Was a quick weekend trip. Drove up Thursday evening, played 36 at Deacon’s on Friday and 36 at Golden Eagle on Saturday and back to the Twin Cities Sunday.
Played Troy Burne and StoneRidge back in the cities. Was a nice week!
Deacon’s will always be my favorite course in the Brainerd Area!
How was Golden Eagle? I’d heard from a random we got paired with at Deacons that they’d been sold/under new management and that the conditioning had slipped?
I somehow haven’t made it out there yet this year myself. It used to be you could make a Sunday morning teetime there with little hassle, but this year they’ve been way booked up. And when the teesheet does open up in the afternoon its just as cheap to go play Deacons because their rate doesn’t drop like Deacon’s does.
Its a fun course but not somewhere I’m taking my mom or wife to play, at least not the back 9/whatever they’re calling the side that starts next to the range as they seem to swap 9’s back and forth in regards to what is the front and back.
It was in pretty solid shape when we played, but obviously a bit of a downgrade after playing Deacon’s the day before. Living out of state now, I only make it back to the cabin 1x/year for this guys trip and we rotate the courses we play (minus Deacon’s, that’s always a 36 hole day), so I hadn’t played it in about 5 years. Conditioning was good, not great, but I can’t remember what it was previously.
I’ve always liked that you can go play it almost anytime because it’s never packed, but it sounds like that changed this year. The tee sheet was packed all day.
They also allowed us to play as a 5 some…which most of the courses weren’t allowing this year, so that forced us to golf there this year, otherwise I am sure we would have played Preserve, Legacy or Classic.
Normally yes! This upcoming week we’re expecting a pick up for furniture donation (see you later wooden dresser I’ve had since 1989), so my timing is a little wonky.
Had that dresser almost as long as I’ve been alive!
bro your dresser has got 10 years on me
Seth, I have gym shorts older than you. Which is why I can’t swing a driver faster than 104 mph. Maybe I need to explore some “Coffee for Wellness” options?
Does anyone know of good public courses in the cities that offer season/summer passes? Still too young and too broke to join a club. I have a few buddies who do the Loggers weekender pass but was wondering if there are any others that are similar, I’m in St. Louis Park.
Public Country Club is the best deal in my opinion. At $55/month you get a bunch of Twin Cities courses plus some nice bonus courses in greater MN and WI. Meadowbrook would be the closest to you that is on there
Does there happen to be a spot still open? My Saturday just opened up and the weather tomorrow is looking too good to not play.
Do you have a number in mind you’d like to come in around? If you’re under 35 there’s some deals to be had.
Keller: $1,600
Stoneridge: $2,300
Royal: $2,500
Say what you want about the course, Royal in the fall was incredible viewing today. Stunning colors.
I personally love that course. Do people not like it?
The main complaint Ive seen in here is that the condition isn’t up to par with other courses in the same price range. I will agree that the fairways could be better, but the greens have always been fun. Plus, there was work being done on the short par 4 15th, that has played as a par 3 most of the year, that moves the green to the right side of the water. Looks like they are taking the steps to make back into a great short 4.
glad to hear they are fixing 15. I loved that hole originally but an inside source of mine said that they had to play it as a Par 3 because a person living on that hole was suing the club… 
Yep, exactly. It has some serious potential based on what they are doing. This picture of hole 2 is a small snapshot of how it looked today. Greens weren’t punched, once the fall rates kick in on Monday, $65 to ride will be a great deal. 
Played it last weekend and the greens were in great shape. Fixing 15 will be great, I just couldn’t get behind finishing par 3, par 3, par 5, par 5.
I just didn’t like that every green had 5+ mounds in it. I don’t mind difficult greens, but those felt gimmicky to me.
I was out there on Friday, was in very solid shape outside of the fairways and fringes being punched. Since Royal is the topic, I have a nit-picky complaint: On 18, a good drive even to the right of the bunker on the left side runs down off to the left, and your shot at the green is blocked by a giant tree. With how elevated and angled that green is to a runoff, seems a bit unfair, no? Bummed me out to “lay up” (or off to the side) from 180 out. Maybe just me, but just had to vent about my one good drive of the day being spoiled.
Ps. Definitely nothing to do with me being lone wolf for the win and losing because of it. Not at all.