New Courses in Minnesota: Tepetonka. Also a new course at Windsong.

[ft3man]

Some unique times in Minnesota as there are a couple of new courses that are being built currently.  Has anyone heard much about the courses? 

[jkody]

Yes. The second at Windsong is a John Fought (who did the existing course) design and is currently under construction. It is slated to open next summer.

 

It is an old-school course with many MacDonald/Raynor templates. Here is a rendering of the plan:

 

 

 

Looks fun as hell and totally different than the existing course. Can't wait to play it. Windsong will be the only club in the MSP area with 36 holes.

 

Tepetonka is going to be a destination/national private club.

Edited August 31, 2023 by jkody

[graveydellic]

On 8/31/2023 at 10:54 AM, jkody said:

Yes. The second at Windsong is a John Fought (who did the existing course) design and is currently under construction. It is slated to open next summer.

 

It is an old-school course with many MacDonald/Raynor templates. Here is a rendering of the plan:

 

 

 

Looks fun as hell and totally different than the existing course. Can't wait to play it. Windsong will be the only club in the MSP area with 36 holes.

 

Tepetonka is going to be a destination/national private club.

 

I was a bit disappointed/surprised that Windsong went with Fought again.  Nothing against the original course, but felt like it would have been an amazing opportunity to bring in a name brand and really put Windsong on the map nationally.  There seems to be a pretty successful blueprint with having multiple architects if there is more than 1 course.

 

[jkody]

I think they did bring in C&C, but they said they could only find 12-14 holes. That is probably why they are going with the template program--because the land was just not interesting enough for modern minimalism. It does make me curious what the land on the existing course was like, because it is definitely not boring.

 

That said, I don't disagree with you about something totally different with a major brand name, but at the same time, Fought is really, really good and I think the membership is pretty excited about the new course. I am not a member but I get to play it fairly regularly and I know that I am. I am also not sure Windsong needs to be on the map nationally...pretty much all of the great MN courses (except Interlachen) fly well under the national radar and it's not like Windsong is clamoring for more members right now.

Edited September 6, 2023 by jkody

[slideguy]

I have a place 5 minutes from Windsong and can confirm that they are moving a ton of dirt.  They have a massive amount of earthmoving equipment from scrapers to dozers to shovels, so they are definitely not taking what nature gave but instead manipulating the land to they design.  This isn’t a pro or con just a different style to how C and C or Doak seem to approach design.

[jkody]

That is a fact. I saw it last week and am amazed by the amount of dirt they moved.

[phillyspecial]

On 9/6/2023 at 11:30 AM, jkody said:

I think they did bring in C&C, but they said they could only find 12-14 holes. That is probably why they are going with the template program--because the land was just not interesting enough for modern minimalism. It does make me curious what the land on the existing course was like, because it is definitely not boring.

 

That said, I don't disagree with you about something totally different with a major brand name, but at the same time, Fought is really, really good and I think the membership is pretty excited about the new course. I am not a member but I get to play it fairly regularly and I know that I am. I am also not sure Windsong needs to be on the map nationally...pretty much all of the great MN courses (except Interlachen) fly well under the national radar and it's not like Windsong is clamoring for more members right now.

 

This makes sense.  

 

1) The land is only 125 acres and was quite flat/boring as discussed

2) The whole thing is privately funded by the sole owner.  Who knows what the timing and the cost looked like even if he could get a brand name guy excited about it.  

3) Members have described it as a 2nd course which is not meant to compete with the original Championship course.  Its clearly going to be totally different and purely fun driven.  

 

 

[jkody]

On 1/23/2024 at 12:58 PM, phillyspecial said:

ts clearly going to be totally different and purely fun driven.

 

It still looks like it is going to be really hard, much like the original.

[slideguy]

It definitely looks fun.  They have grass in on a handful of the holes and with the warm weather it should be done in time for a fall opening.