The Summit Golf Course – An Elevated Experience
By E. Nolan
A friend of mine from Dallas/Fort Worth came up to visit at the beginning of June. He’d listened to me rave for years about how Minnesota was the country’s most underrated summer golf destination. “Fine,” he said. “I’m coming. I’m there. You just have to take me to courses that I can’t find at home. I want wild. I want elevation changes. I want fun and challenging. I want to play someplace that is well maintained, costs less than $60 to play (with cart) and someplace that I can get around in four hours.” (He’s a demanding dude.)
I took him to The Summit in Cannon Falls. The experience checked all his boxes. “There are some crazy holes out here,” he said. “Crazy good?” I asked. “Crazy awesome,” he replied. He sounded surprised. “I’d imagine this place would be unbelievable in the fall.” (He’s right.) The Summit has elevation changes in spades. It has drama around many corners, scenic shots next to rustic barns, water carries, some tight tree-lined fairways and… did I mention elevation changes?
You pull up (way up) to a clubhouse building that looks like an old fashioned country church. If nothing else, you have a pleasant vibe on the first tee – a vibe you shouldn’t lose the first two holes… as easy and straightforward as those two holes play. It’s not uncommon for a 10-handicap to walk off the second green two-under par. Then again, it’s not uncommon for that same player to be two-over par after three. (LOL. I may or may not be speaking from personal experience.) Three and four are tough holes, but while the course likes to hold you under, it always lets you come back up for plenty of air. Spinning off that water reference, there is ONE water hole on the front nine, and it’s a beauty of a Par 3. The peninsula green is pretty and fair, to the point you can almost putt to the green off the elevated tee. (Two more yards and I had it.)
As a golfer/photographer, I love the 9th hole at The Summit – it wraps adjacent a retro maintenance barn with water behind it. There are plenty of pretty angles to come into this green from, both as a golfer and as a photographer. Nine holes into his Minnesota golf experience and my friend was already smitten. “We definitely don’t have anything like this in Dallas.” (No. No, you don’t.)
Much like the front, the first two holes on the back give you great scoring opportunities. It’s obviously to your benefit to hit the fairways, and they’re not crazy-wide, but you can manage a stray ball or two here. Just not on 12 – the longest Par 3 on the course. 12 and 13 throw forest features at you that can severely impact your scorecard with a little misplaced lack of focus. My Texas friend asked me on 13 if this was the toughest hole on the course. “Nope,” I shook my head. “At least not on it’s own. It is however the beginning of the “famed” Devil’s Triangle – a five hole stretch (it’s a different kind of triangle) that includes “Satan’s Hole.” Yes, that hole is as hard as it sounds. If ever a player were to be okay with building a “golf snowman” it would be on this hole. They proudly tell you on their website that “This is one of the hardest Par 5’s you will ever play.” Zero exaggeration.
It should tell you something that my two favorite holes on the entire course are probably the 17th and 18th. The approach on 17 is probably my favorite single shot on the course (assuming, I can hit a 240-243 yard drive down the middle, leaving me in the ideal position to take on the green – DO NOT GO LONG.) And then 18… well, that beautiful hole gives you another great approach to a green backed by that gorgeous old-fashioned barn, with one of the more daunting carries in between.
I talked more about the individual holes than I intended to, but I wanted each of you to get a true sense of the experience my Texas friend had – an introduction like his to a course that gives you all the drama you can handle for an exceptionally reasonable rate (less than my friend’s $60 max at peak – with cart).
Want to get a little more trip out of this story, check out the drone footage on their website. Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention my son’s favorite nine holes at The Summit – their 9-hole Par 3 course. Legitimately less than 25 miles from the Twin Cities, if you ever want to try something fun (perhaps even new) or have an out-of-state friend in town you want to impress – take him to The Summit.
