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24 hours and 53 holes at Sand Valley...


DavePelz4

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Last Friday/Saturday, VNutz, 2 non-WRX’ers from our group and I traveled to Sand Valley. We left the western burbs of Chicago and it was a 3:15 drive. Absent construction at Janesville, it was smooth sailing. It’s 3 lanes most of the way up and you get a nice view of the penitentiary on the way.

 

**Check In –**

Check in was a breeze…maybe 2-3 minutes tops. They had everything ready to go so after that, it was on to the pro shop for some pre-shopping and then a bite to eat before heading to the practice area.

 

**Practice facility -**

The practice facility was one of the best I’ve ever used. They shuttle you the ¼ mile from the lodge/restaurant/pro shop to the facility. I asked the shuttle driver how many trips he made a day and he didn’t know but he knew they averaged driving 46 miles so that’s around 180 trips for each of the 3 shuttles. The wait was maybe a 2-3 minutes at the most. The facility has Taylormade TPX balls, a myriad of targets of varying lengths, 2 chipping/pitching areas with bunkers and probably 10-12 holes cut into the green which is easily 70 yards long. The greens are sloped to mimic the conditions you’re going to experience on the courses, and you can find everything from a flat lie to slopes thick grass etc.

 

**Sand Valley**

From the main lodge, they shuttle you to the Sand Valley course. There is a check in area that has food/drinks (saw they have awesome Bloody Mary’s with all the fixin’s including cheese curds) and you can pick up a pin sheet for the day, which is recommend. There is a practice green for last-minute putting. For our round, the practice green was significantly slower than what we experienced on the course.

 

We were fortunate the weather turned sunny and into the mid 60’s during the round and the wind wasn’t much of a factor until the last few holes. It’s hard to fathom that you’re in the middle of WI and not along the shore of some major body of water with the dunes. The course is basically fairway and sand with woods that really don’t come into play. The waste area sand is incredibly soft and I learned too late in the round that you’re supposed to pull your ball from the plugged lie you’re going to find with a missed tee shot as opposed trying to play it.

 

The course is a great variety of holes and of there was only 1 club I didn’t use the entire round. The par 5’s ranged from 480 – 560 and there were a couple of par 4’s that were a test in the 450 range. Sand Valley has 5 par 5’s and 5 par 3’s. The par 3’s ranged from 110 yards to 215 and the 17th hole at 215 played directly into the wind. Not embarrassed to say I hit driver on that hole and was fortunate to find the green. Of the 2 courses, Sand Valley was tougher but very playable. The greens are fast, undulating but fair. The ability to be creative with your short game was fun and I used everything from a putter, 60-degree wedge, PW and 8 iron for chipping. As is the case with any first-time course with the sheer magnitude of Sand Valley, you’d shoot 4-5 shots lower the second time just based on the course knowledge learned during the first round. Pace of play was good, although on 1 par 3 we were the 3rd group on the hole. Through the first few holes on the front we were a half a hole behind due to my poor play. We were asked to pick it up a bit which we did and got back on pace. The Garmin GPS picked up the Sand Valley nicely and was a welcome blessing for this round.

 

There was one area where things could have been improved and I’ll save that for the end.

 

**The Sandbox**

One of the many things I’ll praise the staff for was their ability to accommodate schedule changes. We had the opportunity to play the Sandbox on Friday night instead of Saturday after MD which was the original plan. The pro shop staff was able to fit us in so we grabbed a few beers and were on our way. We had to tee off from mats which was a bit surprising seeing that the ground was in great condition, but it didn’t diminish the experience. The Sandbox is a great place to work on your short game and just because it’s a par 3 course didn’t mean it was easy. Most holes were very well bunkered, and the greens were as fast as any other green on Sand Valley, some were tiny and others huge. The holes were from about 50 – 150 yards in length. The Sandbox is a great way to warm up for a round or wind down with a lot of laughs.

