Last week I once again ventured to the Links of North Dakota at Red Mike.
Man, I really like this golf course. I can’t quite put my finger on exactly why. Perhaps it’s the feeling of accomplishment from finally arriving at the place, a 3-hour drive for us.
Or perhaps it’s the remoteness and serenity one feels while out on the course. There are several vantage points throughout the golf course where one can look out across three or four fairways, see other golfers out there, but still feel as if you have the place to yourself.
Or perhaps it’s the land itself, the way it moves, heaves, drops, and rolls.
Or the “naturalness” of the golf course. I hate to use the word “minimalist”. I think the work “natural” fits this particular course much better. Architect Stephen Kay supposedly moved only 7,000 cubic yards of soil when building the golf course. I haven’t figured out where they get the water from, I assume it’s from the lake, though I’ve never seen a holding/settling pond.
I came across a really interesting article in Sports Illustrated on the history of the creation of the Links of North Dakota...
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1025188/index.htmFrom the course’s booklet…
"The Links of North Dakota is a Golf Digest and GolfWeek Magazine Top 100 Golf Course. The Links is also rated 4 1/2 stars out of 5 by Golf Digest Magazine and the #1 course in North Dakota!
The Links' breathtaking setting and immaculately manicured course, provide an ideal and unforgettable experience. One of the purest examples of links style golf ever built in the US. Play the game as it was intended to be played.
This natural, rolling true links design harkens back to the birth of the game - golf as it should be played- in a truly magnificent setting along the bluffs and banks overlooking sprawling Lake Sakakawea.
In true links fashion, uneven lies and wind will challenge every aspect of your game. Architect Stephen Kay moved a minimal amount of soil to create one of the purest links courses on this side of the Atlantic.
The Links of North Dakota is not merely for the highly skilled golfer, 5 sets of tees ranging from 5,249 to 7,092 yards will accommodate players of all ability levels."
Matt Ward has stated that he feels the Links doesn’t really get going until the par-5 seventh. I would politely disagree. The Links has me the moment I crest the rise in the second fairway and get my first real close look at Lake Sakakawea, named after the young woman who helped guide Lewis and Clark in their western travels.
The golfer quickly begins to traverse rolling terrain as one travels through the short par-3 third, and uphill along the reachable par-5 fourth. The course doubles back toward the lake on the par-4 fifth, and then parallels the lake on the course’s hardest hole, the par-4 sixth.
On the practice putting green I got to talking with a gentleman who lived about 50 miles to the north; he told me about some ugly weather that the region had gone through in the early winter.
After we'd teed off on the first hole, I walked alongside one of the greenskeeping crew as he drove his fairway mower toward the first fairway, and we had a short chat. He apologized for the conditions of the course, explaining that the region west of Minot had experienced some awful weather in the early winter, with temperatures of 30 below with strong winds and no snow cover.
I had the pleasure of bumping into Marv Kaiser and Dave McAdoo, two of the ownership group, in the clubhouse just as we were leaving for the drive home.
Here's another interesting article, this one of the auction held at Red Mike 6 years ago...
http://www.willistonherald.com/articles/2002/02/26/news/export4112.txtMarv apologized for the conditions, again stating that the region had suffered through brutal weather conditions in the early winter. He told me that they would begin overseeding the fairways in the next few days with a newer strain of bentgrass, one which he felt was hardier than the current bentgrass in use. All of which surprised me. I was under the impression that the fairways were of fescue. And, when Marv mentioned using a newer strain of bentgrass for the fairways, I instantly recalled some "pros and cons" of using bentgrass in fairways, which Duane Sharpe of the Blackhawk course (near Edmonton, Alberta) had discussed on another thread here on GolfClubAtlas.
"Boy, I could go on and on about the increased costs of planting bentgrass but instead, I will list a few items to think about.
Bentgrass requires not necessarily more fertilizer, but higher quality in regards to size of particle and releasing characteristics thus increasing $
Bentgrass requires more maintenance time in regards to verticutting, aerating, topdressing and grooming.
Bentgrass requires divots to be repaired on a daily basis on tees which recovery time is twice as long as bluegrass thus creating more unsightly turf.....also increasing the amount of staff to fix the divots.
Bentgrass requires 3X the amount of fungicides to protect from winter damage........and is 3X as suseptable to damage from diseases.
Bentgrass is more expensive to plant as it requires a minimum of 6' of good sand to plant into where bluegrass can be planted on native ground in most cases.
Bentgrass takes longer to recouperate from winter damage and disease if a harsh winter hits.
Today's Bluegrasses are able to be mowed at 1/2" creating a bentgrass feel and are much more resilient to our canadian winters....
These are just my opinions.
I have worked at courses which have bent tees and bluegrass tees and I would definately lean towards new modern dwarf bluegrasses if it was up to me."
Anyway, hopefully whatever transpires will help lead the course towards a healthier future. Conditions of the course last week were definitely tolerable. Winterkill was still obvious in patches in the fairways, but overall we thought that they were in relatively good shape. And the greens were great, rolling nice and true. Tee boxes were admittedly scruffy, but definitely playable.
~
I thought I'd provide a bit of a photographic tour of the course, with 6 holes in each installment.
To the front nine...
And hole #1...
The golfer is treated to a fairly easy opener, a par 4 of 407 yards which features a slight rise in the fairway. OB is present to the left, so one must be wary of that.
A slight downhill approach shot requires less club to a gently front to back sloped green.
Looking back from the 2nd fairway to the first hole...
Let's go to hole #2...
A short par 4 of 350 yards, the hole rises gently to navigate through/over three cross bunkers. The blind tee shot should be played over the center bunker.
Once safely past, the golfer is rewarded with the first good look at the lake, and the small skyline green tucked behind four greenside bunkers.
On to hole #3...
Distance control on this short par three is a must to avoid the five bunkers that surround the saddle-shaped green.
Hole #4...
This short uphill par five gives players an excellent chance at birdie. Tee shots should be aimed down the right center of the fairway as most shots kick left, giving players a clear view of the flag for their second shot.
Take extra club as your approach shot plays uphill to a two tiered green.
Hole #5...
Position your tee shot about 20 yards left of the fairway bunker.
Approach shots feature more good views of Lake Sakakawea.
Viewed from behind the green.
On to the 6th hole, with a wonderful view of the lake from behind the tees.
As the course booklet says, played into a west or northwest wind, this hole is brutal. The booklet says to favor the left center of the fairway off the tee, although the right side gives the golfer a better angle to the green.
Played as the number one handicap hole on the card, you'll need more club as your approach shot plays uphill to a long, narrow green.
The next installment will feature holes 7-12, beginning with a long uphill par five and continuing with two very distinct par threes.
JJ