The Royal Golf Club Part 1

The Royal Golf Club is the exciting new course that opened this year at the sight of the former Tartan Park, which was the sight of the former 3M private course.  3M has owned the property in Lake Elmo since the 1950s.  It first opened to 3M employees in 1963.  In 2012 it opened to the public but this only lasted until the end of 2015.  At that time 3M decided to cease golf operations citing decreased play and major spending needed to replace and repair course infrastructure, including the irrigation system.  During its former life it evolved from an original 9 hole design to a 27 hole routing.

In 2016 a bevy of developers all looked to snatch up the land for a new housing development.  However Hollis Cavner stepped in and ultimately purchased the land with a unique vision of not bulldozing the course.

Instead, the first metro course to open in 19 years took shape. (Canver also opened the second to the last course, the TPC Twin Cities in Blaine).  The course layout was trimmed to 18 holes and housing  was included into the 428 acre development.   Making excitement before the first back-hoe moved earth, the design was handed over to 2 people who would each do half of the holes. Annika Sorenstam and Arnold Palmer were tapped for the job.  It would turn out to be Palmer's last design project as he passed away in 2016 as the project took form.  The design work from Annika was her first US design.

The course is designed around a 300 unit housing development.  During its inaugural year the housing was not too distracting from the course.  I think the general consensus is residential developments with a golf course in the middle are often not a great golf experience, but at least so far I would say that the houses are not a deterrent from the golf.

The course itself features 5 sets of tee boxes, bent grass fairways, large landing areas, and some of the most devilish putting surfaces in the Twin Cities metro area.

Aside from the 18 hole course, there is a full driving range.  There is also a 6 hole short course located adjacent to the full driving range. The short course is free to people under 18 and a $10 donation is requested for those over 18.  The short course ranges from 34 to 98 yards for the 6 holes with a total of just over 413 yards.  This is such a great idea for growing the game!  I wish more courses offered things like this.  And to offer it free for under 18 is just brilliant.  Kudos to the Royal Golf Club.


Back to the main course, there are the following tee options:

Tee	Yardage	Slope	Rating
Royal	6,901	73.5	129
White	6,383	70.9	127
Gold	5,923	69.1	120
Red	5,390	66.5	119
Green	3,907	61.2	107

The front nine is the side designed by Sorenstam.  I think it might have the most interesting topography of any course in the cities.  There are plenty of elevation changes and many of the holes offer some tremendous elevated tee shots overlooking some dramatic holes.

Lets get into the golf.

Hole 1 Par 4

405 | 387 | 363 | 336 |240 yards

There is no easing into the round on the first hole.  A demanding elevated tee shot requires avoiding the water that runs all down the left side, while avoiding the tree lined slope on the right border of the hole.

The left rough off the fairway falls down into the water, while trees cut into the right and potentially block shots being played up that side.  A cross bunker juts across the fairway, visually constricting the landing zone.  That bunker is about 120 yards  from the green so it is reachable off the tee with driver.

While the tee shot looks tough, the landing area is actually fairly generous.  At the widest, the fairway is about 40 yards across.  If you can avoid that cross bunker, the second shot is a wide open approach to a green that is exposed in the front.

The green is essentially level to the fairway so running shots up is no problem.  A single bunker sits to the left of the green.  To the right is a very large collection area. In general the tee shot is the hardest part of this hole.  Success there leads to a fairly accessible hole.

Hole 2 Par 5

520 | 481 | 471 | 455 | 305 yards

The second hole offers one of the best vistas off the tee you will find during you round.  This par 5 makes up for its lack of length with another demanding tee shot.

From the tee you must avoid the wetlands with a forced carry to the fairway.  There is also water running up the entire right side of the hole.

Missing left brings trees into play.  The fairway here squeezes down within driver range.  It is a well designed hole in that you can be more aggressive and take on the narrowest part of the fairway for a shot to get on in two.  The other approach is to play back to the heart of the fairway and layup to around 90 yards from the green for an uphill approach to the elevated green.

Getting too aggressive on your second shot layup can be disastrous if you find the left bunker.  The approach into this green is obviously uphill with a bit of a false front.

This green is very deep and offers a bank on the right side to feed the ball back onto the surface,

A view looking from the back of the green towards the tee shows how uphill it plays at the end and how deep the green is.  Aside from the bunkers you can see as you play up, this green is unprotected.  It does offer a sizable chipping apron around the green.

Hole 3 Par 4

333 | 322 | 283 | 256 | 220 yards

This short par 4 offers the ability to go for the green off the tee but also offers a lot of trouble should you miss the elevated oval-shaped green.

From the tee you can see a bunker down the left that is actually well short of the green and is in play for those laying up.  To the right of the green is a deep bunker that rings that entire side.

A shot to the left of the green will fall off the steep bank there.  The back side of the green is similarly sloped.

A layup here is the smartest play off the tee but your second shot must be precise to hit the green and avoid any of the trouble.  The green is elevated a good 6 feet from the fairway so anything that comes up short will be repelled back to the fairway.

