Minnesota golf course with best practice facilities?

[rebby]

Some courses actually charge members for range balls?

 

In my area they all do. The Refuge charges members by the bucket, just like non-members. Forest Hills has an optional "add on" fee for range use. I don't recall the specifics for the other courses that I looked at but, at the time, after all the nickel and dime charges that they were pushing on me, I wasn't that far from just getting a membership at TPC (initiation fee excluded, although this was much lower than expected after getting a referral).

 

I am a member at Forest Hills. Our season long range pass is $180 and is optional if you want to purchase or not. You can buy range by the bucket whenever you want also if you don't utilize the range often.

 

Balls by the bucket aren't even an option at TPC. The front side of the range is fully stocked w/pyramids of balls (8x8, 204 balls/stack), the short game area has a stock of pyramids as well (5x5 IIRC, 55 balls/stack), the back side of the range (unused by most members) has small "tour bag" style buckets of balls. The range staff is very good about keeping these all stocked (and the short game areas "clean"), there have been a number of times that I've worked my way through upwards of 400 balls and was never at risk of running out. The way that they keep the PF stocked is potentially of why the PF is "included" with your membership.

 

$180/season for the range really isn't that bad. Forest Hills was one of the clubs that I looked at before joining TPC. For whatever reason though, I was never able to get a course "tour" or even a round of golf scheduled (other than the 3-holes that I played in heavy rain during a charity event a number of years ago, I've never even been on the course). Geographically due to where I work/live, TPC was a better fit anyway so I didn't really push the issue there either. I still get some of the "new member" email promotions from time to time though and I have to admit, the deals to be had out there are phenomenal. I'd still love to get on the course sometime.

 

I have not heard of any club in this area either that has range included with membership. Most clubs charge a one time range fee in the beginning of the year that is not optional. Often this fee is included with locker room fee's and other amenities if the club offers them.

 

So I just dug into our "bylaws" and you hit the nail right on the head. The PF is included as part of the amenities fee. Probably due to the fact that it helps justify the total fee. As you noted though, no part of the amenities fee is optional so I just consider it part of the total membership cost. The funny thing is that I really don't use any of these amenities other than the PF and the handicap. I really should change that, after all, I am paying for it.

 

I have to ask. Is the range at TPC included every year for all members or is this part of the incentives that they were offering to attract new members for only the first year. I know last fall, they were offering free carts for the 2017 season if joined before Jan 1st.

 

As noted above, the range is considered part of the amenities. When I joined in the late fall a couple of years ago they were waiving the prorated amenities fee for the remainder of the year (which, based on the offers that I've seen since, is a standard practice). With my referral I also received a discount on the initiation fee (referring member received a discount on dues for a period of time as well) and didn't pay any dues for the first 7 months (or thereabouts). The new member perks seem to vary depending on time of year and, possibly, the direction of the wind or, who knows what? I wasn't aware of the free cart pass incentive but I didn't really dig into last fall either. I don't recall what the season cart pass fee is at the moment but it is an option. Due to the separation of the clubhouse from the PF & first tee however, it's pretty common practice for "walkers" to get complimentary use of a cart to move back and forth (very handy for those lunch hour practice sessions).

 

Another thing that really went into the decision making process for me was that all memberships are "family" memberships. Family includes kids up to the age of 25, after that they can become members with some pretty good discounts IIRC. Additionally, direct family members play at discounted guest rates, so when my dad is in town we can go play and his cost is lower than a "normal" guest. I have 3 kids and being able to take them to the course or PF at no additional cost is huge so, at the end of the day, I was really comparing the cost of joining TPC to "family" memberships + my estimated range fees at other courses. That closed the gap pretty quick. Throw in unique perks like the TPC Network (anybody want to go to Sawgrass?) and the deal gets even better.

[rebby]

The TPC is great but who can afford that?

 

If you're under 40 years-old, I'd argue that TPC is one of the best deals in golf in the entire state, especially on the topic of private golf courses. Even over 40, the cost is reasonable for what you get. Being a member there though, I'll admit that I have a bit of a bias.