 

**Restaurant/food**

I know many have raved about the food and I’ll say it’s really good, as opposed to great. Everything is fairly priced including the wines which is a surprise for a resort course. The restaurant service was great. Mary our server pointed out the guests at other tables that were just smashed and all in all it was a great dinner, especially the cheese curds. It is Wisconsin after all and it’s a violation of a local ordinance not to have curds.

 

**Lodging**

The little attention to details was prevalent in the lodging. We stayed in the main facility and it was perfectly quiet even though the resort was full of overserved golfers. They had coffee, water, Gardettos, take home publications on SV and Mammoth Dunes and lip balm shaped like a golf ball. Thankfully VNutz explained that one to me. The showers were great, water hot and towels plush. The beds had both foam and goose down pillows and was very comfortable. There were enough outlets to charge any and all device you had with you.

 

**Mammoth Dunes**

We had a 7:02AM tee time which was perfect for some but maybe a bit too early for others. Fortunately, I got coffee in, a bit of range time and then some time on the practice green which is basically part of the first tee.

 

Mammoth Dunes doesn’t have tee boxes in the traditional sense. There is no separation between tee box and fairway which gives the staff the ability to be really creative with tee placements. When we teed off it was probably 40 degrees with winds in the 20 MPH range pretty much throughout the day. MD is slightly longer than SV and rated almost identically but I thought it was far more playable. The fairways were spacious, and several holes had split fairways offering different ways to play them. I didn’t realize until after getting home but MD is a par 73 with 5 par 5’s ranging from 480 – 525. For the longer hitters like VNutz, this made most but not all of them reachable in two. If it wasn’t for the wind, I think he could have a go at all 5. The wind was clearly the defense of the course coupled with sloping greens and the occasional extra firm green. There were several that weren’t receptive of a well spun/and properly flighted wedge but that’s where course knowledge comes in.

 

Mammoth had holes that were visually stunning. The short par 3 13th which played just under 150 was one of the most beautiful holes I’ve ever played. The 14th hole was a drivable par 4 just under 300 yards and even for an old guy like me, it was reachable. Pace of play on Mammoth was outstanding. We never waited on a single shot and the 3some behind us was never slowed down. Unfortunately, Garmin has not mapped MD and it wasn’t on Arccos either. Most of the time it was the more traditional stepping off yardages.

 

When we go back, we'll play MD twice and SV once assuming we had time for 3 full rounds. The Sandbox would be a 4th round if we had 2 hours to spare.

 

**The Pro Shop**

We all dumped a small fortune in the Pro Shop. A nice variety of clothes along with things like pin flags, bottle openers, headcovers, etc. Some items were engravable. The brands were a bit limited in choice but more than enough.

 

**Accommodating Staff**

Without hesitation, the staff members we encountered were beyond wonderful. They all go out of their way to treat you amazingly well and accommodate every need. As mentioned, we adjusted our tee time and day on the Sandbox which also meant we needed to change our dinner reservations. They went out of their way to take care of everything and were far and away the best resort staff I’ve ever encountered. There was always someone there to ask how they can help.

 

**My One Criticism**

OK…on to the sole criticism. When I made the reservation for this trip it was our first time at SV and we requested an A caddie. What was provided to us for both rounds was a caddie. He was amazingly nice, ranked bunkers, tended flags, etc. He started back in October of 2018 and had less than 2 months of experience. In some cases, he made significant mistakes with yardages, gave wrong lines and his green reading ability was average at best. Please don’t get me wrong, he never hit a bad shot, I took care of that. But too many times he didn’t know the true carry distance, where the ball needed to be hit, etc. When you think you hit it where the caddie told you and you end up with a bad lie, that's disheartening. For 2 rounds, we paid him $300+ and he was a B caddie at best. He made a comment while we were talking that they were desperate for caddies which was why he was trying it. Had they told us at point of reservations that he was a new caddie or a B caddie that would have been perfect and expectations would be properly set. I was expecting an A caddie and having had A caddies over the years, he fell short. Again, he was a wonderfully nice guy, as helpful as he could be but he just didn’t have the knowledge of the courses to be an A caddie.