Hitting from the right bunker is not a good place to be.  It offers the narrowest angle of the green and anything long will run away off the slope.

Looking back from the green shows the generous landing area this hole offers.

Hole 4 Par 3

216 | 188 | 170 | 148 | 120 yards

The first par 3 is a longer hole that plays uphill.  A single bunker sits short left.  This guards the back corner of this huge kidney-shaped green.

This green is one of the larger ones on the course.  A front right pin is significantly easier than trying to get to the back left corner.  The green falls off to the left and front. It is also sloped back to front.

This green offers a view to the next hole, one of the prettiest on the property, the par 4 5th.

Hole 5 Par 4

362 | 340 | 308 | 290 | 220 yards

Another elevated tee here actually plays semi-blind over the crest of the hill.  You can see water off the tee but you have no idea how far that water comes into play.  It would be nice if the course added signage to define how far it is to the water. 

From the forward tees the landing area is visible.  The further left you play the further up the fairway you can go.  Playing to the right brings in the water depending on your yardage.  Also, a shot from here requires a forced carry on your approach shot to the green over the lake.

A shot down the center or right of the fairway challenges you to take on the water on your approach.  It also provides the narrowest width of the green.

This green is extremely wide but not that deep.  A spine bisects the green making putts from the wrong half of the green more challenging.  Sitting behind the green is the only bunkering on the hole.  Also, if you take an extra club to ensure carrying the water you can bring into play the naturalized grassy slope behind the green.

A couple of shots looking back up one of the most picturesque holes on the course.

Hole 6 Par 4

443 | 413 | 399 | 324 | 270 yards

This par 4 has a seemingly narrow chute you must play off the tee.  Water sits between the teeing ground and the fairway, causing a bit of visual drama.  Also across the fairway a large tree and bunker further shrink the appearance of the right turning dogleg.

For long hitters this hole should not be a problem.  Playing over the stand of evergreens is possible.  There is even room to miss to the left of those, though more trouble is in play over there.

From behind that stand of trees, the right side of the hole still provides an open approach to the green.

From the surprisingly generous fairway,  you have an uphill approach to a green with an apparent backstop.

 The backstop is an illusion however as this is a very large but somewhat domed green.  There is plenty of room to miss around the green as there is no sand in play here other than the single bunker visible off the tee.

This is a massive green with plenty of undulations.  A green in regulation does not guarantee a par here.

Hole 7 Par 3

220 | 181 | 163 | 154 | 125 yards

A beautiful vista to this longer par 3 is presented from the elevated tees.  The green wraps around the back side of a small pond.  A back right pin is a much harder location then a pin front left like I faced.  With the front left pin you have plenty of room to miss to the left away from the water.

This green is relatively level with the surrounding apron so you have a variety of ways you can play from around the green.

Hole 8 Par 4

437 | 407 | 381 | 371 | 245 yards

The 8th is one of the more open driving holes.  A dogleg to the right, you don't need to cut the corner too much on the drive.  Around the bend, over the tree on the right, a sloped ridge can kick tee shots here back onto the fairway.

A shot hit too far to the right will find the top of the hills here though, which is uncut rough.

At around 140 yards the fairway rises up to a plateau that runs level all the way to the green.  A drive that carries this slope leaves leaves an easy shot to the green.

The approach shot requires missing the large deep bunker front right.  This is the one place you absolutely do not want to hit to- so of course it is where I did.  This bunker is actually 10 yards or so short of the green, so if in doubt take an extra club to clear this.

Another bunker sits off to the left side of this deep green.  Missing either side, or deep of this green will leave a tough uphill shot back onto the putting surface.

A view of the green taken from off on the left while standing on the 9th tee.  You can see how deep the green complex is, as well as how that front bunker actually has a bit of room over the top of it before you reach the green.

Hole 9 Par 5

437 | 407 | 381 | 371 | 245 yards

The final hole on the nine designed by Annika is a  straight away par 5.  A shot hit down the left gives a better angle to go for the green.  From the right side, the mounding down that side, near the grove of evergreens, blocks you view into the green.

Another fairly generous landing zone off the tee is offered here.  Your second shot also plays to a fairly wide landing zone before narrowing down as you approach the green.

There are no bunkers to worry about as you approach this kidney shaped green.  It offers its longest dimension to shots coming up the hole.  However, a long approach into the green is not the easiest, as this is not one of the larger targets on the course. The green's small size makes up for its lack of defenses.

Speaking of defenses, missing to either side is not good.  There is not a lot of room to miss on the left, as the trees come into play here.

If you layup, the third shot into the green is one of the easier shots you will have.

Speaking of defenses,  Missing right is also problematic as a slope here kicks off wayward shots down a slope.  An uncut fescue area just right of the green and cart path makes even wider shots likely to be lost.

While this green is not enormous it still features a bit of undulation.  This makes putts across the green a bit of a challenge.

On to Part 2