Playing Stoneridge Golf Club

Let me start off right away by saying I have a new favorite metro golf course, and it is not even close.  My previous favorite course, Chaska Town Course, is still a great track.  it just can not compete with the great layout, devilish greens, and rugged beauty of this gem of a course in Stillwater, MN.

I played with my dad on Saturday morning.  With temps in the mid 50s it was a bit chilly and one of the first rounds since April I played with a jacket on.

I ended up shooting an 80 (2 birdies), quite the feat given the challenges this course offers and some windy conditions with gusts of 15-20 mph.

Let's get to this dang sexy course.

There are 4 tees on the course.  From front to back: green white, blue, and black.  From the tips the course is 6992 yards.  It has a brutal 74.2/142 slope and rating from there.  The very friendly starter spent a lot of time telling me about the course when I said I hadn't played there.  He was great and really made a good impression of the course even before the first swing.  He advised that under the wind conditions today that playing from the whites would still be a fun time today.  I took his advice and really didn't feel like the course played too short and only 6131 yards.

Hole 1 is a 301 yard par 4 called Kildeere.  The hole has trees right and an open area left.  A bunker complex crosses the fairway around 40 yards out.

From the fairway you just need to hit over the bunkers to the 31 yard deep green.

The green rolls off right and deep to a fairly large pitching area.

Hole 2, Stone, is a 503 yard par 5.  A large bunker is off the tee left  The treesto the left are about 220 yards out.

Here you can see the beautiful fairway conditions of 2 with 4 next to it.

ABout 130 yards out bunkers jut out to the fairway on the right.  If you are going for the green it is wise to hit over these right bunkers as there is a wide landing area there.  left has a few bunkers.

Here you can see the bunkers guarding the left approach to the green

The green again is domed with a wide chipping area all around.

Hole 3, Trial is a 328 yard par 4. A cross bunker right is at about 200-220 yards.  I just played an iron out short of this safely.

My dad teeing it up on 3.

From the fairway you can see the first set of bunkers that offer trouble off the tee.

The green is elevated and nearly 40 yards deep.

The 565 yard par 5 4th, called Bent is a beautiful par 5.  From the tees you should aim where the cart is in the picture below.  It is 250 yards to clear the bunker complex there.  I hit a drive just a hair under 300 and had 270 yards in.

Here you can see the landing area over the right bunker complex at 250 yards out.

From 260 yards out the fairway rises before falling again short of the green.  The green is severly elevated and heavily bunkered.

Here you can see the elevation rise of the green from the fairway.

Another deep but narrow green awaits atop the hill.

I hit my shot into the wind and it came up short and rolled a good 30 yards down the hill in front of the green.  This was my view from down there.

Another shot of this hole from the 2nd hole.

Hole 5, Plateau, is a 429 yard par 4. A tee shot down the middle is the best play.

Bunkers squeeze the fairway on your approach.

Here is the undulating green on 5.

And one more shot of it with 6 in the back ground.

This is a shot of 5 back up the hole as seen from the 6th tee.

Hole 6, Elm is names ofter the trees off the tee.  A 370 yard par 4.  The right side of this hole offers a slope back left and you can miss safely over. A huge bunker runs down most of the left side of this hole so right is not bad.

The green is flanked short by a couple deep bunkers.

This green is narrow but 41 yards deep.

The started warned me about the 7th hole, Redan.  He said anything short will run down the hill and be 30 yards short.  I should have listed. Only 135 yards, this was directly into the wind.  I hit a high shot that hit the front of the green, spun on the false front and rolled it back to the base of the hill.

You can see my ball on the hill in this photo.  Take enough club.  You need to be at least 10 yards onto the green to stay.  The green is a massive 48 yards deep.

Hole 8, Top, is a 324 yard par 4 that plays uphill the whole way.  Again we were into the wind and I striped a 3 wood that just cleared where the cart on the left is in this picture.

Your second shot will be uphill to a green that is hidden from view.

Here is the green.  That is my dad's ball, not mine.

Hole 9 is past the clubhouse so the turn is actually at 8.  Island is a 144 yard par 3.  The green is basically an "island" in the middle of sand so hit the green here.

I made bird on a nice 15 foot putt.

Hole 10, Splinter, is a 362 yard par 4 that doglegs left. It is a deceptive hole off the tee.  The best tee shot is just left of the 150 marker and just right of the small pot bunker you can see here.

If you hit it far enough off the tee you will get a downhill run on the ball.

Here is a shot back up the hole.

Hole 11, is called Barn.  Can you guess why? Aiming just left of the cart is the best shot.  This is a short 457 yard par 5.  The fairway slopes left to right towards a large bunker complex down the right side.

Here is my dad's tee shot.  He actually hit the broad side of the barn on this shot, so he has that going for him!

My tee shot was 280 yards and drew nicely, hitting the slope of the fairway and leaving me only 170 yards to the green.  A large bunker protects short of the green but other than that it is wide open.  A definite green light hole.

My second ballooned on me and came up just short left of the green.

Again a massive green with a couple of crests.  This green has to be over 1300 square yards.

A view back up the hole.

Hole 12 is called Snag, because it can definitely put a snag in your round if you go right. A hard 426 yard par 4, the hole runs diagonal to the tee and the green is located behind the trees past the water.  From the tips this hole is even more difficult as it is all carry over water to a green that is essentially perpendicular to the tee.  The best tee shot is to aim at the left most bunker.  A great shot can make it in there (about 295 yards from the tee).

From the fairway you can see the green.  A giant bunker is left of the green.

The green is 44 yards deep.

A view back down the hole.

Here you can see how deep the green is.

13, is a gorgeous hole called Tease.  This hole taunts you to go at only 278 yards but the tee shot is uphill and must carry a myriad of bunkers and thick grass.  Left of the green is another large bunker but right is a bit of a bail out landing area.  To play safe, it is only 180 yards to safely clear the left bunker at the dogleg.

The green is elevated from the fairway making it that much harder to get on in one.

Hole 14, Quarry is a 162 yard par 3.  This hole would fit right in a The Quarry in Biwabik, MN.  A great look from the tee you must clear the sand and the hill short.

The green is plenty big, about 30x30 yards.

Hole 15, Thistle, is a 295 yard par 4.  The fairway on this hole drops off at about 200 yards out.  The hole is actually pretty wide with more room left than you might think.

Here you can see the fairway dropping off before rising again to the green.

The green is protected short right by bunkers and has a false front.  Take enough club to get up.

The green is 40 yards deep and multi-tiered.

Hole 16, Punchbowl is a 197 yard par 3 with trouble down the left and safety down the right.

The green is a massive 1700+ sq yards.

Hole 17, Wynstone, is a short 437 yard par 5.  That is from the whites.  Front the tips it stretched to 552 yards.  Off the tee you will need to carry the waste area.  Aim at either of the mansions in the distance (the right is better)

The second shot offers all kind of trouble and makes this a 3 shot hole.  There is plenty of room outside of 100 yards to lay up.

The third shot is to an elevated green

One more really deep green.

The final hole, Curtains, is a 386 yard par 4.  The right side has a ginormous bunker running down it.  Avoid it. That power line in the distance is a good aiming target.

A good drive should be just short of the bunkers down the left (295 yards from the tee).

I had 140 yards in and hit one just over the pin to about 5 feet.

The green is relatively narrow but a ridiculous 51 yards deep.

And is heavily contoured.

Well there it is.  The best public course you can play in the Twin Cities metro area.  If you haven't played here, you absolutely have to.  A great statement about how good golf can be in Minnesota and you don't have to drive to Brainerd or Biwabik to play it!