This was my first time playing The Ridges and I rather enjoyed the course. The course has distinctly different mix of holes spread throughout the round. The front nine is largely open, occupying the southern half of the property, while the back nine turns into woods to the north.
The course has 5 sets of tees offering a wide variety of difficulties to choose from. From the tips it is 6961 yards and plays at a difficult 141/74.0 slope and rating. On the other end you have 5136 yards and 135/70.2. We played from the second furthest, blue, tees at 6547 yards and a slope/rating of 134/71.8.
The course has a full length driving range though the ground in the hitting area was very hard when I was there. That made solid strikes with irons a bit difficult.
From the nice upper level deck of the clubhouse you are offered a good view to the practice green and the 9th and 18th holes.
I finally got to play with Jeff. I played with Jeff one time before, which I think was the first year I ever played golf. It turned out neither of us played that well today but it was fun to get paired up with him and see some of his bombs on the course.
With the heavy spring rains we had there was some damage around the course, particularly near the creek that runs through some of the holes. None of the damage really affected play, only a few areas between the greens and the creek on 12 and 6 had damage that could be considered in play.
Hole 1 Par 5
(550/530/506,/485/430 yards)
Upon stepping to the first tee the thing you will notice is the marsh down the left. There is room to miss right- but not a lot as OB does come into play if too far.
Your second shot should be played short of the bunkers that frame the fairway short of the green.
Bill hits his drive on 1. We all went right fearing the marsh down the left side.
Hole 2 Par 4
(415/390/360/345/308 yards)
The second hole is framed of the trees by a narrow gap to a fairway below the elevated tee. The fairway is wide open as long as you miss the trees.
Jeff tees off on 2
As you approach this green there is water down the right. The fairway slopes from left to right at the green as you can see from the picture.
Hole 3 Par 3
(180/160/135/120/101 yards)
Hole 3 transitions to the northern half of the property, meaning an increase in trees for the next 3 holes.
The third is a shorter par 3 framed by trees and with a large bunker short of the green. Another bunker sits to the right, and a third small one is behind the green.
There is water extreme right that could come into play on a bad shot. A pin placed far left makes this hole much more difficult while one to the right of the green makes for a much easier shot.
Bill tees off while Jeff watches
Michael lines up his putt on the 3rd green while we wait on the tee
Yeah! I finally hit one close.
Hole 4 Par 4
(447/392/382/342/302 yards)
The fourth hole is a par 4 that sweeps left to right. The main obvious challenge here is the first of the tree lined fairways.
Hole 5 Par 3
(202/186/170/173/122 yards)
A mid length par 3, a creek runs up the left side of the hole. The creek bends towards the green as the hole progresses. between the creek and the green is a large bunker that protects most of the left side.
Missing right does offer a safe alternative landing area. Miss to far right though and you will find the trees.
A view of the green and the sand and creek guarding short.
And a view back down the hole from the 6th tee.
Hole 6 Par 4
(425/405/380/360/323 yards)
The sixth hole is a dogleg left. Trees frame the hole on your tee shot.
On your second shot you must carry the creek to the green. I found the trees down the right side and didn't leave myself much of a shot to the green.
The green has no sand in play. It does drop off behind the green towards the trees but there is a little room to work with back there.
Hole 7 Par 5
(518/504/481/465/420 yards)
Hole 7 transitions back to the southern half of the course and is therefor much more open. This is a dogleg right par 5. Play the ball over the left side of the small tree ahead of the teeing areas.
The hole rises the entire way to the green. Short of the green is a centered bunker. Greenside a bunker protects the right side.
Hole 8 Par 4
(430/404/372/347/294 yards)
The eighth hole offers a split fairway on either side of the pot bunker. Playing down the left of the split you can run out of fairway and find some longer wild grass. Playing right is safer.
Once you clear the bunker, the hole falls away down to the green. There is a slight elevation to the green so you wont be able to roll the ball down onto the green, however. The green does have a bunker right and water/marsh left as well.
Hole 9 Par 4
(452/437/402/373/335 yards)
Hole 9 offers a bit of a nervous tee shot with marsh gaurding all sides of the landing area. A driver here is potentially too much club too and can find the marsh at the dogleg of the left to right hole.
Some people decide to play this hole to the extreme right, avoiding the marsh altogether and playing up the 18 hole. If you do this beware of a creek that does snake between the 9th and 18th holes.
The green to close out the front is large and unguarded.
Hole 10 Par 5
(600/573/535/521/461 yards)
The longest hole on the course sweeps from left to right. This hole is pretty wide open for the first shot.
Your second shot must avoid the water on the left of the hole, along with a pair of traps flanking the opposite side, down the right.