 

I love the place, I use my works membership quite a bit. I still can't justify what they charge! Plus it doesn't beat pulling the cart out of my garage playing a couple holes on the way to the first tee!

 

I hear that quite a bit actually. For me, that wasn't an option. I managed to get on the course once before joining and that because a friend invited me to come along using some passes that he managed to get (once in a lifetime sort of thing). If you live right next to another course though, you can't beat that option. I used to live less than a block away from a course when I was growing up, nothing like hopping on for a few holes to get warmed up.

 

Part of what makes TPC such a great deal for me though, is the topic of this thread, the practice facility. I hit a LOT of balls over the summer and the fact that range balls are included with the membership is a huge advantage to me, one that I have yet to see offered at any other course in my area (including another private course). I don't save enough in range tokens to cover the monthly fees but... there have been months that I've come pretty close.

 

Rebby, over at humble little Olympic Hills us members don't pay a range fee at all, we have ProV1 range balls, 3 different practice areas (full range, putting green w/ an additional green for bunker work and chipping, and "wedge world" which has a putting green, 140 yards worth of targets and a bunker for practice)

 

It doesn't compete with Hazeltine, but it's a great place to practice every shot in the bag.

 

I had an opportunity to play at Olympic last year during the 3M and had to cancel my tee time. I wasn't very happy about that and hope to get there this year. From what I understand, it's a really nice course. I'm curious though, now that I've dug through our bylaws and found the PF stuck under "amenities," is that what Olympic is doing for you as well? I'd guess that it's pretty standard practice, again to help justify the "amenities" fee. Personally, I'd rather scrap it altogether and just roll it into my monthly fees but, whatever.

 

I do miss the ProV1's on the range, we have NXT Tour's on the majority of the PF. From what I understand, a great deal of the ProV1's get lost on the range somehow??? The NXT's do as well but, for some strange reason, not as many. Sigh... The "back" of our PF is pretty well stocked with ProV1/ProV1x, coincidently that's where I spend most of my time (better PF area in my opinion and not frequented by many).

 

I have to agree w/the comments concerning the PF at Hazeltine. I absolutely love everything about that course and look forward to every opportunity that I get to go there, playing or watching.

[tomastomatohead]

The TPC is great but who can afford that?

 

If you're under 40 years-old, I'd argue that TPC is one of the best deals in golf in the entire state, especially on the topic of private golf courses. Even over 40, the cost is reasonable for what you get. Being a member there though, I'll admit that I have a bit of a bias.

 

TPC practice facility may be better than Hazeltine!!

[rebby]

The TPC is great but who can afford that?

 

If you're under 40 years-old, I'd argue that TPC is one of the best deals in golf in the entire state, especially on the topic of private golf courses. Even over 40, the cost is reasonable for what you get. Being a member there though, I'll admit that I have a bit of a bias.

 

TPC practice facility may be better than Hazeltine!!

 

I wouldn't argue that point. I've seen a number of reviews/rankings of PF's in the state and a lot of them rank TPC #1 year after year. That said, I think each of the 2 have their advantages. For example, I think that the driving range at Hazeltine is a little nicer. The targets have better definition and I like the addition of sand traps. It's also a bigger range so you could accommodate more golfers at a single time (IIRC the short game areas are also a little bitter than what we have at TPC). The back of the range at TPC is where they shine though. The short game area back there is the best that I've ever experienced and there isn't much about your game that you couldn't tune back there. If you pick a quiet day, you can even hit longer shots into that green. Size is probably the biggest downside to the PF at TPC but, on the same token, we don't NEED that big of an area since very few members use it much anyway. Even during the 3M, there is plenty of room for everybody moving through. Quite honestly, you can't lose if you were going to flip a coin between the two.

[shot-savior]

@ShotSavior - You gave one of the best breakdowns of public ranges I've ever seen.......then you backed up that assessment with the fact that you were comparing them against Minneapolis?!?! Minneapolis has quite possibly the worst range/ practice facility of any course I've ever seen, public or private. Wonderful golf course, one of my favorites in MN, but the practice facility is a joke.

