There’s a golf course out in Buffalo that may be off your radar. But it’s definitely front and center on mine. At a time when everyone seems to be trying to squeeze every dollar out of everyone’s pocket, Wild Marsh seems to almost be going the other way. “I call it un-flation,” General Manager Eric Hart says. “More value for less money than everyone else around you… that’s the everyday goal.”

Whether or not Wild Marsh meets those marks is ultimately up to the public – up to the golfer – but it seems the majority agrees. With record numbers of Public Country Club golfers roaming out to Buffalo the past few months, research is sure paying off for the avid player there. Just this year, Kevin Unterreiner of Twin Cities Golf listed Wild Marsh as one of his “Top 5 Twin Cities Courses” – a massive compliment from a guy who would definitely know.

Visiting Talk Show Host and Magazine Editor, Darin Bunch (from Las Vegas) expressed his own impressions on several fronts. “Pleasantly surprised, in so many ways. On the food side they’ve got this incredible loaded grilled cheese called The GOAT, for less than $10. (Killer) The course is not only in a stunning lakeside setting, but is bentgrass throughout, and immaculately maintained, with super fun greens. I couldn’t be more impressed with the management, customer service, and the golf shop with that superb buffalo logo everywhere… it’s a private club experience that every public golfer has access to – a dream come true for someone as picky as I am about where my golf dollars go. I’d buy a season pass there tomorrow, and gladly spend my money there every day.” (Wild Marsh should hire the guy as their Marketing Director!)

I caught up with the General Manager on a recent visit and Eric immediately directed all praise to the maintenance team. “Our tee sheet isn’t full without them, it’s as simple as that. If you don’t yet know the name Jeffrey Meyer, you should. I don’t know of a harder worker or more selfless guy. We’re incredibly blessed to have him here. Honestly, inside and outside the building I’m surrounded by consummate professionals and genuinely great people.” He pointed at his Bar Manager (Sam) and Golf Manager (Hutton) both busy tending to guests. “People like those two running the show is an incredible luxury for a manager. Makes the job pretty darn easy.”

Eric goes on to praise the (relatively) new ownership (Wild Marsh used to be city owned) for the constant and consistent investments. It’s easy for anyone to see that the money is being spent in all the right places. “I’m grateful (the owner) trusts me and cares about the Buffalo community as much as he does. He actively supports every local team, all our leagues, and generously gives so much of his time and money to helping local causes and businesses. He’d rather fly under the radar, but I like to make sure he gets the credit for how much he puts into this place when he certainly doesn’t have to. I never take that for granted.”

Wild Marsh is a Par 71, that tips out at 6,550 yards, but the lengthy Marsh carries on several holes make it feel more like a 7,000 yard course. This year they added new signage on each hole – each hole named for specific attributes. Their signature Par 5 – 7^th Hole – is dubbed “Pebble Beast” for its similar arched shape and shoreline (to Pebble Beach’s 18^th hole), as well as the incredible difficulty when battered by the “wrong” winds. “That hole eats golf balls,” Eric says, “but it’s so beautiful we forgive it.” (Plus, it boosts golf shop sales.)

A tour around the Graham Marsh design reveals nearly a dozen fun holes, including two awesome Par 3’s – the 8^th hole on Mink Lake and the 16^th hole tucked into the distant corner of the property (called Cow Belle for the occasional intruding bovine). The hole signs alone provided plenty of entertainment with their names, like “Cart Path Only” on Hole 5 (called that because no one ever follows that rule – especially Chad Mead) and “Gary Anderson” on Hole 13 because so many players pull the ball wide left. (It’s clear someone had fun at the Vikings expense.)

There are a lot of great golf courses in Minnesota, and in the Twin Cities alone, but Wild Marsh stands out amongst them in the way that most of the other “best courses” simply can’t… value. Bottom line: Keep more of your money, so you can spend it more often there. That’s “dollars and sense” the Wild Marsh way.