 

Overall, the trip was wonderful in every regard. The guys were amazing and there were some fantastic shots. Our competition over the 2 days included a 7 hole carry over which featured some lengthy putts to push the match on. That run ended with a 40-yard chip in for birdie which was the shot of the trip.

 

I’m already looking forward to the next trip to Sand Valley and would say that it was worth every $ spent.

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Sounds like a great time. I went last summer and really enjoyed the whole resort. Food was good (especially Craig's Porch) and everyone was doing their best to make our stay wonderful. As for the caddy, I understand your frustration. It seemed when I was there, the caddy situation was the most out of control. I chalked it up to a new resort, but maybe they are still having issues. When I made our reservation, I requested a Junior Caddy. Thought it might be nice to have a kid who might be new to golf, carry the bag. I am a solid player but very laid back and I guess in my mind, I thought I could give him some pointers. But when I arrived at MD, they did not have a caddy scheduled for me. Very quickly they found a Junior caddy as I requested and we had a great time. He did not do a great job with yardages, but I wasn't really relying on him anyway. My only issued was that someone dropped the ball scheduling him. No problem with the golf and no problem with the caddy, and the scheduling mishap was the only hiccup while we were there. Had a great time.

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Nice write-up, DP. Glad to hear another player's perspective on the SV/MD experience. It says a lot that your next trip would feature MD twice and SV once. That mirrors my sentiments about how much fun MD is to play. My buddy and I are committed to getting back up there this year - probably on the back shoulder season this Fall - and adding The Sandbox to the trip. Maybe we'll catch you up there next time.

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> @DeeBee30 said:

> Nice write-up, DP. Glad to hear another player's perspective on the SV/MD experience. It says a lot that your next trip would feature MD twice and SV once. That mirrors my sentiments about how much fun MD is to play. My buddy and I are committed to getting back up there this year - probably on the back shoulder season this Fall - and adding The Sandbox to the trip. Maybe we'll catch you up there next time.

 

Thanks DB. I shared your note with V and we both thought it helped us be prepared for a great trip. For that, we say thank you!

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A thoughtful and complete recap of your SV experience. I am really happy you enjoyed it enough to want to make the pilgrimage again. I know from past experience that they recruit veteran caddies from the south, primarily Florida to staff the caddy shack through the summer. I wonder if you caddy experience would have been different a week or two later. The starter at SV should have been explicit in telling you the sand is considered waste and you may remove your ball from animal tracks and the like as well as ground your club. Maybe it is me, but the sand seems different than sand that I've played before. I do know that the sand is leaving the state by the train load to supply frac rigs. Apparently it has a high silicone content that makes it slippery and easier to pump under pressure.

 

Phred

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Mmmmmmm...CHEESE CURDS.....any Poutine?

 

DP...great summary and write-up...well formatted and easy to read.

SV sounds like a YUGE property.

Soft sand is brutal...especially trying to hit a full approach shot.

 

Sounds like the fore caddie should have been paid no more than $100/rd based on his lack of skills/knowledge.

Hope you spoke with the caddie master or manager about the caddie....I know the guy was trying...but SV has to vet a loop's skill set before they can be designated an A level caddie....SV website even calls these "Professional" caddies.

 

This is a top level destination golf resort that golfers drive long distances....these golfers are willingly to pay for good caddies....so SV needs to set the right expectations at the beginning of the golf experience.....maybe SV needs 3 level of caddies....A, B & C.

But the caddie issue must be a lack of an employment pool...especially considering it's a seasonal resort...where a serious loop looking to make money can only do so for only 6-7 months of the year.

Heck...seems so despair on the hiring situation that SV can only get kids 12-17 year old to loop as a junior caddie.

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> @Phreddy said:

> A thoughtful and complete recap of your SV experience. I am really happy you enjoyed it enough to want to make the pilgrimage again. I know from past experience that they recruit veteran caddies from the south, primarily Florida to staff the caddy shack through the summer. I wonder if you caddy experience would have been different a week or two later. The starter at SV should have been explicit in telling you the sand is considered waste and you may remove your ball from animal tracks and the like as well as ground your club. Maybe it is me, but the sand seems different than sand that I've played before. I do know that the sand is leaving the state by the train load to supply frac rigs. Apparently it has a high silicone content that makes it slippery and easier to pump under pressure.