If you avoid trouble on your second shot the green is largely unprotected. There is a small bunker deep left and another bunker short and wide left. This larger bunker is mostly to guard against long second shot approaches and wont come into play on a third shot in.
The hole funnels left to right at the green.
This is the last hole on the back without trees until you reach the finishing hole.
Hole 11 Par 3
(219/182/160/140/125 yards)
A medium par 3 that has trouble close-in from the trees down the right side. A single bunker to the right offers the only greenside trouble.
Hole 12 Par 4
(394/364/343/301/285 yards)
A par 4 requiring an iron off the tee you must hit the fairway here before turning left to require a carry over the creek to a tree framed green.
Missing long on this green does not offer any room before the trees come into play.
Another view into the green, as seen from the 13th tee.
Hole 13 Par 4
(459/444/426/353/339 yards)
A daunting tight tee shot on this longer par 4. You must carry water right off the tee and then must continue straight between the heavily wooded fairway. A driver can get you uncomfortably close to the creek that bisects the hole further down.
Laying up short of the creek leaves a long iron into the green. You will likely need 190 yards or more in on your second shot.
While there is room to miss right of the green, which I did, I found the ground here to be terribly hard packed and patchy with grass. I would say it is far better to miss short but straight at the green, than to miss right of the putting surface.
Hole 14 Par 4
(311/285/280/271/260 yards)
A short par 4, this hole is protected by a creek bisecting the hole short of the green. The hole is drive-able but the danger that awaits by the green makes playing a couple of iron shots the much more prudent approach.
The green is elevated from the fairway and has large bunkers both short and long.
Hole 15 Par 3
(121/104/90/87/75 yards)
A very short par 3. This hole is defended by a large bunker short and another to the right.
The green is slightly domed and missing long will either find another pair of bunkers behind the green, or a slope that falls away.
A view from the side of the green. The front of the green is to the right.
Hole 16 Par 5
(559/537/482/471/424 yards)
Framing the tee shot on this par 5 is a chute of trees you must navigate. This hole is a bit of a double dogleg that turns right to left and then back left to right.
Large bunkers on both the left and right are in play off the tee.
Your second shot should be aimed at the 150 yard stake. The hole pinches in at 150 with trees framing the fairway to the green.
The green has a large bunker short right. T here is room to miss left on your approach.
Hole 17 Par 3
(163/154/142/132/116 yards)
The final of 3 par threes on this side, you must avoid the pond right and the bunker left.
Hole 18 Par 5
(516/496/470/453/416 yards)
The finishing hole finally breaks out of the trees as you come back to the south side of the course to work your way back into the clubhouse.
The tee landing area is framed by a pair of bunkers on either side of the fairway and a creek with marsh grass that bisects the hole.
The creek is not in play off the tee. It does come in on the second shot, along with the continuation of the creek that borders the right side of the hole just passed the cart path.
The green is elevated from the fairway. To the right of the putting surface is a pond. This should not come into play except on wayward second shots.
More likely to be encountered, the area short left of the green has a single circular bunker and a steep slope up to the green. Missing on this side if the pin is to the left side leaves for a tricky short-sided flop, that I discovered on this day.
This week was the final of the multi-week match play tournament. The match was dormie going into the 16th hole. Jason managed to take down Chad with a cold-blooded birdie on the 8th hole (our 17th of the day). That was impressive considering Chad had a blistering 5 birdies on the round! However he backed those up with a lot of bogeys and other goodies.
Jason also won the event. With the dual victories he was awarded 200 points and now sits at the top of the year long points race with nearly a 200 point margin. It is going to take an epic collapse to lose this one. The race for second place is much closer.
Here is the overall points for the year:
Jason Simek 452.5
Chad Meschke 286.5
Ryan Winterquist 280
Dan Magnuson 257
Jeff Heil 242.5
Brad Opsahl 237.375
Bill Starken 220
Todd Heil 195
Jim Crowley 187.75
Jeff Jiovanazzo 184.875
Nick Smith 148.5
Matt Oelschlager 103.75
Kris Halsrud 82
Eddie Rymer 76.5
Mike Vigen 64.75
Scott Loe 6.5
Here are the full results for the tour stop:
1 77/67 Jason Simek
2 83/70 Nick Smith
3 77/72 Chad Mechke
T4 80/73 Jim Crowley
T4 85/73 Todd Heil
T4 96/73 Mike Vigen
T7 80/74 Bill Starken
T7 81/74 Brad Opsahl
9 82/78 Ryan Winterquist
T10 88/79 Jeff Jiovanazzo
T10 90/79 Kris Halsrud
T10 90/79 Dan Magnuson
13 93/85 Jeff Heil
DNP Scott Loe
DNP Eddie Rymer
DNP Matt Oelschlager
