Golfing Chaska Town Course

The Chaska Town Course is my favorite course in the Minneapolis metro.  I had the luck of playing there last Saturday with my dad, wife, and my brother in law Dave.  Dave has been out of town for years and it was really fun to be able to play a round with him finally.

Before the round the wife and I had lunch at the clubhouse.  Their restaurant is called Charlies Grill.  My wife swears they have the best onion rings in town.  They are really pretty good, this coming from a guy who isn't a fan of onion rings in general.  They are Parmesan breaded and served with a side of ranch.  My favorite thing about eating here is the view.  Absolutely top notch best view in town.  Look at this:

Overlooking the 18th hole, nothing better than to sit and enjoy a nice meal with the wife with this as the backdrop.  Life is good.

Onto the golf.  Dave and I played from the Green tees.  Those play to 6397 yards. 

Hole 1 is a straight ahead par 4 388 yards.  You need to start out straight right off the bat.  Left is OB and right falls downhill into thick rough.  Far right is the driving range.  Finding your ball amidst the driving range balls can be a challenge.  Hit at the right side of the fairway you can see.  The fairway slopes right over the hill towards the green.

 

Hole 2 is actually the number one handicap, I am guessing due to the length of  second shot.   The hole plays 426 yards.  The best tee shot is to hit to the right of the cross bunkers.  The bunkers are around 260-270 yards out so carrying them is not a smart try.  Hitting to the right gives you a mid to short iron to an uphill green.  The short and right of the green drops off dramatically and any shots hit there will be a tough play.

Hole 3 is a bit of a quirky hole.  A short par 4 at only 269 yards.  A large tree is in the fairway 185 yards out.  The best options are to either hit to the left of the tree and go for the green or lay up 170 yards out and hit a wedge over the tree to the green.  You can also play out to the right of the tree as the fairway does run out there.  The green is a blind shot from most of the fairway.  Don't hit short as a bunker will find your ball there.

Hole 4 is a short par 3 that requires precise distance.  It is easy to hit long on this hole at only 124 yards.  A deep valley in front of the green offers danger short and usually thick rough offers trouble deep.  Left drops off into the trees.  Hitting the green is important here as there really is not a lot of safety on any side.

Hole 5 is a decision hole.  A 331 yard par 4, hit to the right fairway 200 yards for a 150 yard approach shot over the water or hit to the left fairway.  The left fairway requires a carry over a creek before the fairway starts but offers a safer second shot to the green.

Hole 6 is a beautiful par 3. It plays to 154 yards and offers a wide but narrow front-to-back target.  The green has some undulations so hitting close to the pin is a big plus.

Hole 7 is the first par 5 on the side at 500 yards.  The tee shot is open and sets up for a second shot that will likely be a lay up.  Favoring the left side of the hole is the best play as trees on the right can prevent a shot at the green.  About 100 yards from the green, a deep gully with a creek cuts across the hole.  Layup short of this creek on your second shot for the safest play.

Hole 8 is a straight ahead par 4 at 383 yards.  A fairway bunker 200 yards from the tee and the left rough are the only dangers off the tee.  A couple of bunkers protect the front side of the green.

Hole 9 is a tough dogleg right par 5 that I always seem to have trouble off the tee on.  You can cut your tee shot over the trees right but don't go too far.  Left off the tee is an absolute no go.  A bunker complex lies directly ahead of the tee at about 240 yards.  Hitting it straight almost guarantees a second shot from the bunkers.  Once you turn the corner the second shot is the most open on the course since the 10th fairway is connected to the hole.  The green is an elevated surface well protected with bunkering in the front.

After the turn the 10th hole plays back adjacent to the ninth you just finished.  The bunker complex that was ahead of the ninth tee is in play down the left of the fairway.  Going right is a bad option as a grove of trees there will block your second to the green.  The best play on this 394 yard par 4 is right down the center of the fairway.  If you don't hit the fairway you likely will not par.  Enjoy the lack of water on this hole.  It is the only one on the back without.

After the tough 10th, the 11th gets even harder.  The hardest hole on the side, and in my opinion the hardest on the course, the tee shot requires you to be absolutely straight.  Left is trees and water.  Right is OB and houses.  The fairway gets extremely narrow at about 270 yards where the left side pond comes out.  The best shot on this hole is a 260 yard shot down the left side of the fairway.  If you get too far right, a grove of trees can get in your way.  If you can hit the perfect drive you'll be 170-160 yards out from a green with water left.  Par here is a really really good score.

The 12th hole is a 170 yard par 3 that offers difficulty all around the green.  Left is a pond and right is bunkered badness. The only safe miss is short right.

Put your driver away on the 13th.  This is 358 yards of trouble.  Aim at the bunker ahead of the tee.  It is 240 yards away.  From there it is around 110 yards to an elevated green with water right.  Another hole on this side where par is a great score.  I managed to hit my tee shot into the aiming bunker and miraculously hit my second onto the green.  I am by no means a good bunker player so that was a really nice shot for me.  I also 2 putted for my first par on this hole.

Hole 14 is a 166 yard par 3 that you absolutely can not go right on.  Water is in play on the right.  Left is a safe spot to miss.

Hole 15 is a par 5 at 482 yards.  Getting on the green in two is nearly impossible on this double dogleg.  Off the tee right is disaster here.  The best tee shot is to the center left of the fairway.  The fairway runs out at 307 yards on the left side.  From there, a creek crosses the hole.  On your second shot aim at the furthest large tree on the right of the fairway.  Your third shot will need to carry a pond to the green.  I really like this hole for the need to hit a variety of shots on a true three shot par 5.

Hole 16 is a short par 4 at 300 yards but is well guarded by cross and green side bunkers.  The best play is either right over the first bunkers off the tee or to the left of them.  That bunker is 180 yards to carry.

Hole 17 is a long par 4 at 450 yards.  A tee shot down the middle is always the best play and that holds true here.  Water lines the right side off the tee but ends under 200 yards out where the bunker visible from the tee is.  There is water/marsh left up towards the green.

The 18th is one of the great finishing holes I have played.  This par 5 is only 521 yards but requires play around the water of Dowd lake on the left the entire way around the hole.  Rusk Creek has a very similar finishing hole but the one at Chaska is a little more open off the tee. The best play here is to hit left of the farthest bunker visible from the tee.  If you can hit to there you have the option of going for the green in 2 with around a 200 yards shot.  You must carry the ball the entire way, either that or bail right to safety.  Playing the hole as a three shot approach allows you to hit mid iron on your second to the distance you want for your third shot.  Make a great putt and listen for the applause from those watching from the clubhouse patio!

Unfortunately when I played both Dave and I were not having a great time off the tee.  I only managed to shoot a 93.  One of my worst rounds of the year.  Still, to play my favorite course it cant be bad.