>

> Phred

 

Very interesting comment on the sand Phreddy. I thought it was very different in color and texture and having played all over the US and Ireland, I don't remember encountering anything like it. It was pretty common to sink a few inches...maybe that was just related to my fat arse...although the other guys said the same. My fault for not listening better...the starter seemed to be very thorough.

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A great, in depth review of your experience at Sand Valley. I'd like to add a little bit about the sand. I have found that the sand in the waste areas firms up as the year goes on. I think it must have a lot of moisture in it from sitting under a blanket of snow, and as it dries out a little bit it will firm up some.

 

I have played it in the early season and errant drives often found plugged lies. However when I played it in the back end of the year, those same errant drives no longer plugged. I think the sand just needs time to bake in the sun each year.

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Great write up and I cannot wait to get up there in the next few weeks. It seems like the place is fantastic and I am lucky enough to be within a 5 hour drive which is doable.

 

I hear your frustration with your caddie. I recently paid a guy $125 who was just not that good as well. A nice guy for sure but when you pay that type of money you expect a few basic things. I plan to use the junior caddie when I go because I have heard this from more than one person at SV. I am guessing they have alot of great caddies but its not worth the risk to get stuck with a rookie at that price.

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I think the sand is becoming the star of this thread. The closest analogy I found is that it was a bit like trying to hit a ball on Oak Street beach after everyone frolicked in the sand all day.

 

My experience in three rounds between MD and SV this month is that the starters **never** mentioned being able to lift the ball in the waste areas. It was only because I played with a semi-local guy my first time at MD that I learned that fact after about 6 holes. They really should make a point of telling everyone - it would only speed up play and increase the level of enjoyment. And they should offer the pin sheets proactively (unless they're surreptitiously trying to encourage caddy use).

 

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE the courses, but those are very low-effort improvements that could make a big difference to visiting golfers.

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> @DeeBee30 said:

> I think the sand is becoming the star of this thread. The closest analogy I found is that it was a bit like trying to hit a ball on Oak Street beach after everyone frolicked in the sand all day.

>

> My experience in three rounds between MD and SV this month is that the starters **never** mentioned being able to lift the ball in the waste areas. It was only because I played with a semi-local guy my first time at MD that I learned that fact after about 6 holes. They really should make a point of telling everyone - it would only speed up play and increase the level of enjoyment. And they should offer the pin sheets proactively (unless they're surreptitiously trying to encourage caddy use).

>

> Don't get me wrong - I LOVE the courses, but those are very low-effort improvements that could make a big difference to visiting golfers.

 

I'm blaming the not hearing the starter on me, not him. The other guys in our group heard the message, I was just more focused on duck hooking my 5W off the first tee. At SV the pin sheets were there for the taking. Don't remember seeing them on MD and after your gracious suggestion that's on me for not remembering.

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I'm not sure it was plugged lies they mentioned pulling a ball from in the sand hazards as much as it was footprints and other marks caused by fellow golfers. Not all the sand waste areas had rakes, and clearly many had been visited and not raked and thus a lot of shots ended up in previous footprints.

In general the sand posed something of a problem, even in the fairway and greenside bunkers. It was thick, and the ball stuck where it landed. One guy in our group had 3 fried egg lies on the front 9 of MD alone, but he also tends to hit a very high ball and the ball simply wouldn't come out. I found one after plugging into the face of a steep bunker, a lie that seemed to defy gravity a bit to me. But in general over the course of the weekend I'd say our group found probably a dozen plugged lies in the non-waste bunkers and that felt a little peculiar and extreme.

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Good comments about the sand. Yes, even the sand in the non waste areas was soft, thick and hazardous, and that was the condition during the 2nd week of June. After a good drive on #10 SV, I was just three or four feet from reaching the green in two but for a slightly tugged approach into the bunker, greensiide right. Took me three more strokes to get out and it wasn't my only multi-stroke sand escape. I won't be often confused for a good golfer, but even the more skilled in our group had their share of trouble with them.

