’ll get a little more of that “exclusive feel” I alluded to earlier. I like it, and I think you would, too.

Some would call it “target golf,” with a premium placed far more on accuracy than on distance. It’s a game of positioning and outthinking inanimate objects (LOL) between long tall lines of trees. You wouldn’t think that would be hard but… it IS golf.

A few of my favorites from the front nine would be the Par 3, 4^th hole along the water and the Par 4, 7^th hole that comes back on the other side of the water. Those two approach-to-green shots are so much fun. The back has a geographical and geometrical triangle of holes at 13, 14 and 15 that go Par 3, Par 4, Par 3 in a super fun loop. I keep throwing that word around – “fun” – because it is a pretty, fun, course. I also keep hoping they’ll add a course tour to their website so everyone else can see these holes too. But, for now you’ll just have to imagine them or (better yet) physically come play them.

I especially like that Red Wing Golf Course seems like so much more than “just a golf course.” Bar 19 is open during the golf season and genuinely a fun place to hang out (even if you’re not there for golf). The locals come in for the full bar and sports bar setting with a menu featuring items like Blackened Beef Tips, Crispy Asian Chicken Wraps, burgers, sandwiches and salads. There are also daily food/drink specials (including a $7 Lunch Special everyday from Noon – 2:00 PM). For a more fine dining (and flip season) experience, head upstairs to the Brassie Spoon – an event space and non-golf season dining establishment – “Classic flavors with a modern twist, served in a comfortable setting.” The Brassie Spoon serves phenomenal small plates, full entrees and brunch throughout the off-season and caters excellently to all events.

I continue to be impressed at the consistency of quality service across all three courses of the River Valley Golf Trail. I know that they emphasize it in their brochures and advertising, but compare them to so many local courses and they definitely exceed the standards. I love feeling like a course appreciates my business (and money) and have never left a RVGT course with any sort of service complaint. Occasionally there are too many people in the Bar and I have to wait for a table… but that’s a good thing, no? I think it’s a great thing. It says others feel the same way I do.

Red Wing Golf Course, like the other RVGT courses, partners up with a few local hotels to offer some compelling Stay & Play packages: AmericInn of Red Wing and the Nichols Inns in Red Wing and Hastings offer great budget options. (With their Unlimited Golf Pass you can get even more exceptional values.)

The experience at Red Wing Golf Course has never been hard for me to describe. It is a peaceful round with an active vibe, a private setting without any stuffiness. It’s easy to see why people love playing here, and especially easy to afford playing here. All of that is good… great even. Come check it out.