Golfing the University of Minnesota Les Bolstad golf course

I just had to get out and try out my new clubs.  It was just killing me having them and not using them.  I went to the U of M course in Falcon Heights, near the St Paul campus.

A course I have not played in many years.  They have actually built a new pro shop in the time I was there last.

My impression of the course has changed from the last time I played.  In fact, my memory of the course was pretty non-descript other than remembering 10 and 11 to be brutally tree lined and difficult.  The only other hole that stuck out for me was hole 2, a pretty par 3 with a carry over water to an elevated green.  After this round I am impressed with the course.  I think the fairways and greens are in a lot better shape than the last time I played.  The holes were actually remarkably well maintained.  The only rough spots around the greens were clearly marked as GUR.  Something you don't typically see in a municipal level course.

The layout is interesting with a lot of elevation changes during a hole.  This lends itself to a fair number of blind tee shots, but for the most part the route is well defined and any blind shots do not hold hidden hazards.  The greens are almost all elevated.  This seems to be the primary defense of the greens.  There is sand but I didn't seem to find a lot of it.  There is also water, but again it did not seem to come into play except on extreme wayward shots.

The course isn't the longest- only 6288 yards from the tips, with a rating and slope of 70/119.  The course plays as a par 71, with 35 going out and 36 coming back.  The university team does not play here- since 2005 they have called Spring Hill their home course.  This year they switched to Windsong Farm.  Both of those courses are much more modern in their length.  THe last time the Les Bolstad course hosted a tournament was 1999.

The Tom Lehman practice facility at the course is where the team practices.  It has a tremendous short game facility.  The practice facility has six separate putting surfaces. Lehman designed each green to be styled differently and present players with different types of shots to play. There is a Pinehurst style green and Winged Foot style green as well as traditional and modern U.S. styled greens.

Onto the course.  We started out on the back nine, so the ordering is a bit out of turn.

Hole 10- Par 4 (344/339/281 yards)
The back 9 starts on the south side of Larpenter Avenue.  There is a tunnel that passes under the road to access hole 10 and 11.  Hole 10 is a straight away par 4 that is tree lined the entire length of the hole.  You must hit a straight shot here to get on the green in two.  I stripped a 3 iron-hybrid 240 yards right down the middle of the hole.  Probably my best hit with that club all year.

Hole 11- Par 4 (356/347/268 yards)
Hole 11 runs back opposite hole 10 and is virtually identical- a straight ahead par 4 with trees lining either side and the road to the far left.

I hit my gap wedge in here and actually had it zip back on me 5 feet.  That was something that rarely if ever happened with my old clubs.

You can see here one of the few patchy spots on the course.  It was in general in excellent shape.  The rough around the greens and off the fairways was rather long and thick and was definitely a deterrent.

Hole 12- Par 4 (417/411/351 yards)
Hole 12 is a blind tee shot on this straight away par 4.  The driving range is down the right on this hole.

On your second shot you must split a pair of trees flanking the fairway.  The green is one of the first elevated greens of many you will face.

Hole 13- Par 5 (536/525/430 yards)
A big swooping dogleg left requires a good tee shot shaped from right to left.  Amazingly I hit a perfectly executed fade and cut a bit of distance off on the hole.

Take a look to the right at the great practice facility for the golf team.  Notice the nice sugar sand bunkers.  A bit better than what is found on the course.

 Mark was not as fortunate, hitting his far right and almost OB.

 The fairway, if you can find it is actually the widest on the course.

 The green has a false front but is level on all the other sides.

Hole 14- Par 4 (310/280/268 yards) 
This short par 4 offers a sharp dogleg to the right.  The 150 stake is an aiming point for a short iron off the tee.  If you want you can play out over the trees to the right, as long as you can clear them, you will shorten the hole a lot.

From 150 yards out, the fairway rolls gently towards another elevated green, protected on both sides by a pair of bunkers.

Hole 15- Par 4 (390/390/305 yards)
Another blind tee shot.  Right is OB and left is heavily wooded so it is important to find the fairway.

The fairway does slope from left to right as it descends towards the hole.  The green is again elevated but otherwise is unguarded.

Hole 16- Par 4 (377/374/314 yards)
A somewhat funneled fairway assists you on this uphill par 4. You must carry water off the tee but it is not in play.

 From this tee you can look behind you to see the Midland Hills Country Club across Roselawn Avenue.

 Once again the green is unguarded but elevated.  Make sure you aim at the right flag on this hole.  It is the smaller of the 2, not the big flag with the U on it!

Hole 17- Par 3 (151/145/137 yards)
A short par 3 with a domed green that falls off on all sides and is protected left by a single bunker.  There is water here but it should not come into play.

 I hit my tee shot exactly where I was aiming and it dropped and stopped.  I made my putt for a bird.

Hole 18- Par 4 (414/409/396 yards)
The finishing hole is a straight par 4.  There is water short off the tee that should not come into play.  A tree down the right can be carried.  Hitting over the left side of these trees is a great shot.

The green is fairly accessible but going long it does drop off and Larpenter Avenue is not too far beyond.

Hole 1- Par 4 (399/393/375 yards)
A straight away par 4.  The tee shot is blind as a hill obstructs the green.  A tight driving hole with OB left and trees down the entire right side.  The green has a bunker protecting the front left quarter of the green.

Hole 2- Par 3 (175/163/130 yards)
A really pretty par 3 that requires a carry over water and up to the elevated putting surface.  Below and to the left is a large bunker.  The right side is also guarded by another trap.  This is the second longest of the three shot holes on the course.

Hole 3- Par 4 (416/400/382 yards)
A bit of a confusing look awaits off the tee on this hole.  It is hard to tell where to hit.  You want to basically try to hit over the right half of the raised portion of the fairway you can see.  The hole is fairly straight with just a slight right curve.

From atop the rise in the fairway you can see on the tee, the fairway drops down towards the green.  A pond is far left of the green but should not be in play unless you really miss-hit one.  A bunker protects the entire right side of the green.

Hole 4- Par 4 (359/355/340 yards)
One more straight ahead par 4.  The fairway generally slopes from right to left so a miss down the right side is more likely to find the fairway.

Again, the green is elevated from the fairway.  It is also guarded on the right by an oak and left by a bunker.

Hole 5- Par 3 (167/159/135 yards)
An  elevated green offers the only defence on this medium par 3.  I hit the left corner of the green but my ball rolled off the front and ended all the way at the bottom of the slope some 15 feet away.

A view if the green from the 6th tee.  The green is wide but not very deep.

Hole 6- Par 4 (326/306/294 yards)
A shorter par 4 that has a pair of bunkers protecting drives from getting too close to the green.  The best play is to hit just short of the right edge of the left bunker off the tee.

Hole 7- Par 5 (476/464/450 yards)
A par 5 with the most legit water hazard down the right side off the tee.  The hole doglegs right around the water before doglegging back left to the green.  Down the left side, the hole slopes back towards the fairway but is also heavily lined by trees.

The green is unguarded by any hazards.


Hole 8- Par 3 (195/185/178 yards)
The longest par 3 on the course.  The green has a large bunker left.  The green is domed and anything missing the putting surface will require good touch to save par.


Hole 9 - Par 5 (480/472/444 yards)
The finishing hole is a short par 5.  There is water down the right marked by a tall pole.  A more likely hazard off the tee is a pair of bunkers flanking the fairway.

The hole plays straight away and from about 120 yards slopes down towards the green.  The green is open to approaches from the front but a large shallow bunker circles the back half of the green and another protects the front left corner.  Right behind the bunker is maybe 5 feet of grass and then OB so hitting long is not advised.