 

During the first two seasons of operation SV offered "A", "B" and Junior caddies. I notice this season they only offer "A" and Junior caddies and now they state on their website that the "A" caddies will double bag. They were having trouble staffing quality caddies in '17 and it looks like they are still dealing with the same situation. All the caddies I observed were very pleasant. I opted for a Junior caddie and my modest expectations were met. The other two caddies in our group were "A" classified. One, no older than his early 20's, double bagged 36 holes for a pair who explored every part of the property. He was outstanding and earned every bit of his scratch that day. We bought our caddie's lunches at Craig's Porch but my buddies should have bought their guy dinner, too. The other "A" caddie, on a low capper's bag, was older and well experienced in some business other than caddying. He would have been doomed with two bags.

 

I hope to get back there between now and the end of August. If I do opt for a caddie, I will go with a Junior again. With no solid plans as of now, what are the odds of getting a 4some of day guests on both courses, on short notice (likely over the weekend)?

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Very good write up on what sounds like a great experience.

 

I feel your pain re: the caddy. I reserved a caddy at Pebble Beach based upon recommendations from other WRXr's and he was outstanding (at Spyglass.) Really made the round a lot more fun. Unfortunately he dinged his shoulder and couldn't work the second day at PB so we got a random guy. On top of not being the most friendly person, he was a terrible green reader and several times cost my buddy and I shots when we hit where he said only to find out there was a drop off or bunker. I don't mind getting a bad score when I hit a bad shot, but it's maddening when your caddy says hit at that bush 175-200 and you do and your ball is on the beach 100 feet below. I didn't let it ruin the experience but its 8 months later and I still get irritated thinking about it.

 

 

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To add on about the caddie situation, we did not take one at SV however a group we were paired with had a guy with a caddie. The caddie consistently gave wrong yardage and lines. To his credit he tried, but he did not have that filter you want in a caddie. My buddy rolled a tee shot and he'd make a comment like "that'll be just fine" when it really wasn't. He gave a lot of unsolicited insight when we were clearly trying to avoid him. The topper was the player that requested the caddie asked us to pitch $$ towards the caddie walking down the 18th fairway. I thought that was in pretty poor taste.

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I played there now twice. First time SV, SB on day 1 and MD on day 2. An incredible experience. I'll echo what OP said re feeling like you are somewhere other than Wisconsin. The courses and surrounding property = amazing, IMO unlike anything else I've seen in this state. I took time when I could during the rounds to look around and appreciate the scenery!

Both courses were so much fun, I think Mammoth was more fun to play, but only slightly. MD is just one cool hole after another, the drivable par 4,s were certainly interesting, the boomerang green is crazy. I drove to the front left Fringe, pin was back right so I had to chip over the big mound, couldn't even see the pin! chipped it half way down the mound, I released past the hole, up the back of the green and back down to about 8 feet. An example of a shot I could have putted, bump and run, flop to the hole, flop past the hole or hit the shot I hit and gotten close on any of them. I really appreciate the option to play the s*** how my imagination saw fit. I think playing it in the air was the best play, but if you don't have that shot you wouldn't need to hit it. If I would have been further left and up I would have been able to hit that crazy puttaround the outer edge of the green. Fantastic and fun. IMO SV is a tougher test but still quite playable, and nearly as much fun. Having played both courses, I would not hesitate to play without a caddie, in fact my return trip with a golfing buddy to SV, we played as a twosome And I forecaddied for him the whole round. Although the greens are big and undulating, undid not find them hard to read. Where I needed the most help was lines off the tee and where the hidden trouble was, as some of it is blocked out from view.

Thanks for the review OP!

