Golfing the Thief River Golf Club

This Memorial Day weekend I went back to my wife's hometown of Thief River Falls.  I always enjoy going up north to visit there.  This time was a little bitter sweet.  My wife's parents are planning on moving down to Minneapolis so everything we did was done with a sense that there might not be too many more times we get to do them.  One such thing is golfing at the Thief River Golf Club.  The golf course is a tale of two sides.  Partly because of the history of the course, partly because of the topography..  The course was built in the 1920s as a nine hole course.  Over sixty years later a second nine was planned and in 1993 it re-opened as a 18 hole course.

The front nine is a wide open layout.  Like most of northeastern Minnesota the course is flat and surrounded by farmlands on all sides.  The front nine reflects this and feels almost like a links style course when the wind is up, though it is not designed as one.

The first two holes offer little hazard save for small trees on either side of the fairways.  Wind is the deciding factor on most of the holes on the course.  Playing into the wind makes the course much tougher since there is little in the way of wind stops on the front nine.

 Hole 1, dogleg left  397 yard par 4.

Hole 2, another par 4 left dogleg at 368 yards.

The third hole introduces the player to the Thief River, which winds through the course and offers most of the true hazards on this course.  The third hole is a dog leg right par 4 at 356 yards.  You can cut the dogleg and go for the green but it is a very dangerous play as it really brings the river into play.

Hole 4 is only 146 yards but seems like a much harder shot. From the tee you must hit between trees on either side of the tee box. Water is in play both short left and to the right.

Hole 5 is a dogleg left that curves around the river.  The uphill tee shot only allows for a 200 yard drive before the fairway runs out.  You can cut across the river. This can make the hole considerably shorter but a ball hit too far left is gone.  I cut the river and ended up being only 100 yards out on my second shot.  Playing the hole conventionally from the tee makes it a true three shot par 5.  Cutting the river makes for an eagle opportunity.

Hole 6 is a short 254 yard par 4.  It plays dead straight but the green is protected front left and right by bunkers.

Hole 7 is a slightly longer par 4 at 367 yards.  Water is in play to the right off the tee.  A gully runs across the fairway in front of the green.  This green used to slope so hard from back to front that it was re-designed to make it play more fair.

Hole 8 is a brute of a par 4 that plays all of its 206 yards, or more, if the wind is blowing.  Your tee shot must cross the Thief River and the green is all uphill.  Trees are in play both right and left of the green.  A par is a good score here.

Hole 9 is a double dogleg par 5 at 519 yards.  Playing your tee shot to the right side of the fairway gives you your best second shot.  If you play to the left off the tee, trees can come into play on your second shot.  The river is in play along the right side, so be careful not to go to far if you do play down that side.

Once you start the back nine you see that it has a different design than the front.  only a few of the holes feel as open as the first 9 holes.  Hole 10 demonstrates that as it is a 358 par 4 with a dogleg right.  You must play the ball down the left side of the hole.  Playing too far right brings all of the trees in play and can prevent an approach to the green.  Water is in play far left on the hole so hit it in the fairway!

Hole 11 is a scenic par 3 over the river to a green slightly below the tee.  There is plenty of room on all sides of the green to bail, just don't be short.  When playing into the wind make sure to add an extra club to be safe.

Hole 12 is a 357 yard par 4.  It plays fairly straight.  Trees line both sides of the fairway so the safest play is a long iron off the tee to ensure you are in the fairway.

Hole 13 is one of the open holes on the back.  Avoid the trees to the right and you should have a good approach.  You can hit through the fairway here but there really is no danger if you do.

Hole 14 is the longest hole on the course, a 590 yard par 5.  The right side of the fairway is the best angle for your second shot.  Too far left can bring trees into play.  This hole can be very long, or very short, depending on the wind.  I have reached this green in two with a driver, 7 iron when the wind was at my back, and have struggled to reach with a Driver, 4 iron, and 5 iron.

One of the most wide ope tee shots you'll ever see

Hole 15 is a 138 yard par 3.  The tee makes the hole seem narrower than it is.  A ridge transects this green so try to hit to the side with the pin.

Hole 16 is a 540 yard par 5 .  The hole used to have two fairways but recently the right fairway has grown out and the only play is between the trees straight off the tee.  Your second shot will likely not allow for a shot at the green, thanks to the right hand trees.  The green side bunker on this hole has been filled in but was not covered in grass.  Kind of weird and I am glad I didn't get in there.

Hole 17 is another iron off the tee hole.  Trees line both sides of this dogleg par 4, 341 yard hole.  Make sure to favor the left side to ensure you are not behind any trees for your second shot.

Hole 18, I think, is the hardest on the course.  At 431 yards it requires a good tee shot that is straight.  Either side of the fairway offers hazards.  Your second shot must cross the river one last time to the green.  I usually end up being over 200 yards out on this one on the second shot and rarely am able to hit the green.  It is safe to bail out right of the green if you are going to miss.

I played here twice during the trip.  With my wife and bother in law on Saturday for nine.  I shot a 41.  On Sunday my brother in law and I played 18.  I shot an 86.  The course was really wet and the greens were extremely slow due to this.  Still, I only three jacked a couple of times and played a pretty solid round over all.

Jeremy had back to back birdies on 5 and 6 and shot a 39 on the front despite finishing +3 on the last 3 holes.