Bramear is a 27 hole course in Edina, Minnesota with an additional 9 hole executive course as well. Being so centrally located it is always busy. The course is generally kept in really nice shape and despite the high number of rounds that are played here it is not too hard to get tee times.
I had a chance to play here with my dad, wife, and brother-in law a week ago Sunday. We played holes 10-27. The first 18 holes of the course were the first built and are more open and I think easier. The last 9 were added later and are a little bit harder with tighter fairways and more trees to get into trouble with. Holes 1-9 are known as Castle, 10-18 is Hayes and 19-27 is Clunie. Today we played from the white tees.
Hole 10 is a straight par 4 at 381 yards. Avoiding the driving range right and the trees left is the challenge on this hole.
Hole 11 is a dogleg left at 337 yards. Playing driver requires a shot over the trees on the left otherwise a long iron down the fairway offers a short iron/wedge to the green.
Hole 12 is a short par 3 at 120 yards. It plays even shorter with the massively elevated tees, some 100 feet above the green. The hole probably plays about 20 yards shorter than the distance indicated.
Hole 13 is a 351 yard par 4. Danger comes in on the right side where water is in play. The left has trees to contend with. The safe play here is a long-iron again with a mid-iron approach.
Hole 14 is a short par 5 at 476 yards. The tee shot should be placed to the left side of the fairway. The fairway slopes downhill if you get it out there to add a few more yards. Your second shot needs to clear a grove of trees on the right if you want to try reach the green. The safer play is to lay-up to the left side again, just avoid the pond short of the green.
Hole 15 is the hardest hole on this nine. It is only 396 yards but you likely should not try cut the dogleg left as the trees at the corner are over 270 yards to carry. Playing just right of the bunker on the corner is the best shot.
Hole 16 is another par 4 at 413 yards. The tees are slightly elevated. One of the most open tee shots on the course, just avoid the water on the far right and your ball will likely be fine. The left is open but will bring the trees lining that side into play.
Hole 17 is a 170 yard par 3 with a undulating green. Hitting your shot to the right spot on the green is critical as 3 putts are fairly easy to come by here.
Hole 18 requires a forced carry over water on your tee shot. The hole is not particularly long (300 yards) and you can play a long iron off the tee.
Hole 19 is a double dogleg 361 yard par 4. The fairway doglegs right but the green is back to the left over a hill. This green can be especially quick and offers a fiar amount of back to front slope. Avoid the right side off the tee as trees and water are along that side.
Hole 20 is a par 3 at 164 yards. Left has danger in play with bunkers and water off to the side. It is better to be short or right here.
Hole 21 is a hole where the tee shot is critical. At 351 yards it requires about 210 yards down the fairway to clear the right dogleg for a shot at the uphill green. If you don't hit your tee shot well, getting a par is a real challenge.
Hole 22 is a par 3 which is similar to the 12 hole with a massively raised tee box though this hole plays at 185 yards. The area around the green is more open than it can appear from the tee.
Hole 23 is the first of two par 5s in a row. This is a tight hole that you can not go left off the tee on. Missing right is no good either. The best played shot is to hit to the left side of the fairway. On your second shot you must play the dogleg right. Avoid the bunkers on the right side of the dogleg to have a short shot into the green.
Hole 24 is another par 5 that requires another accurate tee shot. Tress on the right and OB left require a straight first shot. Your second shot will need to carry a creek and your third shot is into a narrow but wide green with trees surrounding.
Hole 25 offers a respite from the narrow driving of the previous two holes. This is a short 129 yard par 3. The green is an island green but is very large.
Hole 26 comes back to the narrow driving hole variety. The toughest on this nine, it is a 377 yard par 4. Driver is too much off this tee. The best play is a 3 wood down the right side of the fairway. The second shot is a beast into a elevated green tucked back into the woods. A creek is in play 100 yards short of the green. I hit a terrible tee shot that hit a tree and left me too far to reach the green. I opted to lay up and then hit my third shot tight and dropped my putt for an unlikely par.
Hole 27 is a short 468 yard par 5 that is nearly identical to hole 9 here. The key is that your tee shot has a creek in play that requires you not to hit driver. A 3 wood is also potentially too much club. The smart play is a long iron on your first 2 shots. The green has 2 tiers so hitting the right tier on your third shot is key to not having too many putts to finish the hole.
A fun round. I shot an 80. With a 40 on each side.
No comments:
Post a Comment