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Great write-up by the OP! I just returned from SV, playing the Sandbox on Saturday and Mammoth Dunes yesterday. Weather was great for a change. The caddy situation at SV is a bit inconsistent based on reports on this thread, but we had an absolutely fantastic caddy who carried bags for both me and my son. The other two golfers in our foursome used push carts. My son has disabilities, but loves to play golf and does well in Special Olympics competitions. We had originally requested a junior caddy, but junior caddies are not always available so we were ok with an A caddie. Our caddie was a professional caddie who works at SV in the summer and Streamsong in the winter. He's also worked at another big-name Wisconsin course previously but prefers SV because the Keisers place such a high value on caddies. For us, he was the perfect match, and I will never forget the image of my son and our caddy walking ahead of us and discussing the next golf shot and whatever else seemed to be on my son's mind. What was most amazing was that my son communicates using a mixture of gestures, signs, word approximations, and facial expressions, and our caddie just made a natural connection with him and they became a team. What an amazing experience!

 

I also wanted to add a comment on the issue of players without caddies being asked to contribute to paying for a caddie requested by another player. In my experience, it is customary for players without a caddie to offer to contribute to tipping a caddie if that caddie has offered significant help for the entire group throughout the round. However, this would not be appropriate if the caddie has limited his/her assistance to only the golfer who hired him/her.

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Nice review ... am up here now ... had a tee time for today and wed but pushed today’s to tomorrow due to a rainy cold front moving through today ... stopped by yesterday on arrival to buy yardage books for studying ... looking forward to my round or rounds tomorrow

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

I'm booking SV for 2020, we have time for 3 rounds + Sandbox. Would everyone recommend Mammoth or Sand Valley for the replay round? ie play Mammoth 2x or Sand Valley 2x?

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> @MGoBlue said:

> I'm booking SV for 2020, we have time for 3 rounds + Sandbox. Would everyone recommend Mammoth or Sand Valley for the replay round? ie play Mammoth 2x or Sand Valley 2x?

 

An odd thought. Instinctively I thought Mammoth Dunes as I enjoyed Mammoth more than Sand Valley, but in thinking about it more I feel Sand Valley is the course of the two that a round of experience helps you more on, if that makes any sense. Mammoth was an amazing play, but nearly everything was out there in front of you and the wide fairways let you just bomb driver all day. A second round there would be fun, but little different than the first aside from knowing greens. Sand Valley I felt like you had to think and work your way through a little bit more, and I could see the second round there being more beneficial. Just my .02.

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Very helpful. Any other thoughts appreciated too!

> @VNutz said:

> > @MGoBlue said:

> > I'm booking SV for 2020, we have time for 3 rounds + Sandbox. Would everyone recommend Mammoth or Sand Valley for the replay round? ie play Mammoth 2x or Sand Valley 2x?

>

> An odd thought. Instinctively I thought Mammoth Dunes as I enjoyed Mammoth more than Sand Valley, but in thinking about it more I feel Sand Valley is the course of the two that a round of experience helps you more on, if that makes any sense. Mammoth was an amazing play, but nearly everything was out there in front of you and the wide fairways let you just bomb driver all day. A second round there would be fun, but little different than the first aside from knowing greens. Sand Valley I felt like you had to think and work your way through a little bit more, and I could see the second round there being more beneficial. Just my .02.

 

 

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TaylorMade 2-iron UDI P790 - KBS Tour Stiff
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> @VNutz said:

> > @MGoBlue said:

> > I'm booking SV for 2020, we have time for 3 rounds + Sandbox. Would everyone recommend Mammoth or Sand Valley for the replay round? ie play Mammoth 2x or Sand Valley 2x?

>

> An odd thought. Instinctively I thought Mammoth Dunes as I enjoyed Mammoth more than Sand Valley, but in thinking about it more I feel Sand Valley is the course of the two that a round of experience helps you more on, if that makes any sense. Mammoth was an amazing play, but nearly everything was out there in front of you and the wide fairways **let you just get bombed the night before and only remember Bubbles** ~~driver~~ all day **and everyday since then**. A second round there would be fun, but little different than the first aside from knowing greens. Sand Valley I felt like you had to think and work your way through a little bit more, and I could see the second round there being more beneficial. Just my .02.

 

Updated for accuracy...

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> @MGoBlue said:

> Very helpful. Any other thoughts appreciated too!

