[Jeff Shelman]

While many of you were watching the singles portion of the Ryder Cup, I opted to take advantage of a lovely Sunday afternoon and played golf at Midland Hills Country Club, a Raynor in the Twin Cities that hasn't gotten much attention on here. Much of the course is untouched Raynor, but three new holes were built several decades ago in conjunction with a clubhouse move. In addition, I just learned the other day that two other greens were moved around the same time (something I didn't know and was surprised to learn since they play like other greens).

The club, which I recently joined, has done a very nice job with tree management when compared to many other clubs in this part of the world, where people really love their trees. Since about 2005, about 700 trees have been removed and some more will come down this summer. There are very few trees around greens and, as a result, all of the greens get good sun/air movement.

The course measures 6867 from the back tees (black) and 6569 from the next set of tees up (blue). The tee shot photos that follow are taken from the blue tees.

I'm not the expert photographer and this is my first attempt at this, so take it easy on my lack of photo skills. I was simply trying to take advantage of a nice day with some nice early color in the trees and share an under the radar course.

No. 1: 337/327 yards, par 4. This is one of the non-Raynor holes and is probably the tightest tee shot on the course. Finding the fairway is paramount as the green is small and has three very clear sections. I usually hit my long hybrid or a 3 wood and have some sort of wedge left. The bunkers also look a little different here than the flat bottomed/grass faced bunkers elsewhere on the course.



From about 100 yards.



Closer view of the green.

[Jeff Shelman]

No. 2: 395/375 yards, par 4

This is a dogleg right that has OB on right. If you try to bite off too much of the dogleg, the hole slopes toward the OB and the approach is very challenging. The green is quite narrow and is pretty deep. There are fairly deep bunkers on both sides of the green, something that is common throughout the course.

Tee shot. The line for me is at the split-top pine with a little draw.



From 150. You can't really see the bunkers here.



From closer.



A view of the right bunker.

[Jeff Shelman]

No. 3: 417/410 yards. Par 4.

This hole features a slight turn to the right and a significant drop off and is way downhill to the green. The tee shot is challenging for me as a fade is the best play. For me, I need to start a draw over the big tree. The flagpole, which is visible in several of the pictures, is directly behind the green. Unless you bomb a tee ball, you will have a blind second shot.

Tee shot.



From 150. You can see that you can land a second shot short and have it run onto the green.



From behind the green, looking back up the hole.



Here is the bunker behind the green, this is not an easy up and down, so distance control on the second shot is important.

[Jeff Shelman]

No. 4: 143/138. Par 3.

This is also not a Raynor hole. It replaces the short that was lost in the clubhouse move. This hole is where the original farmhouse clubhouse sat. The green has significant slope and a GIR is only part of the battle as it is easy to three slap. During the recent MN Mid-Am, the final round pin was way left and several good players had problems keeping their first putt on the surface.

[Jeff Shelman]

No. 5: 483/475. Par 5.

Uphill par 5 where many tee balls hit into the hill, making the hole play longer. The hole slides to the left.

Tee shot



From the landing area. You can see the yellow flag just over the horizon and to the right of the aiming flag.



From around 150.



Right bunker, where you might want to avoid.

[Jeff Shelman]

No. 6: 539/522. Par 5.

This hole goes down the hill that you just went up. There is OB in the form of a busy state highway on the right. There is water that starts about 80 yards short of the green that you have to think about on your second shot.

Downhill tee shot.



From about 200 or so



From short of the water.

[Jeff Shelman]

No. 7: 193/173. Par 3.

Eden hole here. Bunkers short. Another bunker at about 2 o'clock. Drop off behind the green.



Just short of Eden bunker.



Over the back.

[Jeff Shelman]

No. 8: 371/333. Par 4.

A cape hole. From the blue tees, there are several options (driver left of the tree, driver or 3 wood over tree, fairway wood/hybrid left of the tree). The hazard is diagonal to the right of the tree, so choosing that line (especially from the back tee) means you have to make solid contact. My choice has usually been driver over the tree.

Before the tree program, there used to be a number of willows and other trees to the right of the current tree (some of which you can see on a Bing aerial). This is much better and much cleaner.

Tee shot.





The green is atop a big hill. You usually don't have a ton of yardage left, but shots that don't reach the green will roll back.



From about 40 yards short to show the amount of slope.



From behind the green.

[Jeff Shelman]

No. 9: 398/373. Par 4.

This hole is similar to No. 2 in that tee shots that attempt to cut too much and don't make the fairway go down a slope and leave an awkward approach. The line for me is at the bigger tree to the right of the big tree through the fairway.

Tee shot.



Approach.

[Jeff Shelman]

No. 10: 574/556. Par 5.

Frequently, par 5s are where you can pick up a birdie or at least count on a stress-free par. Not in this case. I find this hole to be very challenging. Much of that has to do with an elevated green that repels shots that don't get all the way up there.

Tee shot.



Second shot.



Third shot.



A closer look at the elevated green.



A look back.

[Jeff Shelman]

No. 11: 428/414. Par 4.

From the tee here, you can see just how close you are to downtown Minneapolis. This is looking back down No. 10.



This hole requires two well struck shots to get on a well-protected green. This hole plays into the prevailing wind.

Tee shot.



Approach with mounds short left and a bunker right.



Bunker right.

[Jeff Shelman]

No. 12: 237/222. Par 3.

Here is a Biarritz par 3. The turf in front is cut at fairway height with green on the other side. It's a hard par 3 that also often plays into the wind.

Tee shot.



