Impeccable and Affordable Golf Awaits You in Rochester, Minnesota

Imagine your favorite place in the world. It could be your hometown, your childhood summer getaway, or an exotic vacation spot. Then imagine that place even friendlier, cleaner, and easier to get around. The 85,000 residents of Rochester, Minnesota don't have to imagine at all, as they are already living in a Midwestern utopian paradise. As home to the always thriving Mayo Clinic and IBM, Rochester finds itself in an economic bubble even amidst times of uncertainty. What is not uncertain is Rochester's unwavering commitment to providing its residents a slew of diversified golf properties that will not only test your skill, but confirm your love of the game.

Within a three day whirlwind adventure over Memorial Day, I was fortunate enough to sample four stunning layouts all within 20 miles of each other. But again, even more important than the quality of the golf was what I experienced between rounds- an ultra friendly city that embraces what Midwestern values are all about.

Day one of the trip provided the starkest contrast in styles as my morning round was played at Soldier's Memorial Field - a pre-depression era country club-esque design set in the heart of Rochester. This course oozes of history, and that's before I got the lowdown from Rochester golf steward Dave Richardson. "The golf course was opened in 1927 and in 1944, President Franklin Roosevelt dedicated a plaque on behalf of the American Legion to the Mayo brothers, Will and Charlie, adjacent to the 3rd hole in a ceremony that was attended by 75,000 people," stated Richardson.

I had the pleasure of playing all 18 with Dave and his warm personality and willingness to share his "office" with me truly added to the experience. Every hole was not only filled with a great view but a greater story as well, like this nugget: Rochester Golf & Country Club and Soldiers Field Golf Course were both built at nearly the same time, 1926. While the architect of Soldiers Field is unknown, noted golf architect A.W. Tillinghast designed Rochester Golf & Country Club. Yes, the same A.W. Tillinghast who designed Winged Foot, and Bethpage Black. Soldiers Field is so charming I wish I could take credit for its design, but the fact that I'm 34 and the course is 82 years old would probably be a dead giveaway.

Speaking of giveaway, I gave up one too many shots to par on the holes impacted by the Zumbro River. The life line of Rochester bobs and weaves through the property but really only affects three holes. Dave Richardson believes having a river run through it adds to the challenge and fun at Soldiers Field. The Zumbro River challenges golfers on the par-3 5th hole, the par-5 9th, and 18th holes. On the 5th hole it captures wayward slices and on the 9th and 18th it provides strategic choices to golfers of all abilities as they are forced to decide whether to gamble or play safe with a lay-up shot. Regardless of how the previous holes have been played, no lead is safe until the river has been crossed on the final hole of each nine," explained Richardson.

Of all the stories and antidotes Dave regaled me with, two numbers stood out among all others: Soldiers Memorial Field hosts just under 40,000 rounds per year even in a climate that is just a touch finickier that Wisconsin's. And more importantly, Soldiers Field charges only $25 to walk 18 holes. As Richardson put it, "Our prices are kept low by our commitment to provide quality, affordable golf to Rochester citizens and visitors."

Consider it mission accomplished.

I went from classic to contemporary thanks to a 16 mile drive straight west on Hwy 14 that led to Somerby Golf Club, a Tom Lehman and John Fought design. The course may be 70 years the junior of Soldiers Memorial Field, but it also harkens back to the origins of the game. These origins are deeply rooted across the pond, as the name Somerby comes from a small town in England. Somerby is traditional links style golf at its finest, with tufted mounds and sculpted bunker complexes that frame every putting surface. With nary a tree on the property, Somerby's main defense is wind and a clever mix of sloped and speedy greens.

Somerby is a private course but offers a wonderful reciprocal program for members of other country clubs. I recommend taking advantage of their program because then you can say you played a Nationwide Tour stop. Yes, from 2004-2007 the future of the PGA Tour teed it up at Somerby. In fact, I was paired up with two nice guys from the Mayo Clinic who were patrons at the '07 event. They were quick to point out how the Nationwide Pro's raved that Somerby was in the best condition of any course on tour.

High praise for sure that Somerby's General Manager Brian Jones is thrilled to hear. "The Nationwide event was a wonderful experience for the entire facility. From the staff to the ownership it presented our facility in the most positive light and provided significant exposure to this area and our product. Personally it was the most fun I have ever had in this golf business. To watch arguably some of the best players in the world who have now become household names like Brandt Snedeker, Boo Weekly and Jeff Quinney play this golf course and rave about the facility brought a lot of pride to our entire team," stated Jones.

You often hear golfers use the following excuse for why they don't belong to a country club: "I would get bored playing the same course over and over again." Well you don't have that excuse at Somerby thanks to a clever scorecard design. The gold or back tees at Somerby measure 7209 yards, while the silver tees come in at 6728 yards and the bronze chime in at 6205 yards. Or you can play the perfect combo of the silver and bronze by following the circles on the scorecard and play from 6504 yards. I believe that most 80s and 90s shooters will find Somerby most enjoyable from that hybrid set of tees.

