Playing Valleywood

First of all, anyone who has looked at my earlier posts, I usually store my images as large resolution files.  I am approaching the limit for Google's free blogging limit.  I either need to pay to add more space or keep my images smaller than 800x800.  For now the latter choice is the one I am going with.  Sorry about that.  Maybe someday I will spring for additional storage.

On a beautiful Sunday, I headed down to Apple Valley to play their municipal course Valleywood with my father and wife.

I had played this course one time before. It is actually pretty close to to my house and is a fairly interesting little municipal.  I am not sure why I don't end up playing it a little more often.

The key challenge on this course have to be the tree lined fairways.  There is not a lot of water or sand to deal with.   Don't be fooled with this being a muni.  If you can't hit it straight on all your shots it will eat you up.  The course is 6,407 yards and has a slope and rating of 71.8/122 from the back (gold) tees.

The course is currently getting a new clubhouse and the parking lot is a little bit of a mess.

The area around the course is a bit torn up too, including the area around the putting green:

Lets look at the course.

Hole 1 Par 4(349/330/302)
Starting off with little room for error proves the common theme for the round.  Right is heavily tree lined.  Left is more open but the hole falls away to the left. 

The hole rises as it turns right to the relatively deep green.

A view of the deep green.

Hole 2- Par 3 (153/136/121)
A shorter par 3 which is gaurded by 2 bunkers in the front and a hill that falls off deep.

My wife hit a crazy bunker shot out of the left trap here.  It took one hop and stopped dead right by the hole.  Not sure how she gets so much spin on her shots out of the bunker but it was an impressive par for her.

Hole 3- Par 4 (393/370/212)
A big dogleg left on this par 4.  The dogleg is about half way out.

At the turn the fairway drops down a hill towards the hole.  Anything hit near here will gain a pretty significant distance advantage.

After the dogleg the hole is dead straight to a small, elevated, green with no bunkers.

Hole 4- Par 5 (473/463/443)
This hole plays pretty straight away.  The right side of this hole is lined with trees.  The left offers OB at the edge of the property.  The flag you see from the tee is the aiming stick.

The fairway at the aiming stick starts a gradual descent towards the green.

The green iteself is the slightest bit left and downhill from about 200 yards out.

The green is fairly large and the left side has trees fairly close to the putting surface.

Hole 5- Par 4 (320/302/275)
Another dogleg left.  This hole is pretty open.  A few small trees on the corner of the dogleg can offer trouble but other than that this is an easy hole.

A long iron off the tee should leave a wedge to the green.  The green has a single bunker short right.

Hole 6- Par 4 (333/302/280)
A pretty par 4 with an elevated tee shot that requires precision to a fairway heavily lined with trees.

Lisa hitting one down the middle.

The fairway rises to the green, offering a blind shot into another green devoid of any bunkers.

The green is fairly large and without hazards but judging the distance from down the hill can be a challenge.

Hole 7- par 3 (184/160/130)
A mid length par 3.  There is water short and right as well as long

The green is wide but fairly shallow.

Hole 8- Par 4 (434/420/297)
The tee shot on this hole is daunting as it requires an uphill shot between two groves of trees on eith side.  Left is OK as long as you clear the trees although a rare fairway bunkers sits down the left side.

From the top of the hill, the fairway turns slightly right towards another bunkerless green.

Hole 9- Par 5 (460/450/405)
playing back parallel to hole 8, which is just off to the left, this hole turns gently left from the tee.  The grove of trees down the right has water within.  Left is a mix of small trees and the solitary bunker shared by 8.

A good tee shot will leave a slightly down hill shot to the green.  A good chance at eagle with no hazards near the green.

Hole 10- Psr 4 (386/376/317)
A dogleg right that has 2 ponds down the right side.

Playing too safe down the left will leave a long iron towards the green and bring the second pond more into play.

Hole 11- Par 3 (168/133/110)
A slightly uphill par 3.  The holw is flanks wide on either side of the green by 2 bunkers short.

Hole 12- Par 5 (474/459/265)
An elevated tee shot that must be kept straight between the chute of trees.

Once past the trees, the hole has water right but is still straight ahead.

The green is deep and unprotected.

Hole 13- Par 3 (200/165/135)
A long par 3 that requires a carry over water short.  The green is extremely wide and has a large bunker running across the front left half of the green.

Hole 14- Par 4 (356/337/322)
With stands of trees down either side and an extremely narrow fairway visible from the tee this is one more challenging tee shot.  A shot aimed to the right edge of fairway at the top of the hill is the best play.

Once over the hill, the fairway does open up a bit.  My dad had a bit of a problem off the tee and still had a long way to go on his second.

Once again, the green is deep and without any pesky bunkers.

Hole 15- Par 5 (506/472/388)
A narrow tee shot to a landing area short of water that bisects the hole.

The intent is to layup short of the water, or just over depending on your tee shot.

A good tee shot allows for another chnace to be on in 2.  I was able to get on in 2.  Without any danger from another bunkerless green.

Hole 16- Par 4 (400/380/288)
This tee shot is an enigma.  I beleive the intended play is to just carry the trees on the right side.  The trees down the left that come out into the fairway block a drive down that side.  Anything hit left will be blocked from the green by those trees.  Anything hit right brings water and trees in play but a shot over the trees on the right offers the only shot into the green.

The green is a narrow hole cut into the trees.  Surrounded right, left, and depp this green is deep and narrow.

Unfortunately, this green was fired crsipy.

Another shot at the green.  Pretty much destroyed.

Hole 17- Par 5 (418/402/365)
A par 5 that requires a shorter club off the tee.  The hole turns sharply left at around 220 yards. Forget about cutting the corner on the left as a pond is down that side, hidden from the tee.

The appraoch shot offers a rare bunker on the back nine.

Hole 18- Par 4 (400/367/305)
A final par 4 that doglegs leff after first carrying water.  A miss right is a better option than left.

The green is large and is tucked in behind a pond on the right and the clubhouse on the left.  One final bunker hides deep right.

There you have it.  A fun little municiple in Apple Valley, MN.  While it is often said golf is easy if you can hit it straight, on this course it can not be more true.  If you are on your game and can hit it straight and control your distances, you should be able to eat this course up.  If you are having problems with slicing or hooks, this course will eat you up with the infinite trees lining the holes.

Straight hitters have littel to worry about with the water hazards basically not in play and very few bunkers to worry about you can shoot a good score here.

I ended up shooting a solid 78.  Better still, I got to play with both my dad and wife on a beautiful summer day.