From closer.



From just short.



A cross-section view.



From behind the green.

[Jeff Shelman]

No. 13: 394/388. Par 4.

Slight dogleg right with elevated green. This is one of several holes that have short grass around the green and doesn't go green-fringe-immediate rough.

Tee shot



Approach



Green surround

[David Harshbarger]

Jeff, too bad about the Biarritz and the tree on the cape.  Always seemed to me the cape is best when you are left to figure out how far to try. 

Great photos.  Thanks for sharing.

[Jeff Shelman]

No. 14: 453/422. Par 4.

A cool and challenging hole. Fairway is pretty wide, but most everything that is hit right of the center line will trickle down into the right rough. The green complex is unique, interesting and fun.

Tee shot.



Here is from about 150 out. You can just barely see the top of the flag over the horizon and between the bunkers.



Here's from even closer, making it clear that you hit your second shot and wonder for quite a while. Basically, you hit it over the bunkers and hope you see the ball vanish.



Here is from between the bunkers, looking down at the green. It is probably a 10-12 foot drop from the top of the hill to the putting surface.



Here is my bag next to the extended flag, giving an idea of how tall the flag is. Remember, you can barely see the top of this flag from back in the fairway.

[Jeff Shelman]

No. 15: 381/357. Par 4.

Shortish par 4 where you don't have to hit driver, but you certainly can. There is a hazard on the left that the long-hitting college punks might have to worry about, but I certainly don't. You're left with a short iron or a wedge into a green that slopes pretty significantly from back to front and from right to left. It's kind of delicate as you often have the ball above your feet.

Tee shot.



Approach.



Slope of the green.

[Jeff Shelman]

No. 16: 212/197. Par 3.

This is an interesting par 3. It is kind of a redan as you can hit it to the right of the green and bounce it on and there's a deep bunker left. But there's also a very large mound front left that isn't present on many other redans. It's a unique hole.

Tee shot



A look at the mound

[Mark Johnson]

thanks for sharing Jeff.

#10 is by far my favorite hole on the course and one of my favorite par 5s in the cities

[Jeff Shelman]

No. 17: 547/529. Par 5.

Decent par 5. Much of the protection is in the form of a green with a lot of movement. The miss into the green is left as then you have some slope to hit into.

Tee shot.



Second shot.



From 100.




No. 18: 365/354. Par 4.

A hole that is kind of similar to No. 15. Accuracy is even more important here as the driving range is right and something overcooked to the left can leave you blocked out. This is also not an original Raynor. And I only took the tee photo here.





Hopefully you enjoyed the photos. It's a fun golf course that shows the depth of courses in the Twin Cities as this is not considered to be one of the top courses. But it is still very solid and a nice mix of being fun and challenging.

[Jeff Shelman]

thanks for sharing Jeff.

#10 is by far my favorite hole on the course and one of my favorite par 5s in the cities

Mark,

Did you caddy here as well in the Mid-Am? Anything surprise you about the course? I think if you could take a greatest hits between Midland and MN Valley, you'd have a great Raynor.

[Jason Topp]

Thanks Jeff!  I was more focused on shooting a crappy score but very much enjoyed the course.  Some of the shots that stood out for me were the tee shot on the 7th to a left pin, the approach on 14, 16 and 17 greens.  I liked the non-Raynor holes you identified.  They might be on the best land on the property.

[Jeff Shelman]

Jeff, too bad about the Biarritz and the tree on the cape.  Always seemed to me the cape is best when you are left to figure out how far to try. 

Great photos.  Thanks for sharing.

David,

I don't think there's anything to be sorry about. I don't think the tree on the cape hole takes anything away. There's still the question on what line you want to take.

The biarritz would be cool if it was all green, but there is a mix on Raynors on whether it is all green or fairway and then green. Blue Mound, for example is fairway and then green.

[Jason Topp]

Pretty unique swale on the Biarritz.  It is very severe and angled to the tee.  Is a run up really an option?

[Mark Johnson]

thanks for sharing Jeff.

#10 is by far my favorite hole on the course and one of my favorite par 5s in the cities

Mark,

Did you caddy here as well in the Mid-Am? Anything surprise you about the course? I think if you could take a greatest hits between Midland and MN Valley, you'd have a great Raynor.

I did caddy here and I had played the courses before.

Overall, i like the course a good deal-- probably a bit more for a casual round than for a tournament.

I think the use of elevation and angles on the fairway is excellent.  And like any Raynor, the greens were excellent.    I thought the MGA set up the course much fairer than T&CC.   Given the very windy and dry positions, they avoided some pins which could have created carnival golf.   As I mentioned before, I loved the 10th hole and generally like the back a bit more than the front.

Only a couple things that diisappointed me a bit.   1)   I though the greenside bunker was rather inconsistant.   Would have liked to see some more depth here.   2)  not really a criticism of the golf, but modern golf.   On several holes, especially the short par 4s on the front, it seemed like the play was to take drive to take the fairway bunkering out of play for many player.   Not sure what could really be done about this, but for longer hitters, the course could be a bit bomb and gaugey.

[Phil McDade]

Jeff:

Great photos -- and a nice first-time effort. Looks like a great piece of land -- better than the land at Blue Mound, for instance. To me, the bunkering at Blue Mounds looks better than here, and it seems Raynor created more pure templates there as well. But I really like some versions of his holes here at Midland -- the Eden is really good, as is the Alps.

Tell us a bit about the greens -- any that stand out? And do the new holes mesh well with the Raynor holes?

Thanks -- good stuff!

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