Roll Call - MN contingent? (Part 1)

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Not sure if anyone else would care, but it might be good to get it out of my system and after this I’ll try not to shit on it again.

Alrighty, I’ve decided on the rating scale GOOD, FINE, or BAD for each hole, and I’ll give my reasoning. This is a pointless exercise but I’m going to do it anyways for my own enjoyment.

#1:
FINE. Decent par 5, gettable and some strategy to it that I can’t say I hate. However, @MNLefty and I witnessed someone smash a window in the adjacent apartments. The course is a danger to society.

#2:
BAD. Boring ass par 3 with nothing going for it.

#3:
BAD. Water right and bunkers left. Nowhere to miss. Does not do anything for me. Boring green.

#4:
BAD. What a dumb par 5. Forced layup off the tee. Way too much water and then a cartpath that runs directly through the middle of the fairway. Decent green but the rest kills it.

#5:
GOOD. Interesting green, risk-reward, plays some tricks on my eyes. Probably my favorite hole on the course.

#6:
BAD. A 200 yard par 3 all over water that’s somehow uphill? Why?

#7:
FINE. Like the green and surrounds, tee shot is fine. Idk kinda forgettable though.

#8:
GOOD. I like the look from the tee. Green is solid. Fun little hole.

#9:
GOOD. Reachable par 5 with crazy green that I enjoy.

#10:
FINE. Green surrounds are good. I like when the pin is directly over the front bunker. Nothing special though.

#11:
BAD. Trees left, water right, with a cartpath that leads directly into it. Power lines in view and my tee shot never being in play makes me feel like I’ve been electrocuted after this hole. Hate it.

#12:
GOOD. Like the tee shot. Tough but fair. 3 good shots usually to make par.

#13:
BAD. Way too narrow for that many god damn trees.

#14:
BAD. Boring ass par 3 again. Boring green

#15:
BAD. Shitty par 5 with too many trees. Chipping out sideways if you miss anywhere basically.

#16:
GOOD. Like the look from the tee with the tree there. I guess I like tress in front of par 3 greens?

#17:
IN THE DEPTHS OF HELL. Fuck this hole. Takes forever to play because everyone hits it in the water at least once. The fact that the course is named Edinburgh USA and has a clubhouse that looks like a goddamn castle, but has a legit island fucking fairway and water or OB on every hole is awful. Whose idea was this?

18:
FINE. Decent green, not much else going on but it’s not bad.

In my made-up rankings of holes at Misleading Name USA, that’s 9 bad, 4 fine, and 5 good. So, half of them are holes that I really don’t enjoy. Add in pace of play and how many balls I usually lose it’s not a fun experience. It’s usually in good shape and the price is fine as well so can’t complain there, it’s just not enjoyable for me.

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This seems…problematic. Playing slow is the absolute worst, but if your group sent one through their chutes, I’m not sure they would go looking for the ranger.

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Some of you might think to yourself, “Valleywood is right there. The tee sheet is wide open. It’s a bargain.”

Well, it’s a case study in just-because-you-can-open-doesn’t-mean-you-should. It’s weeks away from being palatable.

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who all has the stonecard? and are you also afforded this friday off of work? im gonna see what the tee sheet looks like, but figured it made sense to throw out an APB for this Friday. cant beat a free (albeit prepaid) round in what appears to be great conditties.

i know @freesypop is a member and @charvey and @tj_denawli have cards. @OscarDeLaGorga ? who else we got out there!

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I am a proud card holder

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I also hold a card.

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I got one but will be golfing with the wife on Friday before heading out of town. Enjoy Stoneridge!

Also, played Pioneer Creek yesterday and those greens were rolling great right now. Fairways a little rough but definitely could deal with to have some nice greens in March.

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2021 Match Play is officially underway! Congrats to @Kolby for moving on and condolences to @cmlink47 for his short lived participation.

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Just because holes are tougher doesn’t mean they are bad holes in my opinion. Sometimes there is beauty in getting your ass kicked every once in awhile. This course isn’t a pull out your diver and requires a little more strategic approach. Definitely tough the first time you play it though.

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Truly don’t mind tough holes. I think I was too hard on the 3rd hole there, that one’s not THAT bad. 7 is tough and I enjoy that one. 12 is tricky too and I like that one as well. The 3 holes in the woods and 17 all just stink. I don’t mind getting my ass kicked by getting ejected on the greens or even off the tee if I don’t lose a ball, but it feels sadistic to enjoy getting your ass kicked from losing 5 balls a round in manmade lakes.

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I’m a Stonecard holder as well, and have Friday off, but unfortunately agreed to play elsewhere just hours before I heard they were opening up. Looking forward to getting out there early and often this year though.