No matter what set of tees you play from, the following holes are tour-quality nominees according to Brian Jones. "A couple of my favorite holes on the course would be the par-4 10th because of how it goes out and down the hill from the clubhouse. It is very stunning and also very challenging and makes you keep your focus as you begin the back nine. I also enjoy #16 solely because of its difficulty. It challenges the golfer from the tee shot through the green typically playing with a hurting wind. The hole plays very long leaving a lengthy second shot into a two- tiered green with the potential for fun and difficult pin positions," stated Jones.

When visiting Somerby make sure to take advantage of an incredible slew of amenities that include a massive driving range, stunning locker room, and finest shrimp bisque west of the Badger state. For more information on Somerby, visit their website at www.somerbygolfclub.com or call them at (507) 775-3700.

Day two featured a highly enjoyable round at Northern Hills, a gorgeous 6300 yard parkland golf course that is operated by The Board of Park Commissioners. Maybe it was the crisp morning air that made the course ripe for scoring, or maybe it was enjoying a pre-round breakfast sandwich larger than my head; but something about Northern Hills made it memorable. Even though Northern Hills receives a ton of play it was in immaculate condition. It didn't take me long to realize that this was the type of place that everybody knew your name and you were glad they did.

Nearly every hole plays either up or downhill and requires you to master some form of imperfect stance. But for the most part everything is out in front of you, except for a few holes that show you only what you need to see so you won't be intimidated by their entirety. It doesn't take long to put this theory to the test as the 381 yard 1st is an up, up, and away dogleg right that reveals a stunning sunken green. It's not often that a course's opening hole is so ridiculously good, but at Northern Hills it's par for the course.

Other holes of significance include the par-5 6th, which is one of Assistant Pro's W.W. Watson's (a.k.a Watty) favorites. "I love the 6th because the hole presents so many options. The key to this hole is that the green is not designed to take a long iron or wood, so you have a better chance making birdie with a wedge in your hand trying to go for it in two. But with that being said, if you bomb a drive around the corner of the dogleg you almost have to go for it," stated Watty.

The 504 yard 6th starts a brilliant collection of par-5's at Northern Hills. All four holes are between 486 and 520 yards and give you the opportunity to reach them in two with two mighty strikes. The great news is even if you can't reach them in two you should be able to birdie at least two of them with a sequence of three quality shots. And that's the attraction of Northern Hills, there are no gimmicky holes out there. Or as W.W. Watson puts it "Our patrons love the fact you can hit driver on par-5's and you can hit a driver or a fairway wood on most of the par-4's. The real toughness at Northern Hills is found in the greens as you must stay below the hole at all costs," explained Watty, Northern Hill's Assistant Pro for 16 years.

And that's the final fact of note, the staff at Northern Hills is a veteran group and proud to be so. Jake Manahan, the course's Head Pro has been leading the way for 33 years while almost everyone else on their staff has at least 10 years experience. Heck even 18 year old Matt Van Teicher has been there over a third of his life. Even though I was there for only one day, it's easy to see why so many people would want to stay at Northern Hills for so long. For more information on Northern Hills, call (507) 281-6170.

Finally it was off to Eastwood GC, the biggest surprise of the excursion. If I had an award for the "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide Course of the Year" it would clearly be Eastwood's to win. Two tremendous nines await the golfer looking for polar-opposite playing experiences at the same property. Eastwood's Jeff Gorman, who puts the pro in professional, describes the front nine this way: "The original nine holes, which is now our front nine, was built in the 1960's and has a northern Minnesota feel due to the tall mature pines. The front nine has a mix of length, elevation change, and small greens which make it very challenging for all skill levels, stated Gorman. What Gorman forgot to add is that the omnipresent pine trees make Eastwood the best smelling course in the Rochester area as well.

Hopefully you're a voracious reader of all MGM's, so you saw last issue's Chip Shot that detailed the opening of Eastwood's new back nine on May 16th of this year. If not, all I can say is WOW! Once my golf cart crossed Eastwood Road that bisects the course I felt I had traveled into another dimension. The 3525 yard inward nine plays through some of most distinctive sets of old oak, maple, and hackberry trees you'll ever see. Throw in wild elevation changes and a smattering of water features, and Eastwood's back nine can best be described as nine consecutive signature holes.

Jeff Gorman believes that every hole on the back is unique, but offers these thoughts on his two favorites, numbers 14 and 17. "#14 has a little bit of everything as it plays over 600 yards from the black tees. The hole is an uphill, slight dogleg right with a tee shot that must carry a water hazard. It's a true three-shot par five. As you approach this well-bunkered green, your work for birdie or par or perhaps worse is not over. A long, skinny, undulating green has three-putt written all over it. When you finish the hole, always look back down the fairway and admire the true beauty," explained Gorman.
"Hole #17 in my mind is arguably Eastwood's signature hole. This par-3 is played anywhere from 100-203 yards straight uphill. The tee shot is played up a narrow shoot of mature oak trees and must carry several bunkers. The large undulating green makes par a very difficult score. Definitely the best view on the golf course," concluded Jeff Gorman.
Often times new properties garner attention only because they are . . . well, new. Eastwood GC is clearly opposite - just like the difference between the nines. Eastwood GC gets my vote as an "Out-of-the-Way Must Play" and deserves some serious accolades in the future. For more information, please call their pro shop at (507) 281-6173.