 

@brycefaze - best practice facility in the state - Hazeltine National and it's not really close. I say this as a member of another private club with a very good practice facility. They have a double-sided range that is 350 yards long from either end (maybe longer), two short game areas with bunkers, fairway lies, and rough, all hitting to an actual green with pins (one on each side of the range), two putting greens that are true to the speed of the course greens, and decent (NXT Tour) range balls. DOWNSIDE: Membership is $42K down and about $550/ month, plus there are yearly locker room fees, range fees, food minimums, assessments, and other expenses.

 

TPC and Windsong also have very nice practice facilities, but they don't compare to Hazeltine top to bottom.

 

Public: Chaska Town Course or Edinburgh (if you can hit off of grass).

 

No argument regarding the range at MGC, especially since they moved it from along side Flag Ave to behind the clubhouse. It was the pitching/putting/chipping/bunker area(s) to which I refer. Also note, I mentioned I primarily used the course for my practice and not the driving range. So, the combination of the two was top-notch for game improvement. Today, policy changes and traffic would not allow for the on-course multiple balls in play situation.

 

MGC's totally inadequate practice range keeps me from rejoining, as I'm sure others.

[Gripit_Swiftit]

"I had an opportunity to play at Olympic last year during the 3M and had to cancel my tee time. I wasn't very happy about that and hope to get there this year. From what I understand, it's a really nice course. I'm curious though, now that I've dug through our bylaws and found the PF stuck under "amenities," is that what Olympic is doing for you as well? I'd guess that it's pretty standard practice, again to help justify the "amenities" fee. Personally, I'd rather scrap it altogether and just roll it into my monthly fees but, whatever.

 

I do miss the ProV1's on the range, we have NXT Tour's on the majority of the PF. From what I understand, a great deal of the ProV1's get lost on the range somehow??? The NXT's do as well but, for some strange reason, not as many. Sigh... The "back" of our PF is pretty well stocked with ProV1/ProV1x, coincidently that's where I spend most of my time (better PF area in my opinion and not frequented by many).

 

I have to agree w/the comments concerning the PF at Hazeltine. I absolutely love everything about that course and look forward to every opportunity that I get to go there, playing or watching."

 

 

No, we do not have any additional fees at any point in the year. I have been a member for exactly a year now and the only money I have paid is my dues and the food & booze I consume. We have no fees, no minimums, and they just got rid of the "service fee" on all food and booze, which is nice. The owner(s) hate the idea of nickel & diming members so they got rid of all fees.

 

We haven't had an issue with range balls going missing because the threat of pink slip is very real if you are caught. We also have a small membership so it wouldn't be hard to figure out who was doing it. Additionally, WAY less corporate/ guest play than at TPC, so it avoids a lot of the crowd that would see a ProV range ball and think to take it.

 

Shoot me a PM when you're available and I'm sure we can work out a home & home as I'd love to get out to TPC at least once this summer.

[tomastomatohead]

"I had an opportunity to play at Olympic last year during the 3M and had to cancel my tee time. I wasn't very happy about that and hope to get there this year. From what I understand, it's a really nice course. I'm curious though, now that I've dug through our bylaws and found the PF stuck under "amenities," is that what Olympic is doing for you as well? I'd guess that it's pretty standard practice, again to help justify the "amenities" fee. Personally, I'd rather scrap it altogether and just roll it into my monthly fees but, whatever.

 

I do miss the ProV1's on the range, we have NXT Tour's on the majority of the PF. From what I understand, a great deal of the ProV1's get lost on the range somehow??? The NXT's do as well but, for some strange reason, not as many. Sigh... The "back" of our PF is pretty well stocked with ProV1/ProV1x, coincidently that's where I spend most of my time (better PF area in my opinion and not frequented by many).

 

I have to agree w/the comments concerning the PF at Hazeltine. I absolutely love everything about that course and look forward to every opportunity that I get to go there, playing or watching."