> > @VNutz said:

> > > @MGoBlue said:

> > > I'm booking SV for 2020, we have time for 3 rounds + Sandbox. Would everyone recommend Mammoth or Sand Valley for the replay round? ie play Mammoth 2x or Sand Valley 2x?

> >

> > An odd thought. Instinctively I thought Mammoth Dunes as I enjoyed Mammoth more than Sand Valley, but in thinking about it more I feel Sand Valley is the course of the two that a round of experience helps you more on, if that makes any sense. Mammoth was an amazing play, but nearly everything was out there in front of you and the wide fairways let you just bomb driver all day. A second round there would be fun, but little different than the first aside from knowing greens. Sand Valley I felt like you had to think and work your way through a little bit more, and I could see the second round there being more beneficial. Just my .02.

>

>

 

I happened to have the privilege of playing with VNutz at SV and while it pains me to do this, I agree with him completely regarding the knowledge gained playing SV 2x.

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> @VNutz said:

> > @MGoBlue said:

> > I'm booking SV for 2020, we have time for 3 rounds + Sandbox. Would everyone recommend Mammoth or Sand Valley for the replay round? ie play Mammoth 2x or Sand Valley 2x?

>

> An odd thought. Instinctively I thought Mammoth Dunes as I enjoyed Mammoth more than Sand Valley, but in thinking about it more I feel Sand Valley is the course of the two that a round of experience helps you more on, if that makes any sense. Mammoth was an amazing play, but nearly everything was out there in front of you and the wide fairways let you just bomb driver all day. A second round there would be fun, but little different than the first aside from knowing greens. Sand Valley I felt like you had to think and work your way through a little bit more, and I could see the second round there being more beneficial. Just my .02.

 

I also agree with this. We played both last year and are going back again in September, and while I'd say I'm more excited to play Mammoth again this year, SV seems like the better/more interesting course to play twice in a short amount of time. That being said, it's pretty much splitting hairs to me and I don't see how you could go wrong, no matter what you decide.

 

We are finding time to play the Sandbox this trip, which we didn't play last year, and I'm curious what other people's experiences are playing as a 5+some? They don't book 5-somes, so we have groups of 2, 4, 3 booked but I'm hoping we can pair up into a 4-some and a 5-some or some other combination of only two groups as I've heard it's pretty relaxed once you're out there. Anyone have any experience?

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> @OakRockHacker said:

> > @VNutz said:

> > > @MGoBlue said:

> > > I'm booking SV for 2020, we have time for 3 rounds + Sandbox. Would everyone recommend Mammoth or Sand Valley for the replay round? ie play Mammoth 2x or Sand Valley 2x?

> >

> > An odd thought. Instinctively I thought Mammoth Dunes as I enjoyed Mammoth more than Sand Valley, but in thinking about it more I feel Sand Valley is the course of the two that a round of experience helps you more on, if that makes any sense. Mammoth was an amazing play, but nearly everything was out there in front of you and the wide fairways let you just bomb driver all day. A second round there would be fun, but little different than the first aside from knowing greens. Sand Valley I felt like you had to think and work your way through a little bit more, and I could see the second round there being more beneficial. Just my .02.

>

> I also agree with this. We played both last year and are going back again in September, and while I'd say I'm more excited to play Mammoth again this year, SV seems like the better/more interesting course to play twice in a short amount of time. That being said, it's pretty much splitting hairs to me and I don't see how you could go wrong, no matter what you decide.

>

> We are finding time to play the Sandbox this trip, which we didn't play last year, and I'm curious what other people's experiences are playing as a 5+some? They don't book 5-somes, so we have groups of 2, 4, 3 booked but I'm hoping we can pair up into a 4-some and a 5-some or some other combination of only two groups as I've heard it's pretty relaxed once you're out there. Anyone have any experience?

 

It's so relaxed out there I'd be shocked if anybody said anything.

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I prefer SV but MD a lot of fun. I think I was enamored with MD after playing it and still am, but SV is the better course and If play down there, it's 2 to 1 over MD every time, no question. If you have guys who aren't the best golfers and are looking for more of the fun factor vs. a challenge, then do MD x2. I'm really looking forward to doing both again.

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