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After all my defense of Edinburgh/Misleading Name USA, these are pretty good takes, @kirkeide1. I’m glad you like #5 because this is one of the better (?best) drivable par 4s in the metro. It may be because I had a 2 putt birdie the last time I played there, and is probably the only time I’ve had an eagle putt on a par 4. But I’ll take a shot at another useless exercise in defense:

#1: FINE. agree, would add that losing a ball 3 yards into the left rough in leaves in the fall also sucks.
#2: FINE. basically true but green is interesting enough to make it FINE. I do hate par 3 second holes - makes play even slower.
#3: GOOD. As with #15, this hole is too hard. I’m also too short to worry about the last bunker on the left. Also a far right pin makes the hole very interesting. One of the nerviest shots in metro golf is a chip/bunker shot from over the green back to a tucked-right pin with the water not far beyond. But if you make par/birdie, (doable), you feel pretty damn good.
#4: FINE. Some guys (not me) don’t HAVE to lay up, they can carry the water on the right. Also, there is a little room between the left bunker and water if you want to hit driver, but that is usually dumb. I like the 2nd shot because it’ harder than it looks because the fairway slopes to the water. Great match play hole.
#5: GOOD. agree.
#6: FINE forced carry sucks, but green is big and receptive, and bailout options left - the shot from the bunker isn’t that bad…par is a really good score.
#7: GOOD. Stout hole, drive is easier than it looks from tee, approach is much harder than it looks. Totally agree about green and surrounds - pretty penal if you miss the green.
#8: GOOD. agree, but the slope up to the back shelf of the green is a bit extreme, especially from the back bunker…
#9: FINE First hole I’d rate worse - around the green is fun, but green contours pretty extreme, and first 400 yards of the hole not so interesting.
#10: GOOD. Maybe my 2nd favorite hole on the course. Many people are saying it reminds them of the drive on Pacific Dunes #1 and the approach on Pacific Dunes #2.
#11: BAD. Looks easy, is not, and the right water/cart path comes into play WAY too much. Hate it.
#12 GOOD. Tougher drive than it looks, great hogsback green complex
#13 FINE. Left trees suck, but can layup short of right bunker if you’re worried. Green so long it makes it interesting.
#14 GOOD. Many options given green complex. I like the collection area long right. Probably upgraded to GOOD because I once birdied from the right bunker.
#15 FINE: (would be bad, if not for the green complex which barely saves it from bad). No water, and somehow it’s the hardest driving hole on the course Basically the fairway is turtlebacked AND surrounded in trees that mean death. So let’s build a bunker at 250 yards that juts into the right fairway!!
#16: GOOD. Does Keller #4 do short par 3 with tree in front better? Maybe?
#17: FINE. Agree with kirkeide but c’mon! Something has to bring the people out. And fairway is bigger than it looks from tee. Does suck to tease yourself into thinking you might finish in 3:50 only to find this hole takes 40min.
18: BAD. Not technically bad, but most boring hole on the course and a weak finisher, even if it is kind of the only dogleg.

8 GOODs, 8 FINES, and 2 BADs. And 5, 10, and maybe 7 are GREAT. If the wipey fade rears it’s ugly head it can SUCK, but then I can look forward to the Vietnamese place down the street that has good noodles.

…well that was fun - gets me pumped for my match against @TheRightSide (at Edinburgh, of course!)

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@kirkeide1 @ErockMN

I admit fully I lean toward @kirkeide1 ’s takes in regards to Edinburgh

BUT

One thing that was not discussed (and maybe this is a me problem) but a part of what makes 3 frustrating is not just water right and bunkers left but as someone a little earlier in my golf life compared to others, the tee box on 3 messes with my head a bit too. Standing with trees and bushes to both sides leaves me feeling a little claustrophobic.

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Edinburgh is heroic and penal in many spots, and it’s OK if that’s not your cup of tea (also what makes it great for match play). There is usually more room to miss than it appears (17 fairway is plenty big for example, just doesn’t look like it from the tee).

I’m a 10 capper and used the same ball for the entire round yesterday, it can be done.

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It is usually in great condition, and there are some good/great holes out there (1,2, 5, 8, 9, 10, 18 are all holes I greatly enjoy) but give me Victory Links, Keller, The Royal, The Wilds, or Deer Run over it every time.

At the ends of the day, it’s a fine course but not for me :man_shrugging:

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#yotb

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Reminder that we have two spots open for Friday. The forecast is sunshine and 60, please let me know if you’re interested.

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The early departure simply means…I have more time to prepare for next year!

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I am in. If a group in the tournament wants to play their match along with you guys I can bow out but would love to share my first round of the year with some refugees.

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