 

 

No, we do not have any additional fees at any point in the year. I have been a member for exactly a year now and the only money I have paid is my dues and the food & booze I consume. We have no fees, no minimums, and they just got rid of the "service fee" on all food and booze, which is nice. The owner(s) hate the idea of nickel & diming members so they got rid of all fees.

 

We haven't had an issue with range balls going missing because the threat of pink slip is very real if you are caught. We also have a small membership so it wouldn't be hard to figure out who was doing it. Additionally, WAY less corporate/ guest play than at TPC, so it avoids a lot of the crowd that would see a ProV range ball and think to take it.

 

Shoot me a PM when you're available and I'm sure we can work out a home & home as I'd love to get out to TPC at least once this summer.

 

do they have an out of town membership?

 

senior membership?

 

love the course but I am up north

[rebby]

I had an opportunity to play at Olympic last year during the 3M and had to cancel my tee time. I wasn't very happy about that and hope to get there this year. From what I understand, it's a really nice course. I'm curious though, now that I've dug through our bylaws and found the PF stuck under "amenities," is that what Olympic is doing for you as well? I'd guess that it's pretty standard practice, again to help justify the "amenities" fee. Personally, I'd rather scrap it altogether and just roll it into my monthly fees but, whatever.

 

I do miss the ProV1's on the range, we have NXT Tour's on the majority of the PF. From what I understand, a great deal of the ProV1's get lost on the range somehow??? The NXT's do as well but, for some strange reason, not as many. Sigh... The "back" of our PF is pretty well stocked with ProV1/ProV1x, coincidently that's where I spend most of my time (better PF area in my opinion and not frequented by many).

 

I have to agree w/the comments concerning the PF at Hazeltine. I absolutely love everything about that course and look forward to every opportunity that I get to go there, playing or watching.

 

 

No, we do not have any additional fees at any point in the year. I have been a member for exactly a year now and the only money I have paid is my dues and the food & booze I consume. We have no fees, no minimums, and they just got rid of the "service fee" on all food and booze, which is nice. The owner(s) hate the idea of nickel & diming members so they got rid of all fees.

 

That's the way to do it IMHO. Unfortunately for me, TPC is a pretty massive network of courses so their fee structure is unlikely to change at any point in the near future. I'll have to keep doing the math year and year to know what my total out of pocket is.

 

We haven't had an issue with range balls going missing because the threat of pink slip is very real if you are caught. We also have a small membership so it wouldn't be hard to figure out who was doing it. Additionally, WAY less corporate/ guest play than at TPC, so it avoids a lot of the crowd that would see a ProV range ball and think to take it.

 

I would assume, that was the issue. The vast majority of the membership is highly unlikely to pocket balls. After all, we (the members) are the ones who are paying for them in the end. Stealing from yourself never works out. We also have a number of high school events and a lot of college players who use the course/PF, not that I'm insinuating anything by pointing that out but....

 

Shoot me a PM when you're available and I'm sure we can work out a home & home as I'd love to get out to TPC at least once this summer.

 

Will do! I'm sure that we can work something out.

[smit1761]

Was pretty impressed/content with the range and warmup amenities at Chaska Town. Pretty solid track too!

[Skeeterfire]

Don’t sell yourself short, I honk Olympic has the best facilities I have seen. Best course I’ve played in MN too. Should be playing it again fairly soon.

[jshel]

Most of the private clubs have at least a decent range/practice setup.

 

That said, there are a few that standout (in no particular order): Windsong, Hazeltine, Olympic, TPC, Wayzata.

 

Minnesota Valley has done some good things and I think Interlachen is above average

[Evan.TennisPGA]

My fellow Minnesotans, which Minnesota golf course has the best practice facilities? More specifically in the Twin Cities?

Riverwood National in Otsego has a very big range (holds about 50-60 people if packed) lots of targets out there and a really big practice putting green to practice some pitches. Only drawback is no bunkers but they do have an executive 18 course (Vintage golf course)

to practice your wedges on, I love going out there and it doesn't cost much (about $20 to walk 18) but its a lot of fun.